Avaliação da capacidade funcional e nível de independência em mulheres idosas

Abstract

Introduction: Human aging, as revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023, is associated with an increase in life expectancy, with an estimated 77 years by 2048. Despite the gains in longevity, the process is accompanied by challenges such as functional decline and the appearance of comorbidities, highlighting the importance of evaluating functional independence and quality of life in older adults. Objective: To evaluate gait speed and the level of independence in basic activities of daily living (BADLs) in elderly women. Methodology: An observational, descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional study. Nine elderly women, with a mean age of 70.11 (±4.65) years, were evaluated. Independence in ADLs was assessed using the Modified Barthel Index (MB). The evaluation of global functional capacity was performed using the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), calculating the kinematic parameters of gait. The data were analyzed using the IBM® SPSS® Statistics v.21 program. Results: The mean gait speed was 1.08 (±0.21) meters per second; step cadence, 114.00 (±10.00) steps per minute; step length, 0.53 (±0.05) meters; percent support phase, 62.44 (±2.94) percent. The BI score was altered in 55.6% of the subjects evaluated. Conclusion: A significant correlation was found between the kinematic aspects of gait. However, when relating gait speed to age and the BI score, no significant differences were found. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]