RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-REPORTED VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND FRAILTY SYNDROME IN ELDERLY USERS OF PRIMARY HEALTHCARE UNITS

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to verify whether there is a relationship between self-reported visual problems and frailty syndrome in elderly people assisted by Basic Health Units (UBS). For this, data were used from a thematic study entitled “Frailty syndrome: Identification and monitoring of vulnerability in elderly users of Basic Health Units in the city of “Santos/SP”, of na observational and cross-sectional nature. Self-reported visual problem from the database, as well as the Edmonton Frailty Scale (EFE), for the frailty outcome, of 292 elderly people participating in the aforementioned study. According to the Spearman correlation coefficient test (r), there was a weak and positive correlation between the self-reported visual problem and the EFE (r=0.175; p=0.003). Therefore, it was possible to conclude that those who reported visual problems had higher scores on the frailty scale (more frail) while people reported visual problems. Those who did not report visual problems have lower scores (not frail), demonstrating that there is a relationship between these conditions.

Keywords: Self reported visual problem; frailty syndrome; older people; Basic health units.