Level of physical activity and risk of falls in the institutionalized elderly

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Aging is characterized by the progressive decline of all physiological processes, which results in alterations of all organs and systems, generating loss of muscular strength and deficit of balance. These processes can be aggravated if the individual is physically inactive. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the level of physical activity and risk of falls in institutionalized elderly. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study performed with the 24 elderly people living in an ILPI, in the city of São Paulo. In order to evaluate the balance, the Berg Balance Scale and the assessment of the physical activity level, using the IPAQ, were used. RESULTS: the frequency of falls in the last 3 months was 16.66% and for the last year 20.83%. Older people with institutionalization time of less than 5 years present a higher risk of falls than older people with longer institutionalization time. Regarding walking, we observed that 41.66% of the men wandered, which is higher than the female sex. Regarding the balance, it was observed that 83.33% of the total of the elderly presented balance deficit, being of these 50% with 80 years or more. In relation to the IPAQ, 87.5% of the elderly were classified as sedentary. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, it was possible to conclude that, elderly people living in this ILPI have a high risk of falls, and this risk is higher in elderly women and institutionalized elderly individuals less than 5 years of age. There was a high rate of sedentary lifestyle and it was higher in individuals older than 80 years.