OBJECTIVE: to adapt and validate the Caregiver Burden Inventory for use with caregivers of older adults in Brazil. METHOD: methodological study involving initial translation, synthesis of translations, back translation, expert committee review, pre-testing, submission of the final version to the original authors, and assessment of the inventory's psychometric properties. The inventory assesses five dimensions of caregiver burden: time-dependence, developmental, physical, social and emotional dimensions. RESULTS: a total of 120 family caregivers took part in the study. All care-receivers were older adults dependent on assistance to perform activities of daily living, and lived in the central region of the city of Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Cronbach's alpha value for the inventory was 0.936, and the Pearson correlation coefficient for the relationship between the scores obtained on the Caregiver Burden Inventory and the Burden Interview was 0.814. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.941, and the value of Student's T-test comparing test and retest scores was 0.792. CONCLUSION: the instrument presented adequate reliability and the suitability of its items and factors was confirmed in this study.

In this study, we examined the factors contributing to quality of life (QOL) of older adults in regions of Canada and Brazil. The WHOQOL-BREF and a demographic data sheet were administered to random samples of 202 older adults from Canada and 288 from Brazil. Ratings on overall QOL and on the physical, psychological, and environmental domains were higher in the Canadian sample. Social domain scores were not significantly different. The authors found the same pattern of factors (health satisfaction, enough money, meaning in life, and opportunities for leisure activities) contributed to the variance of QOL in both countries, except for physical environment, which was significant in Brazil and not in Canada. Health satisfaction was the strongest contributor to QOL in both samples, and satisfaction with personal relationships was not significant in either country.

Objectives: to evaluate the older adults' perceptions of their quality of life (QoL) in two long-stay care facilities in Pouso Alegre and Santa Rita in Sapucaí, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to identify the sociodemographic and health variables which interfere in this perception. Method: a cross-sectional epidemiological study of 77 older adults resident in institutions. The instruments used were: personal characterization; WHOQOL-bref and WHOQOL OLD. Result: the highest average obtained in the instruments was: the "Social Relationships" domain in the WHOQOL-bref (68%) and the "Sensory abilities" aspect in the WHOQOL-OLD (73.7%). The variables age, sex, physical activity and level of schooling have a significant correlation with the WHOQOL-bref and the variables sex and leisure have the same with the WHOQOL OLD. Conclusion: older adults who are younger, with higher levels of schooling and who undertake physical and leisure activity have, on average, better perceptions of their QoL. The older adults' QoL in this study had higher rates than that reported in the literature and was similar to that in the community. The results suggest the need to train those involved with older adults in institutions so that they may develop strategies which promote the adaptation, adjustment and maintenance of QoL.Descriptors: Quality of Life ; Aging; Aged ; Homes for the Aged. Paper extracted from Master's Thesis "Qualidade de vida e coping religioso/espiritual de idosos institucionalizados", presented to Escola Paulista Calidad de vida de mayores en institución de larga permanenciaObjetivos: evaluar la percepción de la calidad de vida de los mayores de dos instituciones de larga permanencia de Pouso Alegre y Santa Rita do Sapucaí, MG; Brasil e identificar los variables sociodemográficos y de salud que interfieren en esta percepción. Método: se trata de un estudio epidemiológico transversal con 77 mayores institucionalizados. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron: caracterización personal; WHOQOL-bref y WHOQOL OLD. Resultados: la mayor media lograda en los instrumentos fue: WHOQOL-bref en el dominio "relaciones sociales" (68%) y WHQOL-OLD en la faceta "funcionamiento sensorial"(73,7%). Los variables edad, sexo, actividad física y escolaridad presentaron correlación significante con WHOQOLbref y las variables sexo y ocio con el WHOQOL OLD. Conclusión: los mayores más jóvenes con mayor escolaridad que realizan actividad física y de ocio presentaron en media mejor percepción en la CV. La CV de los mayores de este estudio presentó mayores índices que los relatados en la literatura y fueron semejantes a los de la comunidad. Los resultados sugieren la necesidad de capacitar los envueltos con los mayores institucionalizados para que desarrollen estrategias que favorezcan la adaptación, ajustamiento y mantenimiento de la CV.

Objectives: to compare the perceptions of quality of life (QOL) and to identify factors associated with QOL among seniors living in the community in Porto Alegre, RS and institutionalized seniors from the countryside of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Method: this study used secondary data from two cross-sectional epidemiological studies. The sample consisted of 288 seniors living in the community and 76 institutionalized seniors. An instrument addressing socio-demographic data and the WHOQOL-BREF were administered. Results: bivariate analysis showed that age, gender, schooling, self-reported health, and leisure presented statistically significant differences between institutionalized and non-institutionalized seniors. The Psychological and Social Relationships domains also presented statistically significant differences. The variables that presented significant correlation in multivariate analysis in relation to the Psychological domain were education, assessments of health, leisure and in relation to the Social domain, education and age. Conclusion: being institutionalized did not influence the older adults' perceptions of QOL, but the socio-demographic characteristics and self-assessments of health did. Calidad de vida de los ancianos de la comunidad y en instituciones de larga estancia: estudio comparativoObjetivos: comparar la percepción de la calidad de vida (CV) entre ancianos de la comunidad en Porto Alegre / RS y ancianos institucionalizados en Minas Gerais e identificar factores asociados a la calidad de vida entre esos ancianos. Método: en esa investigación, se utilizaron datos secundarios a partir de dos estudios epidemiológicos transversales. La muestra fue de 288 ancianos de la comunidad y 76 institucionalizados. Se utilizaron instrumentos de caracterización sociodemográfica y WHOQOL-BREF para evaluación de la CV. Resultados: en el análisis bivariado, se evidenció que edad, sexo, escolaridad, auto evaluación de la salud y recreación mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre ser institucionalizado o no. Los dominios de CV Psicológico y Relaciones Sociales presentaron asociación. En el análisis multivariado, las variables que permanecieron con correlación en el Dominio Psicológico: escolaridad, evaluación de salud, recreación y, en el Dominio Relaciones Sociales, escolaridad, edad. Conclusión: ser institucionalizado no influyó en la percepción de la CV de los ancianos, mientras las características sociodemográficas y de salud influyeron.

The aim of this study was to characterize dependent elderly people and their main family caregivers and the association between functional capacity of the elderly and the burden of caregivers. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 112 elderly people and caregivers connected to a primary care service in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The applied instruments related to care and socioeconomic variables were Physical and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (PADL and IADL) and the Burden Interview. The Spearman correlation coefficient was also used. Average age of the elderly individuals in this study was 81.41 years, while the average score for PADL was 10.36 and 6.25 for IADL. Of the 112 elderly individuals, 71.4% had severe dependence. Among caregivers, 75% were women, 61.6% were the sons or daughters with an average age of 57.98 and an average burden of 29.53, which is equivalent to moderate burden. Results revealed a significant correlation between functional capacity of the elderly and caregiver burden. It was verified that the higher the dependence of elderly people, the greater the burden of caregivers.

The results illustrate the complexity of factors influencing QoL. With a better understanding of these factors, it is possible to plan appropriate health interventions.

Perfi l sociodemográfi co e condições de saúde autoreferidas de idosos de Porto AlegreSociodemographic profi le and selfreferred health conditions of the elderly in a city of Southern Brazil RESUMO OBJETIVO: Avaliar a associação entre sexo e grupo etário com variáveis socioeconômicas e de saúde dos idosos. MÉTODOS:Estudo transversal realizado no Distrito Noroeste de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, em 2004. Foram estudados indivíduos acima de 60 anos (N=292), selecionados por amostra probabilística em dois estágios. Os dados de variáveis socioeconômicas e demográfi cas foram coletados por inquérito domiciliar. As condições de saúde foram auto-referidas. Foram realizadas análises descritivas, de qui-quadrado de Pearson e tendência linear. RESULTADOS:Entre os idosos, 67,8% eram do sexo feminino, 84% encontravam-se na faixa dos 60 aos 79 anos, 81% consideravam-se saudáveis. Em comparação com os homens, as mulheres moravam mais sozinhas (p=0,046), sem companheiro (p<0,001), tinham menor escolaridade (p=0,021); relatavam mais problemas de saúde (p=0,003) e uso de medicação sistemática (p=0,016); realizavam menos atividades físicas (p=0,015) e eram mais dependentes nas atividades de vida diária (p<0,001), recebiam menos aposentadoria (p<0,001), exerciam menos atividades remuneradas (p=0,002), mas se percebiam mais apoiadas pela rede social informal (p=0,023), consumiam menos bebidas alcoólicas (p=0,003) e não eram fumantes (p<0,001). Os mais idosos tinham menor escolaridade (p<0,001), piores condições econômicas (p=0,004), recebiam menos aposentadoria (p<0,001), não tinham companheiro (p<0,001), eram mais dependentes nas atividades de vida diária (p<0,001), mas se percebiam mais apoiados pela rede social informal (p=0,014) e não eram fumantes (p<0,001). CONCLUSÕES:Foram evidenciadas diferenças quanto a gênero e grupo etário para variáveis socioeconômicas e de saúde, sendo piores para as mulheres e para os idosos mais velhos. Nos países em desenvolvimento, o aumento da população idosa vem ocorrendo rapidamente e num contexto de pobreza. 13 No Brasil, 8,6% da população total tem 60 ou mais anos de idade. As projeções das Nações Unidas indicam que, em 2050, 23,6% da população brasileira será de adultos idosos e o Brasil será um dos cinco países do mundo com mais de 50 milhões de idosos. DESCRITORES: Saúde do idoso. Auto-avaliação (PsicologiaEsse novo perfi l populacional, no qual se destaca o aumento do contingente de "idosas" e da proporção de idosos "mais idosos", tem feito surgir novas demandas, quando outras necessidades básicas da vida humana, tais como alimentação, moradia, saneamento, entre outras, ainda não foram atendidas.As políticas de saúde do País relacionadas ao envelhecimento concretizaram-se por meio de uma prática centrada no tratamento das doenças crônico-degenerativas ou de suas complicações, pela assistência médica individual. Nesse contexto, muitos estudos têm privilegiado a lógica clínica no âmbito dos serviços de saúde e investigando danos e fragilidades específi cas que acometem os idosos. Esses e...

Objective:to reveal the felt and normative needs of primary family caregivers when providing instrumental support to older adults enrolled in a Home Care Program in a Primary Health Service in the South of Brazil. Methods:using Bradshaw's taxonomy of needs to explore the caregiver's felt needs (stated needs) and normative needs (defined by professionals), a mixed exploratory study was conducted in three steps: Descriptive quantitative phase with 39 older adults and their caregiver, using a data sheet based on patient records; Qualitative exploratory phase that included 21 caregiver interviews, analyzed by content analysis; Systematic observation, using an observation guide with 16 caregivers, analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results:the felt needs were related to information about instrumental support activities and subjective aspects of care. Caregivers presented more normative needs related to medications care. Conclusion:understanding caregivers' needs allows nurses to plan interventions based on their particularities.