The heterogeneity of factors associated with a negative self-evaluation indicates that the health of older individuals is defined by determinants that fall within a broad view of health. The standardization of questions and answers for research on self-assessment of health in older people is recommended, since this information will produce knowledge and allow monitoring and comparison of results, and will therefore be useful in guiding decision-making regarding the formulation of health policies for Brazil and Latin America.

Objective: To validate calf circumference as a technology for assessing muscle mass in the elderly. Method: Cross-sectional study with 132 elderly people from Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. Decreased muscle mass was determined by the skeletal muscle mass index (IME) using Dual Energy X-Ray Absortometry (DEXA). The cutoff circumferences (CC) cutoff points to indicate muscle mass decrease were estimated by ROC curve, sensitivity, specifi city and accuracy. Results: The most accurate cut-off points for detecting decreased muscle mass in the elderly were 34 cm for men (sensitivity: 71.5%, specifi city: 77.4%) and 33 cm for women (sensitivity: 80.0%; specifi city: 84.6%). Conclusion: CC can be used as a measure for early identifi cation of muscle mass decrease in routine evaluations of the elderly in primary care.

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Aim. To identify methods, index, diagnostic criteria, and corresponding cutoff points used to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in older people in different countries. Methods. A systematic review was carried out in accordance with PRISMA Statement. The search encompassed the MEDLINE and LILACS databases and was executed during March 2012 using the keyword sarcopenia. Results. A total of 671 studies were identified by the search strategy, and 30 meet all inclusion criteria. Specifically for dual-X-ray absorptiometry, prevalence ranged from 2.2% to 95% in men and from 0.1% to 33.9% in women. For bioelectrical impedance analysis, the range was from 6.2% to 85.4% in men and 2.8% to 23.6% in women. Regarding anthropometric and computed tomography, prevalence rates were, respectively, 14.1% and 55.9%. Conclusions. Heterogeneity in prevalence of sarcopenia was identified, due to diagnostic method choice, cutoff points, and, characteristics of the population as well as reference population. These factors should be considered in research designs to enable comparison and validation of results. Despite the limitations of most studies that indicated high prevalence rates, the results indicate the need for early detection of this syndrome.

Foram investigados a prevalência e os fatores associados à autoavaliação do estado de saúde ruim em idosos usuários do SUS, em Goiânia, Goiás, Brasil. Estudo transversal, com amostra de idosos proporcional aos nove Distritos Sanitários de Goiânia. Os dados foram coletados após estudo piloto e treinamento da equipe de campo. A medida de associação foi a razão de prevalência (RP) e respectivos intervalos de 95% de confiança (IC95%). Realizou-se análise multivariada por regressão de Poisson hierarquizada. Em 403 idosos, a prevalência de autoavaliação do estado de saúde ruim foi de 27,5% (IC95%: 23,2-32,2), sendo 29,7% nas mulheres e 29,1% entre idosos com 60-64 anos de idade. As variáveis associadas após análise multivariada foram: ter menos de 1 ano de estudo, não praticar atividade física, uso de 5 ou mais medicamentos e perda de peso recente. Os resultados demonstraram elevada prevalência de autoavaliação de saúde ruim, e os fatores associados compreendem desde as condições sociais do idoso até as suas condições de saúde e estilo de vida.

Polypharmacy is a common practice among the elderly, but few studies have evaluated its association with nutritional markers. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of polypharmacy and its association with nutritional markers, chronic diseases, sociodemographic and health variables. This research is part of the Study Elderly/Goiânia, which evaluated 418 elderly community in a cross-sectional design. Polypharmacy was defined as the use of five or more concomitant medications. The following nutritional markers were investigated: BMI, waist circumference, percentage body fat, weight gain and loss, use of diet, daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, skimmed and whole milk. Multivariate analysis was performed using hierarchical Poisson regression, with significance level set at 5%. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 28% (95%CI 23.1 -32.5), with a significant association with feminine gender, age range 75 -79 years, eutrophic nutritional status and obesity, use of diet, poor self-rated health and presence of two, three or more chronic diseases. The high prevalence of polypharmacy and its association with nutritional markers and chronic diseases call the attention for the need of nutritional surveillance and monitoring in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence and factors associated with falls in a nationally representative sample of older Brazilians residing in urban areas.METHODS Data from 4,174 participants (60 years or older) from the baseline of ELSI-Brazil, conducted between 2015 and 2016, were used. The outcome variable was the reporting of one or more falls in the last 12 months. The exploratory variables were sociodemographic characteristics, factors related to the urban environment, and health conditions. Statistical analysis was performed using Poisson regression.RESULTS The prevalence of falls was 25.1%. Of these, 1.8% resulted in a hip or femur fracture and, among them, 31.8% required surgery for prosthesis placement. Statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) with falls were observed for females [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.26], age group of 75 years or older (PR = 1.21), fear of falling due to defective sidewalks (PR = 1.47), fear of crossing streets (PR = 1.22), diabetes (PR = 1.17), arthritis or rheumatism (PR = 1.29), and depression (PR = 1.53). No significant associations were found for educational level, marital status, hypertension, and perception of violence in the neighborhood.CONCLUSIONS The factors associated with falls among older adults are multidimensional, comprising individual characteristics and the urban environment, which indicates the need for intra and intersectoral actions to prevent falls in this population.

Perfil das hospitalizações e fatores associados em idosos usuários do SUSThe profile of hospitalizations and associated factors among elderly users of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) Resumo