Hospitalization of elderly people due to COVID-19 in the State of Paraná, Brazil: analysis of associated factors

Abstract

Objective To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with hospitalization of elderly people with COVID-19 in the State of Paraná, PR, Brazil. Methods A cross-sectional study linked to the cohort “Longitudinal Monitoring of adults and elderly people who were discharged from hospital admission due to COVID-19”, was carried out using information contained in the compulsory notification forms of the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Analyzes were carried out using relative and absolute frequencies, applying the chi-square test adopted in the logistic regression model. The study population included people aged 60 years or over and residing in the State of Paraná, who were hospitalized for COVID-19 from March 2020 to September 2021. Results A higher hospitalization prevalence was identified among elderly people with eight years of education or more. Individuals not vaccinated against COVID-19 had a greater chance of hospitalization. Males had a greater chance of admission to the Intensive Care Unit compared to females. Cardiovascular diseases, lung disease, and obesity have increased the prevalence of the severe form of the disease. Conclusion Factors such as education and non-adherence to vaccination against COVID-19 can increase the risk of hospitalization due to the disease. Elderly people of the male sex have a greater chance of hospitalization in the ICU compared to the female sex. Furthermore, not using antivirals can contribute to worsening health status.