Which older people in the community have the highest clinical-functional vulnerability?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors related to clinical-functional vulnerability in older people. METHODS: This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in 2018/2019 with 492 older adults registered in Family Health Strategy units in the city of Três Lagoas, MS, Brazil. Sociodemographic data were collected and the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index (CFVI-20) was applied (possible score 0-40; higher scores indicate greater vulnerability). A multinomial logistic regression was performed to identify the risk factors for clinical-functional vulnerability. RESULTS: The sample’s mean age was 70.80 years (SD, 7.82) and the mean CFVI-20 score was 9.25 (SD, 7.09), with 17.07% at high risk of clinical-functional vulnerability, 38.82% at moderate risk, and 44.11% at low risk. Low education, social isolation, difficulty sleeping, and being female were risk factors for moderate vulnerability. On the other hand, low education, social isolation, difficulty sleeping, physical inactivity, being female, not using alcohol, and not participating in social groups were risk factors for high vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: The CFVI-20 is convenient for primary health care contexts, since it is fast and easy to apply. By recognizing factors related to vulnerability, specific preventive actions can be planned. Keywords: frail elderly; primary health care; family health strategy; health vulnerabilit