Associação entre o risco de quedas e estado nutricional em pessoas idosas atendidas na Atenção Básica à Saúde

Abstract

Introduction: In Brazil, there are approximately 32 million elderly people, according to the 2022 demographic census, carried out by IBGE, evidencing the accelerated process of population aging underway in the country. The latest demographic census confirms that in addition to the rapid aging process of the population, there is a great feminization of this aging. Objective: To characterize the elderly people attended in Primary Health Care and analyze the association between the risk of falls in this group, nutritional status and associated factors. Method: Cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, being an excerpt from the longitudinal and multicenter project of the International Research Network on Vulnerability, Health, Safety and Quality of Life of the Elderly: Brazil, Portugal, Spain and France, carried out in the city of Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte. The sample consisted of elderly people attended by Primary Health Care (PHC), which occurred between June and December 2023. Results: Most elderly people at risk of falls were women, aged between 60 and 79 years, literate, married, and with self-reported diseases. The analysis revealed a significant association between altered nutritional status and the risk of falls, with malnourished elderly people being more prone to falls. In addition, polypharmacy and the presence of self-reported diseases were also factors associated with an increased risk of falls. Conclusion: It was evidenced that nutritional status is strongly related to the risk of falls.