Influence of biopsychosocial factors on the survival of the elderly in northeast Brazil-a prospective study

Associations between Disability in Activities of Daily Living and Social Capital aspects among older adults: a scoping review

Social capital aspects are playing an important role in activities of daily living (ADL) performance, thus on independent living. This paper was aimed to present an overview of the associations and adverse effects between social capital aspects and disability in ADL and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in an older population aged 65 years old and over. Α scoping review was designed following the guidelines of PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the review was conducted by 3 authors. A total of 185 primary studies were extracted and, finally, 40 studies did meet the inclusion criteria and critically appraised in two main categories; Category 1(29 studies) ‘social capital and disability in ADL’ deducing that as greater a social capital as better ADL performance and Category 2 (11 studies) ‘Social capital and HRQoL’ concluding that people 65 years old and over with lower social capital were presented with a poor HRQoL. Study synthesis highlights the impact of social capital suggesting that nurses caring for older people must focus on their engagement in terms of social diversity and trust in the community.

Functional Capacity and Inflammatory Mediators in Elderly Residents of Counties with Different Human Development Index

A number of studies have indicated that certain factors, including socioeconomic status and education, are associated with the functional health status of the elderly. Another relevant factor in aging is chronic subliminal inflammation, with increased levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR-1), commonly seen in the elderly. High levels of these inflammatory mediators could impair the functional capacity. In this respect, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare plasma levels of inflammatory mediators and functional capacity of older women living in three Brazilian counties with different Human Development Index. We evaluated 154 women aged ≥65 years, regardless of race and/or social status. IL-6 and sTNFR-1 plasma levels were measured by ELISA and the functional capacity by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) test. Comparison among groups was performed using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc correction, Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney U tests. Women that lived in one of the counties with high HDI had lower functional capacity (p < 0.001). The population from the county with the highest HDI had lower plasma levels of sTNFR-1 (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in plasma levels of IL-6 (p > 0.05). Besides this, women from the counties with lower HDI had a higher number of self-reported diseases and higher income (p < 0.05). Women that lived in the county with the highest HDI had a higher average education level (p < 0.05). The results showed differences in functional capacity and plasma levels of sTNFR-1 between the counties. In addition, the level of education, family income, and number of self-reported diseases show regional diversities in the aging process, suggesting these factors having an influence on inflammatory mediators and functional capacity.

Anthropometric, functional capacity, and oxidative stress changes in Brazilian community-living elderly subjects. A longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the changes and relationships among anthropometric, functional and plasma oxidative stress markers in elderly.

DESIGN

longitudinal study.

SETTING

measurements in 2008 and 2010.

PARTICIPANTS

103 community-dwelling men and women aged 67-92.

MEASUREMENTS

Anthropometric parameters [waist, hip, arm and calf circumferences; waist-hip ratio, triceps skinfold thickness and others], basic (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL)] and plasma oxidative stress markers (α-tocopherol, β-carotene and malondialdehyde) were assessed in 2008 and 2010.

RESULTS

ADL, IADL, body weight, skinfold thickness and circumferences of calf and arm decreased and waist and waist-hip ratio increased from 2008 to 2010. α-Tocopherol decreased and malondialdehyde plasma levels increased during the study period. In multiple logistic regression analyses, increased age (OR=1.12; IC: 1.02-1.23; p=0.02), female gender (OR=8.43; IC: 1.23-57.58; p=0.03), hypertension (OR=0.22; IC: 0.06-0.79; p=0.02), arthritis/arthrosis (OR=0.09; IC: 0.009-0.87; p=0.04) and depression (OR=0.20; IC: 0.04-1.03; p=0.05) were independent risk factors for functional decline.

CONCLUSION

Fat reduction, muscle loss, central obesity increase, functional decline and worsening of plasma oxidative stress were observed during 2-year follow-up. Some of the risk factors that were identified could be modified to help prevent functional decline in elderly. The factors deserving attention include hypertension, arthritis/arthrosis and depression.