Capacidad funcional en adultos mayores del estado de Sonora, México

Abstract

Mexico faces the aging of its population with significant adversities: The Health Panorama 2021 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) states that life expectancy at birth in Mexico is one of the lowest of the associated countries; it also points out that Mexico is one of the countries that invests the least in public health. To this we must add that Mexico has the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults of the countries that belong to this organization, with 75% of its population in one of these conditions. The World Health Organisation maintains that functional assessment is the ideal starting point for addressing the health challenges associated with ageing, as it allows for more accurate prediction of survival rates and other adverse effects. Therefore, it was pertinent to conduct the study in older adults living in the state of Sonora, Mexico, to determine indicators of their functional capacity during their ageing process, as a first step to understand their needs in order to promote a quality, healthier and more independent life. One of the advantages of having older adults evaluate their functional capacity is that they obtain a diagnosis that allows them to observe their evolution when compared with successive evaluations and also to compare reference values from other investigations, with which, depending on the levels reached, it is possible to note whether they are at risk of suffering functional disability, morbidity and mortality in a given period of time, and with this can influence their aging trajectory, identifying early stages of disability, or take measures to help compensate for functional deterioration. The sample consisted of 550 functionally independent older adults aged 60 to 84.9 years, living in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico; 385 were women and 65 men. The mean age in women was 69 ± 6 years, and 70 ± 6 years in men. The evaluation instruments were the prehensile strength with dynamometer, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the Senior Performance Test (SFT). The results showed that in general there is a progressive decrease in the components of physical fitness as age advances, with a clearer decrease in the 70-80 years decade, both in men and women. Women at any age, in general, show a lower functional capacity than men of the same age, with the exception of flexibility in which they show a better performance. In relation to the reference values most commonly used in the international literature, the women in our sample show a better relative physical condition than men of the same age. Finally, we offer reference values by sex and age group for the tests of the Performance Test Battery for the Elderly and the Short Battery of Physical Performance that will be useful for the physical caregivers of the elderly population of Sonora.