Multimorbidity is associated with low functional ability in older adults living in a German-colonized city in southern Brazil: a population-based study

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between multimorbidity and low functional ability in older adults in southern Brazil. Methods: In a cross-sectional population-based study, we analyzed a sample of 435 persons aged 60–79 years old. Functional ability was estimated using a scale 0 to 100, stratified into quartiles, and the presence of diseases was self-reported. The association between multimorbidity and low functional ability (lowest quartile or less) was estimated by logistic regression. Results: The frequency of multimorbidity was 85.5% and the median functional ability score was 70. There was an inverse correlation between functional ability score and the number of chronic diseases (rho= -0.48; p<0.0001). Low functional ability was associated with multimorbidity (OR 3.1; 95%CI 1.7–5.5; p<0.001) and remained so after adjustment for sex, age, health service utilization, hospitalizations, health insurance status, and self-perceived health status (OR 2.0; 95%CI 1.07–3.73; p=0.029). Conclusion: Identifying the most vulnerable older adults and providing them with appropriate health care could help prevent loss of functional ability.

Keywords

• healthy aging
• multimorbidity
• physical functional performance
• personal autonomy