Revista de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (Dec 2018)

INFORMAL SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP REGARDING ELDERLY WITH HYPERTENSION AND/OR DIABETES

  • Mariangela Uhlmann Soares,
  • Bruno Pereira Nunes,
  • Louriele Soares Wachs,
  • Marciane Kessler,
  • Alitéia Santiago Dilélio,
  • Deisi Cardoso Soares,
  • Luiz Augusto Facchini,
  • Elaine Thumé

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5902/2179769227800
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 4
pp. 780 – 793

Abstract

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Aim: to evaluate the informal social relations among the elderly with diagnosis of hypertension and/or diabetes, residing in Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul. Method: crosssectional population-based study. A total of 1,593 people aged 60 and over were interviewed, of whom 947 had a diagnosis of hypertension and/or diabetes. Results: The prevalence of "informal social relations" was distributed in weak, moderate and strong. The statistical difference among the groups was evaluated with chi-square test and confidence intervals of 95%. Results: the percentage of weak informal relationships was 51.0%, with higher proportions among the elderly aged over 74 years, lower educational level, C and D socioeconomic classification, residents in multigenerational households, with more people and in areas covered by the “Estratégia Saúde da Família” health strategy. Conclusion: the results reinforce the need to develop social protection mechanisms for the elderly with chronic morbidity, in order to minimize the risk of living alone.

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