Associação entre força de preensão manual e atividades instrumentais da vida diária: um estudo com longevos ribeirinhos e rurais de Manaus, AM

Abstract

Introduction: One of the main indicators of healthy aging is functional capacity, that is, the independence to perform basic and instrumental tasks of daily life. With the aging process, it is necessary to understand what can favor the maintenance of this independence. Aims: To verify whether there is an association between handgrip strength and functional capacity of long-lived elderly people in the rural area of Manaus, AM. Method: For this observational and association study, the Katz and Lawton Scales were used to assess basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), respectively. A SAEHAN SH5001 dynamometer was also used to measure handgrip strength (HGS). Results: 90 long-lived people participated in this study, with a mean age of 84.6 (± 4.8), with a predominance of men. There was a positive association between IADL and right and left handgrip strength, that is, each increase of one point in the IADL score increases 1.35 and 1.40 kg/f for the left and right hands, respectively. Conclusion: From the results it can be inferred that long-lived elderly people living in the rural area of Manaus, AM present uniqueness in relation to their profile, such as the prevalence of men. The need to offer physical activities to this population to maintain HGS and, therefore, preserve the independence of these elderly people for IADL is highlighted.