FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS IN THE CITY OF COARI, AMOZONAS

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative rheumatic disease with a high prevalence among the elderly that causes functional disability and high impact on the quality of life of patients. However, regional differences related to lifestyle can influence these aspects. Objective: To evaluate quality of life (QOL) and functional capacity (FC) of elderly patients with osteoarthritis in the city of Coari, Amazonas. Methods: Two questionnaires were used to measure the CF and QL, the Katz and SF-36 respectively. The linear Pearson coefficient was used to measure strength of association between quantitative variables. Results: Participants were 25 elderly aged 60 years or older who had a diagnosis of the disease, referred by Regional Hospital Coari. The average age of the elderly was 68.8 ± 8.35 years. The median time to diagnosis was 5.5 years. The Katz showed that 72% of older respondents were totally unrelated to the basic activities of daily living. Worse QoL was identified mainly on the physical aspects (AF), it is believed that the pain, stiffness and impaired joint function by osteoarthritis, probably played a key role in this change. Conclusion: Through this study we can conclude that the joint that most affected the QOL of elderly people who have OA, mainly related to functional capacity and pain. Among the most affected areas, knee and spine were the most affected.