Capacidade funcional e condições sócio-ecológicas em idosos longevos: uma amostragem dos ex-combatentes da Segunda Guerra Mundial em Belém do Pará

Abstract

The suddenness that humanity grows old requires adaptations of the societies’ lifestyle and attention to the elderly people needs new paradigms between government and citizen. In Belém of Pará, Brazil, the former combatants of World War II did not participate of the Independence parade in 2010, alleged lack of physical conditions, that arouse the interest in know this parcel of the population of Pará lives, as they have participated of the parade since 1951. With this aim, the aging profile of a sample of former-combatants of World War II, who live in Belém, was described in its bioantropologic aspects, relating to transition of density and epidemiology which Brazil is passing by, especially in the North region, in which we identify few studies about human aging. Thus, this study was based on survey method and descriptive, correlational quantitative. There were two phases in the research one bibliographic and another in the field in which we collected the required sample for the study. This sample is composed of 20 Ex-combatants (Navy n = 9, Army n = 9 and Air Force n = 2), aged 90.15 ± 5.33 years. In data analysis, we used SPSS 20.0 for univariate and multivariate analysis. The dependent variable, functional capacity was assessed by the Activities of Daily Living (ADL), we applied the Katz’s model (1963), The Nutritional status was defined through the diagnoses obtained from the analysis of anthropometric variables: body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness and arm muscle circumference and overall muscle strength, through the evaluation of grip strength. The Social conditions and health were assessed by questionnaires and sociodemographic a physical examination was performed in order to identify health conditions over the life course. Ex-combatants of World War II who live in Belém (PA), men are physically active and independent in ADL (95%). This result was confirmed by the evaluation of grip strength which noted that the sample has the same levels of muscle strength when compared to other populations of elderly Brazilians. In the nutritional assessment, 30% are eutrophic while 70% are not eutrophic. In socioeconomic profile, it was found that 65% are married, 30% widowed and 5% single, averaging 5 ± 3.11 children. The education level is 40% with high school, live in good housing conditions, with a monthly income of more than five minimum wages. They are independent of unified health system. 95% are Catholic and 25% of them still hold community activities. The recreational use of alcohol was reported by 50% of the sample and 100% are non-smokers. For longevity and good functional capacity, they were attributed to favorable socioeconomic status and family support. In the analysis of the course of life, we can hypothesize them high social adaptability due to bad experiences in the war, despite being with great loss of social prestige, which is an important reason for non-participation in military parade in 2010.