Avaliação de desempenho cognitivo em idosos cadastrados na atenção primária à saúde.

Abstract

The reach of longevity has allowed the build of new looks on the elderly population around the world. The aging has progressed quickly in several global regions and countries with the most different levels of economic development. In this perspective, the study of elderly’s cognitives functions becomes important, seeking out with this improve the life’s quality. Evaluate the cognitive performance in elderly people registered in the primary health care of the municipality of Pombal-PB, through the Mini Condition Mental Examination (MEEM). Cross-sectional correlational analytical study, conducted in the quantitative approach, realized in the municipality of Pombal/Paraíba, linked to the project with thesis "Factors associated with fragility in the elderly in Primary Care context". The population was composed by elderly of 65 years or older who were registered in Primary Health Care - Municipality's APS. 307 elderly people participated proportionally distributed among the 12 Basic Health Units (UBS), obeying the inclusion criteria about be registered in one of UBSs for at least six months and reside in the registered residence of the UBSs; and with locomotives conditions to participate in the study. For the data collects was utilized the MEEM Scale. The data were analized in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 2.0, then the significance tests of "Chi Square by Pearson", "Fisher exact test" and "Poisson regression" were realized. The ethical observances in the guidelines and regulatory standarts for research involving humans - Resolution 466/12 of the National Health Council - were considered. The project was appreciated and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, under CAAE: 62429616.0.0000.5149. There was the prevalence of 12.4% of elderly people at risk of cognitive deficit, having as most important associations: women, unmarried, catholic, who do not work, retired, who do not reside alone, who lived accompanied, who used to frequent school from 4 to 12 years and who were literate. When the multivariate regression analysis was made, the variables that remained significant to the higher cognitive risk prevalence were: to have schooling, be separated and have respiratory diseases. Against the significant dementia prevalence in the elderly and their notable consequences, it is primordial and of utmost important that the health profissionals are able to recognize the individuals with pontential risk to develop dementia, as well as have satisfatory mechanisms to early identification of this, besides be prepared to deal with patients with clinical dementia condition, providing indispensable subsidies to the integral, single and holistic care which the Primary Health Care should be guiding.