Functional performance, nutritional status and level of physical activity of elderly

The elderly is a risk group for changes in health conditions and as well as in functional performance related to the decline in grip strength and reduced walking speed, which can compromise the performance of activities of daily living. Based on this, the objective was to analyze the factors associated with functional performance in the elderly. For that, a cross-sectional study was developed involving a group of 179 elderly people who received medical care at an outpatient clinic of the public health network. Muscle strength and gait speed were measured. Nutritional status was determined by Body Mass Index (BMI), calf circumference (CC), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Level of physical activity was measured by the adapted version of the Minnesota Leisure Activities Questionnaire. Low muscle strength was found in 20.7% of the elderly and slow gait in 20.1%. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease was found in 40.8% considering WC, and 35.2% by WHR. Most of the elderly had low weight and no loss of muscle mass. Loss of muscle strength was associated with sex and CC and gait speed were associated with sex, age, and presence of a partner (p < 0.05). The chance of loss of muscle strength and lower gait speed was higher in elderly women. Loss of muscle mass due to CC was associated with the chance of loss of strength, and the chance of reduced walking speed was greater among the elderly individuals aged 75 years and over.

A vivência da enfermeira no processo de morte e morrer dos pacientes oncológicos / La vivencia del enfermero en el proceso de la muerte y el morir de los pacientes oncológicos / The nurse's experience with the death and dying process among oncology patients

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, exploratório e descritivo que objetivou descrever e analisar a vivência do enfermeiro no processo de morte e morrer dos pacientes oncológicos. A coleta de dados deu-se através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas realizadas no período de setembro a outubro de 2007, com 10 enfermeiras. Estas entrevistas foram analisadas tendo como pressupostos norteadores a análise de conteúdo, modalidade temática. Nos resultados e discussão, os depoimentos obtidos foram categorizados como: o significado da morte para a enfermeira, o envolvimento no processo de morte e morrer dos pacientes oncológicos e o preparo emocional das enfermeiras diante do processo de morte e morrer. Estes profissionais demonstram em seus discursos uma grande ansiedade em lidar com a morte, procurando negá-la, já que esta se constitui em um fenômeno doloroso e de difícil aceitação.

The objective of this qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study is to describe and to analyze the nurse's lived experiences concerning the death and dying process among oncology patients. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews carried out with ten nurses from September to October of 2007. This data was analyzed based on the content analysis and thematic modality. In the results and discussion, the depositions obtained were categorized as: the meaning of death for the nurse; involvement in the death and dying process among oncology patients; and emotional preparation for nurses to face this process. These professionals demonstrate in their speeches a great anxiety in dealing with death, seeking to deny it since death constitutes a painful and difficult to accept phenomenon.

Se trata de un estudio cualitativo, exploratorio y descriptivo cuyo objetivo es describir y analizar la vivencia del enfermero en el proceso de la muerte y del morir de los pacientes oncológicos. La recolección de los datos se hizo a través de entrevistas parcialmente estructuradas, realizadas en los meses de septiembre y octubre del 2007, con diez enfermeras. Las entrevistas fueron analizadas teniendo como presupuestos orientadores el análisis de contenido y la modalidad temática. En los resultados y en la discusión, las declaraciones obtenidas fueron categorizadas como: el significado de la muerte para el enfermero, la participación en el proceso de muerte y del morir de los pacientes oncológicos, y la preparación emocional de los enfermeros para enfrentar ese proceso. Estos profesionales demuestran en sus discursos una gran ansiedad para hacer frente a la muerte procurando negarla, ya que ésta se convierte en un fenómeno doloroso y de difícil aceptación.