Satisfação global com a vida e determinados domínios entre idosos com amputação de membros inferiores / Satisfaction with life overall and with specific life domains among elderly persons with a lower limb amputation

RESUMO

OBJETIVO: Em idosos com amputação de membros inferiores, atendidos no ambulatório de amputados de um hospital universitário do Município de Campinas, Säo Paulo, Brasil, identificar relaçöes entre a satisfaçäo global com a vida e a capacidade funcional; avaliar o grau de satisfaçäo com os domínios saúde, capacidade física/dependência, capacidade mental e integraçäo/envolvimento social; e identificar relaçöes entre a satisfaçäo global com a vida e a satisfaçäo com os domínios. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 40 idosos (30 homens e 10 mulheres), com idade média de 74,5 anos (60 a 79 anos), submetidos à amputaçäo acima dos maléolos há no mínimo 1 ano e em acompanhamento para reabilitaçäo entre junho de 1994 e junho de 1999. O instrumento utilizado para a coleta de dados foi composto por 1) avaliação da capacidade funcional (índice de Barthel); 2) avaliaçäo da satisfaçäo global com a vida (modelo de Cantrill); e 3) avaliaçäo da satisfaçäo com os domínios saúde, capacidade física/dependência, capacidade mental e integraçäo/ envolvimento social, em termos individuais e em comparaçäo com outros idosos. RESULTADOS: Os participantes apresentaram elevado nível de satisfaçäo global com a vida (média de 7,1; mediana de 7,5; desvio padräo de 2,73). Näo houve correlaçäo significativa entre a satisfação global com a vida e a capacidade funcional. Näo houve diferença significativa entre o grau de satisfaçäo individual com os diferentes domínios e a percepçäo desses domínios na comparaçäo com outras pessoas da mesma idade; em ambos os casos, a satisfaçäo observada foi alta. Houve correlação significativa apenas entre a satisfaçäo global com a vida e os domínios saúde (individual e comparada) e capacidade física (comparada). CONCLUSÖES: Os resultados sugerem uma tendência dos idosos com amputaçäo a expressarem uma avaliaçäo positiva sobre seu bem-estar. Esta observaçäo, aliada à escassez de estudos sobre o assunto, justifica a realização de novas pesquisas sobre o bem-estar subjetivo da populaçäo idosa e permite um novo olhar sobre a reabilitaçäo dos idosos com amputaçäo de membros inferiores

ABSTRACT

Objective. To examine a group of elderly persons who had had a lower limb amputation and who were receiving care at the outpatient clinic of a teaching hospital in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in order to 1) identify relationships between their perceived overall life satisfaction and their functional capacity; 2) assess their perceived satisfaction with the domains of health, physical functioning/dependence, mental health, and social integration/involvement; and 3) identify relationships between overall life satisfaction and satisfaction with the specific domains. Methods. An assessment was done of a group of 40 elderly persons (30 men and 10 women) who had had an amputation above the malleolus at least 1 year earlier and who were undergoing rehabilitation between June 1994 and June 1999. Their mean age was 74.5 years (range, 60 to 79 years). A questionnaire was used for data collection to assess 1) functional capacity (Barthel index); 2) general life satisfaction (Cantrill model); and 3) satisfaction with the domains of health, physical functioning/ dependence, mental health, and social integration/involvement, with the 40 elderly persons assessing themselves both in individual terms and in comparison to other persons of the same age group. Results. Among the 40 elderly persons, the level of general life satisfaction was high. Measured on a scale of 1 to 10, the mean was 7.1 and the median 7.5, with a standard deviation of 2.73. There was no correlation between overall life satisfaction and functional capacity. There was no significant difference between individual perceived comparison to other persons of the same age group; in both of these cases, the elderly persons who had had an amputation reported a high degree of satisfaction. A positive correlation was found only between overall life satisfaction and the domains of health (individual and comparative) and of physical functioning (comparative). Conclusions. These results suggest that this group of elderly persons who had had an amputation tended to assess their situation positively. This finding provides new insights into the rehabilitation of elderly persons with lower limb amputations. Taken together with the dearth of studies concerning the subject, this finding also indicates the need for additional research focusing on the subjective well-being of the elderly