[Multimorbidity, Depressive Symptoms, and Self-Reported Health in Older Adults: a Secondary Analysis of the Sabe Bogota Study].

Background: Multimorbidity and depressive symptoms (DSs) are common in older adults. Self-rated health (SRH) allows detection of elderly adults with a high burden of multimorbidity plus depression. The aim of this study was to test the association of groups of multimorbidity and DS on SRH in Colombian older adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2012 in Bogotá, Colombia, called "Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento" (Health, Well-being, and Aging), including 2000 community-dwelling adults 60 years of age or older. SRH was assessed with the question "How would you rate your health?" giving five possible answers. DSs were rated using the 15-question version of the geriatric depression scale, and multimorbidity was defined as having two or more chronic diseases. A logistic regression model was used to identify the association between grouped DS and multimorbidity with SRH. Results: Groups were distributed as follows: 678 with no DS/no multimorbidity (33.9%), 808 with only multimorbidity (40%), 128 with DS only (6.4%), and 386 with DS/multimorbidity (19.3%). An association of fair/poor SRH with DS/multimorbidity group was found (odds ratio 5.5; 95% confidence interval 3.86-7.95, p < 0.001) when compared to subjects without any of those conditions. Conclusion: There was an incremental association between DS and multimorbidity with SRH. An older adult referring to his or her own health with a negative connotation should alert to a higher burden of diseases, including DS.

Clinically relevant weakness in diverse populations of older adults participating in the International Mobility in Aging Study.

The aims of this study were to compare cut points for weakness proposed by Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project with cut points estimated with our own data; to assess the prevalence of clinically relevant handgrip strength (HGS) weakness according to published criteria across distinct populations of older adults; to estimate the ability of HGS weakness to identify slowness. This is a cross-sectional analysis of International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) involving 1935 community-dwelling older adults, between 65 and 74 years, who completed HGS and gait speed assessment. We used baseline data from Tirana (Albania), Natal (Brazil), Manizales (Colombia), Kingston (Ontario, Canada), and Saint-Hyacinthe (Quebec, Canada). Weakness was defined according to sex-specific HGS cut points associated with slowness proposed by FNIH Sarcopenia Project. Slowness was defined as gait speed <0.8 m/s. IMIAS cut points for clinical weakness had good agreement with those proposed by FNIH. Weakness prevalence across the research sites ranged from 1.1 % (Saint-Hyacinthe) to 19.2 % (Manizales) among men. Women from Manizales (13.5 %) and Natal (19.3 %) had higher prevalence of weakness than their counterparts. FNIH cut points had a strong association with slowness, for both sexes. The IMIAS population generated cut points which were close to those proposed by FNIH. There was large variability in prevalence of weakness across our research sites. The HGS cut points for weakness proposed by FNIH performed well in IMIAS populations, providing a useful tool for screening older adults at risk for functional problems.