Author(s): QUINTEROS BRICEÑO, F.J.1, CANO CAPPELLACCI, M.A.1, TORTELLA GONZALEZ, J.A.2 , Institution: UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE , Country: CHILE, Abstract-ID: 2538

INTRODUCTION:
In Chile, elderly people (EP) represent 12% of the countrys population and they will reach 19% in 2035, making it relevant to focus efforts that develop strategies to face the challenges of population aging and its consequences for health status. In Chile, the EP population is heterogeneous with representation in all social stratifications of the country, such as educational, economic, and functional levels. The objective of this research is to observe the behavior and reliability of clinical tests for the evaluation of physical condition and risk of falls in institutionalized older adults.
METHODS:
58 female volunteers (87±7,87 years old) met the eligibility criteria, stayed at the institution at least for one year and without a cognitive impairment assessed by the abbreviated mini-metal screening test (MMSE). The sample was divided according to the history of falls in without falls (WF) and with history of falls (F). Test used in this study include cognitive test MMSE; functional test Barthel Scale (BS); physical function tests: Time up and go (TUG), Single stage test (SST), hand grip test (HGT), arm curl test (ACT), four square test (FST) and sit to stand test in 30 seconds (30SSTS) and anthropometric measures corporal mass index (CMI). The data was processed with JAMOVI software.
RESULTS:
The F group was 30 persons (87.5±7.9 yo) and WF 28 (87.0±8.0 yo). The BS functionality tests and MMSE cognitive performance for WF (82.5±21.9 and 15.0±2.3 points) and for F (85.0±20.4 and 16±2.2 points), respectively. Physical function tests: TUG, we observed for the group WF (12.9±11.0 seg) and for the F group (13.7±6.7seg). Right TSS, we observed for WF (1.69±4.86 seg) and for F (1.67±2.49 seg). Left TSS, observed for WF (1.43±5.59 seg) and for F (1.71±2.17 seg). HG, observed for WF (15.0±5.12 kg) and for F (16.0±5.11 kg). ACT, observed in WF (10.5±5.10 reps) and in F (12.5±6.12 reps). FST, we observed in WF (16.8±19.5 seg) and in F (19.7±14.6 seg). 30SSTS, we observed for WF (10.0±4.3 reps) and F (10.0±4.86 reps). The results showed no statistical differences between groups with and without falls history.
CONCLUSION:
The behavior obtained in the Barthel test is striking: in the group without a history of falls, their performance is inverse; the higher the score, the better the performance in the TUG test, an event that was not observed in the group with a history of falls. EP with higher Barthel test scores take longer to perform the TUG test, which implies a loss of predictive power for adverse health events and falls in this population. Physical fitness and falls risk tests in the institutionalized population do not perform as well as in community-based EPs, and further efforts are needed to identify which tests could be useful for this population.