Assessment of functional and physical capacity in older adults from an Ecuadorian community

Abstract

Introduction: Aging is a natural process that entails physical, biological, social and psychological changes, resulting in a gradual deterioration of physical and functional capabilities, as well as an increased risk of loss of autonomy over time. Objective: To assess the functional and physical capacity in older adults in an Ecuadorian Community Methods: A quantitative study, with a cross-sectional, correlational design and descriptive scope, was carried out in the “Unidad Santa Anita de Adultos Mayores” in the province of Cotopaxi in the community of Ilimpucho, the sample was 20 older adults. Sociodemographic characteristics, inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated. The Lawton and Brody Scale and the Bateria de capacidades fisicas (BCF) were used. Informed consent was obtained and SSPS version 27.0 was used for analysis and comparisons. Results: The minimum age was 67 years and the maximum was 81 years. It was identified that 63% of the older adults evaluated have a satisfactory physical condition with a slight dependence on their functional capacity. When analyzing the relationship between functional and physical capacity, we found that 63.6% of participants with satisfactory physical capacity presented a slight dependence on their functional capacity. Conclusions: Older adults with better physical condition tend to have less functional dependence, which highlights the importance of promoting adapted physical activity to preserve independence and quality of life for healthy aging.