Functional status and associated factors in older persons living on the island of Fernando de Noronha: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To analyze the functional status profile and associated factors in older persons living on Fernando de Noronha Island/Pernambuco, Brazil. Method: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study, and data collection was conducted between August and October 2019. The study population comprised 176 older persons living on the island. The collection protocol was applied through an interview to respond to the behavior of demographic, social, clinical and environmental variables, and to the assessment instruments. The functional status was determined from the Analysis of Latent Classes, evaluated by the
protocols of the domains: cognition, mood, instrumental activities of daily living, mobility and communication. Results: The chosen analysis model had two classes, named as: “Good autonomy and independence” and “Moderate autonomy and partial dependence”. Most older persons had good functional status and the associated factors were: being male,
being separated or divorced, living alone, visiting friends or relatives, having worked more than 36 years, being literate, not having a visual or hearing impairment, taking one or two medications and having a history of falls. Conclusion: The functional status of island older persons was presented as a multifactorial phenomenon, as demographic, social and clinical factors remained independently associated with good functionality. It is important that the maintenance of the functional state is encouraged in the implementation of public policies aimed at the specificities of populations residing on islands.