Factors associated with positive self-perception of health in the elderly during the covid-19 pandemic: findings and implications

Factors associated with the positive self-perception of health in older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic: findings and implications

Abstract

Introduction: Self-perceived health is related to clinical, economic and social factors, being an important indicator of quality of life, morbidity and decreased functionality in the elderly. Objective: To evaluate the self-perceived health of elderly people in a municipality in the state of Espírito Santo during the Covid-19 pandemic and identify the factors associated with a positive self-perceived health. Materials and Methods: To identify self-perceived health in elderly people, a cross-sectional study was carried out through a household survey in the months of November and December 2021 in a municipality in Espírito Santo. Factors associated with positive self-perceived health were identified using Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: Of the 199 elderly people interviewed, 42.1% had a positive self-perception of health, while 57.9% had a negative self-perception of health. The variables associated with positive self-perception of health were: residence in the municipality, higher education level (high school or higher), not being bedridden, having health insurance, absence of diagnosed diseases, absence of polypharmacy and not practicing self-medication. Conclusion: Our study revealed that 42.1% of elderly people had a positive self-perception of health during the covid-19 pandemic. In Brazil, the prevalence of positive self-perception of health in the elderly varies significantly, with reported values ​​ranging from 34.8% to 71.3%. No association was found between self-perceived health and Covid-19 in our study.