Aspectos sociodemográficos e do apoio social percebido associados à autopercepção de saúde referida em idosos segundo limitação de capacidade funcional

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the self-rated health of Brazilian older adults across two distinct strata, defined by the presence or absence of functional capacity limitations, examining its relationship with sociodemographic variables (age, regions, gender, race, marital status, census situation, education, and family income) and aspects of perceived social support (support from family, support from friends, participation in leisure activities, participation in social activities, participation in volunteer activities, and participation in religious activities). To analyze the effect of social support on self-rated health in different strata, defined by the presence or absence of functional capacity limitations. Method: This is an analytical cross-sectional study using microdata from the latest edition of the National Health Survey (PNS 2019). Associations between the dependent variable and the independent variables were obtained through ordinal logistic regression models, containing crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: For older adults without functional capacity limitations, the likelihood of a better self-rated health was associated with living in the South region (OR=1.52), living in urban areas (OR=1.59), being White (OR=1.21), having 12 or more years of education (OR=2.05), income above three minimum wages (OR=2.75), participating in leisure activities (OR=1.37), participating in social activities (OR=1.24), and being able to count on support from friends (OR=1.30). For older adults with functional capacity limitations, sociodemographics aspects had a reduced impact on the likelihood of a better self-rated health. Living in the North region (OR=1.31), having 12 or more years of education (OR=1.32), and having an income above three minimum wages (OR=1.98) were the only factors maintaining this association. Support from friends (OR=1.30) remained relevant, and participation in religious activities (OR=1.25) was also associated with a better self-rated health, whereas leisure and social activities did not maintain the association for this group. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of considering sociodemographic variables and aspects of perceived social support when analyzing the self-rated health of Brazilian older adults. However, they suggest a differentiated impact for older adults with and without functional capacity limitations.