Atividade física e capacidade funcional de longevos da zona rural amazônica: um estudo correlacional

Abstract

Rationale: The rapid growth of the elderly population in Brazil presents social, economic, and health challenges, highlighting the need for studies on aging. Physical activity is an essential factor for the quality of life of older adults, but its relationship with functional capacity remains underexplored, especially among long-lived individuals in rural areas of the Amazon. Objective: To examine the predictive role of physical activity in the functional capacity of long-lived individuals in the rural Amazon region. Methods: This is a correlational, quantitative, and cross-sectional study conducted with 88 long-lived older adults from the rural area of Manaus-AM (mean age = 84.49 years; SD = 4.82; 51% male). A pedometer was used to measure physical activity, the Katz Index was applied to assess Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL), and the Lawton Scale was used to evaluate Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictive role of physical activity in functional capacity. Results: Physical activity was not a significant predictor of BADL; however, it showed a statistically significant association with IADL, explaining 12% of the variability in functional dependence. Conclusion: The findings reinforce the importance of physical activity in promoting autonomy and well-being among long-lived individuals, emphasizing the need for policies and actions to ensure a healthy and active aging process.