Investigação de indicadores relacionados à autopercepção da saúde e humor de pessoas idosas

Abstract

Functional decline in elderly individuals is related to many factors, such as mood and self-perception of health. These conditions interfere with quality of life and maintenance of physical and emotional health indicators. The objective of the research was to investigate self-perception of health and mood in elderly individuals during home visits. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and exploratory study, with a quantitative approach, carried out in elderly individuals' homes linked to a Family Health Unit in the interior of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Data collection involved 60 elderly individuals, and the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index-20 (IVCF-20) was used as an instrument to assess self-perception of health, cognition and mood. Statistical analysis was descriptive using the SPSS version 26.0 program. The results indicated that most participants were female (65%) and were between 60 and 74 years old (75%). Regarding self-perception of health, 65% of the elderly individuals classified it as fair or poor. In the assessment of mood and cognition, 50% of participants reported forgetfulness, 65% felt discouraged, sad or hopeless, and 46.7% lost interest in previously enjoyable activities. No significant association was found between self-perceived health and mood. It is concluded that the study highlights and reinforces the importance of assessing self-perceived health and monitoring mood in the elderly, especially during home visits, to assess emotional well-being and healthy aging.