Association Between Functionality, Depressive Symptoms, and Fragility in Elderly Adults in Primary Care

As life expectancy increases, the disease profile of the population also changes, with a higher prevalence of chronic diseases and reduced functional capacity, which increases the risk of social isolation and vulnerability. The aim of this study was to identify the association between functionality, depressive symptoms, and fragility in elderly adults in primary care. This is an exploratory, descriptive study with a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional design, carried out in a municipality in the interior of southwestern Bahia. The instruments used were the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a sociodemographic questionnaire on health conditions, the Edmonton Fragility Scale (EFS), and the Self-Reported Fragility Scale. The data were analyzed through descriptive analyses with absolute and relative frequencies and the application of the Chi-square test, adopting a value of p ≤ 0.05. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between elderly adults classified as frail and female gender (p = 0.019), marital status without a partner (p = 0.001), dependence in BADL (p = 0.008), dependence in IADL (p-value = 0.000), and the presence of depressive symptoms (p = 0.000). Conclusion: This study found an association between marital fragility related to being without a partner, dependence in IADL (instrumental activities of daily living), and the presence of depressive symptoms.