Evaluation of functional independence and perception of the quality of life of elderly people practicing physical activities: a pilot study

Abstract

With the progressive growth of the elderly population worldwide and specifically in Brazil, there is a need for competent professionals that aim for this public in order to obtain an early diagnosis and make the necessary interventions outlining goals that will provide functional autonomy and a better quality of life for this population through physical activity. This research aims to measure the importance of physical activity and its influence on the quality of daily life of elderly people who practice physical activities. The present work is characterized as a pilot study with an exploratory profile and was developed from two questionnaires: The WHO-QOL-bref, composed of 26 questions, where 22% of the elderly presented pain or discomfort, 45% make continuous use of medicines, and 20% presented negative feelings; and the Barthel Index, composed of 10 questions, where psychological (85,45) and environmental (80,00) domains had a greater highlight when compared to physical (79,64) and social relations (71,67) domains. The samples were collected from a group of 09 elderly women, between 60 and 80 years old. Based on the obtained results, it is clear that the evaluated elderly presented excellent functional independence and, as a consequence, appear to have a good quality of life.