Autopercepção de saúde e obstáculos para uma alimentação saudável em idosos usuários da estratégia da saúde da família de Itaqui/RS

Abstract

Population aging reflects improved living conditions and health of individuals, creating challenges for public policies, for care management and for the access of the elderly to health services. The actions of food and nutrition in the context of Primary Health Care aim to qualify the intervention plans. The factors that permeate healthy eating can often be hindered by some obstacles, and it is common to find negative self-perceptions regarding the health of the elderly, since many diseases could be controlled or prevented with a healthy diet. Self-perception in health concerns several aspects, which can be of physical or psychological origin, and has been used as an indicator of quality of life, and mainly, as a good predictor of mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the self-perception of health of elderly people who attend Family Health Strategies in the municipality of Itaqui, and the obstacles to achieving healthy eating. This is an observational study of the cross-sectional type. The study sample was composed of elderly people selected in convenience sampling and who attended ESFs in the municipality of Itaqui. The sample size was 169 individuals, composed of people aged 60 years or older, who were present in the health units at the time of data collection. We interviewed 169 individuals, of which 55.62% were female (n=94), 40.83% attended the FHS 2 (n=69), 56.21% between 60 and 69 years (n=95), 55.03% married or in a stable union (n=93), 82.25% lived together (n=139), 66.27% were white (n=112) and 46.67% with up to 5 to 8 years of schooling (n=79). As for health status, there were 63.91% positive self-perceptions, i.e. good and very good (n=108). As for the obstacles to achieving healthy eating, 79.29% (n=134) referred to the ease of finding foods considered unhealthy, 74.56% (n=126) referred to the lack of information, and 73.96% (n=125) referred to the high price of healthy foods. The prevalence of positive self perception of health status in this population, the inherent physiological aspects of the aging process, functionality, besides economic, affective and social aspects, show the need for a greater understanding of the influence of these aspects to stimulate active and healthy aging, highlighting the humanization of care and the provision of comprehensive health care to the elderly population. Finally, this study sought to show that self-perception of health and understanding the obstacles to achieving an adequate and healthy diet are essential for healthy aging, perform a brief reflection on self-perception of health and how it is possible to find subsidies to prevent, control, reduce or even overcome the obstacles to achieving an adequate and healthy diet, in addition to contributing to actions to improve the health of the elderly population.