Health profile of centenarians in Portugal: a census-based approach

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

Ribeiro, O (Author) Other; Teixeira, L (Author) ICBAS; Araujo, L (Author) Other; Constança Paúl (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Population Health Metrics

Vol. 14

ISSN: 1478-7954

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 14 Citations

Scopus - 16 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-FMG

DOI: 10.1186/s12963-016-0083-3

Abstract (EN): Background: The number of centenarians is rapidly increasing in Europe. In Portugal, it has almost tripled over the last 10 years and constitutes one of the fastest-growing segments of the population. This paper aims to describe the health and sociodemographic characteristics of Portuguese centenarians as given in the 2011 census and to identify sex differences. Methods: All persons living in Portugal mainland and Madeira and Azores islands aged 100 years old at the time of the 2011 census (N = 1,526) were considered. Measures include sociodemographic characteristics and perceived difficulties in six functional domains of basic actions (seeing, hearing, walking, cognition, self-care, and communication) as assessed by the Portuguese census official questionnaires. Results: Most centenarians are women (82.1 %), widowed (82 %), never attended school (51 %), and live in private households (71 %). The majority show major constraints in seeing (67.4 %), hearing (72.3 %), and particularly in their mobility (83.7 % cannot/have great difficulties in walking/climbing stairs and 80.7 % in bathing/dressing). In general, a better outcome was found for reported memory/concentration and understanding, with 39.1 % and 42.5 % presenting no or mild difficulty, respectively. Top-level functioning (no/mild difficulties in all dimensions concurrently) was observed in a minority of cases (5.96 %). Women outnumber men by a ratio of 4.6, and statistically significant differences were found between men and women for all health-related variables, with women presenting a higher percentage of difficulties. Conclusion: Portuguese centenarians experience great difficulties in sensory domains and basic daily living activities, and to a lesser extent in cognition and communication. The obtained profile, though self-reported, is important in considering the potential of social and family participation of this population regardless of their functional and sensory limitations. Based on the observed differences between men and women, gender-specific and gender-sensitive interventions are recommended in order to acknowledge women's worse overall condition.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6