Hand grip strength (HGS) is recognized as an important health indicator, but validated reference values that can be applied to the evaluation of individuals in different populations are still lacking. This work aimed to identify correlations between HGS and anthropometric variables and to establish HGS reference values for adult and elderly populations. This is a population-based cross-sectional study considering the subsets of individuals with healthy right or left upper limbs from a sample of 1,609 adults and elderly residents in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. Descriptive statistics of anthropometric measures and HGS values at maximum performance based on three measurements of the two hands were obtained, and Pearson correlations between these variables were applied. Percentile distributions were estimated for right and left HGS by sex and age group. Men presented, in general, a maximum HGS 57% higher than women (43.4 kg vs. 27.6 kg), and also higher HGS levels in the different age groups. In both sexes, the highest HGS values were observed in the age group of 30 to 39 years (men, 46.9 kg; women, 29.4 kg), with a subsequent decline. HGS presented a negative correlation with age and a weak to moderate positive correlation with anthropometric variables, among men and women. The median HGS of men was reduced by about 46% between the ages of 30 and 39 years and 80 years and over (right hand, 46.4 to 23.7 kg; left hand, 42.2 to 23.5 kg) and by about 44% in women (right hand, 29.0 to 16.4 kg, left hand, 27.3 to 15.2 kg). The values identified are a reference for HGS behavior among healthy adults and seniors, although they do not discriminate individuals with specific health conditions. They can be used in rehabilitation programs and subsidize future studies aimed at exploring their potential application in the evaluation of the health condition of adults and elderly individuals.

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is an important health biomarker whose low scores have been shown to be associated with the morbimortality. This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with low HGS in older people in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil.Methods: The study was carried out with data from the Study of Chronic Diseases (EDOC-I) – Older People, a cross-sectional household PAPI probability sample survey performed with 1016 people aged over 60 residing in Rio Branco in 2014. The low HGS was defined by the 20th percentile of the maximum HGS by sex and age group. Associations between variables of health status (psychological and physical) and low HGS, by sex, were estimated using logistic regression, expressed by adjusted ORs (aOR).Results: Older individuals had lower median HGS than younger individuals (− 6.0 kg among men and − 2.6 kg among women). Women aged over 80 had, on average, the lower quintile of HGS compared to women of the previous age groups. Factors independently associated with low HGS in men and women, respectively, were low weigh in body mass index [(aOR = 2.80; 95%CI: 1.19, 6.61) and (aOR = 2.61; 95%CI: 1.46, 4.66)], anemia [(aOR = 4.15; 95%CI: 2.09, 8.21) and (aOR = 1.80; 95%CI: 1.06, 3.06)] and diabetes as a risk factor in men (aOR 1.95; 95%CI: 1.00, 3.81). There was a higher chance of low HGS in men with partners (aOR = 2.44; 95%CI: 1.32, 4.51), smokers or former smokers (aOR = 3.25; 95%CI: 1.25, 8.44), with current self-assessment of health worse than the 12 previous months (aOR = 2.21; 95%CI: 1.14, 4.30) and dependence in activities of daily living (aOR = 2.92; 95%CI: 1.35, 6.30). Only among women, there was an increased chance of low HGS associated with altered waist-to-hip ratio (aOR = 1.79; 95%CI: 1.02, 3.12), insomnia (aOR = 1.83; 95%CI: 1.10, 3.03) and physical activity from displacement/occupation (aOR = 1.75; 95%CI: 1.08, 2.84).Conclusion: Factors associated with low HGS are not the same between sexes, and the inclusion of HGS as a component of health assessment seems to be a promising strategy for disease prevention and health promotion.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the prevalence of chronic kidney disease and the factors associated to it in older adults (≥ 60 years). METHODS: This is a population-based research conducted in 2014, involving 1,016 older adults living in urban and rural areas of the municipality of Rio Branco, Acre. Chronic kidney disease was defined by glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73 m², estimated by the equations of the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration, and the presence of albuminuria > 29 mg/g. Association measure were estimated by gross and adjusted odds ratio (OR), with a confidence level of 95% (95%CI). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease was 21.4% in older adults, with the associated factors age, diabetes (OR = 3.39; 95%CI 2.13–5.40), metabolic syndrome (OR = 2.49; 95%CI 1.71–3.63), self-assessment of poor health (OR = 1.79; 95%CI 1.10–2.91), arterial hypertension (OR = 1.82; 95%CI 1.04–3.19) and obesity (OR = 1.69; 95%CI 1.02–2.80). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease was high in older adults, being associated with age, self-assessment of health as bad or very bad, obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Resumo Este estudo objetivou analisar a associação entre multimorbidade e depressão e qualidade de vida em idosos da Estratégia de Saúde da Família (ESF), por meio de estudo transversal com cadastrados na ESF de Senador Guiomard, Acre. Utilizou-se a Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (EDG-15) e o Questionário de Qualidade de Vida (WHOQOL-Bref). As diferenças das variáveis descritivas por idosos com e sem multimorbidade foram estimadas pelo teste qui-quadrado de Pearson e as associações entre multimorbidade e depressão e qualidade de vida foram estimadas com técnica de regressão logística. Observou-se que idosos com depressão representaram 27% da amostra, sendo essa doença em maior proporção entre os com multimorbidade em comparação àqueles sem. Os idosos com multimorbidade tiveram duas vezes mais chance de apresentar depressão. Similarmente, os indivíduos com multimorbidade tiveram maior chance de pior qualidade de vida total e nos domínios físico, psicológicos, social (todos com p ≤ 0,010), exceto no domínio ambiental (p = 0,493). Assim, a multimorbidade em idosos está associada à presença de depressão e pior qualidade de vida, impondo à ESF o desafio de garantir a essa população viver a senescência sem sofrimento e redução da qualidade de vida.

Este estudo objetivou analisar a associação da força de preensão manual com morbidades referidas e multimorbidade em adultos de Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil, mediante inquérito de base populacional com 1.395 adultos de ambos os sexos. As associações, por sexo, foram estimadas com a técnica de regressão logística. A média de força de preensão manual nos homens (44,8kg) é maior que entre as mulheres (29kg) e reduz com a idade. A diferença da força de preensão manual média entre aqueles classificados como fortes e fracos foi 21kg e 15,5kg, para homens e mulheres, respectivamente. Controlando para a faixa etária, índice de massa corporal e atividade física quando relevante, homens com baixa força de preensão manual tiveram maiores chances de ocorrência de hipertensão [OR = 2,21 (1,35; 3,61)], diabetes [OR = 4,18 (1,35; 12,95)], distúrbio musculoesquelético [OR = 1,67 (1,07; 2,61)] e multimorbidade [OR = 1,99 (1,27; 3,12)]. Nas mulheres, associações entre força de preensão manual e evento cardiovascular, dislipidemia, distúrbio muscolesquelético e multimorbidade não se mantiveram nos modelos multivariados. Este estudo endossa o uso da força de preensão manual como biomarcador de saúde.

Resumo Objetivo: Analisar a prevalência e os fatores associados à polifarmácia em idosos residentes em Rio Branco, Acre, Brasil, em 2014. Métodos: Estudo transversal de base populacional, obtido por amostragem complexa, com idosos. A polifarmácia foi definida como o uso concomitante de cinco ou mais fármacos. Resultados: A prevalência de polifarmácia foi de 14,9% (IC95% 11,8;18,6), associada positivamente ao sexo feminino (OR=2,29 - IC95% 1,41;3,74), raça/cor da pele branca (OR=1,61 - IC95% 1,10;2,38), dependência (OR=1,65 - IC95% 1,05;2,60), mudança de hábitos alimentares/uso de dieta (OR=1,66 - IC95% 1,16;2,36), internação nos últimos 12 meses (OR=1,61 - IC95% 1,02;2,53) e presença das seguintes morbidades autorreferidas: hipertensão arterial sistêmica (OR=2,40 - IC95% 1,33;4,34), diabetes mellitus (OR=2,17 - IC95% 1,23;3,84), osteoporose (OR=2,92 - IC95% 1,84;4,64) e problemas cardíacos (OR=2,94 - IC95% 1,90;4,56). Conclusão: A polifarmácia em idosos encontrada neste estudo esteve associada às condições demográficas e de saúde.