Geriatric Assessment of the Portuguese Population Aged 65 and Over Living in the Community: The PEN-3S Study

Abstract

<jats:p>Introduction: As populations live longer, they also aim to live better. A crucial step for this is to improve the understanding about older adults’ physical and psychological health. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to characterise the Portuguese population over-65 regarding nutritional status, cognitive function, functional status, symptoms of depression, and loneliness, by sex and age groups.Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study including a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults aged 65 and over. Trained interviewers collected data face-to-face on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status, nutritional status, cognitive function, functional status for activities of daily living, symptoms of depression, and loneliness feelings. Complex sample procedures were used in the statistical analysis.Results: Overall, 1120 community-dwellers (49.0% women, 21.3% aged ≥ 85) participated in the study. The estimated prevalence of risk of malnutrition was 16.4% (95% confidence interval: 13.3 – 19.9), while 17.7% (95% confidence interval: 12.8 – 23.9) were cognitively impaired, and 28.5% (95% confidence interval: 23.7 – 33.8) presented limitations to perform daily living activities. Moreover, 23.5% (95% confidence interval: 19.7 – 27.7) presented symptoms of depression and 13.6% (95% confidence interval: 10.6 – 17.1) reported loneliness feelings. These conditions were more prevalent among women, and generally more frequent in the oldest individuals (≥ 85).Discussion: Risk of malnutrition, cognitive impairment, functional limitations, depression and loneliness were moderately frequent, which may justify screening and preventive actions at a community level.Conclusion: This study contributed to a national characterisation of the health of older adults, that may inform policies and interventions targeted at the needs of the Portuguese aging population.</jats:p>

Nutritional risk and depression in adults over 60 years old

“…The PEN-3 S study reports a prevalence for risk of malnutrion of 16.4% (95%CI between 13.3% and 19.9%) coexisting with a prevalence of 23.5% (95%CI between 19.7% and 27.7%) for symptoms of depression. Both malnutrition and depression symptoms were higher in women and in older participants (≥85 years old) [14]. This link between malnutrition and depressive disorder has been established in the literature, but its full description has yet to be made.…”

“…Depressive disorder and malnutrition coexist in elderly populations and cross-sectional studies in Portugal reflect these findings [9,14]. The PEN-3 S study reports a prevalence for risk of malnutrion of 16.4% (95%CI between 13.3% and 19.9%) coexisting with a prevalence of 23.5% (95%CI between 19.7% and 27.7%) for symptoms of depression.…”

“You get out of the house, you talk to each other, you laugh…And that’s fantastic” – a qualitative study about older people’s perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal

“…One of them is Portugal, where SP is being implemented in some healthcare units in the capital city, Lisbon [21]. The country can be characterized by its markedly aging population (23.8% of the population was over 65 years old in 2022), as well as a considerably high prevalence of chronic conditions, social isolation, loneliness, and mental ill health in older people (previous to the pandemic and exacerbated during this time) [22][23][24][25]. Yet, despite this scenario, SP is still not being implemented at a national level.…”

Letter to the Editor Regarding the Article “Geriatric Assessment of the Portuguese Population Aged 65 and Over Living in the Community: The PEN-3S study”. On Clinically Significant Depression and Validity of Cut-off Points.

“…We read with interest Madeira et al paper on geriatric assessment, 1 which unveiled important findings about the physical and psychological health of older adults in a nationally representative sample. The authors brought together data on general health, as well as nutritional, cognitive and functional status of participants; remarkably, depression symptoms and loneliness were also evaluated.…”

“…2 The paper elegantly endorses multidimensional non-disease specific models to address quality of life in aging. 1 We would like to comment on the results of the Geriatric Depression scale (GDS-15) (high-level major depression estimates assuming 'GDS-15 caseness' as a robust predictor). In a community survey, our group used comprehensive assessments, valid for geriatric depression.…”