Indicators of quality of life in elderly men from Florianópolis: a descritive study

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate Life Quality components of the elderly group that were attending the “XV de Novembro Square”, that is in Florianópolis’ downtown – SC. Fifty-two retired elders that accepted to participate the study formed the sample. The evaluation instrument was the semi-structure interview, adapted from Nahas (2001), this evaluate Life Quality components. With the results obtained in the interviews, we could verified that in the age between 60 and 85 years old , 92,3% didn’t smoke, the retirement time was between 01 and 42 years, verifying that 42,3% were between 11 and 22 years old. The income with the retirement was sufficient for the necessities of 71,2% of the interview people, 59,6% of these people were married. The future expectation was of optimism for 57,7% of the elderly. From the interviewed people, 50% said that they had some kind of disease. Between the diseases there were the cardiovascular (28,8%) followed by the diabetes and column pains (5,7%) and cancer   ,9%). All the elderly people that had taken medicine said they had some kind of disease. Meeting their friends was the principal subject to frequent Florianópolis’s “XV de Novembro Square”, it was said by 44,2% of the interviewed people. In the Life Quality components, 86,5% presented positive answers for the questions with relation to the satisfaction with the life and to the happiness, 76,9% answered to express their feeling and 82,7% accept people as they are. The body’s knowledge and the messages that it sent was said by 82,7% and the physical activities practice were in the life of 67,3% of the interview people. The attention with the food was related by 46,2% of the old people. Doing the instruments tasks, 92,3% declared they were independent and 98,3% had done the personal care by themselves. The communication facility with the family and with the friends had done part of the life of 84,6% and to separate time to the friends was related by 92,3% of the interview people. The involvement with the commun  y appeared in 34,6%. In the religious spiritual aspects, 76,9% had sought to understand the life reason and had kept a religious belief , 82,7% had believed in a divine power existence and they attribute . Between the interviewed people, 75% had reserved time for the pray and meditation. It’s concluded that the elderly people that participated of the search looked for keeping habits, attitudes, feelings and positive emotions, what seemed to be a good aspect interfering positively in the longevity and life quality.