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Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance is the property of Brazilian Journal of Kineanthropometry & Human Performance and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Theoretical framework: When translated into population ageing, the demographic transition process imposes an adaptation of the healthcare and social services to the needs and expectations of the elderly. The definition of interventions requires a multidimensional functional assessment. Objectives: To assess the functional capacity of individuals aged 75 years and older from the municipality of Coimbra in five areas (social resources, economic resources, mental health, physical health and activities of daily living). Methodology: Quantitative, descriptive and correlational study, with a sample of 1153 individuals. The Questionário de Avaliação Funcional Multidimensional para Idosos was used to classify the participants from excellent to totally impaired in each functional area. Results: The participants were classified with severe or total impairment in the following areas: 12.5% in social resources; 15.4% in economic resources; 16.0% in mental health; 45.6% in physical health; and 23.6% in activities of daily living. Women and individuals aged 85 years and older usually had lower scores. Conclusion: The multidimensional assessment provides data for an integrated intervention of healthcare and social services, taking into account gender and age differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Portuguese Journal of Mental Health Nursing / Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Saúde Mental is the property of Portuguese Society of Mental Health Nursing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective. To validate the European Portuguese version of the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) instrument, used for the multidimensional evaluation of the quality of life of the elderly. Method. The study was authorized by the authors of the original English version. First, the questionnaire was translated into European Portuguese and culturally adapted. The resulting version was then validated by experts and administered to 302 elderly persons (147 living in nursing homes and 155 at day care centers) in the central region of Portugal (districts of Aveiro, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Leiria, Guarda, and Viseu). Subsequently, a global psychometric study was conducted on the instrument, evaluating internal coherence, validity of construction, criterion validity, and reproducibility. The sample was randomly selected and stratified by age, sex, and type of institutional support. Results. The internal coherence (Cronbach's alpha) was between 0.64 and 0.91 for each of the five functional assessment scales included in the instrument. For criterion validity, the relatively low Pearson correlation values obtained (< 0.700) through the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form General Health Survey reflect the challenges associated with establishing a criterion by which new health evaluation instruments might be compared. Pearson's correlation for reproducibility was between 0.859 and 1.0 for all the scales. Conclusions. The European-Portuguese version of the OARS (Questionário de Avaliação Funcional Multidimensional de Idosos) is useful for collecting valid information that can help focus community interventions and promote strategies that specifically target this population group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]