Abstract

GUERRERO-R, Nancy  and  YEPEZ-CH, María Clara. Factors associated with the vulnerability of the elderly with health disorders. Univ. Salud [online]. 2015, vol.17, n.1, pp.121-131. ISSN 0124-7107.

Introduction: Older adults are considered vulnerable because of their biological and social conditions- situations of risk determined by their personal, economic, family, community resources, environment, and access to health services. Objective: To identify the personal and environmental factors associated with the vulnerability of the population with health alterations in the municipalities of the department of Nariño. Materials and methodos: a correlational descriptive study with a sample of 384 older adults from 19 municipalities in the department of Nariño, who were grouped into five regions was performed. The relationship between personal and environmental factors to the vulnerability was identified using logistic regression. Results: It was found that older adults from the western region (OR = 3.80 95% CI 1.34-10.78), with arterial hypertension (OR = 2.64 95% CI 1, 07-6.53) and those who have no caregiver (OR = 2.52 95% CI 1.45 -4.54) are more likely to be highly vulnerable. Conclusions: The risk factors that make the elderly more vulnerable are: living in remote regions that are economically, socially and geographically depressed, not having the support of a person for their care and having high blood pressure. These are variables to be taken into account in the provision of health services and the allocation of resources for the protection of a population group who needs that the chain of inequity and social inequality to be broken.

Keywords : Elderly; vulnerable; hypertension.

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