Perceptions, feelings, and the routine of older adults during the isolation period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study in four countries.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the knowledge, routine, and perception of older adults from four countries about dealing with COVID-19 in the social isolation period. METHODS: Qualitative study with semistructured interviews. Older persons (≥60 years old), who lived in the urban centers of four different countries (Brazil, United States, Italy, and Portugal), were asked about the changes experienced during the pandemic, new habits or restrictions during isolation, sources of social and emotional support, and their knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic. Data was transcribed, codified, and submitted to content analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-five older persons (10 from Brazil, 5 from Italy, 5 from Portugal, and 5 from the United States) were interviewed. Participants reported feeling restricted in their daily life activities and emotional instability. Described adaptations in habits, coping strategies, and greater understanding of the diseased based on information available in the media. There was homogeneity in the statements of the elderly, showing that the pandemic affected them in a similar way, even though they lived in different cultures and contexts. CONCLUSION: The social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic changed the structure for the performance of many occupations, having an impact in the perception social participation and wellbeing of elders. This data can aid health professionals to outline strategies to deal with the impact of the social isolation in older persons.

Health needs analysis based on the functional assessment of workers seen in primary care.

INTRODUCTION: Illness in workers and the configuration of health care services for this population constitute a major public health challenge in Brazil. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate factors associated with the activities and participation components of functioning in workers seen in primary care. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 111 workers who completed a sociodemographic, occupational, and health questionnaire, as well as the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Results were analyzed using descriptive methods, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Most workers were women (63.1%), with a mean age of 36.54 years, single (48.6%), with secondary education (33.3%), and a sedentary lifestyle (68.5%). Over 70% rated their health as "very good/good," were actively employed, and reported difficulties on at least one item of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule. Carrying out household activities, working, standing up, learning new tasks, and dealing with strangers were the items most frequently associated with mild/moderate disability. Walking for long distances, feeling emotionally affected, and engaging in community activities were the items for which the most severe/extreme difficulties were reported. Functioning was associated with education (p = 0.009), occupational status (p = 0.000), and perceived health (p = 0.000). The results indicated that less-educated individuals who were not actively working and had poor perceived health had the highest levels of disability. CONCLUSIONS: Our results identified several functional difficulties in the working population. Interdisciplinary strategies are needed to address the activity limitations and restrictions to participation in workers seen in primary care.