[Impact of common reasons for consultation on the feeling of vitality and the physical performance of the over-65s]. / Impacto de los motivos comunes de consulta en el sentimiento de vitalidad y en el rendimiento físico de personas mayores de 65 años.

OBJECTIVES: To measure two functional dimensions (vitality and physical function) involved in the quality of life of the over-65s and to find what relationship they maintain with the commonest reasons for consultation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. SETTING: Primary care. PARTICIPANTS: Randomised sample of 179 patients over 65 from 14 primary care clinics in Navarra. METHODS: SF-36 quality-of-life questionnaire and most common reasons for consultation. Personal and family details and ongoing drug prescription were also recorded. RESULTS: The most common reasons for consultation were insomnia (31.8%), arthrosis (48%), and urinary symptoms (16.2%). The greatest differences in the SF-36 scales occurred in patients with insomnia. In the multiple regression models, inverse associations were found for each of the reasons for consultation with the vitality and physical function dimensions. Vitality was associated with urinary symptoms, with an adjusted beta coefficient of -11.2 points (95% CI, -18.6 to -3.7). Insomnia was associated with significant decline in vitality and physical function, with beta of -7.7 points (95% CI, -13.9 to -1.5) and -10.3 points (95% CI, -19.1 to -1.6), respectively. Arthrosis symptoms behaved in a similar way. CONCLUSIONS: The most common pathologies or symptoms causing primary care consultations in the over-65s affect significantly the quality-of-life dimensions relating to the pursuit of normal daily life.

Impacto de los motivos comunes de consulta en el sentimiento de vitalidad y en el rendimiento físico de personas mayores de 65 años / Impact of common reason for consultation on the feeling of vitality and the physical performance of the over-65s

Objetivo. Medir 2 dimensiones funcionales (vitalidad y rol físico) implicadas en la calidad de vida de las personas > 65 años y conocer qué relación mantienen con los motivos de consulta más habituales. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, transversal. Emplazamiento. Atención primaria. Participantes. Muestra aleatoria de 179 pacientes > 65 años procedentes de 14 consultas de atención primaria de Navarra. Métodos. Cuestionario de calidad de vida SF-36 y motivos de consulta más frecuentes. Se recogieron también datos demográficos, familiares y de prescripción continuada de fármacos. Resultados. Los motivos de consulta más frecuentes fueron: insomnio (31,8%), artrosis (48%) y síntomas miccionales (16,2%). Las mayores diferencias en las escalas del SF-36 se produjeron en los pacientes con insomnio. Se observaron asociaciones inversas de cada uno de los motivos de consulta indicados con las dimensiones vitalidad y rol físico en los modelos de regresión múltiple. La vitalidad se asoció con presencia de síntomas miccionales, con un coeficiente β ajustado de –11,2 puntos (intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%, –18,6 a –3,7). El insomnio se asoció con descensos significativos de la vitalidad y el rol físico, con β de –7,7 puntos (IC del 95%, –13,9 a –1,5) y –10,3 puntos (IC del 95%, –19,1 a –1,6), respectivamente. Un comportamiento similar se obtuvo para los síntomas artrósicos. Conclusiones. Las enfermedades o los síntomas más frecuentes que motivan consultas de atención primaria en > 65 años afectan significativamente a las dimensiones de la calidad de vida relacionadas con el desarrollo de una actividad diaria normal

Objectives. To measure two functional dimensions (vitality and physical function) involved in the quality of life of the over-65s and to find what relationship they maintain with the commonest reasons for consultation. Design. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Setting. Primary care. Participants. Randomised sample of 179 patients over 65 from 14 primary care clinics in Navarra. Methods. SF-36 quality-of-life questionnaire and most common reasons for consultation. Personal and family details and ongoing drug prescription were also recorded. Results. The most common reasons for consultation were insomnia (31.8%), arthrosis (48%), and urinary symptoms (16.2%). The greatest differences in the SF-36 scales occurred in patients with insomnia. In the multiple regression models, inverse associations were found for each of the reasons for consultation with the vitality and physical function dimensions. Vitality was associated with urinary symptoms, with an adjusted beta coefficient of –11.2 points (95% CI, –18.6 to –3.7). Insomnia was associated with significant decline in vitality and physical function, with beta of –7.7 points (95% CI, –13.9 to –1.5) and –10.3 points (95% CI, –19.1 to –1.6), respectively. Arthrosis symptoms behaved in a similar way. Conclusions. The most common pathologies or symptoms causing primary care consultations in the over-65s affect significantly the quality-of-life dimensions relating to the pursuit of normal daily life