[Health status of the elderly in primary health care practices using an integral geriatric assessment].

Objective: To determine the health status of patients 60 years of age or over in Primary Health Care practices using an integral geriatric assessment.

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Location: Five primary care units, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; México.

Participants: Elderly patient aged 60 years of age or over, who were seen in primary health care practices. Previously signed informed consent was given, with exclusion criteria being non-completion of the integral geriatric assessment. A technical sample of conglomerates and quota was used.

Main Measurements: Medical dimension variables: visual, hearing (Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly), urinary incontinence (Consultation in Incontinence Questionnaire), nutritional condition (Mini Nutritional Assessment), personal clinical history, polypharmacy; mental impairment (Mini Mental State Examination), depression (Yesavaje); functional: basic (Katz) and instrumental (Lawton and Brody) activities of daily living, mobility (Up and go) and social (Social sources scale). The analysis included percentages and confidence intervals.

Results: In the medical dimensions; 42.3% with visual impairment, 27.7% hearing, 68.3% urinary incontinence, 37.0% malnutrition, and 54.7% polypharmacy. In the mental dimension: 4.0% severe mental impairment, and 11% depression: functional dimension: 2.0% total dependence of activities of daily living; 14.3% instrumental activities impairment; 29.0% mobility impairment, and 48.0% had moderately deteriorated social resources.

Conclusion: The health status of the elderly seen in primary health care practices is characterized by independent patients with different levels of alterations in the medical dimensions, low levels in mental alteration, and moderately deteriorated social resources.