SOCIAL AND FUNCTIONAL PROFILE OF USERSWITH STROKE ASSISTED BY THE FAMILY HEALTH STRATEGY

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the social and functional profile of users with stroke assisted by the Primary Care Health Unit/ Family Health Strategy in the city of Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 39 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of stroke. The sociodemographic, cognitive, functional and sensory motor impairment profiles of the users were evaluated using the following tools: Mini-Mental State Examination (MEEM), Functional Independence Measure (MIF), Berg Balance Scale (EEB), Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FM), Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Functional Ambulation Scale (FAC). Results: The mean age of individuals was 68.94±14.01 years, where 56.41% were woman, 58.97% married, 58.97% mixed race, 46.15% illiterate, 41.03% farmers, 71.79% retirees, and 84.62% living in their own house. The leftcerebral hemisphere (56.41%) was the most affected side and ischemic stroke (61.54%) the most prevalent condition in this population. The injury time after stroke was 6.7±6.9 years, and66.67% of the individual shad a single stroke; 97.4% of them presented as sociated risk factors, particularly systemic arterial hypertension (HAS) (74.35%). The MEEM indicated that 82.05% of the sample had severe cognitive impairment; 48.72% of the sample showed MIF score indicative of functional independence; 46.88% showed severe motor impairment in FM; and poor balance with significant risk for falls was found to be 43.59%and 36% based on EEB and TUG scores, respectively. Conclusion: The high prevalence of stroke is related with the epidemiological characteristics of the region as well as with functional, cognitive and sensory motor deficits, which indicates a serious public health problem. DESCRIPTORS: Stroke. Epidemiology. Public Health.