Evaluación de la condición funcional de marcha, equilibrio y grado de riesgo de caída en adultos mayores que asisten a un programa de actividad física en la ciudad de Guayaquil.

Abstract

Ageing phase in adulthood is regarded as the period in which psychological and physiological changes occur. These changes start taking place between the age of 60 and 65 and are related to a decrease in functional conditions of balance, march, stamina, and strength, which are essential to carry out daily activities in an autonomous way. The objective of this thesis is to determine the functional condition of march, balance, and levels of risk of fall in older adults who attend a program of physical activity in the church Restauración in the city of Guayaquil. This research is in line with a quantitative approach and adopts a prospective, nonexperimental, transversal, descriptive design. Data was collected through the revision of medical histories, and also through the application of the Tinetti test and the Get Up and Go test. The results obtained for the case of the Tinetti test, which measures march and balance, reflect that the 11% of participants presented alterations in those two functions; for the case of the test Get Up and Go, which measures the risk of fall, the results indicate that a 91% of population studied has a slight risk of fall, whereas a 4% has a high risk of fall. In conclusion, with the results obtained from this research work, a program of Kinefilaxia was proposed. This program focused on improving the alterations encountered in older adults. As a recommendation, it is necessary to adequate exercises of proprioception, balance, and breathing in order to improve the above mentioned alterations.