Incidence and risk factors for hospitalization in institutionalized elderly people

Abstract Objective To evaluate the incidence of hospitalization and its risk factors in institutionalized elderly people during a 12-month follow-up in the city of Natal, RN, Brazil. Methods Concurrent cohort study composed of elderly people aged 60 years or over and residing in the 10 Long-term Care Institutions for the elderly participating in the study. Of the 320 participants, data regarding sociodemographic conditions (i.e., age, marital status, children, health insurance plan, type of institutions, length of institutionalization and if it was due to illness, the ratio of the number of elderly people per caregiver, and health conditions), nutritional status (MAN), functional capacity (KATZ index), cognitive status (Pfeiffer test), and muscle weakness (dynamometer) were collected. A significance level of 5% (p