Revista Tópicos · Oct 15, 2026

Association between mood, activities of daily living, and clinical-functional vulnerability in older adults with diabetes who are inactive in primary health care

By de Oliveira IB, Lenhani BE, Melhem ARDF et al.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between mood and activities of daily living in older adults with diabetes who are inactive in primary health care. METHODS: A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study conducted in primary health care in a municipality in southern Brazil. Participants were 296 older adults with diabetes registered with health services who were not receiving follow-up, characterized by the absence of a consultation with a university-educated professional for more than six months. Data collection took place between May 2024 and August 2025 through administration of the Clinical-Functional Vulnerability Index (IVCF-20). Data were analyzed in SPSS®, version 25.0, using descriptive statistics and Student's t-test, chi-square test, and comparison of proportions tests, with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: The mean age was 71.08 (±7.52) years, with a predominance of females (56.1%), individuals who self-identified as White (61.5%), married individuals (47.3%), and those with an income between one and two minimum wages (41.2%). Regarding clinical-functional vulnerability, 36.1% were classified as frail and 35.5% as potentially frail. Regarding activities of daily living, 31.4% reported having stopped shopping for health reasons. In the mood domain, 50.3% reported discouragement, sadness, or hopelessness in the past month. A significant association was observed between these symptoms and greater clinical-functional vulnerability (p=0.036), as well as dependence in bathing independently (p=0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Emotional changes were associated with functional impairment and greater clinical-functional vulnerability, reinforcing the importance of multidimensional assessment and early screening in primary health care.

doi.org/10.70773/revistatopicos/792058795 Open access Populations