Prevalência de dermatoses em idosos institucionalizados da cidade de Imperatriz – MA

Abstract

Introduction: Skin aging results from a decline in physiological functions at the epidermal, dermal and hypodermal levels, which occurs due to the association of intrinsic factors, such as the action of time and extrinsic or environmental factors, such as chronic sun exposure, nutrition and smoking.  Objective: To verify the prevalence of skin alterations affecting individuals residing in a Long-Stay Institution (LTI) for the elderly in the city of Imperatriz, Maranhão - Brazil. Methodology: A cross-sectional, observational, descriptive, quantitative research, based on data collection conducted with 32 residents of a shelter, during the period from December 2019 to February 2020. The entire study was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Federal University of Maranhão. Results: They were described in absolute and percentage frequency tables. The associations between variables were obtained by Fisher's Exact Test, with a significance level set at 5%. Most of the participants, 20 (62.5%), were in the 80-105 age group. As for education, 11(34.4%) respondents reported being illiterate. Regarding sun protection, only 13 (40.6%) reported using means of protection against ultraviolet radiation in the past. The four most prevalent skin alterations were solar melanosis with 28 (87.5%) cases, followed by wrinkles 26 (81.3%), hypomelanosis 25 (78.1%) and seborrheic keratosis 22 (68.8%). Conclusion: It was possible to identify a significant prevalence of cutaneous manifestations in the studied population, with emphasis on the 80-105 years age group.