Introduction: One of the main indicators of healthy aging is functional capacity, that is,
the independence to perform basic and instrumental tasks of daily life. With the aging
process, it is necessary to understand what can favor the maintenance of this
independence. Aims: To verify whether there is an association between handgrip strength
and functional capacity of long-lived elderly people in the rural area of Manaus, AM.
Method: For this observational and association study, the Katz and Lawton Scales were
used to assess basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily
living (IADL), respectively. A SAEHAN SH5001 dynamometer was also used to
measure handgrip strength (HGS). Results: 90 long-lived people participated in this
study, with a mean age of 84.6 (± 4.8), with a predominance of men. There was a positive
association between IADL and right and left handgrip strength, that is, each increase of
one point in the IADL score increases 1.35 and 1.40 kg/f for the left and right hands,
respectively. Conclusion: From the results it can be inferred that long-lived elderly people
living in the rural area of Manaus, AM present uniqueness in relation to their profile, such
as the prevalence of men. The need to offer physical activities to this population to
maintain HGS and, therefore, preserve the independence of these elderly people for IADL
is highlighted.
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