Self-perceived quality of health and satisfaction by elderly seen by the Family Health Strategy team

OBJECTIVE To verify the profile of elderly followed up by Family Health Strategy teams and the influence of self-reported chronic diseases on demographic variables, describing self-perception and satisfaction with quality of health. METHODS This is a cross-sectional population- based study carried out with 301 elderly residents in two areas of a city in southern Brazil. Data were collected through a questionnaire based on the Health, Well-Being, and Aging Study adapted by researchers, and a playful scale to assess satisfaction with health. For the statistical analysis, the χ2 test was used (p<0.05). RESULTS Regarding cognitive assessment, the majority was classified as independent (86.4%), not requiring caregiver assistance to answer the questionnaire. The population was predominantly female (55.8%), White (64.8%), married (51.2%), and catholic (82.1%). A total of 47.5% considered their current health status as regular. Regarding satisfaction with health, 72.4% were happy, even reporting having at least one chronic health problem (58.5%). CONCLUSION The presence of chronic diseases was reported by most respondents, and the practice of self-medication is significantly more frequent among the aged. Nevertheless, the degree of satisfaction with their health status was predominantly positive, both related to the previous year and compared to others of the same age.