Results of a medical and social examination of patients of older age groups, including disabled people, with hypomobility syndrome

BACKGROUND: Diseases of elderly and senile age are often accompanied by geriatric syndromes, leading to medical and social problems, of which hypomobility syndrome is one of the most common.

AIM: Analysis of factors that form the medical and social portrait of patients in older age groups, including disabled people with hypomobility syndrome, based on the biopsychosocial concept of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted at the Makhachkala Clinical Hospital of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Southern District Medical Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency” in 2020–2022. A medical and social examination was carried out on 576 patients aged 56 to 65 years (average age 62.7±2.15 years) with hypomobility syndrome. Of these, 384 people were disabled, 192 did not have disabilities. To solve the problems of this study, an original questionnaire was specially developed. When conducting the study, the modern demographic structure in Russia was used, in which the elderly age (in years) for women was 55+; for men — 60+. In patients of the older age group, including disabled people, with hypomobility syndrome, the main elements of activity and participation in everyday and social life, as well as the dysfunctions of the body that affected them, were studied. The study was selective. Selection criteria: citizens of the older age group who sought medical help due to hypomobility syndrome. Research methods: documentary, expert-rehabilitation, survey, analytical, statistical.

RESULTS: Patients of the older age group, including disabled people, with hypomobility syndrome were characterized by manifestations of comorbidity and polymorbidity, accompanied by dysfunction of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, global and specific mental/psychical functions, functions of the blood system, digestion and others, which led to the formation of difficulties in the implementation of everyday, social and professional activities related to the characteristics of national culture and way of life; formed patients' dependence on outside help. The following problems most significantly limited the lives of patients in the older age group with hypomobility: (1) difficulties in changing posture (χ2=107.4; p <0.001), which were identified to a moderate extent in 56 out of 100 disabled people in the main group and 14 out of 100 people without disability control group; in severe and significantly severe cases — in 6 out of 100 disabled people and 8 out of 100 without disabilities; (2) difficulties in rising from squats (χ2=64.54; p <0.001): moderate — in 44 out of 100 disabled people and 36 out of 100 representatives of the control group; pronounced and significantly expressed — in 27 out of 100 disabled people and 17 out of 100 non-disabled people; (3) difficulties with prolonged standing (χ2=67.39; p <0.001): moderate degree — in a third of disabled people (32 out of 100 people) and a quarter of people without disabilities (22 out of 100), severe and significantly expressed degree — in 13 out of 100 disabled people and 8 out of 100 non-disabled people.

CONCLUSION: For people of the older age group with hypomobility syndrome, the factors that shape their medical and social portrait are medical aspects and social problems in the form of restrictions on their activity, difficulties in everyday, professional, and social activities.