title: Findings regarding the relationships between sociodemographic, psychological, comorbidity factors, and functional status, in geriatric inpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of socio-demographic and comorbidity factors, and quantified depressive symptoms on disability in inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational cross-sectional study, including a number of 80 elderly (16 men, 64 women; mean age 72.48 years; standard deviation 9.95 years) admitted in the Geriatrics Clinic of "St. Luca" Hospital, Bucharest, between May-July, 2012. We used the Functional Independence Measure, Geriatric Depression Scale and an array of socio-demographic and poly-pathology parameters. Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests for ordinal variables, linear bivariate correlations, general linear model analysis, ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FIM scores were negatively correlated with age (R=-0.301; 95%CI=-0.439 -0.163; p=0.007); GDS scores had a statistically significant negative correlation (R=-0.322; 95% CI=-0.324 -0.052; p=0.004) with FIM scores. A general linear model, including other variables (gender, age, provenance, matrimonial state, living conditions, education, respectively number of chronic illnesses) as factors, found living conditions (p=0.027) and the combination of matrimonial state and gender (p=0.004) to significantly influence FIM scores. ANOVA showed significant differences in FIM scores stratified by the number of chronic diseases (p=0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study objectified the negative impact of depression on functional status; interestingly, education had no influence on FIM scores; living conditions and a combination of matrimonial state and gender had an important impact: patients with living spouses showed better functional scores than divorced/widowers; the number of chronic diseases also affected the FIM scores: lower in patients with significant polypathology. These findings should be considered when designing geriatric rehabilitation programs, especially for home--including skilled--cares.
authors.affiliation: The University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", Bucharest, Romania, anacapisizu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capisizu
authors.forename: Sorina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aurelian
authors.forename: Andreea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zamfirescu
authors.forename: Ioana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Omer
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haras
authors.forename: Camelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciobotaru
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Onose
authors.forename: Tiberiu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spircu
authors.forename: Gelu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onose
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012383:Romania