Association between financial social support and functional disability among older adults: analysis of the ELSI-Brazil.

Background: Population aging requires attention. The increase in the number of older adults, accompanied by the growth of functional disabilities, can impact the social and economic adjustments of the individual, family, and communities, resulting in the need for financial support to meet the demands generated by these disabilities. The association between receiving financial support and the inability to carry out activities in quantitative studies is rarely reported in the literature. This investigation aims to estimate the occurrence of financial social support and its association with functional disability among older adults aged 60 years or older residing in urban areas of Brazil.

Method: A cross-sectional analysis of a population-based longitudinal study conducted in Brazil with a baseline in 2015/16 and follow-up in 2019/20 was performed. The dependent variable of interest was financial support. The Katz and Lawton & Brody scales were used to measure functional disability to perform basic (BADL) and instrumental (IADL) activities of daily living, respectively. The association between financial support and functional disability for BADL and IADL was tested using logistic regression, expressed as Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results: The frequency of receiving financial support among older adults was 13.8% (2015; CI95% 12.6-15.0) and 11.3% (2019; CI95% 9.7-13.1). Receiving financial support was significantly associated with functional disability in both BADL and IADL. After adjustments, older adults with functional disability in BADL were 1.35 (CI95% 1.01-1.81) and 1.75 (CI95% 1.25-2.44) times more likely to receive financial support in 2015 and 2019, respectively. Older adults with a disability to perform IADL were 1.53 and 1.42 times more likely to receive support compared to older adults without disabilities, after adjusting for confounders factors (OR 2015: 1.53; CI95% 1.22-1.92; OR 2019: 1.42; CI95% 1.10-1.83).

Conclusions: The receipt of financial support is greater among older adults with basic and instrumental functional disabilities. The association identified highlights the importance of public policies aimed at improving socioeconomic conditions and quality of life for older adults.