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JFSF Vol 8, No 2, June 2023, p.74-82

doi: 10.22540/JFSF-08-074

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Original Article

Risk factors for developing symptomatic COVID-19 in older residents of nursing homes: A hypothesis-generating observational study

Anna Escribà-Salvans1, Sandra Rierola-Fochs1, Pau Farrés-Godayol1, Miriam Molas-Tuneu1,Dyego Leandro Bezerra de Souza2, Dawn A. Skelton3, Ester Goutan-Roura4, Eduard Minobes-Molina1, Javier Jerez-Roig1

  1. Research group on Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O). Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare. Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS). University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)
  2. Department of Collective Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
  3. Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
  4. Research group on Tissue Repair and Regeneration Laboratory (TR2Lab). Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)

Keywords: COVID-19, Geriatric Medicine, Infectious Disease, Nursing Care

Abstract

Objectives: To identify which risk factors were associated with developing Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) infection, with symptoms, in institutionalized older people. Methods: A 1-year longitudinal multi-center study was conducted in 5 nursing homes (NHs) over the period December 2019 to March 2021. Inclusion criteria included being a permanent resident in the NH, aged 65 years or older, and a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 objectively confirmed by a diagnostic test. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed, calculating relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals and statistical significance at p<0.05. Results: Of the total sample of 78 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, the mean age was 84.6 years (SD=±7.8), 62 (79.5%) were female; 40 (51.3%) participants presented with COVID-19 symptoms. Living in a private NH (RR=3.6, 95% CI [1.2-11.0], p=0.023) and having suffered a stroke (RR=4.1, 95% CI [1.1-14.7], p=0.033) were positively associated with developing COVID-19 infection with symptoms. Conclusions: Having suffered a stroke and living permanently in a private NH were positively associated with symptomatic COVID-19 in this sample of institutionalized older people. Clinical Trials ID: NCT04297904
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