Evaluación de la efectividad de una intervención dirigida a la estimulación de la capacidad intrínseca en adultos mayores del centro de salud Cariamanga

Abstract

Abstract: Population aging challenges health systems to preserve intrinsic capacity in older adults from primary care. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an individualized intervention aimed at stimulating intrinsic capacity in older adults from Comprehensive Health Care Team 3, Cariamanga Health Center, Calvas, Ecuador. A longitudinal quasi-experimental study was conducted, with pre- and post-intervention assessment, in 64 older adults characterized using the WHO ICOPE approach and evaluated with instruments including MoCA, SPPB, MNA, PHQ-9, Barthel, and Lawton-Brody. Based on baseline findings, an individualized strategy was implemented between April and August 2026, including cognitive stimulation booklets, the PEARLS program for the psychological component, and the Vivifrail program for the locomotor component, with follow-up in 58 participants (90.6%). Significant improvements were observed in the locomotor, nutritional/vitality, psychological, and visual-sensory domains, and partially in the cognitive domain, with no changes in basic or instrumental functionality. This individualized strategy is feasible in primary care and is associated with improvements in most domains evaluated, although the lack of a control group limits causal attribution.