Advantages and disadvantages of using the PRISMA7 to determine the elderly subjects for whom the SMAF is useful for assessing functional status in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso).

One of the difficulties faced by African actors working with the elderly is the lack of appropriate tools for the identification and/or diagnosis of functional disabilities among older people in this limited-resource (material, human, and financial) setting. This study sought to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the combined use of two tools, PRISMA7 (for identifying older individuals at risk of functional disabilities and loss of autonomy) and SMAF (to evaluate the functional status of the elderly) in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso). PRISMA7 and SMAF were administered to a representative sample of elderly people who lived at home. Data analysis was performed with Stata. The results show that the combination of PRISMA7 and SMAF made it possible to avoid unncessary administration of the SMAF to all subjects, reducing the number of questionnaires to photocopy by 48 % and the working time by 45 %. The prevalence of moderate to severe functional disabilities was 32 % according to the SMAF alone and 25 % when PRISMA7 was administered first and determined whether the SMAF would be used. The 7 % rate of loss to follow-up shows a need for monitoring or help, generally in instrumental activities. In a limited-resource setting, this combination is a good strategy for identifying and evaluating functional disabilities in the elderly. This strategy allows the development of work plans tailored to individual functional needs.