Background Stroke patients often suffer from dysphagia during their recovery. We hypothesised that subacute stroke patients with dysphagia had more deteriorated oral health status including muscle strength and motor function. Objective Quantitatively investigate oral health status and identify associations with oral feeding status in stroke patients admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation unit. Methods We prospectively recruited 187 stroke patients admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation unit. Oral feeding status was examined using the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and the cohort was divided into three groups based on FOIS score as non‐oral feeding (FOIS‐123; 22 patients), dysphagic diet (FOIS‐45; 74 patients), and regular diet (FOIS‐67; 91 patients) groups. Activities of daily living (ADL) were assessed with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Oral health status was measured quantitatively in six oral function parameters and Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), and differences according to the FOIS, age and FIM were statistically tested. Results In bivariate analysis, two parameters, tongue pressure and tongue‐lip motor functions were significantly higher in the regular diet group than in the other groups (P < .01). Gross OHAT score was also significantly better in the regular diet group than in the other groups (P < .01). These significant associations mostly remained in the multiple model after adjusting for age and FIM. Conclusion This study suggests that, amongst oral health status, tongue strength and motor function, as well as OHAT score, may have strong associations with oral feeding status in subacute stroke patients at convalescent rehabilitation units regardless of ADL levels.

The demonstration program, one of the sports events of the National Sports Festival, has been held by the municipalities of the hosting prefectures every year for the residents. In this program there have been many kinds of new sports events, such as Ground Golf, Indiaca, Petanque, and others. We focused on these programs, explaining the existence of sports legacies of the National Sports Festival and clarifying the types of these legacies. In order to do so, we investigated the changes that have taken place before and after in the activities of the new sports in almost all the demonstration programs which were held from 1996 to 2005. As a result, it became clear that sports legacies continue to exist in the hosting municipalities(22.1%) , and that those legacies can be classified generally into the following 4 types. a) Municipalities where the new sports' activities were started by holding demonstration programs(9 cases) . b) Municipalities where the new sports' activities were started by holding demonstration programs and new associations or groups of the new sports were organized after holding the demonstration programs(8 cases) . c) Municipalities where activities related to the new sports already existed and after holding the demonstration program some associations or groups of the new sports were integrated or readjusted(10 cases) . d) Municipalities which started to hold new sports events after holding the demonstration program(11 cases) .

ObjectivesTo investigate the changes in oral health status with dental intervention during the acute and subacute stages of stroke and their associations with oral intake status.BackgroundOral health may deteriorate easily in patients following a stroke. However, data are scarce on the changes in oral health with dental intervention throughout the acute and subacute stages of stroke recovery.Material and MethodsWe prospectively recruited 98 stroke patients who were admitted to an acute hospital and referred to a dental team and then could be followed at a subacute rehabilitation unit in the same hospital. Provided dental intervention, including oral health care and other general dental treatments, was recorded. Oral health was assessed with Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), and the changes in OHAT score during the acute and subacute stages were statistically tested. Oral feeding status was examined using Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS). The cohort was divided into the non‐oral feeding, dysphagia and regular diet groups based on FOIS score. Differences in OHAT among the oral intake groups were statistically tested.ResultsGross OHAT score did not differ among the oral intake groups at the time of admission (mean ± standard deviation score: 6.5 ± 2.8 for non‐oral diet, 5.6 ± 2.4 for dysphagia diet and 5.3 ± 2.1 for regular diet), but improved more in the regular diet group (2.4 ± 1.5) than in the other groups (5.8 ± 3.0 for non‐oral diet and 4.0 ± 2.1 for dysphagia diet) at the last evaluation. Oral hygiene scores improved significantly in the acute stage, while scores for dentures and natural teeth ameliorated significantly in the subacute stage.ConclusionOur findings suggest that appropriate dental intervention in the acute and subacute stages of stroke may contribute to improved oral health and oral food intake.