Oral health‐related quality of life and associated factors among older people in short‐term care

Abstract

Objectives It is well known that oral health status is associated with oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) in the general population. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse OHRQoL among older people in short‐term care and its associated factors. Materials and Methods This cross‐sectional study included 391 older people in 36 short‐term care units. Data were collected via clinical oral assessments, questions about self‐perceived oral and general health, Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living (Katz‐ADL) and the Revised Oral Assessment Guide (ROAG). OHRQoL was measured using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14). Multivariate logistic regression models were applied in the analysis. Results Poor OHRQoL was reported by 34% of the older people. Associated factors were swallowing problems according to ROAG; quite poor/poor self‐perceived physical, psychological and oral health; and being a woman. Conclusions There is an association between OHRQoL and older people's self‐perceived health according to the OHIP‐14. This indicates the importance of early detection of oral health problems in frail older people and to assess both oral health and swallowing problems among older people in short‐term care.

Oral health factors related to the quality of life in elderly urban residents of South-West Poland

“…Women were more likely to report poor OHRQoL than men. [22] In the present study, however, the OHIP-14 value showed no differences related to the participants' gender…”

Physical ability and comorbidity and oral health among home‐dwelling older people in the Finnish population

“…It can be speculated that older people with multimorbidity and poor physical ability would be more likely to report poorer self‐perceived oral health than their healthier counterparts. This assumption is supported by previous studies that found associations between poor physical health and decreased OHRQoL 15–20 . On the other hand, it is worth keeping in mind that the participants were relatively old (mean age 80.6 years), and this might affect participants’ attitudes towards oral symptoms and reporting them.…”

“…However, the role of physical ability in the aetiology of oral diseases is still unclear as there are findings for 9–12 and against 13,14 . Furthermore, the results related to physical ability and self‐perceived oral health are also inconclusive with findings for 15–19 and against 20 …”

Physical Activity and Quality of Life of University Students, Their Parents, and Grandparents in Poland—Selected Determinants

“…It should be emphasized that physical activity needs to accompany a person throughout their life, which is why it is so important to promote physical culture not only among children, but also among adolescents, because it provides the basis for the continuation of healthy behaviors in adulthood [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 12 ]. When examining the quality of life of healthy adults, it may be concluded that physical activity is not only strictly related to physical condition, but also to mental condition [ 7 , 8 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

“…Although the abovementioned definition of health according to the WHO clearly refers to quality of life, research on this subject was initiated relatively recently; in the 1990s, systematic studies in this field started to be undertaken [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. It is known from today that these studies should take into account, among others, the degree of satisfaction with health and family life, social relations, professional life, education, and specialization or universal standards affecting the quality of life in the local community, which the authors have pointed out in this study [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”