노인의 인지기능과 삶의 만족도 관계에서 구강건강관련 요인의 매개효과

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the mediating effect of oral health factors in the relationship between cognitive function and life satisfaction in the elderly. Methods: This study analyzed 6,169 elderly people aged 60 years or older described in the 8th Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (2020). The oral health factors of the elderly were divided into 'functional dimension factors,' 'psychosocial dimension factors,' and 'pain or discomfort factors' of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). To determine the mediating effect of each factor, a path analysis was conducted using Mplus 8.4. Results: Between cognitive function and life satisfaction, among the oral health factors in the elderly, the functional dimension factor showed the largest partial mediating effect at 23% (β = 0.207, 95% confidence interval; CI = 0.169, 0.207). The psychosocial dimension factor was 22% (β = 0.202, 95% CI = 0.171, 0.236), and the pain and discomfort factor was 16% (β = 0.146, 95% CI = 0.119, 0.175), showing a partial mediating effect. Conclusions: The influence of three oral health-related factors on cognitive function and life satisfaction was confirmed. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the cognitive level of the elderly and identify oral health factors in detail. Accordingly, it is necessary to establish a personalized rehabilitation treatment access strategy and increase the life satisfaction of the elderly.