ASSOCIATION BETWEEN COGNITIVE FRAILTY AND ORAL HEALTH IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS IN KOREA

Abstract

Abstract Cognitive frailty(CF) is a condition where physical frailty and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) co-exist without dementia. CF is related to adverse health outcomes, such as functional disability, hospitalization, depression, and mortality. Studies suggest that poor oral health is also associated with a greater risk of frailty, a significant healthcare challenge in aging populations. However, no previous studies have investigated the association between oral health and CF. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and its association with oral health. A secondary analysis was conducted using the 7th wave dataset from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging collected in 2018. Individuals aged ≥65 years, without dementia and pre-frailty were included (N=750, mean age 73.2 years). Participants were classified into either robust (n=635) or CF (n=115) based on the presence or absence of CF. Oral health was assessed using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Poor oral health was prevalent in both robust and CF groups (58.6% and 95.7%, respectively). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations of CF with oral health. CF was significantly associated with GOHAI scores (B = −0.153, 95% CI: 0.833-0.884, p < 0.001). The association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, educational level, smoking, drinking, comorbidities, and body mass index (B = −0.140, 95% CI: 0.836-0.904, p < 0.001). The presence of oral health problems was associated with greater risks of developing CF in older age. The identification and management of poor oral health is critical to preventing cognitive frailty in older adults.