Abstract
We aimed to assess the association between dependence in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and oral health in older adults. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 280 people aged ≥60 years served at public primary health care centers in Northeastern Brazil. Sociodemographic, oral discomfort and general health data were collected. The Lawton and Brody scale were used to assess IADL. This research adheres to the STROBE checklist. Most participants were married (n = 139; 49.6%), women (n = 182; 65.0%) and retired (n = 212; 75.7%). A total of 37 (13.2%) older adults had some degree of dependence in IADL. Dependence in IADL was associated with: retirement (p<0.040), poor general health (p = 0.002), speech problems (p = 0.014), use of medications (p = 0.021), difficulty chewing and swallowing food (p = 0.011), voice changes (p = 0.044), edentulism (p = 0.011), use of toothbrush (p<0.001), use of toothpaste (p<0.001), and visit to the dentist in the previous year (p = 0.020). Functional disability was associated with older age, cardiovascular diseases, speech problems, chewing and swallowing difficulties, use of medication and brushing deficiency. The functional dependence in IADL can be considered an indicator of oral health status in older adults.
Highlights
Prevalence ratio estimates showed that dependent older people were 4.13 times more likely to present poor general health, 1.90 times more likely to have cardiovascular disorders, 2.51 times more likely to have speech problems and 2.61 more likely to use medications
This finding differs from a study that demonstrated that women have a greater incidence of disability in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) than men, and that this difference is maintained even after controlling for social vulnerability among women and presence of chronic diseases [2]
Our findings demonstrated that functional dependence in IADL is related to oral health status in older Brazilian adults
Summary
The decline in functional capacity during aging leads to difficulties in performing basic activities of daily living–ADL (bathing, dressing, feeding, transferring/walking and sphincter control) and instrumental activities of daily living–IADL (keeping track of finances, using the telephone or computer, managing medication, shopping) [1], where IADL involve more complex levels of physical functioning and neuropsychological organization than ADL [2]. Dependence in instrumental activities of daily living and older adults’ oral health
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