Effects of Oral Function Training and Oral Health Status on Physical Performance in Potentially Dependent Older Adults.

Masataka Sasajima,Ayuko Odajima,Akihiro Yoshihara

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111348

Masataka Sasajima, Ayuko Odajima + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111348

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an oral function training program and indicators of oral health status on improvements in physical performance induced by physical function training in dependent older adults. The participants were 131 potentially dependent older adults (age: ≥65 years) who were randomly divided into two groups: an oral intervention and a control group. All participants underwent physical function training, but only the intervention group took part in the oral function training program. In total, 106 participants completed all of the survey components (60 and 46 participants from the intervention and control groups, respectively). The measures of physical fitness examined included the one-leg standing time with eyes open (OLST) and the timed up and go test (TUG). Logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the effects of the oral function intervention and health status on physical fitness. The results revealed that the oral function intervention significantly improved OLST and TUG times. These findings suggest that evaluations of oral health status and interventions aimed at activating oral functions are associated with improvements in physical fitness among potentially dependent older adults.

Highlights

IntroductionAs a result of these changes, the number of older people in need of support or care has increased, which has led to the increased need for interventions aimed at preventing reductions in people’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs)
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an oral function training program on the improvement in physical performance induced by physical function training in older individuals
We evaluated the normality of the distribution of the timed up and go (TUG) by skewness and the kurtosis We the

Summary

Introduction

As a result of these changes, the number of older people in need of support or care has increased, which has led to the increased need for interventions aimed at preventing reductions in people’s ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). In 2006, a decision was made to establish a long-term care project aimed at preventing reductions in the ability to perform ADLs and delaying the deterioration of such abilities to the point at which care would be required [3] The target of this project was high-risk older people, defined as older individuals whose health was deemed to be at high risk of deteriorating to the point at which support or care would be required.

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