Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between two Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) questionnaires (the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)) and to investigate the factors associated with the OHRQoL of institutionalized elderly individuals. A cross-sectional multicenter study was performed with 344 institutionalized elderly individuals residing in two Brazilian cities. Six trained researchers interviewed the elderly individuals. Sociodemographic data were collected from medical records. Dental caries experience and the use of and need for dentures were recorded through oral examination performed by two trained examiners. A Likert scale (1-5 points) was used to assess general health and self-perceived oral health. The number of chewing cycles needed to chew a portion of peanuts was used to assess the swallowing threshold. The OHIP-14 and GOHAI were used to evaluate OHRQoL, and statistically significant correlations were assessed using Spearman's correlation test (p < 0.05). Poisson regression (p < 0.05) was used to investigate the association of OHRQoL with independent variables. Scores on the OHIP-14 (7.57 ± 8.63) and GOHAI (32.46 ± 3.85) were strongly and inversely correlated (r2 = -0.671, p < 0.001), although these measures were associated with different factors. A higher OHIP-14 total score (worse OHRQoL) was associated with female gender, a greater number of healthy teeth, worse self-perceived general health and oral health, and a lower swallowing threshold (p < 0.05). A higher GOHAI total score (better OHRQoL) was associated with a greater number of filled teeth, better self-perceived oral health and a greater swallowing threshold (p < 0.05). In conclusion, worse OHRQoL among institutionalized elderly individuals is associated with worse self-perceived oral health and a greater swallowing threshold.
Highlights
Submitted: February 12, 2020 Accepted for publication: July 27, 2020 Last revision: September 14, 2020Brazil is undergoing a demographic transition characterized by a significant increase in the elderly population, following the global trend.[1]
The median Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) measured by the OHIP-14 was considered low, and the OHRQoL measured by the GOHAI was considered high (Table 2)
The results of the present study demonstrate that better OHRQoL of institutionalized elderly individuals was associated with clinical parameters and self-perceived oral health
Summary
Submitted: February 12, 2020 Accepted for publication: July 27, 2020 Last revision: September 14, 2020Brazil is undergoing a demographic transition characterized by a significant increase in the elderly population, following the global trend.[1]. For elderly individuals, resulting in an increase in the institutionalization rate of elderly individuals.[2] some long-term institutions for elderly individuals are private, most long-term institutions in Brazil are nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations that welcome elderly individuals with limitations to perform daily living activities.[3]. In contrast to the increase in institutionalization rates, few public policies are related to institutionalized elderly individuals.[4] In addition, few caregivers are trained to perform oral care for dependent institutionalized elderly individuals.[4,5] these factors can impair the oral health of such a population.[5] In this context, poorer oral health conditions have been reported in elderly individuals residing in long-term care institutions.[6,7] When compared to community dwelling elderly individuals, institutionalized elderly individuals presented a higher number of decayed and missed teeth, in addition to a higher frequency of periodontal disease.[6,7]
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