Abstract
We conducted a cross-sectional study to clarify the relationship between oral health and physical frailty (PF). A sample of 903 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥ 65 years were enrolled from random communities in Chiayi County. The self-perceived oral health (SPOH) and oral health assessment tool (OHAT), which consists of eight items, was used for the evaluation of their oral health status. PF was assessed based on the Study of Osteoporotic Fracture index. Overall, 14.6% of the participants had PF. In an adjusted model, restricted food types (odds ratio (OR) = 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–2.09, p = 0.001), self-reported dental status (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.2–2.15, p = 0.001), number of teeth (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96–0.99, p = 0.006), frequency of tooth cleaning (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.68–1.0, p = 0.049), OHAT score (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02–1.17, p < 0.017), and saliva items of OHAT (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.11–2.1, p = 0.010) were significantly associated with PF. SPOH is a crucial indicator of PF; longitudinal analyses are necessary to understand the underlying pathway of risk factors for frailty onset.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
This study investigated the distribution of the self-perceived oral health (SPOH) and oral health assessment tool (OHAT) score in a population with diverse frailty levels in a rural community to assess its correlation with the associated parameters
Our study revealed that the average number of teeth of rural elderly people is 8.9, and the number of teeth decreases as the degree of frailty increases; the number of teeth can be a predictor of physical frailty (PF)
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Population aging is a global problem, and frailty in older people is becoming increasingly prevalent, highlighting the need for the early identification of those at frailty risk. In Taiwan, by the end of June 2021, >16% of the population was aged ≥ 65 years, and Chiayi County, with a predominantly agricultural economy, is the part of Taiwan with the largest proportion of older residents: 20.69% of the county’s population [1]. Frailty is typically defined as an aging-related syndrome in which at least three of the following criteria are present: unintentional weight loss, self-reported exhaustion, weakness, slow walking speed, and low physical activity [2]
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