Frailty and oral health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Poor oral health has been associated with frailty among older adults. However, limited evidence has been available on whether frailty can affect oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between frailty and OHRQoL among community-dwelling older adults. A household-based cross-sectional study involving community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older was conducted in the city of Bauru, Brazil. Data on frailty status, sociodemographic characteristics, self-perceived dental care needs, and OHRQoL (OHIP-14) were collected through individual interviews. The use of and the need for total dental prostheses were assessed through clinical examinations. Logistic regression was used to determine whether frailty status and covariates were associated with OHRQoL prevalence measures (OHIP-14 total score ≥ 1 and OHIP-14 fairly/very often ≥ 1). The sample comprised 334 participants, among whom 58.7% and 41.3% were between 65-74 and 75-102 years old, respectively. The prevalence of moderate to severe frailty was 12.3%. Moderate to severe frailty (OR = 4.49; 95%CI 1.29-15.66), the need for lower dental prosthesis (OR = 2.20; 95%CI 1.27-3.81), and self-perceived dental care need (OR = 3.90; 95%CI 2.14-7.14) were associated with OHIP-14 total score ≥1. Moderate to severe frailty (OR = 2.95; 95%CI 1.33-6.55), being female (OR = 2.24; 95%CI 1.34-3.75), and self-perceived dental care need (OR = 4.80; 95%CI 2.86-8.03) were associated with OHIP-14 fairly/very often ≥1. Overall, our results showed that moderate to severe frailty was significantly associated with poor OHRQoL in community-dwelling older adults.

Exploring the impact of oral health on the quality of life in elderly patients: a cross-sectional study

“…The ndings revealed a moderate level of oral health-related quality of life, with a mean score 3.79. This moderate quality of life was associated with various negative impacts on oral health, as reported by Bastos et al (2021) study. Researchers found a signi cant association between moderate to severe frailty and OHRQoL among community-dwelling older individuals in the community [20].…”

“…This moderate quality of life was associated with various negative impacts on oral health, as reported by Bastos et al (2021) study. Researchers found a signi cant association between moderate to severe frailty and OHRQoL among community-dwelling older individuals in the community [20]. Moreover, the ndings identi ed several factors in uencing the social dental scale.…”

Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian Version of GOHAI among Community-Dwelling Elderly People

“…In addition, our findings should not be applied to institutionalized and frail elderly people, including those living in long-term care homes. Elders living in institutions and frail individuals suffer worse oral health conditions and have poor OHRQoL than those residents in the community [ 4 , 36 ].…”

Edentulism and frailty in domiciled older adults: a cross-sectional study

“…Frailty represents a challenge for the oral health demands of older adults, since they postpone appointments due to poor perception of oral health needs 9 . Compromised oral health status contributes to frailty, owing to difficulties with oral hygiene and chewing problems 5 .…”

“…Considering that poor oral health is a predictor of frailty and that frailty is associated with the quality of life and oral health in older adults 9 , and that both the prevalence of frailty and oral health problems are high in low-and middle-income countries 12 , such as Brazil, the present study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and edentulism in community-dwelling older adults and determine the individual, sociodemographic, and clinical factors associated.…”