Association between activities of daily living and oral frailty among nursing home older adults: A cross-sectional study

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Jingyi Wei1, Xuemei Zhang2

1Sichuan University, China

2Sichuan University West China Hospital, China

: J Nurs Patient Care

Abstract

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Missing teeth, difficulties in chewing and swallowing, and other oral health problems have been provided to be connected with older adults’ activities of daily living (ADL). However, the relationship between oral frailty (OF), a composite oral declination state, and ADL has not been expounded. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 456 older adults in nursing homes in Chengdu, China. Paper-based questionnaires were used to investigate ADL and related confounding factors. OF was defined as limitations in at least three of six domains. 55.5% and 45.2% of the participants had mild to severe impairments of ADL and OF, respectively. The association between deteriorating ADL and OF was assessed using logistic regression analyses. After adjusting for potential confounders, deteriorating ADL was significantly associated with OF (adjusted odds ratios [ORs], 2.43; 95% confidence intervals [95%CI], 1.32-4.48. ORs, 4.82; 95%CI, 2.38-9.77. ORs, 14.50; 95%CI, 6.46-32.58). ADL was associated with OF among Chinese older adults. Maintaining comprehensive physical function may be effective for OF prevention in nursing home older adults.

Biography

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Wei Jingyi majored in geriatric nursing during her postgraduate study and explored the training system of nursing staff in nursing institutions combined with medical care and nursing institutions and the service quality evaluation system of long-term care institutions. The topic of her graduate project was the investigation of the current situation of oral frailty in elderly people in nursing institutions and the study of its influencing factors. After graduation, she worked at the West China Stomatological Hospital of Sichuan University. She continued her research on oral health care for the elderly and will continue to devote herself to this direction in the future.