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Nutritional Status, Frailty, Oral Health, and Oral Motor Functions in Long-Term Care Residents with Swallowing
Chih-Hung Ko1,2, Chia-Ling Chao3, Chih-Hsing Hung4,5,6,7
1Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 812, Taiwan.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|January 11, 2025
Summary
Frailty, poor nutrition, and oral health issues significantly impact swallowing function in long-term care residents. Grip strength, a key frailty marker, is a strong indicator of swallowing dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Clinical Nutrition
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Swallowing dysfunction is common in long-term care facilities, often overlooked.
- Associated factors include nutritional deficits, frailty, and poor oral health.
- Oral muscle weakness is also linked to swallowing difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between nutritional status, frailty, oral health, and swallowing dysfunction.
- To explore associations between oral muscle weakness, frailty markers, and swallowing dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- 373 participants from Taiwanese long-term care facilities were recruited.
- Assessments included swallowing function, frailty markers (grip strength, circumferences), nutritional status, and oral health.
- Oral muscle function was evaluated via tongue strength, cheek bulging, Repetitive Saliva Swallowing Test (RSST), and diadochokinetic tasks.
Main Results:
- 26% of participants had swallowing dysfunction.
- Swallowing dysfunction correlated with poorer nutrition, higher frailty, and worse oral health.
- Cheek bulging ability and grip strength were most strongly associated with swallowing dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Frailty is the primary factor linked to swallowing dysfunction in long-term care, followed by nutrition and oral health.
- Oral muscle weakness, especially in cheek bulging, is prevalent in those with swallowing dysfunction.
- Grip strength serves as a crucial indicator of frailty and swallowing dysfunction.
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