Correlation of Active Daily Living and Oral Opportunistic Pathogens in Institutionalised People With Intellectual...

Oral opportunistic bacteria pose health risks for people with intellectual disability, yet their relationship with activities of daily living (ADLs) remains underexplored.

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 178 institutionalised people with intellectual disability. ADL was assessed by caregivers. Oral samples were collected non-invasively and analysed via culture-based methods. Student's t-test, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression were used to examine associations between ADL and oral pathogens.

Interestingly, individuals with intellectual disability and higher ADL scores exhibited a greater prevalence of oral opportunistic bacteria, notably Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.7%) and Prevotella melaninogenica (14.7%). No significant associations were found with demographic variables.

Functional independence does not equate to adequate oral hygiene among people with intellectual disability. Enhancing self-care training, providing caregiver-assisted support, and increasing outreach dental services are recommended to mitigate oral health risks. Culture-based methods offer a practical approach for identifying bacterial presence in resource-limited settings.