Association Between Swallowing Dysfunction and Multidimensional Quality of Life Among Community-Dwelling Healthy...

Background: As life expectancy is increasing, the quality of life of older adults has become critical. Health status of older adults is a significant predictor of quality of life, making it essential to consider the diseases and conditions prevalent among this population. Although swallowing dysfunction is an emerging health problem, even in healthy older adults, few studies have examined the impact of these disorders on the quality of life. Therefore, in this pilot cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine the association between swallowing dysfunction and quality of life among 105 community-dwelling healthy older adults with no history of diseases that may cause swallowing dysfunction and who were screened normal on a dementia test. Methods: Quality of life was assessed using the CASP-19 scale. The risk of swallowing dysfunction was assessed using two screening tools, namely the Dysphagia Risk Assessment Scale and the Repetitive Saliva Swallowing Test. The strength of the association between swallowing dysfunction and quality of life was analyzed using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, and multiple linear regression. Results: At least one in three participants had a high risk of swallowing dysfunction. The multiple linear regression model adjusted for several factors associated with the quality of life of older adults revealed that the high-risk group for swallowing dysfunction had a lower quality of life than the control group (β = -0.179 for Model 1; β = -0.201 for Model 2, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study identified a potential association between swallowing dysfunction and lower quality of life. The findings suggest that maintaining or improving swallowing function may be a valuable component of strategies aimed at enhancing overall quality of life in healthy older adults.