Associations Among Oral Health, Nutritional Status, and Care Dependency in Korean Long-Term Care Facilities

Korea's population is aging rapidly, yet the oral health and nutritional status of long-term care facility residents remain limited in terms of systematic management and research, despite its importance to quality of life.

This study aimed to compare the oral health and nutritional status of older adults in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) according to their Long-Term Care (LTC) grades and to examine the interrelationship between these two factors.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 older adults aged 65 years or older residing in two public long-term care facilities in Korea. Participants were classified into an institution-based benefits group (Grades 1-2) and a home-based benefits group (Grades 3-5) according to their Long-Term Care (LTC) grades. Oral health status, including oral hygiene management, chewing ability, and oral dryness, and nutritional status, assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), were evaluated. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify oral health factors affecting MNA scores.

The institution-based group showed significantly poorer physical function, oral hygiene behavior, chewing ability, and nutritional status compared to the home-based group. Malnutrition was observed in 73.9% of the institution-based group versus 26.9% in the home-based group (p<0.001). Regression analysis identified significant predictors of nutritional status: oral dryness (p<0.001), chewing ability (p=0.001), oral care dependency (p=0.024), plaque or calculus (p=0.025), and food debris (p=0.016).

Oral health significantly impacts nutritional status among older adults in LTCFs. Those with higher LTC grades are at greater risk of both oral and nutritional deterioration. These findings highlight the urgent need for integrated, multidisciplinary care approaches addressing oral health and nutrition concurrently in LTC settings.