Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward oral frailty management among nursing staff and its determinant factors: a...

Oral frailty is an important component of frailty in older adults and is closely associated with multisystem functional decline. However, it has not been systematically integrated into routine nursing practice, and gaps remain in nursing staff's knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding oral frailty management. Examining nursing staff's knowledge, attitude, and practice and their influencing factors is essential for improving nursing competence and informing nursing education.

To investigate the current status of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding oral frailty management among nurses in general hospitals and to analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide evidence for the development of training programs to improve nurses' awareness and management ability related to oral frailty in China.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling among 1,055 nursing staff from 15 general hospitals in Hubei Province, China. Data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire assessing nursing staff's knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding oral frailty management, which demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Univariate analyses and multiple linear regression were performed to examine levels of KAP and associated factors.

The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were 44.80 ± 12.77 (64.00%), 40.42 ± 8.67 (80.84%), and 34.47 ± 10.08 (68.94%), respectively. Multiple linear regression showed that being a geriatric specialist nurse, prior contact with patients with oral frailty, prior learning of relevant knowledge, and hospital level were associated with knowledge and attitude scores. Being a geriatric specialist nurse and having received relevant training were associated with practice scores. Years of working experience showed inconsistent effects across dimensions.

The level of knowledge about oral frailty management among nurses was relatively low. Their attitudes were generally positive, but the implementation of related practices was insufficient. Training programs on oral frailty management knowledge and clinical practice should be developed according to the different characteristics of nurses. Such training may help promote the translation of knowledge into practice, improve nurses' ability in oral frailty management, and contribute to better oral health outcomes for older patients.