Does Oral Hypofunction Promote Social Withdrawal in the Older Adults? A Longitudinal Survey of Elderly Subjects in Rural Japan

Yoko Hasegawa, Ayumi Sakuramoto-Sadakane, Koutatsu Nagai, Joji Tamaoka, Masayuki Oshitani, Takahiro Ono, Takashi Sawada, Ken Shinmura and Hiromitsu Kishimoto
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Yoko Hasegawa: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan
Ayumi Sakuramoto-Sadakane: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan
Koutatsu Nagai: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation, Hyogo University of Health Sciences, 1-3-6 Minatojima, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-8530, Japan
Joji Tamaoka: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan
Masayuki Oshitani: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan
Takahiro Ono: Division of Comprehensive Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry & Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
Takashi Sawada: Hyogo Dental Association, 5-7-18 Yamamoto-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0003, Japan
Ken Shinmura: Department of General Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan
Hiromitsu Kishimoto: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: It is often assumed that oral hypofunction is associated with social withdrawal in older adults because decreased motor function is related to decreased oral function. However, few studies have examined the relationship between social withdrawal in older adults and oral function. This longitudinal study aimed to clarify the relationship between changes in the level of social withdrawal and oral function in independent older adults. Participants were 427 older adults aged 65 years or older who took part in a self-administered questionnaire from 2016 to 2017 (baseline), and again two years later (follow-up). At baseline, 17 items related to oral function and confounding factors related to withdrawal, physical condition, physical function, and cognitive function were evaluated. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the oral functions that negatively impact social withdrawal. The following factors were significantly associated with the worsening of social withdrawal: the number of remaining teeth, gingival condition, occlusal force, masticatory efficiency, and items related to swallowing and dry mouth. Older adults with cognitive issues who walk slowly and have a weak knee extension muscle were also significantly more likely to have oral frailty. Those who were found to have oral frailty at baseline were 1.8 times more likely to develop withdrawal compared to those with robust oral function. The results indicated that the worsening of withdrawal was associated with oral hypofunction at baseline. Since oral hypofunction was associated with the worsening of social withdrawal in older adults, it is important to maintain older adults’ oral function.

Keywords: social withdrawal; oral hypofunction; older adult; oral frailty; frailty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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