Relationship between Mortality and Oral Function of Older People Requiring Long-Term Care in Rural Areas of Japan: A Four-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Shiho Morishita, Yuki Ohara, Masanori Iwasaki, Ayako Edahiro, Keiko Motokawa, Maki Shirobe, Junichi Furuya, Yutaka Watanabe, Takeo Suga, Yayoi Kanehisa, Akitugu Ohuchi and Hirohiko Hirano
Additional contact information
Shiho Morishita: Department of Oral Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Meikai University, 1 Akemi, Urayasu-City, Chiba 279-8550, Japan
Yuki Ohara: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-Cho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
Masanori Iwasaki: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-Cho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
Ayako Edahiro: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-Cho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
Keiko Motokawa: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-Cho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
Maki Shirobe: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-Cho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
Junichi Furuya: Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Showa University School of Dentistry, 2-1-1 Kitasenzoku, Ohta-Ku, Tokyo 145-8515, Japan
Yutaka Watanabe: Gerodontology, Department of Oral Health Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Nishi-7, Kita-13, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8586, Japan
Takeo Suga: Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, 2-1-3 Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan
Yayoi Kanehisa: Department of Oral Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Meikai University, 1 Akemi, Urayasu-City, Chiba 279-8550, Japan
Akitugu Ohuchi: Division of Welfare, Faculty of Dentistry & Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 2-746 Asahimachi-Dori, Chuo-Ku, Niigata 951-8518, Japan
Hirohiko Hirano: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, 35-2 Sakae-Cho, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-13

Abstract: Oral ingestion influences the life sustenance, quality of life, and dignity of older adults. Thus, it is an important issue in medical care and the welfare of older adults. The purpose of this four-year prospective cohort study was to investigate the relationship between mortality and oral function among older adults who required long-term care and were living in different settings in a rural area of Japan. This study included 289 participants aged 65 and older who required long-term care and lived in the former Omorimachi area in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, located in northern Japan. Following the baseline survey, mortality data were collected over four years; 102 participants (35.3%) died during that time. A significant difference was noted in the overall survival rates between the groups with good and deterioration of oral function such as oral dryness, rinsing ability, swallowing function, and articulation, based on Log-rank test results. After adjusting for various potential confounders using Cox proportional-hazards regression, oral dryness (HR: 1.83, 95% confidence interval: 1.12?3.00) was significantly associated with mortality within four years. This study revealed that oral dryness influences the life prognosis of older adults who receive long-term care in different settings.

Keywords: long-term care; longitudinal study; oral health; diabetes mellitus; mortality; geriatrics; oral dryness; survival analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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