Purpose : This study was tried to examine dysphagia risk of an elderly community and to identify the nutritional status on dyphagia risk and the influence factors of nutritional status.
Method : The subjects were 292 people aged 65 years or older of 2 elderly welfare centers, 26 senior citizen centers and 2 schools for elderly in B City and Y City. This survey was progressed from March 12, 2013 to April 23, 2013 and obtained the approval of IRB. The questionnaires consisted of dysphagia risk, nutritional status, dietary habits, oral health status, and the general characteristics of the subjects. The collected data were analyzed by percentage, mean, χ²-test, Pearson''s correlation coefficient and Multiple logistic regression analysis using SPSS/12.0 program.
Result : The dysphagia risk had a mean (SD) 9.23 (7.70) points and 63.7% of the subjects were the risk group. The mean (SD) of the nutritional status was 22.28 (3.79) points and 56.2% of the subjects were the risk group of malnutrition, 8.2% were malnutrition group. According to the characteristics related with the nutritional status, there were statistically significant differences in gender (χ²=7.444, p=.024), age (χ²= 36.768, p<.001), marital status (χ²=21.445, p<.001), living arrangement (χ²= 21.529, p=.001), educational level (χ²=55.430, p<.001), the allowance of one month (χ²=25.220, p<.001), disease status (χ²=7.436, p=0.024). For the oral conditions related with the nutritional status, the number of teeth (χ²=37.436, p<.001), subjective thoughts about the oral state (χ²=36.383, p<.001), and oral discomfort (χ²=34.227, p<.001). For the eating habits related with the nutritional status, meal time (minutes) (χ²=15.850, p=.003), favorite form of rice (χ²=27.788, p<.001), requires of soup (χ²=13.188, p=.010), side dish of size (χ²=35.959, p<.001), swallowing the form (χ²= 34.356, p<.001), the texture of favorite food (χ²=17.917, p=.001), after eating behavior (χ²=10.974, p=.027). Also, the nutritional status was negatively correlated with dysphagia risk (r=-.470, p<.001). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis tested to see the influencing factors of nutritional status show that the most significant factor was dysphagia risk, calf circumference, educational level and subjective thoughts about the oral state.
Conclusion : The findings indicated that more than half of the elderly community had dysphagia risk and in a state of malnutrition risk. Also, the more dysphagia risk was high, the more malnutrition risk was high in an elderly community and dysphagia risk was a major influencing factor of nutritional status. Dysphagia as a major health problem in the aged should be early assessed and managed to avoid malnutrition.