2021 Volume 36 Issue 3 Pages 227-238
Purpose：The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of oral hypofunction in older adults at long-term care insurance facilities. Predictors were examined focusing on rinsing ability and activities of daily living that can be evaluated by care providers.
Methods：Older adults admitted to nursing homes or using day services were selected. A total of 103 participants（17 males, 86 females, mean age：85.3 ± 6.8）were included in the analysis. Assessment items included base attribute, clinical dementia rating（CDR）, functional independence measure（FIM）, rinsing ability, and seven items for diagnosing oral hypofunction.
Results：A significant relationship was found between rinsing ability/FIM and each of the following items：occlusal force, tongue-lip motor function, tongue pressure, masticatory function, and swallowing function（p＜0.001）. Logistic regression analysis showed that FIM was extracted as a predictor of decreased tongue pressure（percentage of correct classification：90.3％）and decreased masticatory function（percentage of correct classification：83.5％）, and that both rinsing ability and FIM were extracted as predictors of deteriorated swallowing function（percentage of correct classification：77.7％）.
Conclusion：This study suggested that both rinsing ability and FIM could be candidates for care providers to predict oral hypofunction in older adults at long-term care insurance facilities.
