Correlation between depression and objective–subjective assessment of oral health among community-dwelling elderly

Abstract

  The present study investigated the association between depression and oral, physical, social, and cognitive health among the elderly. Regarding oral health, we used the repeated saliva swallowing test and tongue pressure as objective assessment and the 3-item self-report questionnaire as subjective assessment. The participants were 271 community-dwelling elderly (mean age = 73.42 ± 4.71). Seventeen per cent of the participants made up the depressed group based on a score of the 5-item geriatric depression scale-5. The results of logistic regression analysis after adjusting for the influence of age and sex showed that the subjective assessment of oral health was related to depression, independent of social network and physical function. The relationship between subjective assessment of oral health and depression was retained even after adjusting for the influence of self-rated health. In conclusion, subjective oral function may have an influence on depression even considering the influence of social and physical functions, in self-rated health. The 3-item self-report questionnaire on oral health is intended to assess many functions other than oral health.