老人住宅之高齡者口腔健康相關生活品質的相關因素探討

背景：口腔健康對高齡者整體健康扮演重要關鍵，更是影響生活品質的重要因素。本研究旨在描述居住在老人住宅之高齡者健康狀況、口腔健康、口腔保健行為、口腔健康相關的生活品質及探討口腔健康相關的生活品質相關因素。方法：本研究為橫斷性研究，採立意取樣自北部某老人住宅之高齡者，以問卷收集基本資料、健康狀況、口腔健康、口腔保健行為及口腔健康相關的生活品質，資料分析採描述性統計及線性迴歸分析。結果：住在老人住宅之128位高齡者有七成齲齒經驗、五成牙周病、六成配戴假牙，牙齒平均21.5顆，洗牙經驗57.0%，口腔健康相關的生活品質平均總分3.22±3.33。雙變項線性迴歸呈現口腔健康相關的生活品質顯著相關因素為ADL、牙齒數及牙科門診看診頻率，而多變項線性迴歸顯示認知功能（SPMSQ）、牙齒顆數、牙科門診看診頻率及使用潔牙工具種類為顯著相關因素，整體模型為顯著（F（15,106）= 3.70, p < 0.001），可解釋34.3%變異量（R2 =0.343）。結論：認知功能、牙齒顆數、平均牙科門診看診頻率及使用潔牙工具種類為老人住宅高齡者的口腔健康相關生活品質的顯著相關因素。此發現可供健康照護人員對高齡者口腔健康生活品質的敏感力，同時可提供未來促進口腔健康介入方案之參考。

Background: Oral health significantly impacts the overall well-being of elderly individuals and is intricately linked with their quality of life. This study aims to delineate the health status, oral health conditions, oral health behaviors, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among senior residents residing in senior housing facilities. Additionally, it seeks to investigate the factors influencing OHRQoL in this population. Methods: Employing a cross-sectional design, this study utilized purposive sampling to recruit senior residents from a senior housing facility in northern Taiwan. Questionnaires were employed to gather data on demographics, health status, oral health conditions, oral health behaviors, and OHRQoL. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis. Results: Among the 128 senior residents surveyed, a significant proportion experienced dental caries (74.2%), periodontal disease (50%), and utilized dentures (60%). On average, participants retained 21.5 teeth, with 57.0% undergoing dental scaling. The mean OHRQoL score was 3.22±3.33. Bivariate linear regression identified activities of daily living (ADL), number of teeth, and frequency of dental visits as significant predictors of OHRQoL. In multivariate analysis, cognitive function scores (SPMSQ), number of teeth, frequency of dental visits, and types of dental scaling tools emerged as significant predictors of OHRQoL. The overall model was statistically significant (F (15,106) = 3.70, p < 0.001), explaining 34.3% of the variance (R2 = 0.343). Conclusion: Cognitive function, number of teeth, frequency of dental outpatient visits, and types of dental cleaning tools utilized significantly influence OHRQoL among senior residents. These findings underscore the importance of oral health in the elderly population and provide valuable insights for healthcare practitioners to enhance sensitivity toward oral health-related quality of life. Moreover, they offer a foundation for developing targeted intervention programs aimed at promoting oral health among seniors.