Quality of life related to oral health among the elderly of a socialization group

Abstract

Over the last decades, there has been a substantial increase in interest in the quality of life related to the oral health of the elderly. This is due to the fact that oral diseases significantly compromise the physical, emotional and social aspects of these individuals. Oral health is considered part of the general state of health and well-being. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of quality of life with oral health in elderly women participating in a socialization group. This was a descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study with women aged 60 years or older, who participate in a socialization group from the city of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Data collection was performed using the Oral Health Impact Profile instrument (OHIP-14). Sixty-six elderly women aged between 60 and 88 years, with a mean of 69.8±7.31 years, participated in the study. The areas that presented the highest values were “Physical Pain”, “Psychological Suffering” and “Physical Disability”. The highest averages of the total OHIP-14 scores occurred in individuals with lower family income and low schooling, self-reported depression, altered taste, difficulty in feeling the taste of certain foods and malnutrition. Their low level of education, altered taste and malnutrition assessed by arm circumference were associated with poorer quality of life due to oral disorders.