J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs.  2024 Nov;31(4):524-534. 10.7739/jkafn.2024.31.4.524.

Factors Affecting Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Living Alone: An Analysis of Data from the Ninth Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging

• Kim HJ
• Kim HY
• Kim BK

• KMID: 2561818
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7739/jkafn.2024.31.4.524

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the factors influencing the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of community-dwelling older adults living alone, using data from the ninth Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA).
Methods
A secondary analysis of the ninth KLoSA dataset from 2022 was conducted. The study sample comprised 1,038 community-dwelling older adults living alone. The dependent variable of this study was OHRQoL, while the independent variables included socio-demographic, oral health-related, general health-related, and health behavior-related characteristics. Factors influencing OHRQoL were assessed using a complex samples general linear model with the Bonferroni correction in IBM SPSS/Win 26.0.
Results
The average OHRQoL score was 37.47±0.35 out of 60. The factors influencing the OHRQoL of community-dwelling older adults living alone included age (≥85 years) (t=-3.03, p=.003), wearing dentures (t=-2.11, p=.035), difficulty in daily activities due to vision impairment (t=-2.26, p=.024), difficulty in daily activities due to hearing impairment (t=-2.21, p=.028), and depression (t=-8.38, p<.001).
Conclusion
Based on our findings, to improve the OHRQoL of community-dwelling older adults living alone, it is necessary to consider psychological factors, such as depression, when developing ongoing oral health-management programs aimed at improving OHRQoL. Additional considerations include effective management of dentures and addressing difficulties in daily activities due to vision and hearing impairments.

Keyword

Aged; Depression; Oral health; Quality of life