IADR Abstract Archives
Association Between Oral Health and Incident Frailty: Findings from ELSA Study
Objectives: To assess the prospective association between oral health (OH) and incident frailty in middle-aged and older English adults.
Methods: A random representative sample of adults aged ≥50 at Wave 3 (2006-2007) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) was analysed (response rate 73%). Demographic (sex, age, marital status), socioeconomic (education, total non-pension wealth), and behavioural (smoking, alcohol consumption) characteristics were obtained from participants at Wave 3. OH was assessed at Wave 3 through: (1) presence of natural teeth (dentate vs. edentate), (2) self-rated oral health (excellent, very good, good vs fair or poor) and (3) prevalence of oral impacts (yes/no), based on the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) measure. A frailty index was computed using the methodology by Rockwood and colleagues. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the prospective association between OH at Wave 3 and incident frailty at Wave 5 (2010-2011), adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioural factors on a sample of 4,507 participants.
Results: In fully adjusted models, respondents who rated their oral health as fair or poor at Wave 3 were two times (OR=1.97, CI 1.55, 2.50) more likely to develop frailty by Wave 5 than those who reported better oral health ratings. Additionally, older adults who reported oral impacts were significantly more likely to become frail (OR 1.65, CI 1.18, 2.30) when compared to those that did not report oral impacts. However, there was no significant association between edentulousness at Wave 3 and incident frailty at Wave 5 (OR=1.05, CI 0.81, 1.36).
Conclusions: Older adults with poor OH status and those experiencing oral impacts were more likely to develop frailty over a 4-year follow-up. Maintaining good oral health status may help preventing frailty in older adults. Further studies should explore possible mechanisms linking OH and frailty.
Methods: A random representative sample of adults aged ≥50 at Wave 3 (2006-2007) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) was analysed (response rate 73%). Demographic (sex, age, marital status), socioeconomic (education, total non-pension wealth), and behavioural (smoking, alcohol consumption) characteristics were obtained from participants at Wave 3. OH was assessed at Wave 3 through: (1) presence of natural teeth (dentate vs. edentate), (2) self-rated oral health (excellent, very good, good vs fair or poor) and (3) prevalence of oral impacts (yes/no), based on the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) measure. A frailty index was computed using the methodology by Rockwood and colleagues. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the prospective association between OH at Wave 3 and incident frailty at Wave 5 (2010-2011), adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioural factors on a sample of 4,507 participants.
Results: In fully adjusted models, respondents who rated their oral health as fair or poor at Wave 3 were two times (OR=1.97, CI 1.55, 2.50) more likely to develop frailty by Wave 5 than those who reported better oral health ratings. Additionally, older adults who reported oral impacts were significantly more likely to become frail (OR 1.65, CI 1.18, 2.30) when compared to those that did not report oral impacts. However, there was no significant association between edentulousness at Wave 3 and incident frailty at Wave 5 (OR=1.05, CI 0.81, 1.36).
Conclusions: Older adults with poor OH status and those experiencing oral impacts were more likely to develop frailty over a 4-year follow-up. Maintaining good oral health status may help preventing frailty in older adults. Further studies should explore possible mechanisms linking OH and frailty.