Correlation between depressive symptoms and subjective mastication ability and ability to pronunciation among Korean elderly

Association Between Changes in Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Depressive Symptoms in the Korean Elderly Population

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the association between changes in oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and depressive symptoms in the elderly South Koreans.

Methods: We used the 2018 and 2020 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing data. Our study population was a total of 3,604 participants aged over 65 in 2018. The independent variable of interest was the changes in the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index as OHRQoL between 2018 and 2022. The dependent variable was depressive symptoms in 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analyzed the associations between changes in OHRQoL and depressive symptoms.

Results: Participants with improvement in OHRQoL over 2-year period were likely to have fewer depressive symptoms in 2020. Especially, changes in the oral pain and discomfort dimension score was associated with depressive symptoms. A decline in oral physical function, such as difficulty in chewing and speaking, was also associated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: Negative change in OHRQoL is a risk factor for depression in elderly. This results suggest the importance of maintaining good oral health in later life, as a protective factor against depression.

Association between subjective oral dysfunction and locomotive syndrome in community-dwelling older adults

The need for support and care is a major problem facing societies around the world. Locomotive syndrome (LS) refers to a condition in which people require healthcare services because of problems associated with locomotion. Oral dysfunction is also associated with various long-term care factors including activities of daily living. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between oral dysfunction and LS. The study participants were 407 elderly people living in a rural area in Japan. Evaluation of oral dysfunction was based on subjective judgment by each participant. LS was assessed using Locomo-25, which is a self-administered questionnaire and was defined by a Locomo-25 score ≥ 7 points. Those with a “decline in masticatory function” and “difficulty swallowing” had higher odds of LS than those without these dysfunctions (odds ratio (OR) = 2.134, 2.007, respectively). Furthermore, participants with a Locomo-25 score ≥ 11 had higher odds of a “decline in masticatory function” (OR = 2.657) than those with a Locomo-25 score < 11, and those with a Locomo-25 score ≥ 9 had higher odds of “difficulty swallowing” (OR = 2.411) than those with a Locomo-25 score < 9. These findings suggest that a strong relationship exists between oral dysfunction and LS.

Dose-response relationship between intergenerational contact frequency and depressive symptoms amongst elderly Chinese parents: a cross-sectional study

Background

Given the high prevalence of depressive symptoms amongst the elderly Chinese population and the significance of intergenerational contact in this demographic group, the purpose of this study was to examine the association and dose–response relationship between the frequency of intergenerational contact and depressive symptoms.

Methods

Data were obtained from the third wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. A total of 5791 participants at age 60 or older were included in this study. Depressive symptoms were defined by the 10-item version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Intergenerational contact included in-person meeting and remote connecting, and they were analysed separately. Intergenerational contact frequency was classified into ten categories and then treated as a continuous variable for analysis. We performed univariate and multivariate logistic regressions to identify risk covariables. Restrictive cubic spline analysis was used to examine the dose–response relationship between intergenerational contact frequency and the outcome of depressive symptoms.

Results

Both the frequency of meeting and the frequency of connecting with children were independently associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly, and the odds ratios for depressive symptoms increased with decreasing frequencies (P < 0.01). There was a negative dose–response relationship between intergenerational contact frequency and depressive symptoms. The odds of depressive symptoms steadily decreased with increasing frequency of meeting with their children. Following an initial increase, the odds rapidly decreased as the frequency of connecting with children increased with an inflection point at once a monthly. Both associations were nonlinear (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings revealed a negative dose–response relationship between intergenerational contact frequency and depressive symptoms in the elderly Chinese population. Thus, future health interventions should consider cultural norms in shaping the mental well-being of Chinese elderly persons.