Perceção do estado de saúde oral em idosos institucionalizados

: influência no seu estado nutricional

Abstract

The elderly population has grown at a fast pace and with the expectation of enjoying life in a healthy and productive way. Ageing is a stage of life where numerous pathophysiological changes take place, such as the onset of oral diseases, which can have consequences at the level of mastication, phonetics, aesthetics and overall wellbeing. Objectives: Evaluate, in a population of institutionalized elderly, if a deficiente oral health is associated with chewing difficulties and if it can be considered as a factor that contributes to the development of malnutrition. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study based on a convenience sample that included individuals aged over 65 years, institutionalized in the city of Viseu. Data was collected on sociodemographic and economic features, oral hygiene behavior, oral health complaints and certain parameters of the oral state were evaluated. The dependence of the elderly has been classified by the Katz Index and nutritional status was assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®) and Body Mass Index (BMI). Results: Elderly with a deficiente oral health (edentulous without dentures, edentulous with only one prosthesis, 0 natural teeth, or no occluding Posterior Teeth Contacts (POTCs) had greater difficulty chewing and lower results from the MNA®. Results from the MNA® were significantly associated with oral health problems, including difficulty chewing, swallowing, and pain in the mouth. Regarding the BMI, there was only a weak correlation with the number of teeth. Conclusion: A deficiente state of oral health increases the difficulty of chewing and affects the nutritional status of the elderly. Corroborating with the results obtained in this investigation, it’s urgent to increase the oral health care of this population, through the implementation of preventive measures, with the expectation of an improvement of oral health, chewing ability, nutritional status and decrease the appearance of systemic disease.

Date of Award	7 Jul 2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Cláudia Patrícia de Campos Ribeiro (Supervisor)