Oral heath related quality of life in institutionalized elderly in Viseu

Background Portugal has an increasingly aging population, due to the raise of average life expectancy and low birth rates. This situation constitutes a challenge for public health, particularly regarding oral health related quality of life. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of oral health on the quality of life of institutionalized elderly people in the district of Viseu, Portugal. Materials and methods An observational descriptive cross-sectional study was designed, composed of a population of elderly residents in nursing homes in the district of Viseu. Data collection was accomplished by an application of a questionnaire to assess sociodemographic and oral health aspects, the GOHAI index and the OHIP-14 index. Results The sample consisted of 529 institutionalized elderly aged 65 years or older. As for gender, 69.4% (n=367) are women and 30.6% (n=162) men. According to the GOHAI index, a considerable number of participants (41.5%) have a “moderate” self-perception of oral health. Regarding the OHIP-14 index, it appears that the impact of oral health on quality of life is low, since the average of the global OHIP-14 was 15 (0-56). “Physical pain” was the most afected dimension (2.70), while the dimension with the least impact was “Social limitation” (1.52). Conclusion in this research, oral health related quality of life was considered reasonable. However, there are participants in whom the impact of oral health in the quality of life is signifcant. Therefore, it is important to continue to develop strategies and join eforts to improve oral health and, consequently, the systemic health and quality of life of institutionalized elderly. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Commission for Health of the University (Comisssão de Ética para a Saúde da UCP, Report number 165, 21st of January 2022). Informed consent was obtained from all participants and all methods were performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki principles for medical research involving human subjects and following the requirements established by Portuguese Law nr 21/2014 for clinical research.