Association between activities of daily living and oral health among older Saudi adults

Background: Decline in activities of daily living (ADLs) among older adults is a growing problem in the ageing population. Oral health could be a potential risk factor that contributes to ADLs.

Objectives: To examine the association between each of oral health behaviour and tooth loss with ADLs.

Methods: This study included a group of 356 older Saudi adults, employing a cross-sectional design to assess ADLs scores derived from a composite measure of ten different daily activities and oral health behaviours, including frequency of toothbrushing and dental visits. The number of remaining teeth was determined during clinical examination. Age, gender, income, and marital status were included in the analysis. Linear regression models were used to explore the associations between oral health behaviours, tooth loss and ADLs adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Ethical approval was granted by King’s College London Research Ethics Committee (HR-18/19-8791).

Results: Mean age of participants was 67.1 years (Standard Deviation: 6.5). Not brushing teeth was associated with higher ADLs scores (coefficient: 0.76, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.21, 1.30), indicating a correlation between poor oral hygiene and increased difficulty in performing daily activities. Conversely, an inverse association was observed between number of teeth and ADLs scores, with each additional tooth associated with a 0.04 decrease in ADLs score (95% CI: -0.06, -0.01) after adjusting for sociodemographic and oral health variables.

Conclusion: The analysis highlights the importance of oral hygiene and number of teeth as potential risk factors for decline in ADLs.