Miyoshi Sanae, Shigeishi Hideo, Fukada Eri, Nosou Maki, Amano Hideaki, Sugiyama Masaru
Department of Public Oral Health, Program of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Takehara-Toyota Dental Hygienists' Association, Hiroshima, Japan.
J Clin Med Res. 2019 Mar;11(3):165-170. doi: 10.14740/jocmr3664. Epub 2019 Feb 13.
There are several researches demonstrating that community-based educational and exercise programs can improve oral function in older people. However, the relationship between oral function and long-term participation in health programs has not been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to clarify the oral health status and oral function of older people (≥ 65 years) who had been participating in community-based exercise programs at community salons.
We enrolled 108 women (mean age: 77.6 ± 5.7 years) who participated in oral and physical exercise programs once a week at community salons in Takehara throughout May 2017. This cross-sectional pilot study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Hiroshima University and informed consent was obtained from all participants. To assess oral function, the following tests were performed: tongue pressure test, oral diadochokinesis (ODK) measurement, repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) and oral wetness measurement.
A significant negative correlation was found between age and ODK or RSST (Spearman's rank correlation; P = 0.007 and P = 0.01, respectively). The duration of participation ranged widely from 1 month to 7 years (median: 2.3 years). Although there was no significant difference between participation period and oral function, individuals who had been participating for 3 years or longer did not demonstrate a negative relationship between age and oral wetness. Furthermore, they exhibited a weaker negative relationship between age and oral function (i.e. tongue pressure, ODK and RSST) when compared with individuals who had been participating for less than 3 years.
Our results suggest that long-term participation in community salon exercise programs may suppress the deterioration of oral function in older people. Further study will be necessary to clarify the significant correlation between oral function and community-based social activities such as oral exercise.
有多项研究表明，基于社区的教育和锻炼项目可以改善老年人的口腔功能。然而，口腔功能与长期参与健康项目之间的关系尚未完全阐明。本研究的目的是明确在社区沙龙参加基于社区的锻炼项目的老年人（≥65岁）的口腔健康状况和口腔功能。
我们招募了108名女性（平均年龄：77.6±5.7岁），她们于2017年5月在竹原的社区沙龙每周参加一次口腔和体育锻炼项目。这项横断面试点研究获得了广岛大学伦理委员会的批准，并获得了所有参与者的知情同意。为评估口腔功能，进行了以下测试：舌压测试、口腔轮替运动速率（ODK）测量重复唾液吞咽测试（RSST）和口腔湿润度测量。
年龄与ODK或RSST之间存在显著负相关（Spearman等级相关；P分别为0.007和0.01）。参与时间范围广泛，从1个月到7年不等（中位数：2.3年）。虽然参与时间与口腔功能之间没有显著差异，但参与3年或更长时间的个体在年龄与口腔湿润度之间未表现出负相关。此外，与参与时间少于3年的个体相比，他们在年龄与口腔功能（即舌压、ODK和RSST）之间表现出较弱的负相关。
我们的结果表明，长期参与社区沙龙锻炼项目可能会抑制老年人口腔功能的衰退。需要进一步研究以阐明口腔功能与基于社区的社会活动（如口腔锻炼）之间的显著相关性。
