Bell Caitlin S, Krüger Esedra, Vermeulen Rouxjeanne, Masenge Andries, Pillay Bhavani S
Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Tshwane.
S Afr J Commun Disord. 2025 Mar 4;72(1):e1-e6. doi: 10.4102/sajcd.v72i1.1078.
The growing ageing population requires effective management of complex medical diagnoses and healthy ageing support within residential care facilities. However, limited access to guidelines on monitoring residents' eating and swallowing abilities has been reported. Recent research is critical for future policy development.
This study aimed to compare self-perceived and clinical presentation of eating and swallowing abilities among a portion of elderly residents to enhance management of the residential care population within the South African context.
This comparative, within-subject research study assessed 44 participants using an oropharyngeal dysphagia protocol including a medical history review, the Eating Assessment Tool - 10 (EAT-10), the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Abilities (MASA), and the three-ounce water test of the Yale Swallow Protocol (YSP). A brief cognitive screener was used when cognitive impairment was unknown.
Of the participants, 21 out of 44 (48%) self-reported concerns for oropharyngeal dysphagia. Evidence of compensatory eating behaviours, without therapeutic intervention, was found. A negative, low correlation was present between the EAT-10 and the MASA (r = -0.306, p 0.05) scores.
Individuals who self-reported eating and swallowing difficulties demonstrated fewer clinical symptoms, potentially due to compensatory techniques. The disparity between patient-reported outcome measures and clinical assessment tools highlights the need for robust screening and assessment policies within this context.Contribution: This study highlights the importance of holistic assessment practices by integrating self-perception with clinical findings to address oropharyngeal dysphagia incidence within this complex population.
人口老龄化加剧，需要在寄宿护理机构内对复杂的医学诊断进行有效管理，并为健康老龄化提供支持。然而，据报道，获取有关监测居民进食和吞咽能力的指南的机会有限。近期的研究对未来政策的制定至关重要。
本研究旨在比较部分老年居民自我感知的进食和吞咽能力与临床表现，以加强南非背景下寄宿护理人群的管理。
这项比较性的受试者内研究使用口咽吞咽困难方案评估了44名参与者，该方案包括病史回顾、进食评估工具-10（EAT-10）、曼吞咽能力评估（MASA）以及耶鲁吞咽方案（YSP）的三盎司水测试。当认知障碍情况不明时，使用简短的认知筛查工具。
在44名参与者中，21人（48%）自我报告存在口咽吞咽困难问题。发现了未经治疗干预的代偿性进食行为证据。EAT-10与MASA得分之间存在负的低相关性（r = -0.306，p < 0.05）。
自我报告有进食和吞咽困难的个体临床表现较少，这可能是由于代偿技巧。患者报告的结局指标与临床评估工具之间的差异凸显了在此背景下制定强有力的筛查和评估政策的必要性。贡献：本研究强调了通过将自我认知与临床结果相结合进行全面评估实践的重要性，以解决这一复杂人群中的口咽吞咽困难发生率问题。
