Analyzing the Influencing Factors on Quality of Life of Older People with Swallowing Dysfunction in Nursing Homes in China

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of dysphagia among the older adult population in nursing homes and unravel the relevant factors that precipitate quality of life of the older adults with swallowing dysfunction in nursing homes. MethodsBased on 102 individuals aged 50 years or older, with dysphagia, and who were admitted in community nursing home, we examined the demographic characteristic, the nutritional indices and the possible quality of life related variables through a cross-sectional study. ResultsThe reliability and validity of the C-DHI scale were proven high. The incidence of swallowing disorder risk in the older adult population of care institutions is 90.2%, and the incidence of nutrition risk and malnutrition is 67.64%. The general linear regression results show that the standard regression coefficient of FOIS is -2.75, P=0.007. The standard regression coefficient of nutritional methods is -3.84, P=0.000, and the difference was statistically significant, indicating that the C-DHI scale was negatively correlated with FOIS and nutrition methods. ConclusionsSwallowing disorders are also identified as a major problem amongst the older adult population in nursing homes, as there is a high prevalence of dysphagia among this population group. There are many factors related to the quality of life. The swallowing mechanism changes significantly as people age, even in the absence of chronic diseases. More attention to controllable influencing factors would improve the quality of life of older adults with swallowing dysfunction.