CORRELATION OF XEROSTOMIA AND ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE ELDERLY

• Main Authors: , LOW XIN YI, , Dr. drg. Dewi Agustina, MDSc(UMelb.), MDSc.
• Format: Theses and Dissertations NonPeerReviewed
• Published: [Yogyakarta] : Universitas Gadjah Mada 2014
• Subjects: ETD
• Online Access: https://repository.ugm.ac.id/129529/; http://etd.ugm.ac.id/index.php?mod=penelitian_detail&sub=PenelitianDetail&act=view&typ=html&buku_id=69921
• Institution: Universitas Gadjah Mada

Xerostomia is the subjective feeling of abnormal dry mouth. It is sometimes, but not necessarily accompanied by the reduction of salivary flow. Xerostomia can produce serious negative effects on the individual�s oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) by affecting dietary habits, nutritional status, speech, taste, comfort and social engagement. The current study aimed to determine the correlation of xerostomia towards OHRQoL of the elderly in Yogyakarta. This study was conducted in an observational cross-sectional approach. A total of 100 elderly aged 60 and above in Yogyakarta was included in this study. The assessment of xerostomia was conducted using Xerostomia Inventory (XI) while the assessment of OHRQoL was conducted using General/Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Inventory (GOHAI). The correlation of xerostomia and OHRQoL was analyzed using Spearman Rank Correlation. Result of this study showed a strong, negative correlation between xerostomia and OHRQoL with a correlation coefficient of -0.537 (p<0.000). It is concluded that the higher the severity of xerostomia, the lower the OHRQoL of the elderly in Yogyakarta. Keywords: Xerostomia, Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL), elderly, Xerostomia Inventory (XI), General/Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Inventory (GOHAI)