Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Oral hypofunction is the stage at which recovery can be expected with proper diagnosis, management, and motivation before oral dysfunction occurs. The knowledge and attitude toward oral function can influence the maintenance and improvement of oral function. However, whether middle-aged and older ad...

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Main Authors: Haruka Nakata, Yuichi Masaki, Yuri Watanabe, Mai Ohkubo, Tetsuya Sugiyama, Kenichiro Kobayashi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:International Journal of Dentistry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/3503644
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author Haruka Nakata
Yuichi Masaki
Yuri Watanabe
Mai Ohkubo
Tetsuya Sugiyama
Kenichiro Kobayashi
author_facet Haruka Nakata
Yuichi Masaki
Yuri Watanabe
Mai Ohkubo
Tetsuya Sugiyama
Kenichiro Kobayashi
author_sort Haruka Nakata
collection DOAJ
description Oral hypofunction is the stage at which recovery can be expected with proper diagnosis, management, and motivation before oral dysfunction occurs. The knowledge and attitude toward oral function can influence the maintenance and improvement of oral function. However, whether middle-aged and older adults with declining oral function have knowledge of their oral function and how this knowledge and their attitude affect their oral function are unclear. Therefore, we aimed to examine (1) the relationship between knowledge and attitude toward oral function and hypofunction in individuals with suspected oral hypofunction and (2) changes in knowledge and attitude toward oral function through evaluation and education. Participants aged ≥50 years were enrolled during their first community dental clinic visit. A questionnaire assessment of knowledge and attitudes before and after oral function evaluation was performed. The oral function was initially assessed with seven criteria: oral hygiene; oral dryness; occlusal force; tongue pressure; tongue-lip motor, masticatory, and swallowing function. Associations between knowledge and attitudes and their changes were statistically analyzed. Fifty-nine participants (93.7%) were unaware of “oral hypofunction.” Associations between knowledge and attitudes and their changes in the negative to positive response groups, from 86.4% and 61.0% to 6.8% and 25.4%, respectively, after oral function evaluation, indicated that participants understood their oral function and the need for training. Middle-aged and older individuals with poor knowledge and attitudes were more likely to have a worse oral function; however, their knowledge and attitudes toward oral function could be improved through oral function assessment and education.
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spelling doaj-art-7a1591444913438abe29ac072d2073812025-02-03T01:23:39ZengWileyInternational Journal of Dentistry1687-87362022-01-01202210.1155/2022/3503644Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older AdultsHaruka Nakata0Yuichi Masaki1Yuri Watanabe2Mai Ohkubo3Tetsuya Sugiyama4Kenichiro Kobayashi5Department of Dental HygieneKobayashi Dental ClinicDepartment of Oral Health and Clinical ScienceDepartment of Oral Health and Clinical ScienceDivision of General DentistryKobayashi Dental ClinicOral hypofunction is the stage at which recovery can be expected with proper diagnosis, management, and motivation before oral dysfunction occurs. The knowledge and attitude toward oral function can influence the maintenance and improvement of oral function. However, whether middle-aged and older adults with declining oral function have knowledge of their oral function and how this knowledge and their attitude affect their oral function are unclear. Therefore, we aimed to examine (1) the relationship between knowledge and attitude toward oral function and hypofunction in individuals with suspected oral hypofunction and (2) changes in knowledge and attitude toward oral function through evaluation and education. Participants aged ≥50 years were enrolled during their first community dental clinic visit. A questionnaire assessment of knowledge and attitudes before and after oral function evaluation was performed. The oral function was initially assessed with seven criteria: oral hygiene; oral dryness; occlusal force; tongue pressure; tongue-lip motor, masticatory, and swallowing function. Associations between knowledge and attitudes and their changes were statistically analyzed. Fifty-nine participants (93.7%) were unaware of “oral hypofunction.” Associations between knowledge and attitudes and their changes in the negative to positive response groups, from 86.4% and 61.0% to 6.8% and 25.4%, respectively, after oral function evaluation, indicated that participants understood their oral function and the need for training. Middle-aged and older individuals with poor knowledge and attitudes were more likely to have a worse oral function; however, their knowledge and attitudes toward oral function could be improved through oral function assessment and education.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/3503644
spellingShingle Haruka Nakata
Yuichi Masaki
Yuri Watanabe
Mai Ohkubo
Tetsuya Sugiyama
Kenichiro Kobayashi
Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
International Journal of Dentistry
title Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
title_full Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
title_fullStr Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
title_full_unstemmed Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
title_short Relationship between Knowledge and Attitude toward Oral Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
title_sort relationship between knowledge and attitude toward oral function in middle aged and older adults
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/3503644
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