The Associative Relationships Between Oral Health, Dysphagia, and Malnutrition Risk in Adults Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract

Inaccessibility to healthcare discourages adults experiencing homelessness from prioritizing their oral health. Poor oral health contributes to pain and discomfort, as well as missing and broken teeth, which can make chewing difficult, reduce food intake, and potentially lead to malnutrition. This study explored the interrelationships between oral health, dysphagia, and malnutrition risk. A cross-sectional study of adults experiencing homelessness (n = 50; 20-80 years of age) was conducted. Oral health was assessed using the World Health Organization: Oral Health Questionnaire for Adults, dysphagia-related symptoms using the EAT-10: A Swallowing Screening Tool, and malnutrition risk using the abridged Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (abPG-SGA). Malnutrition risk was positively correlated with difficulty chewing foods (r = 0.47, p < 0.05), sleep that is often interrupted (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), and difficulty doing usual activities (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) related to oral health problems during the past 12 months. The findings suggest that oral-health-related problems contribute to malnutrition risk in adults experiencing homelessness.