Association between subjective oral dysfunction and locomotive syndrome in community-dwelling older adults

The need for support and care is a major problem facing societies around the world. Locomotive syndrome (LS) refers to a condition in which people require healthcare services because of problems associated with locomotion. Oral dysfunction is also associated with various long-term care factors including activities of daily living. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between oral dysfunction and LS. The study participants were 407 elderly people living in a rural area in Japan. Evaluation of oral dysfunction was based on subjective judgment by each participant. LS was assessed using Locomo-25, which is a self-administered questionnaire and was defined by a Locomo-25 score >= 7 points. Those with a "decline in masticatory function" and "difficulty swallowing" had higher odds of LS than those without these dysfunctions (odds ratio (OR)=2.134, 2.007, respectively). Furthermore, participants with a Locomo-25 score >= 11 had higher odds of a "decline in masticatory function" (OR=2.657) than those with a Locomo-25 score<11, and those with a Locomo-25 score >= 9 had higher odds of "difficulty swallowing" (OR=2.411) than those with a Locomo-25 score<9. These findings suggest that a strong relationship exists between oral dysfunction and LS.