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Min-Ji Jo 1 Article
Validation of the Korean Academy of Geriatric Dentistry screening questionnaire and oral frailty diagnostic criteria in community-dwelling older adults
Jeong-Hyun Kang, Seong-Chan Park, Hoi-In Jung, Sun Jae Jung, Hye-Jin Park, Soo-Min Kim, Min-Ji Jo, Yun-Seon Lee, Sun-Young Han
Epidemiol Health. 2024;46:e2024008.   Published online December 11, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024008
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AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDFSupplementary Material
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to establish the validity—specifically, the sensitivity and specificity—of the screening questionnaire and diagnostic criteria for oral frailty proposed by the Korean Academy of Geriatric Dentistry (KAGD) among community-dwelling older adults.
METHODS
This study enrolled 100 participants. Among various definitions of oral frailty, this study used the criteria proposed by Tanaka as the reference test. The screening questionnaire consisted of 11 items for screening physical frailty, chewing ability, swallowing difficulties, oral dryness, and tongue and lip motor function. Each question had a different scoring weight, and if the total score was 1 or higher, an oral frailty diagnostic examination proposed by the KAGD would be recommended. The diagnostic test was the oral frailty diagnostic criteria proposed by the KAGD including 6 measures: chewing ability, occlusal force, tongue pressure, oral dryness, swallowing difficulty, and oral hygiene. If a participant exhibited 2 or more positive measures, this participant was classified as “oral frail.” The screening questionnaire was analyzed using a cut-off value of 1 or higher, while the diagnostic criteria utilized a cut-off of 2 or more positive measures. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated.
RESULTS
The screening questionnaire showed significant power for screening oral frailty (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.783; sensitivity, 87.8%; specificity, 52.5%). The diagnostic accuracy of the newly proposed diagnostic criteria was acceptable (sensitivity, 95.1%; specificity, 42.4%).
CONCLUSIONS
The newly proposed screening questionnaire and diagnostic criteria in Korea appear to be a useful tool to identify oral frailty in community-dwelling older adults.
Summary
Korean summary
본 연구는 지역사회에 거주하는 노인들의 구강 노쇠에 대한 선별검사 설문지와 진단 기준을 검증하는 것을 목표로 했습니다. 민감도와 특이도가 계산되었으며, 스크리닝 설문지는 구강 노쇠를 식별하는 데 상당한 힘을 보여주었고(민감도 87.8%, 특이도 52.5%), 진단 기준은 수용 가능한 정확도(민감도 95.1%, 특이도 42.4%)를 나타냈습니다. 연구 결과는 제안된 선별 설문지와 진단 기준이 한국 지역사회에 거주하는 노인들의 구강 노쇠를 식별하는 데 유용한 도구임을 시사합니다.
Key Message
This study aimed to validate a screening questionnaire and diagnostic criteria for oral frailty among older adults living in the community. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated, with the screening questionnaire demonstrating a significant power for identifying oral frailty (sensitivity 87.8%, specificity 52.5%) and the diagnostic criteria showing acceptable accuracy (sensitivity 95.1%, specificity 42.4%). The findings suggest that the proposed screening questionnaire and diagnostic criteria are valuable tools for identifying oral frailty in community-dwelling older adults in Korea.

Epidemiol Health : Epidemiology and Health