Determinants of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Older People with Diabetes Mellitus: A Secondary Analysis of the 8th Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) Dataset

Determinants of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Older People with Diabetes Mellitus: A Secondary Analysis of the 8th Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) Dataset

Purpose : This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the factors that influence the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) using the 8th Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) dataset. Methods : This secondary analysis utilized the 8th KLoSA dataset from 2020, with a study sample of 1,144 older adults with DM. Dependent variable: OHRQoL; independent variables categorized into socio-demographic, oral health-related, and health-related characteristics. Complex Samples General Linear Model and Bonferroni correction in IBM SPSS/Win 26.0 were employed for assessing factors influencing OHRQoL. Results : The average OHRQoL was 33.96±0.28 points out of 60. Factors influencing OHRQoL included subjective health status (good: t＝3.00, p＝.003; moderate: t＝4.38, p＜.001), wearing dentures (yes) (t＝ -2.89, p＝.004), having heart disease (t＝-2.50, p＝.013), having arthritis (t＝-2.19, p＝.028), and experiencing depression (t＝-4.28, p＜.001). These factors explained approximately 20% of OHRQoL in older adults with DM. Conclusion : To enhance OHRQoL in older adults with DM, it is crucial to consider psychological factors such as depression in the development of continuous oral health management programs. Additional factors to consider include effective denture management and chronic disease conditions.