Correlation between General Health toward Nutritional and Oral Health Status, and Nutrition toward Oral Health Status of Elderly in a Typical Retirement Community-House

Abstract

: Indonesia is in an aging population era marked by an increase in elderly population above 7%. An enhancement of elderly population presents health problems due to organ function deterioration and requires extraordinary attention. General health, nutrition, and oral health status are the most problems claimed by elderly, particularly retired. Objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between general health status toward nutrition status and oral health status, and the correlation nutrition status to oral health status in a typical retired community-house. Methods: Analytical descriptive research with cross sectional method was carried out on 36 respondents in Paguyuban Purnabakti, Patrang, Jember, East Java Province. The sampling was done by purposive sampling. Information was obtained from the questionnaire and research form. General health observation, it comprised smoking status, routine general health observation, presence of systemic diseases, blood pressure, blood pressure status, and blood biochemical parameters. Nutritional status was examined by body mass index (BMI). Oral health status included the number of the remaining teeth, oral hygiene status (OHI-s), periodontal treatment need (CPITN), denture wear, and oral soft tissue diseases. Results: The result exhibited that most of the respondents presented good general health status. However, there was no significant correlation between general health status (blood glucose, total cholesterol, uric acid level and blood pressure status) with nutrition status (r=0.014, r=0.241, r=-0.034, and r=0.011, respectively). The general health status was also no correlation with oral health (r <0.400), except blood glucose level to remaining teeth (r=0.414). Likewise nutritional status to oral health status, there were no correlations between the variables (r<0.400), except nutrition status to remaining teeth (r=0.410). Conclusion: No correlation between general health to nutritional status and oral health, and nutritional status to oral health status of elderly.