Oral frailty in community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases in China
In a cross-sectional survey in three communities in Yanji City, 71.2% of 393 older adults with chronic diseases showed oral frailty; several factors were independently associated with it. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The cross-sectional study used convenience sampling in three communities in Yanji City from November to December 2023 and included 393 valid participants aged 60 or older with chronic disease and at least four natural teeth. [1]
Oral frailty was identified in 280 of 393 participants, a prevalence of 71.2%, and the most reported items were difficulty eating hard food, choking and dry mouth. [1]
After adjustment, factors independently associated with oral frailty included advanced age, female sex, low income, low and high BMI, alcohol consumption, physical frailty, sleep disturbance, negative attitude toward aging, three or more chronic diseases and diabetes. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Cross-sectional study (abstract)
- Population / context
- Community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older with at least one diagnosed chronic disease and at least four natural teeth in three communities in Yanji City, China.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- October 2, 2026
Survey of 393 older adults in Yanji communities
This cross-sectional study ran from November to December 2023 and used convenience sampling in three communities in Yanji City, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Northeast China. Participants were 60 or older, had at least one diagnosed chronic disease and at least four natural teeth. They completed Chinese-language questionnaires on oral frailty (Oral Frailty Index-8), frailty, sleep quality and attitudes to aging. Of 393 valid participants, 280 were identified with oral frailty.
Supporting source [1]
Prevalence and most reported oral frailty items
The reported prevalence of oral frailty was 71.2%, with a mean Oral Frailty Index-8 score of 5.61 ± 2.58. The most frequently reported items were difficulty eating hard food (62.3%), choking (48.6%) and dry mouth (45.8%). These figures describe how common oral frailty was in this convenience sample; they do not show what caused it.
Supporting source [1]
Factors associated with oral frailty after adjustment
After adjustment, advanced age, female sex, low personal monthly income, both low and high body mass index, alcohol consumption, physical frailty, sleep disturbance, a negative attitude toward aging, three or more chronic diseases and diabetes mellitus were independently associated with oral frailty (all p values below the stated threshold). The authors suggest screening for oral frailty within community chronic disease management. Because the design is cross-sectional, these are associations, not proof of cause.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The cross-sectional design with convenience sampling cannot establish causes or temporal order, and findings apply to this sample of older adults with chronic disease in three Yanji communities.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Zhou Y, Wang GM, Kang JS. · europepmc.org · October 2, 2026