Change in Quality of Life and Its Association with Oral Health and Other Factors in Community-Dwelling Elderly Adults—A Prospective Cohort Study

Objectives: To determine whether changes in oral health status were associated with decline in quality of life (QoL). Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Carlos Barbosa, southern Brazil. Participants: A random sample of 872 community-dwelling individuals aged 60 and older was evaluated in 2004. The current study population consisted of 389 participants available for follow-up in 2012. Measures: Change in QoL was assessed through the use of the short version of the World Health Organization QoL Assessment tool (WHOQOL-BREF) at baseline and follow-up. Each WHOQOL domain generates a score, with changes being calculated for each domain. Individuals with the same or higher scores at follow-up were categorized as having improved QoL, and those with lower scores were categorized as having a decline in QoL. Sociodemographic and health variables were assessed in an interview, and tooth loss, use of dental prostheses, and satisfaction with chewing ability and oral appearance were verified through oral examinations. Interviews and examinations were repeated. Risk ratios (RRs) relative to the outcome and independent variables were estimated using Poisson regression with a robust variance estimator. Results: Tooth loss was a risk factor for decline in the psychological domain of QoL (RR = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02–1.06). Improvement in satisfaction with chewing ability was a protective factor for decline in this same domain (RR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.50–0.97). Greater satisfaction with oral appearance was a protective factor against decline in social (RR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.72–0.98) and environmental (RR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.61–0.97) domain scores. Conclusion: Preventing tooth loss and recognizing and properly addressing concerns about chewing and dental appearance can affect the general well-being of community-dwelling elderly adults.