title: Associations of instrumental activities of daily living and handgrip strength with oral self-care among home-dwelling elderly 75+.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the associations of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and the handgrip strength with oral self-care among dentate home-dwelling elderly people in Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study analysed data for 168 dentate participants (mean age 80.6 years) in the population-based Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for Good Care of the Elderly (GeMS) study. Each participant received a clinical oral examination and structured interview in 2004-2005. Functional status was assessed using the IADL scale and handgrip strength was measured using handheld dynamometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study participants with high IADL (scores 7-8) had odds ratios (ORs) for brushing their teeth at least twice a day of 2.7 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.1-6.8], for using toothpaste at least twice a day of 2.0 (CI 0.8-5.2) and for having good oral hygiene of 2.8 (CI 1.0-8.3) when compared with participants with low IADL (scores ≤6). Participants in the upper tertiles of the handgrip strength had ORs for brushing the teeth at least twice a day of 0.9 (CI 0.4-1.9), for using the toothpaste at least twice a day of 0.9 (CI 0.4-1.8) and for good oral hygiene of 1.1 (CI 0.5-2.4) in comparison with the study subjects in the lowest tertile of handgrip strength.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that the functional status, measured by means of the IADL scale, but not handgrip strength, is an important determinant of oral self-care among the home-dwelling elderly.
authors.affiliation: Kuopio Research Centre of Geriatric Care, Unit of Clinical Pharmacology and Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. kaija.komulainen@uef.fi
authors.forename: Kaija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komulainen
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ylöstalo
authors.forename: Anna-Maija
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Syrjälä
authors.forename: Piia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruoppi
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knuuttila
authors.forename: Raimo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sulkava
authors.forename: Sirpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartikainen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D003817:Dentition; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D014100:Toothpastes