ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate oral discomfort factors in the elderly and to analyze the sociodemographic and health-related characteristics influencing their oral discomfort using multiple regression analysis. METHODS: Facilities were selected based on the 2014 Elderly Welfare Facilities Status. Data was collected through the interview of 176 participants aged ≥65 years. The oral discomfort factors (10 items) were investigated using a 5-point Likert scale. The total oral discomfort scores were added for each of the 10 items investigated using the 5-point Likert scale. SPSS 12.0 program was used to analyze the descriptive statistics and perform a t-test and a stepwise multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The oral discomfort factor with the highest score was g oral discomfort factorThe total oral discomfort score for women was significantly higher than that for men. 'men. gnificantly higher thangenderg were, respectively, the health-related and sociodemographic characteristics that most significantly influenced the total oral discomfort scores. Perceived oral health accounted for 30.4% of the total oral discomfort score, while gender accounted for 2%. CONCLUSIONS: Health-related characteristics were more significantly associated with oral discomfort than sociodemographic characteristics. Since sociodemographic characteristics are not easily changed, government and healthcare providers should strive to improve the health of the elderly population.