Cross-sectional study on dysphagia evaluation in community-dwelling older adults using the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT) -10, EAT-2, and Water Swallow Test.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia is a health concern that causes severe complications and affects the life quality of the older population. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT)-2 compared with the EAT-10 and the Water Swallow Test (WST) in screening for dysphagia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5,090 community-dwelling older adults. Dysphagia was evaluated using both a subjective measure, the 10-item EAT (EAT-10) and an objective measure, the WST. The kappa index in pairs were analyzed. The validity and reliability of EAT-2 were also assessed. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the EAT-2 were 96.3 % and 94.8 %, respectively. The kappa index between the EAT-2 and EAT-10 was 0.64, whereas it was 0.11 between the EAT-10 and WST. CONCLUSIONS: The EAT-2 was a simpler screening tool for dysphagia. Combining the subjective questionnaire (EAT-10 or EAT-2) and the objective test (WST) is recommended.

Association between health literacy and dysphagia in the community-dwelling older population: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia, or swallowing disorders, has become a growing concern due to the aging population, and health literacy plays a crucial role in active aging. However, the relationship between them remains unclear. AIMS: To investigate the association between health literacy and dysphagia among community-dwelling older adults in China. METHODS: A survey was conducted on 4462 older adults aged 65 and above in a community in Yiwu City, China, from May 2021 to January 2022. Swallowing problems were assessed using a 30 ml water swallowing test (WST) and the Eating Assessment Tool-10 questionnaire (EAT-10). The participants' health literacy was evaluated using the Chinese Health Literacy Scale (CHLS). Logistic regression and t tests were employed to measure the association between them. RESULTS: The prevalence of dysphagia was 5.70% and 7.85% as determined by EAT-10 and 30 ml-WST, respectively. The health literacy level of community-dwelling older adults was 24.4 ± 4.93 (9-45). Participants with dysphagia exhibited lower levels of health literacy (p < 0.05). The logistic regression model demonstrated an inverse association between health literacy and dysphagia (OR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.91-0.96 for EAT-10, and OR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.92-0.95 for WST). Moreover, this association remained significant even after adjusting for covariates. DISCUSSION: Older adults with dysphagia have lower levels of health literacy, particularly in terms of their ability to seek medical advice, acquire and evaluate medical information, and access social support resources. CONCLUSIONS: Health literacy is associated with dysphagia among community-dwelling older adults. Effective interventions should be implemented to provide support in terms of both medical services and social support for this population.