Oral health status and care of institutionalized elderly individuals in Lebanon.

BACKGROUND: Oral health of the elderly is a major public health challenge. Data on oral health and dental care of the institutionalized elderly is lacking in Lebanon. AIMS: (1) Assess the oral health of Lebanese people aged 65 years and over living in residential facilities; and (2) identify factors associated with poor oral status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A.sample of 526 nursing home residents aged 65 years and older was randomly selected from 46 residential facilities. Information collected were sociodemographic characteristics, degree of autonomy regarding toilet use and nutrition, presence of chronic diseases and medications, dry mouth sensation, dental brushing, access to oral health and reasons of dental visits. A structured oral examination was conducted to gather data on DMFT index, oral hygiene indices modified gingival index, and the unmet need for prosthesis. Statistical methods included bivariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: 55.9% of the participants were edentates, 41.4% used partial and/or complete dentures, and the minority used dentures with good hygiene. 15% of the dentate sample reported regular tooth brushing, 7% reported to have visited the dental office in the past 12 months, and 57% presented an unmet need for prosthesis. Oral health status was significantly related to age, smoking, daily tooth brushing, and autonomy (P < 0.05). Subjects with chronic diseases and consuming medications were more likely to have xerostomia. CONCLUSION: Oral health status is poor in the elderly institutionalized Lebanese population, which should promote a multidisciplinary team sharing responsibility for daily oral hygiene and access to dental treatment.

Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Lesions Among the Institutionalized Elderly Population in Lebanon.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and risk factors among the institutionalized elderly Lebanese population. A representative sample of 526 individuals (49% males and 61% females) aged 65 years and above was examined. A questionnaire and clinical examination were administered. Bivariate and multivariate regressions were carried out. The frequency of oral mucosal lesions was 22.8% and it was associated to the use, integrity (p < .002), and hygiene level (p < .047) of removable mandibular and maxillary prosthesis. Multiple regression analysis also predicted the relationship between the mandibular prosthesis hygiene level and the occurrence of mucosal lesions. The factors controlling the occurrence of oral mucosal lesion were mainly related to the level of oral care given to the individuals. Therefore, a proper oral health care system should be implemented in the Lebanese residential homes to ensure the well-being of the residing population.

Trail Making Test: normative data for the Lebanese adult population.

OBJECTIVE: Trail Making Test (TMT) is a widespread neuropsychological test used to detect cognitive impairment in diverse neuropsychological conditions. Several studies have shown that TMT performance is influenced by different demographic factors. Thus, the present study aims to explore the effect of gender, age, and education on TMT basic and derived scores and to provide normative data for the Lebanese adult population. METHOD: A total of 225 healthy Lebanese adults (aged between 18 and 64) were recruited. The two parts of the TMT were administered to the participants. Regression based strategy was applied to generate normative data. RESULTS: The results showed statistically significant effect of age and level of education on the TMT-A, TMT-B as well as the difference score TMT B -A. However, the ratio score was affected only by the age. Gender did not have any effect on TMT performance. An interactive calculator was created to calculate estimated Z-scores based on corresponding predictions of linear regression model. The calculator provides also percentile ranks. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides the first normative data for the TMT among the Lebanese population. Neuropsychologists in Lebanon will benefit from this outcome in order to improve the accurate detection of visual scanning/processing speed and executive function deficits in clinical settings for the adult population.

Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST): Normative Data for the Lebanese Adult Population.

The aim of this study was to generate normative data on the M-WCST in a Lebanese adult population and to examine the relationship between performance on this task and demographic variables. The sample consisted of 220 healthy adults aged between 18 and 64 years. Regression-based strategy was applied to generate normative data. The results showed a statistically significant effect of age and level of education on the M-WCST measures, whereas gender was not significant. Demographically calibrated percentiles and scaled scores were created. Finally, this study was the first to provide normative-adjusted tables for the M-WCST scores in Lebanon.