Determinants of oral health-related quality of life in older adults receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the current status of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and to identify associated factors among older adults receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).

METHODS

Between September 2024 and September 2025, a total of 107 older adults receiving MHD were recruited from a Grade A tertiary hospital in Guangdong Province using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and the Self-Efficacy Scale for Oral Self-care (SESS). Univariate analyses and stepwise multiple linear regression were performed to determine factors associated with OHRQoL.

RESULTS

The mean OHIP-14 score was 18.97 ± 8.00, and the mean SESS score was 43.52 ± 12.98. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between OHIP-14 and SESS scores (r = -0.736, p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis identified dialysis frequency, dialysis duration, tooth brushing frequency, tooth brushing duration, pre-dialysis blood urea nitrogen, pre-dialysis serum creatinine, SESS score, and comorbid diabetes mellitus as independent factors associated with OHRQoL (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Older adults receiving MHD demonstrated relatively low levels of both OHRQoL and oral self-efficacy. Enhanced clinical attention and the development of targeted interventions addressing the identified influencing factors may contribute to improvements in OHRQoL in this population.