Journal of Dental Hygiene Science · Sep 30, 2026
Functional Health Profiles by Care Facility Type in South Korea Older Adults
By Lee N, Bak HK, Song MK et al.
Background: Functional status and health outcomes vary across long-term care settings in older adults; however, integrated evaluations of systemic and oral function remain limited.This study aimed to compare functional and health profiles between nursing home residents and adult daycare center attendees and to identify factors associated with care facility type.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 64 older adults recruited from one nursing home and one adult daycare center in South Korea.Standardized assessments included functional status (activities of daily living [ADL], instrumental activities of daily living [IADL], walking ability, and skeletal muscle mass index [SMI]) and health-related measures, including selected oral function indicators (oral moisture, tongue pressure, oral hygiene, tongue coating, and halitosis).Group differences were analyzed using chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent factors associated with facility type.Results: Significant differences were identified between groups in long-term care grade, ADL, IADL, medication use, blood pressure, walking ability, SMI, oral moisture, dietary status, tongue coating, oral hygiene, and halitosis.In multivariate analysis, long-term care grade reflecting lower dependency (odds ratio [OR]=4.87,95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.12∼21.13),greater tongue moisture (OR=4.13,95% CI: 1.12∼15.20),higher SMI (OR=2.73,95% CI: 1.09∼6.85),and more severe halitosis (OR=1.10,95% CI: 1.01∼1.20)were independently associated with adult daycare center attendance.Conclusion: Distinct functional and health profiles were observed across care facility types.These findings suggest that care settings are closely linked to functional dependency and health status, highlighting the need for facility-specific, function-oriented management strategies, including integrated oral health considerations, in long-term care systems.