INFLUENCE OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON ORAL HEALTH, FOOD DIVERSITY, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN THE ELDERLY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN SOCIAL WELFARE AND PAID RESIDENCY GROUPS AT BAN BANG KHAE SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR OLDER PERSONS

Abstract

This research aimed to compare oral health, Functional Occluding Pairs (FOP), food diversity, and cognitive function between social welfare and paid residency elderly, and to investigate predictors of cognitive function. Participants were 88 elderly residents (52 welfare, 36 paid) at Ban Bang Khae Social Welfare Development Center. Instruments included the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), FOP examination, Food Diversity Score Kyoto (FDSK-11), and Mini-Cog test. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression. Results revealed: 1) Despite being significantly older (p = .010), the paid group exhibited better oral health (p < .001), higher food diversity (p = .031), and superior cognitive function (p < .001). 2) Oral health problems correlated negatively with food diversity (r_s = -0.245, p = .022) and cognitive function (r_s > = -0.435, p < .001), while cognitive function correlated positively with food diversity (r_s = 0.227, p = .034). 3) Regression analysis indicated FOP was a positive predictor of cognitive function, attenuating the effects of education and socioeconomic status to non-significance (p = .134 and p = .298). Thus, prosthetic rehabilitation achieving functional occluding pairs is a crucial mechanism for preserving cognitive function, outweighing financial and educational backgrounds.

Keywords: Oral Health, Functional Occluding Pairs, Food Diversity, Cognitive Function, Socioeconomic Status