Prevalence and risk factors of oral frailty in elderly cancer inpatients: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of oral frailty (OF) and identify factors associated with it among elderly cancer inpatients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China, between April 2024 and February 2025. OF was assessed using the oral frailty index-8. Additional assessments included the oral health assessment tool, physical frailty (geriatric-8), family support (family adaptation, partnership, growth, affection, and resolve index), nutritional risk, and hematological parameters (complete blood cell counts). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the sample. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with OF. A total of 270 elderly cancer inpatients were included (mean age 69.8 ± 6.49 years). The prevalence of OF was 57.7%. In univariate analyses, higher platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), smoking history, denture use, xerostomia, physical frailty, poor oral health, and nutritional risk were significantly associated with OF (all P < .05). Stratified analyses indicated age-specific patterns: in patients <70 years, PLR, NLR, denture use, xerostomia, physical frailty, and nutritional risk were associated with OF; while in patients ≥70 years, NLR, denture use, xerostomia, physical frailty, oral health, and nutritional risk remained significant (all P < .05). Multivariable analysis identified smoking history, denture use, xerostomia, physical frailty, nutritional risk, and elevated PLR/NLR as independent factors associated with OF. OF was highly prevalent among elderly cancer inpatients. Several clinical, behavioral, and inflammatory factors were associated with its occurrence. However, as this was a cross-sectional study, causality cannot be inferred. Further longitudinal and multi-center studies are needed to confirm these associations and clarify their underlying mechanisms.