Association Between Oral Health and Probable Sarcopenia in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Ayça Asma Sakallı,1 Bilal Katipoğlu2 1Department of Family Medicine, HSU Balıkesir Atatürk City Hospital, Balıkesir, Turkey; 2Department of Geriatrics, HSU Balıkesir Atatürk City Hospital, Balıkesir, TurkeyCorrespondence: Ayça Asma Sakallı, Department of Family Medicine, HSU Balıkesir Atatürk City Hospital, Gaziosmanpaşa Mah., 209 Sok. No: 26, Altıeylül/Balıkesir, 10100, Turkey, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to examine the association between oral health-related quality of life and probable sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults, and to evaluate the potential role of oral health assessment in routine geriatric care.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 315 individuals aged ≥ 65 years who were registered with the Home Health Unit and the Geriatric Outpatient Clinic of a tertiary hospital in Türkiye. Oral health-related quality of life was measured using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Muscle strength was assessed with a handgrip dynamometer, and probable sarcopenia was defined according to the revised European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) criteria as low muscle strength. Additional assessments included the Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form (MNA-SF), Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls (SARC-F) questionnaire, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, and Mini-Cog test. Correlation, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed.Results: Participants had a mean age of 80.8 years (SD 7.5); 43.5% were male. Handgrip strength was positively correlated with GOHAI (r = 0.376, p < 0.001), MNA-SF (r = 0.446, p < 0.001), and Mini-Cog (r = 0.126, p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with age, SARC-F, and frailty. GOHAI correlated positively with MNA-SF (r = 0.206, p < 0.01) and negatively with SARC-F (r = – 0.134, p < 0.05). In univariate logistic regression, lower GOHAI, lower MNA-SF, older age, polypharmacy, and higher SARC-F scores were significantly associated with probable sarcopenia. In multivariate analysis, GOHAI, MNA-SF and polypharmacy remained independent predictors.Conclusion: Poor oral health–related quality of life was independently associated with probable sarcopenia in older adults. Incorporating an oral health measure such as the GOHAI into routine geriatric assessment may facilitate early detection of at-risk individuals and support timely, targeted interventions.Keywords: geriatric assessment, older adults, oral health, polypharmacy, sarcopenia