Development of oral function training program to prevent heat-related illness in the elderly.

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K12421
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gerontological nursing
• Research Institution: Kyorin University
• Principal Investigator: Ota Junko 杏林大学, 保健学部, 学内講師 (30785184)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中島 恵美子 杏林大学, 保健学部, 教授 (10449001)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者 / 熱中症 / 口腔機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aimed to clarify the relationship between heat-related illness and oral function as a background factor of this disease, and development of oral function training program for prevent heat-related disease in the elderly. The result of this retrospective case-control study suggested tongue coating (odds ratio,3.834;95 %CI:1.401-10.493) as a variable with a significant difference. We had to give up the second study that used the intervention study because it was extremely difficult for the recruitment of research subjects by reason of the spread of infection COVID-19.

Free Research Field

高齢者看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究において舌苔は熱中症の背景因子として示唆され，新な知見を得ることができた．舌苔の形成促進には舌の機械的摩擦低下も関与するため，咀嚼運動が低下している高齢者に対して熱中症の早期発見を務める必要があると考えられる．保健医療福祉従事者は，高齢者の熱中症の早期発見のためにも口腔内に着目し，背景因子としての舌苔について観察していくことが必要であると考えられる．