Self‐care ability and associated factors in community‐dwelling older adults living with oral frailty using the COM‐B model

Abstract Background Self‐care can improve overall oral health. However, few studies have investigated this in community‐dwelling older adults with oral frailty. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour (COM‐B) model may be an appropriate framework to identify factors that affect self‐care ability. Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of and factors influencing self‐care ability in community‐dwelling older adults living with oral frailty, and to analyse the risk factors of low self‐care ability. Methods Two hundred seventy‐five community‐dwelling older adults with oral frailty participated in this cross‐sectional study from October 2022 to March 2023. Participants underwent evaluations of oral health knowledge and behaviour, oral health literacy, nutritional condition, social support, oral health‐related quality of life, self‐efficacy and self‐care ability using questionnaires. The self‐care ability of older adults was assessed using the Chinese version of self‐care ability scale for the elderly (SASE). The influencing factors were evaluated by single‐factor analysis, correlation analysis and multi‐factor analysis. Furthermore, we conducted additional analysis, wherein self‐care ability was analysed as a categorical variable. Results Of the participants, the SASE score was 62.43 ± 7.33, and 73.09% were inadequate at self‐care ability. There was a positive correlation between the level of self‐care ability and each variable ( p < .001). Multiple linear regression showed that health literacy ( p < .001), age ( p < .001), nutritional condition ( p = .001), gender ( p = .003), quality of life ( p = .014) and self‐efficacy ( p = .040) were significantly associated with decreased self‐care ability ( R 2 = 0.444, F = 19.241). Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that gender, educational level, nutritional condition, oral health literacy and quality of life (all P <0.05) were risk factors for developing low levels of self‐care ability. Conclusion This study suggests that health literacy, age, nutritional condition, quality of life, gender and self‐efficacy are important factors that influence self‐care ability in community‐dwelling older adults living with oral frailty.