The Impact of Swallowing Difficulties on Quality of Life in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Residential Care: Cross-Sectional Study

Dysphagia is a common but often overlooked concern among individuals with intellectual disabilities and may negatively impact their quality of life. This study aimed to examine the association between swallowing function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among adults with intellectual disabilities in residential care. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 48 individuals in residential care facilities in Japan. Swallowing function was assessed with the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), and HRQOL with the EuroQol-5 Dimension, five-level version (EQ-5D-5L), in which higher index values denote better HRQOL. A generalized linear model (GLM) with gamma distribution was used to identify factors associated with EQ-5D-5L scores. Participants with lower EAT-10 scores (≤2) showed significantly higher EQ-5D-5L scores. In the GLM, better swallowing function was positively associated with EQ-5D-5L score (B = 0.21, p = 0.012). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of this association. Conclusions: Swallowing dysfunction is linked to reduced HRQOL in individuals with intellectual disabilities, underscoring the need for regular screening and intervention.