Abstract Background As India's aging population continues to grow, there remains a notable gap in empirical data on both self-reported and clinician-evaluated swallowing difficulties among older adults. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of swallowing difficulties among senior citizens residing in North Bangalore, India, using the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and the 100-mL Water Swallow Test (WST). Method A client-reported Kannada version of the EAT-10 rating scale and a clinician-administered 100-mL WST were used. Participants rated the EAT-10 from 0 (no problem) to 4 (severe problem). The WST was considered a "pass" if participants could drink 100 mL of water continuously from a cup without coughing or throat clearing before, during, or after swallowing. A total of 160 senior citizens (93 females and 67 males) from rural communities and senior citizen care homes in North Bangalore participated in the study. Results Descriptive analysis summarized the total EAT-10 and WST scores. Findings revealed an increase in screen-positive dysphagia risk with advancing age and a slightly higher occurrence among females. Overall prevalence percentage based on statistical analysis revealed, 15.63% of the participants had screen-positive dysphagia risk at a confidence interval of 95%. The EAT-10 and WST showed acceptable agreement with 135 participants passing both tests. The remaining twenty-five participants failed in either WST or EAT-10. Conclusion The study underscores the need for ongoing, individualised swallowing assessments in community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly populations to reduce the risk of aspiration and associated health complications.
Sajeev et al. (Mon,) studied this question.