Oral Frailty Is Associated With the Physical Component of Health‐Related Quality of Life in Middle‐Aged and Older Japanese Master Athletes

BACKGROUND: The association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health remains unclear, especially in physically active adults. This study aimed to examine the association between HRQoL and oral frailty in middle-aged and older Japanese master athletes. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 197 Japanese master athletes aged ≥ 35 years participated. HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form-8, from which physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summary scores were derived. Oral frailty was assessed using the Oral Frailty 5-Item Checklist. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS: Of the participants, 195 individuals (median age: 59.0 years [interquartile range: 53.8-68.0], 41.0% women) were included in the analysis. The prevalence of oral frailty was 37.5% in PCS Tertile 1, compared with 16.9% in Tertile 2 and 16.7% in Tertile 3, while the prevalence was similar across MCS tertiles. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that oral frailty was independently and inversely associated with PCS (standardized β = -0.20, p = 0.006), but not MCS (standardized β = -0.12, p = 0.090). In the sub-analysis, difficulty chewing (standardized β = -0.15, p = 0.034) and swallowing (standardized β = -0.26, p < 0.001) were associated with PCS, whereas fewer teeth (standardized β = -0.15, p = 0.035) and dry mouth (standardized β = -0.21, p = 0.004) were associated with MCS. CONCLUSION: Oral frailty was significantly associated with physical HRQoL in Japanese master athletes. These findings suggest that incorporating oral frailty assessment into health promotion strategies may enhance HRQoL in physically active adults.