초록
Purpose: This study is based on the results of previous studies that falls, which is a frequent social problem, causes physical, mental and social health problems in the elderly. In order to identify risk factors for falls in the elderly, this study derives a relationship with oral health and proposes the necessity of oral health care as part of countermeasures to prevent falls in the elderly. Methodology: The final 6,936 people were analysed using the 2018 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA) survey data, and the analysis was conducted using the multiple logistic and multiple regression analysis to investigate the relationship between Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and falls experience. Findings: As a result of the analysis in this study, the number of falls experiences and whether or not falls were higher in the elderly female group than in the male group. The likelihood of falls experience has been statistically reduced as Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index increases by one unit.(OR : 0.991) The number of falls has also been statistically reduced as Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index increase by one unit.(B : -0.001) Practical Implications: The results of this study, which showed that higher Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index was lower risk of falls, explained by the connection that oral health may affect nutritional intake, which leads to sarcopenia and physical loss, which in turn increases the risk of falls. As a way to solve the fall problem, efforts should be made to improve the oral health of the elderly, and furthermore, the importance of nutrition management thorugh oral health care of the elderly is increasd.