Prevalence of Self-Reported Swallowing Difficulties and Swallowing-Related Quality of Life Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in India

Self-reported swallowing difficulties are highly prevalent but underreported among older adults. The aging population in India is increasing, yet there is a lack of empirical data on self-reported swallowing difficulties in older adults. In the present study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported swallowing difficulties and assess the swallowing-related quality of life (QOL) among community-dwelling older adults in India. We recruited 361 older adults (60–91 years) from the community. Participants completed the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) to assess self-reported swallowing difficulties and the Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI) to assess swallowing-related QOL. Participants rated the EAT-10 from 0 for ‘no problem’ to 4 for ‘severe problem’. The DHI rating included 0 for ‘never’, 2 for ‘sometimes’, and 4 for ‘always’. The total scores of EAT-10 and DHI were summarised using descriptive statistics. Statistically significant differences between pass–fail groups of EAT-10 and DHI were evaluated using an independent t-test and multivariate analysis of variance test, respectively. The overall mean score for EAT-10 was 3.34, and 7.56 for DHI, with higher scores observed among females. 36.6