Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life (QOL) in elderly individuals with or without swallowing difficulties. Material and Methods: A total of 195 participants with (main group, n=112) and without (reference group, n=83) complaints of swallowing difficulties were included in the study. The Eating Assessment Tool (T-EAT-10) and The Quality of Life Scale in Older People (CASP-19) were administered to the participants. There are two subdimensions in CASP-19: Perception of Autonomy and Satisfaction (Factor 1) and Perception of Obstacles (Factor 2). Results: The average age of participants in the main group is 70.78±5.286, while in the reference group, it is 72.25±7.583. The main and reference groups had similar demographic and clinical characteristics (p>0.05). The mean TEAT- 10 score for the main group was 6.80±6.130, while it was 0.51±0.787 in the reference group (t=10.753, p≤0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between the CASP-19 main group (20.51±8.282) and reference group (23.55±8.090) (t=2.564, p=0.011). A correlation analysis revealed a weak, negative statistical correlation between T-EAT-10 and the CASP-19 subscale, Factor 1 (r=-0.211, p=0.025), Factor 2 (r=-0.222, p=0.019), and the CASP-19Total (r=- 0.237, p=0.012). Conclusion: In this study, it was determined that geriatric individuals with complaints of swallowing difficulty have a lower quality of life compared to those without such complaints. The overall quality of life decreased as the severity of dysphagia increased. It is recommended that dysphagia screening be increased in geriatric individuals and longitudinal follow-up studies be conducted in larger populations.

Amaç: Yutma güçlüğü şikâyeti olan veya olmayan geriatrik bireylerin yaşam kalitesini değerlendirmektir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Yutma güçlüğü şikâyeti olan (ana grup, n=112) ve olmayan (referans grup, n=83) toplam 195 katılımcı çalışmaya dâhil edilmiştir. Katılımcılara Yeme Değerlendirme Aracı [The Eating Assessment Tool (TEAT- 10)] ve Yaşlı Bireylerde Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği [The Quality of Life Scale in Older People (CASP-19)] uygulanmıştır. CASP-19’da Özerklik ve Doyum Algısı (Faktör 1) ve Engel Algısı (Faktör 2) olmak üzere 2 alt boyut vardır. Bulgular: Ana gruptaki katılımcıların ortalama yaşı 70,78±5,286 iken referans grubunda bu değer 72,25±7,583’tür. Ana ve referans grupları demografik ve klinik özelliklerde benzerlik göstermiştir (p>0,05). Ana grubun ortalama T-EAT- 10 puanı 6,80±6,130 iken referans grubunda bu puan 0,51±0,787 olarak bulunmuştur (t=10,753, p≤0,001). CASP-19 ana grup (20,51±8,282) ve referans grubu (23,55±8,090) arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark vardır (t=2,564, p=0,011). Korelasyon analizi sonucunda, TEAT- 10 ile CASP-19 alt boyutları Faktör 1 (r=-0,211, p=0,025), Faktör 2 (r=-0,222, p=0,019) ve CASP-19 toplam (r=-0,237, p=0,012) arasında zayıf ve negatif yönlü istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki vardır. Sonuç: Bu çalışmada, yutma güçlüğü şikâyeti olan geriatrik bireylerin, yutma şikâyeti olmayanlara göre daha düşük yaşam kalitesine sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Disfaji şiddeti arttıkça yaşam kalitesinin düştüğü tespit edilmiştir. Geriatrik bireylerde disfaji taramalarının artırılması ve daha geniş popülasyonlarda uzunlamasına takip çalışmalarının yapılması önerilmektedir.

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