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Table 1 Comparison of oral care checklist score between the two study groups

From: Measuring attentiveness toward oral care needs: a comparative study of Indonesian care workers in Japan and Indonesia

No.

Observation item

Indonesian care workers in Japan

(n = 110)

Indonesian care workers in Indonesia

(n = 213)

P value

I

Environmental observation

   

1

There is a separation between the dining room and the bedroom

96%

55%

< 0.001

2

Adjustable dining tables or special chairs that can be used according to need are available for personal use

91%

47%

< 0.001

3

There are applicable utensils (e.g., spoons and chopsticks) that can be used in accordance with the impairment of the individual user*

98%

 

4

There are variations in the form of food (e.g., porridge cut into bite-size pieces and soft chopped food)

98%

64%

< 0.001

5

There is portable mucus suction

77%

54%

< 0.001

6

There is a tool that can be used by care workers or patients to notify other care workers if there is an emergency (e.g., a bell).

89%

44%

< 0.001

7

Numbers of care workers and older adults are balanced when conducting meal supervision

66%

52%

0.008

8

There is an allocation of one care worker for every care receiver who requires total care**

28%

60%

< 0.001

9

The care workers understand the dietary needs of each receiver

78%

74%

0.257

 

Total score

6.2 (SD:1.4)

4.5 (SD:1.9)

< 0.001

II

Observation of physiologic functions and eating capabilities

   

A

Overall condition before meal

   

1

Older adult moves differently than usual

72%

58%

0.009

2

Older adult is in poor condition/sleep deprivation

42%

57%

0.006

3

Older adult has fever

20%

50%

< 0.001

4

Older adult is in a state of coughing.

27%

43%

0.004

5

Older adult has different blood pressure (higher or lower) and pulse (bradycardia, tachycardia) than usual

36%

49%

0.012

 

Total score

2.0 (SD:1.4)

2.6 (SD:2.0)

0.021

B

Meal preparation period: Waiting time before arrival of food and serving of food

   

1

Older adult cannot sit in a stable position

66%

54%

0.018

2

Older adult is not fully conscious

39%

41%

0.428

3

Older adult appears calm

40%

55%

0.008

 

Total score

1.5 (SD:1.2)

1.5 (SD:1.2)

0.839

C

Feeding period:

   

1

The dining table cannot be set up in accordance with the bodily positions of older adult

82%

49%

< 0.001

2

There are difficulties when eating (e.g., cannot use a spoon for food or hold food)

79%

65%

0.007

3

There are problems in paying attention to food and the environment

77%

55%

< 0.001

4

There is a problem when placing food into the mouth (e.g., hand vibrates or food falls)

72%

67%

0.207

5

There is a speed problem when placing food into the mouth.

72%

55%

0.003

6

There is a problem with the amount of food that is placed into the mouth

68%

55%

0.014

7

Older adult cannot ask for help when having difficulties during the eating process

55%

44%

0.035

8

Older adult refuses to be helped when eating (e.g., does not want to open the mouth or feed themselves)

63%

49%

0.014

 

Total score

5.7 (SD:1.9)

4.4 (SD:2.9)

< 0.001

D

Swallowing period:

   

1

Older adult cannot take in food smoothly (e.g., lips cannot close or food falls out of the mouth)

58%

54%

0.302

2

There are problems with chewing (e.g., lack of chewing, removing or leaving hard food, very fond of eating soft food only, or chewing for a long time)

70%

66%

0.287

3

Older adult cannot chew food into appropriate shapes and sizes to be swallowed

59%

59%

0.52

4

Older adult hoards food in the mouth (e.g., stores food in the mouth but does not swallow)

65%

57%

0.083

5

There are problems in the process of swallowing food (e.g., cannot swallow food or takes time to swallow food)

71%

54%

0.002

6

There is a swallowing disorder (e.g., food cannot be channeled into the esophagus)

48%

48%

0.535

7

There is a sound of fluid in the esophagus

43%

47%

0.3

8

Older adult chokes when eating

59%

56%

0.362

9

Older adults does not exhibit coughing when choking

39%

54%

0.009

10

Older adult takes a lot of time from start to finish when eating

81%

60%

< 0.001

11

Older adult looks tired when eating

48%

49%

0.503

12

Older adult looks weak when eating, and cannot maintain proper posture (e.g., the body position is always slumped)

66%

53%

0.018

13

Older adult does not finish one portion of provided food

72%

55%

0.002

 

Total score

7.8 (SD:3.7)

7.1 (SD:4.5)

0.216

E

Post-meal period

   

1

Older adult does not brush teeth after meals

41%

32%

0.07

2

There is shortness of breath after meals

29%

45%

0.005

3

Older adult cannot use toothbrush

66%

40%

< 0.001

4

There is leftover food after brushing teeth

69%

40%

< 0.001

 

Total score

2.1 (SD:1.3)

1.6 (SD:1.2)

0.001

  1. Scoring system: 1 = yes; 0 = no
  2. *This item was omitted from the questionnaire for Indonesian care workers in Indonesia
  3. **This item was translated “There are special nurses who are responsible for older adult with total care” in the Indonesian version to suit the environment of the care setting in Indonesia