Long-term effects of smartphone app-based oral-musclestrengthening training in older adults

Le résumé fourni par la source

Objectives: To investigate the long-term effects of smartphone app-based oral-muscle-strengthening training in older adults. Methods: A randomized controlled trial using a pretest-posttest control group design was conducted. Older adults were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group participated in a 12-week oral-musclestrengthening program using smartphone app content from May to August 2025. Oral health, mental health, tongue strength, and pronunciation accuracy were evaluated pre- and post-intervention. Statistical analyses were performed using a per-protocol approach. Results: Post-intervention, the experimental group showed significant improvements in the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), O’Leary index, Löe & Silness index, and anterior tongue strength (all p<0.05). Significant betweengroup differences were observed for the GOHAI (p<0.05), Löe & Silness index (p<0.05), and anterior tongue strength (p<0.01). Sleep quality also significantly improved in the experimental group (p<0.05), although between-group differences were not significant. Pronunciation accuracy improved and phonological errors decreased, but these improvements were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Smartphone app-based oral-muscle-strengthening training may effectively improve oral health and tongue strength in older adults while enhancing accessibility and adherence through continuous participation, regardless of time and place.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.