Xerostomia and oral health-related quality of life in peri- and postmenopausal women

Abstract

Objective: The menopausal transition triggers hormonal changes that can manifest in oral symptoms such as xerostomia, which can substantially impact women's quality of life. Our study examined the prevalence and severity of xerostomia and its association with menopausal status. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of xerostomia on oral health-related quality of life in peri- and postmenopausal women.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional investigation based on the results of a REDCap survey, involving 3211 women aged between 40 and 90 years. The survey recorded age, menopause status, age at menopause, smoking status, and being treated with xerogenic drugs and included two instruments: the Xerostomia Inventory, used to evaluate the oral symptoms; and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), used to assess the related quality of life. Student's t-test, the chi-squared test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multivariable logistic and linear regressions were performed for data analysis. Odds ratio (OR), beta coefficient (β), and their 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess associations.

Results: The global prevalence of xerostomia was 71.2 %. The Xerostomia Inventory score correlated with the OHIP-14 score (r = 0.686; p = 0.000). Smoking was significantly associated with the probability of xerostomia (OR = 1.36; 95 % CI = 1.02-1.82), as were the following OHIP-14 domains: functional limitation (OR = 1.43; 95 % CI = 1.30-1.50), physical pain (OR = 1.17; 95 % CI = 1.06-1.29), psychological discomfort (OR = 1.21; 95 % CI = 1.13-1.29), physical disability (OR = 1.11; 95 % CI = 1.02-1.20), psychological disability (OR = 1.18; 95 % CI = 1.09-1.29), and social disability (OR = 1.15; 95 % CI = 1.01-1.32). There were no significant differences in the probability of xerostomia according to the menopausal status. In women with xerostomia the OHIP-14 score was higher than in women without xerostomia (β = 5.50; 95 % CI = 4.69-6.31).

Conclusions: Peri- and postmenopausal women have a high prevalence of xerostomia. There were no differences in the probability of xerostomia between peri- and postmenopausal women. There was a strong association between xerostomia symptoms and poor oral health-related quality of life.

Keywords: Perimenopause; Postmenopause; Prevalence; Quality of life; Xerostomia.