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Table 1 Instruments and measures to be implemented for data collection

From: Study protocol for the SOFIA project: Swallowing function, Oral health, and Food Intake in old Age: a descriptive study with a cluster randomized trial

Instrument

Reference

Outcome

Description

Time point

Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living (Katz-ADL)

[32, 33]

Functionality. Secondary outcome

Clinical assessment tool. Total score range: 1–7 (i.e., A-G), where 1 is “independent” and 7 is “very dependent”.

t1, t2, t3

Minimal Eating Observation and Nutrition Form –version II (MEONF-II)

[23, 24]

Risk of under-nutrition (UN), based on eating ability.

Primary outcome

Clinical assessment tool. Total score range: 0 to 8, where 0–2 is no or low UN-risk; 3–4 is moderate UN-risk; ≥5 is high UN- risk.

t1, t2, t3

Quality of care from a patient’s perspective- modified version (QQP-modified version)

[19, 20]

Quality of care. Primary outcome

Self-reporting tool; 24 items. Each item is rated for both perceived reality (PR) and subjective importance (SI) with a 4-point Likert type scale. The PR range is: 1 (do not agree at all) to 4 (completely agree); the SI range is: 1 (little or no importance) to 4 (very highest importance). For each item, the PR and SI can also be rated ‘not applicable’ (58).

t1

Oral health status

Descriptive

Oral health.Primary outcome

Clinical assessment, which includes: an estimation of oral hygiene; a numeric registration of teeth; the presence of bridges, partial denture, full denture, implants; the number of occluding surfaces; and a record of the need for dental care. Also questions were asked about self-perceived oral health, whether there was an established dental contact, and the time since the most recent dental visit.

t1, t3

Revised Oral Assessment Guide (ROAG)

[25, 26]

Oral health status. Primary outcome

Clinical assessment tool, which includes 9 categories: voice, lips, mucous membranes, tongue, gums, teeth, dentures, saliva, and swallowing. Each category is described and graded on 3-point Likert scale: 1 indicates “healthy or normal condition”, 2 indicates “moderate alterations”, and 3 indicates “severe alterations”.

t1, t3

Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14)

[28, 29]

Quality of life related to oral health. Secondary outcome

Self-reporting tool with 14 items in 7 categories. Each item is estimated on a 5-point Likert scale: 0 indicates “never” and 4 indicates “very often”.

t1, t3

The Swallowing Capacity Test (SCT)

[18]

Swallowing capacity. Primary outcome

A teaspoon test is carried out before the SCT. When signs of aspiration are observed, the SCT is not performed. Clinical assessment: the participant is instructed to drink 150 ml water from a glass as rapidly as possible, but safely, and to stop if any difficulty arises. Swallowing capacity is measured as the amount of water swallowed divided by the time it takes (ml/s). A capacity of ≥10 ml/s is considered normal. Signs of dysphagia will be recorded (e.g., coughing or wet/gurgling voice). When the subject fails the teaspoon test, a SCT score of 0 ml/s will be recorded.

t1, t2, t3

The Swallowing Quality of life Questionnaire (SWAL-QOL)

[30, 31]

Quality of life related to swallowing. Secondary outcome

Self-reporting tool with 44 items. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Range: 1 “least favorable state” to 5 “most favorable state”. An additional 3 items are included for rating different types of food and drink consistencies and health status. These are rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

t1*, t2, t3

  1. t1 = baseline; t1* = only older individuals with swallowing capacity <10 ml/s at baseline; t2 = immediately after the 5 week intervention; t3 = 6 months post-intervention