Screening of dysphagia in geriatrics

BMC Geriatrics

Table 2 Results of eating habits questionnaire

		No (total No:200)	%
No. of meals	Two	66	33.0%
No. of meals	Three	134	67.0%
Duration of meal	< 1/2 h	200	100.0%
	> 1/2 h to 1 h	0	0.0%
	> 1 h	0	0.0%
Consistency of meal	Fluids	0	0.0%
	Semi solids	68	34.0%
	Solids	0	0.0%
	All	132	66.0%
Eating environment	Prepared	100	50.0%
Eating environment	Distracting	100	50.0%
Experience of caregivers	0	200	100.0%
Using special tools for eating	No	200	100.0%
Using special tools for eating	Yes	0	0.0%
Need help food time	No	200	100.0%
Need help food time	Yes	0	0.0%
Presence of difficult consistency	No	122	61.0%
Presence of difficult consistency	Yes	78	39.0%
The easiest consistency	Fluids	2	2.5%
The easiest consistency	Semi solids	78	97.5%
The most difficult consistency	Fluids	2	2.5%
The most difficult consistency	Solids	78	97.5%

Table 2 showed that 67% of subjects under study had 3 meals a day while only 33% of them had 2 meals a day and the meal duration for all of them was less than 30 min. 66% of the subjects could eat all consistencies of food and 50% of the subjects needed prepared environment during mealtimes. None of them were surrounded by expert caregivers nor used special tools for eating and none needed help during mealtime. 61% of the subjects had difficulty with at least one food consistency, 97.5% of the subjects under study had difficulty in eating solids while semisolids were the easiest consistency for them

ISSN: 1471-2318