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Background: The process of swallowing, for an entire meal duration involves expenditure of energy due to contraction of various muscle groups, which can lead to development of fatigue. Presence of fatigue during swallowing may increase the risk for aspiration and can lead to individuals taking premature breaks between meals. Hence it is vital to evaluate the presence of swallowing fatigue and determine its impact on eating and drinking patterns in geriatric population. Methods: A total of 209 individuals were recruited for this crosssectional study. They were divided into two groups of healthy adults (18-59 years) and older adults (60 years and above). All the participants were administered the Swallowing and Eating Related Fatigue (SERF) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) to evaluate swallowing and general fatigue respectively. To assess the impact of swallowing fatigue, the individuals were subjected to standardized quantitative tests of swallowing namely, Timed Water Swallow Test (TWST) and Test of Mastication and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) which assessed drinking and eating patterns respectively. The swallowing efficacy during mealtime across geriatrics was assessed using Mealtime Assessment Scale (MAS). Results: Findings from the study indicate that SERF scale had good internal consistency and reliability. Prevalence of swallowing related fatigue and general fatigue in older adults was found to be around 32% and 35 % respectively. A moderate to strong correlation was found between SERF scores, TOMASS and MAS indicating that swallowing fatigue affects eating pattern. However, there was no difference observed on the impact of swallowing fatigue on TWST. Conclusion: Present study indicates that 32% of older adults have Swallowing related fatigue and overall affects the safety and efficacy of swallowing in older adults. Based on the findings clinicians should consider this symptom while carrying out swallowing evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-reported swallowing difficulty is highly prevalent but under-reported among older adults in the West. The ageing population in India is increasing, yet no empirical data is available on self-reported swallowing difficulties in geriatrics. Hence, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported swallowing difficulty and swallowing-related quality of life (QOL) among older adults. Methods: Two hundred eighty-one older adults between 60 and 90 years (71±8.77) were recruited from the community using convenience sampling. The study included a purposive built questionnaire comprising of: (1) demographic and medical details, (2) Eating Assessment Tool (EAT) -10 for assessing self-reported swallowing difficulty, and (3) Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI) for assessing swallowing-related QOL. EAT-10 included ten questions to be rated from 0 (no problem) to 4 (severe problem). The DHI included twenty-five questions enquiring about physical, functional, and emotional domains of swallowing and scored 0(never) / 2(sometimes) / 3(always). Results: The overall mean (standard deviation) score of EAT-10 was 5.49 (3.97), and DHI was 12.88 (9.30), with higher scores in female participants. 34.16% of older adults failed the EAT-10 (scored >3), suggesting self-reported swallowing difficulty. Similarly, 45.19% of older adults failed the DHI (scored >5), indicating poor swallowingrelated QOL. Specifically, older adults passing EAT-10 (1.14±0.87) had DHI scores (4.20±3.34) well within normal limits. However, a higher DHI score (20.86±15.92) was obtained in older adults who failed the EAT-10 (9.92±5.72). Independent t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the pass-fail cohorts of EAT-10 and DHI at p<0.001. Conclusion: The prevalence of self-reported swallowing difficulties among older adults was 34.16%, and poor swallowing-related QOL was 45.19%. Our study findings call for an immediate healthcare action plan to identify older adults with swallowing difficulties in India to promote early identification and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]