| Objective To identify the latent profiles of oral health-related quality of life(OHRQoL) in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and to explore the influencing factors of different profiles. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using convenience sampling to select 265 elderly COPD patients hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from April 2024 to May 2025 as the study subjects. The study tools included a general information questionnaire, the Oral Health Impact Profile-14(OHIP-14), the Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS), an Elderly Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice(KAP) Questionnaire, and the Modified Barthel Index(MBI). A latent profile analysis(LPA) model was constructed using Mplus 8.3 software. Results The average OHIP-14 score of the 265 COPD patients was 15.00±8.94. Latent profile analysis revealed that the OHRQoL of elderly COPD patients could be classified into three latent categories: a low-symptom group without impairment, a moderate-symptom group with social limitations, and a high-symptom group with multidimensional dysfunction, accounting for 52.8%(n=140),35.1%(n=93),and 12.1%(n=32) respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated statistically significant differences among the three categories in terms of age, education level, per capita monthly household income, medical insurance payment type, place of residence, natural tooth status, annual hospitalization frequency, pulmonary function classification, SSRS score, MBI score, and oral health KAP scores(P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified annual hospitalization frequency, pulmonary function classification, natural tooth status, SSRS score, and oral health KAP scores as independent predictors influencing the latent category assignments(P<0.05). Conclusion Significant heterogeneity exists in OHRQoL levels among elderly COPD patients. Healthcare providers can implement precision interventions based on the latent profile characteristics of patients' OHRQoL to enhance their overall quality of life. |
