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Table 4 Self-perceived levels of dry mouth, Oral moisture checking and Repetitive saliva swallowing test

From: Evaluate five different diagnostic tests for dry mouth assessment in geriatric residents in long-term institutions in Taiwan

Items

Means (95% CI)

Correlation coefficient between oral moisture and total score

1. Self-perceived levels of dry mouth

 1.I feel dryness in my mouth

2.09 (2.00–2.18)

–

 2.I feel dryness in my lips

2.00 (1.91–2.08)

 3.I feel that my gums are swollen, hurt, or have a burning sensation

1.31 (1.25–1.37)

 4.I need fluids (e.g., soup or water) to help me swallow my food

1.92 (1.82–2.01)

 5.I need to get up at night to drink water

2.07 (1.97–2.17)

 6.I often feel like my mouth is dry after having a meal

1.72 (1.65–1.80)

 7.I have difficulty eating food with no water content

1.93 (1.83–2.02)

 8.I feel dryness in my nose

1.36 (1.30–1.42)

 9.I feel dryness in my eyes

1.65 (1.58–1.73)

 Total score

16.02 (15.57–16.50)

−0.06

 2. Oral moisture measurement

27.97 (27.63–28.31)

1

 3. Repetitive saliva swallowing test

2.97 (2.84–3.11)

0.17**

  1. Note: N = 560. ** significant at p < 0.01. CI: confidence interval