The impact of swallowing difficulties on quality of life

What is it about?

Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) affects 8% of the world’s population. Most dysphagia research focuses on the physical and nutritional impacts of the condition. Swallowing difficulties are often managed using texture-modified foods and thickened fluids. Both dysphagia and texture-modified foods can impact on the person’s quality of life, participation, and inclusion in mealtimes. We reviewed 106 papers to understand the impacts of dysphagia and its treatments on quality of life for adults and children. Most studies were about adults who had developed dysphagia as an adult, only seven studies looked at people with dysphagia related to life-long health conditions, and only four included children. The articles examined insights and personal experiences of people with dysphagia. Most articles used structured, quantitative surveys. More in-depth qualitative research is needed to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of adults and children with life-long and acquired dysphagia.

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The nature of the impacts of dysphagia on quality of life are not well understood, particularly for people with lifelong dysphagia (related to a developmental condition) and children with dysphagia. Further research is needed to design and development of new quality of life measures that are relevant across populations. Future research should also include children with lifelong disability who face a life course trajectory of ongoing impacts of both dysphagia and its interventions.

Perspectives