Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020;44(1):1-8.

Aging Effects on Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) Total Scores in Healthy, Community-Dwelling Adults

Kendrea L Focht Garand  1 , Elizabeth G Hill  2 , Kent Armeson  2 , Bonnie Martin-Harris  3
Affiliations

Aging Effects on Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) Total Scores in Healthy, Community-Dwelling Adults

Kendrea L Focht Garand et al. Can J Speech Lang Pathol Audiol. 2020.

Abstract
in English, French

The purpose of this study was to examine how aging and sex impacted scores on the Eating Assessment Tool-10 in a large sample of healthy, non-dysphagic adults. Differences in Eating Assessment Tool-10 total normal (< 3) and abnormal (≥ 3) scores were examined across four age categories (21-39 years, 40-59 years, 60-79 years, 80 years and older) and between sexes. The mean (± SD) Eating Assessment Tool-10 total score for this healthy cohort of 167 individuals was 0.6 (± 1.6), with the majority of participants (75%) earning a score of zero. No significant differences were found in Eating Assessment Tool-10 total scores across age categories (p = .53) or between sexes (p = .79). Post-hoc analyses further explored relationships between Eating Assessment Tool-10 total scores and swallow performance measures as observed during videofluoroscopy. All participants (n = 15) scoring 3 and greater on the Eating Assessment Tool-10 passed an aspiration screen (i.e., 3-ounce water swallow challenge). Nine participants scoring less than 3 and failing the aspiration screen were not observed to have airway invasion as measured by the Penetration-Aspiration Scale during videofluoroscopy. A significant relationship was not observed between Eating Assessment Tool-10 total scores and highest Penetration-Aspiration Scale score. Eating Assessment Tool-10 total scores reported in the current study for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were significantly lower (p < .001) than total scores reported in the Eating Assessment Tool-10 validation study by Belafsky et al. (2008). In summary, aging or sex effects did not appear to impact self-report of dysphagia-related symptoms as measured by the Eating Assessment Tool-10. The Eating Assessment Tool-10, therefore, may not demonstrate the sensitivity needed to capture sub-clinical changes of the aging swallowing mechanism.

L’objectif de cette étude était d’examiner l’impact du vieillissement et du sexe sur les scores du Eating Assessment Tool-10, et ce, auprès d’un grand échantillon d’adultes en santé qui n’ont pas de dysphagie. Les scores totaux normaux (< 3) et anormaux (≥ 3) obtenus à l’Eating Assessment Tool-10 ont été examinés au sein de quatre catégories d’âge (21–39 ans, 40–59 ans, 60–79 ans, 80 ans et plus), ainsi qu’en fonction du sexe. La moyenne (± ÉT) des scores totaux était de 0,6 (± 1,6) pour cette cohorte de 167 individus en santé et une majorité d’entre eux (75%) ont obtenu un score de zéro. Aucune différence significative n’a été trouvée entre les catégories d’âge (p = 0,53) ou en fonction du sexe (p = 0,79). Des analyses post-hoc ont exploré plus en détail la relation entre les scores totaux du Eating Assessment Tool-10 et des mesures de performance de la déglutition recueillies lors d’une vidéofluoroscopie. Aucune aspiration n’a été dépistée (à l’aide d’une épreuve demandant d’avaler 3 onces d’eau) chez les 15 participants ayant obtenu un score égal ou plus grand que 3 à l’Eating Assessment Tool-10. Des aspirations ont été dépistées (à l’aide d’une épreuve demandant d’avaler 3 onces d’eau) chez neuf des participants ayant obtenu un score inférieur à 3 à l’Eating Assessment Tool-10. Néanmoins, aucun matériel n’est entré dans leurs voies respiratoires, si l’on se fie aux résultats obtenus avec la Penetration-Aspiration Scale lors de la vidéofluoroscopie. Aucune relation significative n’a été observée entre les scores totaux obtenus à l’Eating Assessment Tool-10 et les scores plus élevés obtenus à la Penetration-Aspiration Scale. Les scores totaux obtenus à l’Eating Assessment Tool-10 par les patients de la présente étude ayant du reflux gastro-oesophagien étaient significativement inférieurs (p < 0,001) à ceux obtenus dans l’étude de validation de Belafsky et al. (2008). En résumé, l’âge et le sexe ne semblent pas influencer les symptômes de dysphagie rapportés par les patients et mesurés par l’Eating Assessment Tool-10. Par conséquent, l’Eating Assessment Tool-10 ne semble pas avoir la sensibilité nécessaire pour identifier les changements subcliniques se produisant en cours de vieillissement au niveau du mécanisme de la déglutition.

Keywords: ADULTS; DYSPHAGIA; EATING ASSESSMENT TOOL-10; HEALTHY; SWALLOWING.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures No conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the authors.

Figures

Figure 1A-B.
Figure 1A-B.
A) 66-year-old male participant with an Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) total score of 8 demonstrating penetration (Penetration-Aspiration Scale [PAS] score of 3) during thin liquid sequential swallowing task. B) 48-year-old female participant with an EAT-10 total score of 0 and aspiration (PAS score of 7) during teaspoon thin liquid swallowing task. All remaining swallowing tasks received a PAS score of 1.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Baum BJ, & Bodner L (1983). Aging and oral motor function: Evidence for altered performance among older persons. Journal of Dental Research, 62, 2–6. doi:10.1177/00220345830620010401 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Belafsky PC, Mouadeb DA, Rees CJ, Pryor JC, Postma GN, Allen J, & Leonard RJ (2008). Validity and reliability of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10). Annals of Otolology, Rhinology, & Laryngology, 117, 919–924. doi:10.1177/000348940811701210 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Butler SG, Stuart A, Markley L, Feng X, & Kritchevsky SB (2018). Aspiration as a function of age, sex, liquid type, bolus volume, and bolus delivery across the healthy adult life span. Annals of Otolology, Rhinology, and Laryngology, 127, 21–32. doi:10.1177/0003489417742161 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Butler SG, Stuart A, Markley L, & Rees C (2009). Penetration and aspiration in healthy older adults as assessed during endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Annals of Otology, Rhinology, & Laryngology, 118, 190–198. doi:10.1177/000348940911800306 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cordier R, Joosten A, Clavé P, Schindler A, Bülow M, Demir N, … Speyer R (2017). Evaluating the psychometric properties of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) using Rasch analysis. Dysphagia, 32, 250–260. doi:10.1007/s00455-016-9754-2 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources