Comparison of Self-Report of Dysphagia Using the Eating Assessment Tool and the Sydney Swallowing Questionnaire in Community Dwelling Older Adults

Purpose Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are an important feature in clinical evaluation of swallowing. The Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and the Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) are two validated dysphagia PROs commonly used in healthy older adult populations as screening tools for swallowing problems. The purpose of this study is to compare the consistency of the EAT-10 and SSQ scores for self-reported swallowing difficulties in a group of community-dwelling older adults (CDOA) completing both questionnaires. Method A total of 316 individuals over the age of 60 years completed the EAT-10, SSQ, and provided demographic data, including a self-report of any medical diagnoses. Participants were excluded if they had any diagnoses known to cause dysphagia. Questionnaire responses were analyzed for frequencies of responses across all participants. Results Seventy-five participants were identified as having dysphagia by the EAT-10 (23.7%), while 30 participants were identified by the SSQ (9.49%). When comparing the results of the two assessments, the scales agreed on 289 out of 316 participants (91%). There was a disagreement on the results in 27 of the 316 participants, with 26 of these self-reporting dysphagia symptoms on the EAT-10 but not on the SSQ. Conclusions Two commonly used dysphagia PROs resulted in different prevalence rates of self-reported dysphagia in a group of CDOA. CDOAs may need questionnaires specifically validated for them with special consideration for specific age-related risk factors, to ensure accurate early identification.