Table 4.
Frequencies (‘Often-always’) of challenges and difficulties for people with eating and swallowing problems.
| Challenges/Difficulties | Frequency ‘Often-Always’: n (%) | Fisher’s Exact Test | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinicians (n = 44) | Managers (n = 27) | All (n = 71) | p-Value (2-Sided) | |
| Pneumonia | 10.8% (4/37) | 9.5% (2/21) | 10.3% (6/58) | ns |
| Changed/wet voice after drinking | 25.0% (8/32) | 9.5% (2/21) | 18.9% (10/53) | ns |
| Chewing problems (caused by dental status) | 25.0% (9/36) | 13.6% (3/22) | 20.7% (12/58) | ns |
| Dehydration | 31.7% (13/41) | 30.4% (7/23) | 31.2% (20/64) | ns |
| Weight loss or malnutrition | 41.5% (17/41) | 41.7% (10/24) | 41.5% (27/65) | ns |
| Communication problems | 48.7% (19/39) | 29.2% (7/24) | 41.3% (26/63) | ns |
| Reduced appetite | 52.5% (21/40) | 41.7% (10/24) | 48.4% (31/64) | ns |
| Problems self-feeding or eye-hand coordination | 52.6% (20/38) | 50.0% (11/22) | 51.7 (31/60) | ns |
| Food residues in mouth after swallowing | 60.0% (24/40) | 41.7% (10/24) | 53.1% (34/64) | ns |
| Drooling | 62.5% (25/40) | 13.6% (3/22) | 45.2% (28/62) | <0.001 * |
| Coughing during/after eating or drinking | 73.2% (30/41) | 64.0% (16/25) | 47.0% (31/66) | ns |
| Problems medicine intake | 68.3% (28/41) | 36.0% (9/25) | 56.1% (37/66) | 0.020 * |
Note. ns = not significant. * significant (p ≤ 0.050).