Abstract: Objective To investigate the current status of oral frailty in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and to explore its influencing factors.  Method  The convenient sampling method was used to select patients from the Hemodialysis Center of Lu'an Hospital of Anhui Medical University in the period from October 2022 to June 2023. This survey was conducted using a general information questionnaire, an oral frailty index-8, a simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire, and an age-charlson comorbidity index (aCCI).  Results The incidence of oral frailty in the 238 MHD patients was 41.2%. Binary logistic regression showed that educational level (OR=0.591, 95% CI:0.400～0.875, P=0.009), grip strength (OR=0.922, 95% CI:0.880～0.967, P=0.001), aCCI score (OR=1.820, 95% CI:1.498～2.212, P＜0.001), and simplified nutritional appetite survey scale score (OR=0.895, 95% CI: 0.803～0.998, P=0.046) were the influencing factors for oral frailty in MHD patients.  Conclusion  The prevalence of oral frailty is relatively high in MHD patients. Medical professionals should pay attention to the oral health problems in MHD patients and develop targeted intervention measures based on their conditions.

Key words: Maintenance hemodialysis, Oral frailty, Influencing factor, Investigation