Oral condition and its relationship to nutritional status in the institutionalized elderly population

The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between the oral condition and nutritional status of all institutionalized elderly people in Florianópolis, Brazil. Of the population of 232 institutionalized individuals, the sample consisted of 187 elderly people. In the oral evaluation, the criteria used was the number of functional units present in the oral cavity, classifying the participants as those with highly compromised dentition (48%) and those with less-compromised dentition (52%). Diagnosis of nutritional status was carried out according to body mass index, observing a prevalence of 14% thin, 45% eutrophic, 28% overweight, and 13% obese. Statistical analysis of the variables studied was carried out by means of chi(2) association tests. There was a statistically significant association between highly compromised dentition and thinness (P=0.007) and among those who presented less-compromised dentition and the nutritional status of overweight, including obesity (P=0.014). It was concluded that compromising of the teeth could contribute to a tendency toward inadequate nutritional status.