Chewing Difficulty Should be Included as a Geriatric Syndrome

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Primary Care Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Emerging research indicates a connection between difficulties with chewing and the development of frailty in older populations.
• Understanding the prevalence and associated conditions of chewing difficulties is crucial for geriatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of chewing difficulties in community-dwelling older adults.
• To investigate the association between chewing difficulties and various geriatric syndromes, chronic diseases, and healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

• A pilot survey utilized automated methods, administering a brief multi-domain geriatric assessment via mobile device to 2259 older adults.
• Data were uploaded to the cloud for analysis, enabling efficient collection and processing of health information.

Main Results:

• A significant prevalence of chewing difficulties was observed, affecting 37.8% of the participants.
• Chewing difficulties were strongly associated with older age, poor vision, frailty, sarcopenia, memory complaints, low subjective well-being, incontinence, and a history of stroke.

Conclusions:

• Chewing difficulties represent a significant geriatric syndrome that warrants clinical attention.
• Incorporating screening for chewing difficulties into primary care assessments for geriatric syndromes and chronic diseases is recommended.