Impact of Elderly Masticatory Performance on Nutritional Status: An Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science
• Dental Health

Background:

• Masticatory limitations in edentulous individuals can lead to dietary restrictions.
• This can increase the risk of protein-energy malnutrition in the elderly population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between masticatory performance (MP) and nutritional status in elderly individuals.
• To identify potential links between chewing ability and dietary intake or anthropometric measures.

Main Methods:

• 76 elderly participants underwent masticatory performance testing using a two-color chewing gum mixing test.
• Nutritional status was assessed via food interviews, anthropometric measurements, and bioimpedance analysis.

Main Results:

• Mean MP was 0.448 ± 0.188, with no significant gender differences.
• Obese individuals and those with larger waist circumferences exhibited lower MP.
• No significant relationship was found between MP and bioimpedance parameters.

Conclusions:

• A statistically significant relationship exists between masticatory performance and the number of missing teeth.
• Reduced masticatory performance may negatively impact nutritional parameters in the elderly.
• Masticatory performance does not appear to significantly affect bioimpedance parameters.