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Assessing the Adaptive/Maladaptive Strategies of Mastication in Older Taiwanese Individuals Using the Masticatory
Chia-Shu Lin1,2,3,4, Ta-Chung Chen1,5, Yi-Chen Chen1
1Department of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Background:
There are various tests to assess the individual performance of mastication. However, it has remained unknown how individuals used adaptive (e.g., 'increasing time to chew') and maladaptive (e.g., 'avoiding eating the food') strategies to chew and whether aging/cognitive impairment plays a key role in the use of these strategies during eating.
Objective:
The study aims to develop the Masticatory Adaptation Experience Questionnaire (MAEQ) and investigate age-related factors of masticatory adaptation.
Methods:
The study consists of two subsets: Set 1 included 125 healthy younger (YA, 20-50 years) and older (OA, over 50 years) adults, and Set 2 included 40 older patients with cognitive impairment (CI). Based on Set 1, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and content and criterion-related validity were assessed. Eating difficulty was assessed using a food-specific questionnaire. The MAEQ mean score and scores for each adaptive/maladaptive strategy were compared between YAs and OAs, as well as between CIs and OAs.
Results:
The MAEQ, a questionnaire assessing the frequency of using adaptive/maladaptive strategies to eat, shows good reliability and validity in older adults. Compared to young adults, older adults used multiple adaptive and maladaptive strategies concurrently when they had greater eating difficulty. In contrast, cognitively-impaired patients maladaptively avoid eating foods when having greater eating difficulty.
Conclusion:
The MAEQ is a valid tool for assessing the use of adaptive/maladaptive strategies during mastication in older individuals. Age and cognitive impairment may play a key role in the use of the strategies.
