ASOCIACIÓN DE TRASTORNOS NUTRICIONALES CON ALTERACIONES DEL GUSTO Y EL ARDOR DE LA MUCOSA ORAL EN LAS PERSONAS MAYORES RESIDENTES EN SAN ANDRÉS (SANTANDER)

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the association of the burning of the oral mucosa and dysgeusia with nutritional disorders in the elderly.Methods: an observational analytic cross sectional study was done. The universe and the sample consisted of 46 institutionalized and 44 non-institutionalized older people aged 50 or more residents in San Andres (Santander). We analyzed sociodemographic variables, nutritional parameters, burning mouth and dysgeusia. The univariate statistical analysis plan included the calculation of summary measures, for the bivariate considered as output variable nutritional status, were applied chi2 test or Fisher exact test for qualitative variables and ANOVA for quantitative test and Kruskal Wallis. For the multivariate analysis was applied a binomial regression analysis, which estimated the RR (relative risk ratio of prevalence) and their respective confidence intervals for the entire analysis is considered a significance level of alpha (α) = 0.05.Results: the burning mouth was not associated with nutritional disorders in the elderly evaluated. The alteration in the perception of bitter taste behaved as a protective factor with PR 0,7 (CI 95% 0.3 0.9). The 34.4% of those evaluated reported suffering from burning mouth. 73.3% of all seniors reported dysgeusia and 43.3% of them (39) reported alteration in the perception of sweetness. Twenty percent (18) of seniors reported malnutrition and 34.4% (31) at risk of malnutrition according to what was registered by the MNA. Variables that were associated with the state of malnutrition or malnutrition risk (according to MNA) were living independently (PR 8.3 CI 95% 1.8 83.3) and factors within the oral difficulty chewing and dry mouth with both (PR 1.4 CI 95% 1.2, 1.7).Conclusion: the nutritional status in older adults was associated with the unit that recorded the elderly, difficulty chewing and dry mouth. The alteration in the perception of bitter taste behaved as a protective factor.