Hard Food Research Articles

Food hardness affects bolus size, swallowing

Food hardness affects bolus size, swallowing

Influences of food hardness on the particle size distribution of food boluses

ObjectivesBolus swallowing or deglutition is a vital oral action which transports orally processed food from the oral cavity to the stomach for further digestion. Swallowing is routine to most health individuals, but it could be highly hazardous to many elderly and dysphagia patients. In order to provide proper food for safe consumption by these disadvantaged populations, a fundamental understanding of how bolus swallowing is triggered and is based on what criteria is urgently needed. Main objective of this work was to understand the physical properties of food boluses, in particular the bolus particle size distribution in relation to the hardness of the food. MethodsFood samples were chewed in free style by subjects and boluses were expectorated when subjects felt they were ready to be swallowed. Altogether seven different types of food were used and 10 health subjects participated in this study. Bolus particles were carefully washed and spread out on a flat surface. Images of bolus particles were taken using a digital camera and analysed using Image Pro Plus software for particle size quantification. Food hardness was measured using a Texture Analyser by a puncture test. ResultsIt was observed that bolus particle size decreased with the increase of food hardness. The correlation between the two properties can be described by a power-law relationship. This relationship was also found applicable to literature results reported by Peyron et al. and Jalabert-Malbos et al. ConclusionsFood hardness has a direct influence on its bolus particle size. The harder the food, the smaller the bolus particle size.

The intraoral tactile reception and its interaction with the gustatory system in fish

The oral cavity in mammals and humans is a zone where tactile senses are considered to be basic and fre� quently evoked [1]. However, the intraoral tactile reception in fish has been poorly investigated. It is sug� gested that the food texture is a complex combination of mechanical characteristics, including hardness, plasticity, and firmness of the object. Its viscosity and fluidity, roughness of the surface, etc., along with taste properties, can be decisive for fish when swallowing or rejecting food objects [2, 3]. Data that can confirm this suggestion are scanty, and most of them are qualitative and demonstrate a selective consumption of food items with low hardness by fish [4–9]. The depen� dence of consumption on the texture properties of food items has been poorly studied, and the character of this dependence when both tactile and gustatory receptors in the oral cavity of fish are stimulated simultaneously is unknown. However, precisely this multisensory assessment of the food completes com� plex feeding behavior and regulates the feeding in fish and other animals. The interaction of tactile and gus� tatory systems occurs at any level from the periphery to brain centers [10], and the information provided by these sensory systems is mutually complimentary [11]. The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of the texture of the food object on its attractiveness for fish and the possibility of its modification by adding of taste substances. For the first time it has been demon� strated that the increase in the mechanical hardness of food results in the decrease of its consumption by fish. This dependence is more expressed when food items consumed by fish have a strong taste. The results testify to the participation of both tactile and gustatory intraoral contact sensory systems in the regulation of food consumption in fish. The role of each sensory system is determined by mechanic and chemosensory (gustatory) characteristics of the food object. The experiments were conducted in 13 individuals of carp with lengths of 12.4 cm and body weight of 21.3 g. We placed the fish, one by one, in aquaria (10 L) and then introduced experimental pellets of 4 mm in length and 1.35 mm in diameter to fish. The pellets were cut out from agar gel of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% concen� trations. All pellets had red colour by the adding of dye Ponceau 4R (5 µM) to the gel. In the trials the control p <

Jaw Movement Patterns during Incisor Penetration on Different Textural Foods

AbstractCurves of three biting variables, i.e., force, teeth opening and penetration rate, against time during first bite with different foods (apple, cheese, carrot, hula hoops and biscuits) and different sample thickness (5, 10 and 20 mm) have been examined. The characteristic times and distances of incisor penetration during three stages (loading, unloading and accelerating) were investigated. Results show that the food type and sample size have significant effect on the jaw movement pattern. The mean characteristic time and distance of soft foods were longer than those of hard foods during the unloading process, but there were no obvious difference during the other two stages. For the same food, all mean characteristic parameters (except the accelerating times for apple) increase as the thickness of the sample increases. The analyses on the relationships between the different characteristic parameters and the variations of the incisor penetration rate during first bite are also presented.Practical ApplicationsAs an important quality attribute, texture strongly dominates food acceptability and people's choice. Understanding the mechanisms of texture perception is therefore a basic task in food science and technology. Food texture is a sensory property being perceived by human senses and influenced by the manner of food reduction in the mouth. Biting variables during first bite contain important information about the interactions between the human body and the food. The present work shows that the teeth's closing movement can be precisely managed by the central nervous system based on the mechanical properties and sample size of foods. The mechanical information used to discriminate the food types during the sensory evaluation should mainly come from the early loading stage. Some results obtained in this study may have great potential for use in the study and application of food texture science.

Chewing Ability and Tooth Loss: Association with Cognitive Impairment in an Elderly Population Study

To determine whether there is an association between tooth loss, chewing ability, and cognitive function in a general elderly population. Data from the Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old in 2002 were analyzed. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between cognitive function and tooth loss and chewing ability. Five hundred fifty-seven persons who were nationally representative of the Swedish population aged 77 and older. Cognitive function was measured using the abridged version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Information on dental status and chewing difficulty was obtained according to self-assessment. Persons with multiple tooth loss and persons with difficulty chewing hard food had significantly higher odds of cognitive impairment. When adjusted for sex, age, and education, the odds of cognitive impairment were not significantly different between persons with natural teeth and with multiple tooth loss, but the odds of impairment remained significantly higher for persons with chewing difficulty even when adjusted for sex, age, education, depression, and mental illness. Sex, age, education, and certain illnesses do not explain the association between cognition and chewing ability. Whether elderly persons chew with natural teeth or prostheses may not contribute significantly to cognitive impairment as long as they have no chewing difficulty. The results add to the evidence of the association between chewing ability and cognitive impairment in elderly persons.

Chewing ability in an urban and rural population over 40 years in Shandong Province, China

ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess chewing ability related to dental status.Material and methodsOne thousand four hundred sixty-two Chinese subjects over 40 years, dentate in both jaws, were categorized in a hierarchical functional classification system with and without tooth replacements. Chewing ability was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression including five dental conditions (≥10 teeth in each jaw’; ‘complete anterior regions’; “sufficient premolar regions’ (≥3 posterior occluding pairs (POPs)); ‘sufficient molar regions’ (bilaterally ≥1 POP); and tooth replacement), adjusted for six background variables. Likelihood ratios for chewing problems were assessed at each level of the hierarchical classification system based on these dental conditions.ResultsSeventy-eight to 91 % of subjects reported no or minor chewing problems. The conditions ‘≥10 teeth in each jaw’, and ‘complete anterior regions’ were not associated, whereas ‘sufficient’ premolar regions’ and ‘sufficient molar regions’ were associated with chewing problems (Ors, 0.33–0.58). If classified hierarchically, the condition ‘≥10 teeth in each jaw’ was relevant for chewing problems (likelihood ratios 3.3–3.7). ‘Sufficient premolar region’ and ‘sufficient molar region’ were relevant to reduce the likelihood ratios for having chewing problems (both approximately with a factor 2), both for soft and for hard foods. Subjects with artificial teeth added had similar chance for chewing problems compared to counterparts with natural teeth only. However, if comparing replaced teeth with natural teeth, subjects with tooth replacement showed higher chance for chewing problems.ConclusionsChewing ability was strongly associated with dental conditions.Clinical relevanceThe presence of at least 10 teeth in each jaw had highest impact on chewing ability.

The first-choice standard of care for an edentulous mandible: A Delphi method survey of academic prosthodontists in the United States

In 2002 and 2009, two consensus statements-one from a symposium in Canada and one from England-were issued that recommended that the first-choice standard of care for an edentulous mandible should be the two implant-retained mandibular overdenture (IRMOD). The authors conducted a survey to determine if, in 2011, U.S. academic prosthodontic experts' opinions were aligned with those in the two consensus statements. The authors administered a Delphi method survey to an expert panel of 16 nationally representative academic prosthodontists to determine if there is consensus on the first-choice standard of care for an edentulous mandible between the IRMOD and a conventional mandibular complete denture (CD). Consensus agreement was defined as a 70 percent agreement level among the panelists. The panel attained consensus favoring the IRMOD for nine of the 10 parameters assessed-retention, stability, speech, masticatory efficiency, comfort while eating soft foods and hard foods, confidence in intimate situations, satisfaction and self-esteem. The exception was esthetics for which only a majority (51-69 percent) favored the IRMOD. The panelists reached consensus that they would recommend an IRMOD instead of a CD as the first-choice standard of care for patients who are healthy or have mild systemic disease, but not for patients with severe systemic disease. Surveyed academic prosthodontists recommend an IRMOD as the first choice standard of care when restoring an edentulous mandible of a healthy patient or a patient with mild systemic disease.

Changes in mastication after an immediate loading implantation with complete fixed rehabilitation

This study aimed to measure modifications of mastication after immediate loading full-arch prosthesis (ILFAP) rehabilitation. Fourteen patients were observed before and 6 months after ILFAP rehabilitation when masticating two natural, standardized foods (peanut and carrot) and three model foods with increasing hardness. The granulometry of the expectorated boluses from carrot and peanuts was characterized by median particle size (D50), determined at the natural point of swallowing. Chewing time (CT), number of chewing cycles (CC), and chewing frequency (CF) were video recorded. A self-assessment questionnaire for oral health-related quality of life [Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)] was also used. After ILFAP rehabilitation, the mean D50 values for carrot and peanuts were smaller [Repeated Model Procedures (RMP), F = 41, p < 0.001]. Mean CT and CC values recorded with the three model foods decreased, while CF increased regardless of the model food hardness (RMP, F = 14, F = 10, and F = 11, respectively, p < 0.001). The GOHAI score increased from 43 ± 9 to 56 ± 3 (t test, p < 0.001). ILFAP rehabilitation improves the ability to reduce the bolus particle size and the ability to discriminate between different food hardnesses in the 6 months post-surgery period. This study encourages the clinical development of immediate loading implantation with a fixed full-arch prosthesis protocol.

Are Diets from Paleolithic Times Relevant Today?

FOOD AND EATING HAVE LONG been studied by anthropologists. Changes in diet are considered key events in human evolution. While no one knows precisely what ancient humans ate on a day-to-day basis, anthropologists have worked to reconstruct the diets of ancient humans based on the available evidence. Evidence from which to infer dietary habits includes human skeletal remains; tooth size and shape; the shape and formation of the jaw bone, which houses the teeth and provides stability and mobility for chewing; stone tools; and the bones of animals and fish consumed. 1 Ungar P.S. Sponheimer M. The diets of early hominids.. Science. 2011; 334: 190-193 Crossref PubMed Scopus (179) Google Scholar Traditionally, the evidence was thought to suggest a diet of fleshy fruits and soft, young leaves, which according to traditional wisdom transitioned over time to a diet of brittle nuts and other harder foods. As with all scientific fields, emerging research sometimes challenges the status quo. New methods of analysis including dental microwear, the study of microscopic wear on teeth, have suggested a surprising diversity and complexity in the diet of our early ancestors. 2 Cerling T.E. Mbua E. Kirera F.M. et al. Diet of Paranthropus boisei in the early Pleistocene of East Africa. Proc Nat Acad Sci. 2011; 108: 9337-9341 Crossref PubMed Scopus (178) Google Scholar Some estimates have suggested they obtained 35% of their dietary intake from fats, 35% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein. 3 Eaton S.B. The ancestral human diet: What was it and should it be a paradigm for contemporary nutrition?. Proc Nutr Soc. 2006; 65: 1-6 Crossref PubMed Scopus (126) Google Scholar

Impacts of Changes in Exchange Rate and International Prices on Agriculture and Economy of the Sudan: Computable General Equilibrium Analysis

&lt;p&gt;Changes in exchange rate and international prices greatly affect food availability, the agricultural sector, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This study quantifies the effects of change in exchange rate and world prices on Sudan’s agricultural production, imports, exports, and GDP. Special emphasis has been placed on sorghum and wheat, the main food grains. A Standard Computable General Equilibrium model has been developed and used for the analysis. The main objective is to contribute to policy-making process for enhancing food security and social welfare in the Sudan&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Currency depreciation would reduce wheat imports and increase its domestic production, increase sorghum export, increase domestic output and export of sesame and cotton, and improves GDP; and vice versa for appreciation. Appreciation favors urban (wheat) consumers, whereas depreciation favors rural (sorghum) consumers.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Increasing world price of wheat would decrease its imports, whereas that of sorghum would encourage its production and export, and increase domestic food prices. GDP decreases due to investment reduction&lt;strong&gt;. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;It is recommended that wheat import should be conditioned on hard currency availability and food gap, while maintaining stable exchange rate that strike a balance between encouraging sorghum exports and wheat imports. It is also recommended to encourage innovation of fast food from traditional grains to curb the shift to wheat consumption.&lt;/p&gt;

Buccal dental microwear analyses support greater specialization in consumption of hard foodstuffs for Australopithecus anamensis.

Molar occlusal microwear texture and anisotropy analyses of 3 Australopithecus anamensis fossil specimens have shown complexity values similar to those of Au. afarensis, indicating that neither of these hominin species had a diet dominated by hard food. However, many researchers have suggested that these were some of the earliest hominins to have such diets. Here we examine buccal microwear patterns of 5 Au. anamensis, 26 Au. afarensis, 48 Hominoidea and 80 Cercopithecoidea primate specimens for independent evidence of dietary adaptations of Au. anamensis. The buccal microwear results obtained suggest that the diet of Au. anamensis relied heavily on hard, brittle food, at least seasonally. This is similar to the diet of the extant Cercopithecoidea primates, including Papio anubis and Chlorocebus aethiops, both of which live in wooded, seasonal savannah environments and have diets that include fruit and grasses, but also underground storage organs (USOs), such as corms or blades, as well as leaves and seeds, and also Mandrillus and Cercocebus, from forested environments with frugivorous-granivorous diets. Furthermore, the buccal microwear patterns of Au. anamensis and Au. afarensis clearly differed - in clear contrast to occlusal enamel texture observations-, which support previous dietary interpretations based on both anatomical and palaeocological reconstructions.

Perawatan Maloklusi Kelas 1 Angle dengan Agenese Gigi 12, 14, 34, 44 dan Gangguan Sendi Temporomandibular dengan Alat Ortodontik Cekat Teknik Begg Disertai Pemakaian Trainer For Braces

Background: TMJ disorder is define as a condition of acute or chronic inflammation of TMJ in association with mandibular, myofunctional condition, teeth malposition and or malocclusion. TMJ disorder could lead to significant pain and anatomical damage. There are signs and symptoms of TMJ disorder, such as devition of jaw movement, clicking when openingor close the jaw, mastication disorder and decreasing interincisal distance. Purpose: To describe the result of orthodontic treatment with begg technique and trainer for braces on angle’s class I malocclusion with agenese involving 12, 14, 34, and 44 along with TMJ disorder and bad habit which is one side mastication. Case: 19 years old female complaining limited mouth opening, pain on the right side of TMJ when opening the mouth and when chewing hard food and also complaining of multiple diastema on upper and lower teeth. Diagnose : Angle’s class I with bidental protrusive, 3mm midline midline shifting to the left side, agenese involving 12,13,34,44, and one side mastication. Treatment : Patient treated witg begg technique and braces which is wear 1 hour at day time distance, and feel comfort when chewing hard foord and after 24 months of treatment with fixed begg appliance, malposition and interdigitation are corrected.

Interpreting food processing through dietary mechanical properties: A Lemur catta case study

Knowledge of dietary mechanical properties can be informative about physical consequences to consumers during ingestion and mastication. In this article, we examine how Tamarindus indica fruits can affect dental morphology in a population of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at Beza Mahafaly special reserve in southwestern Madagascar. Ring-tailed lemurs in tamarind dominated gallery forests exhibit extreme wear and tooth loss on their postcanine dentition that has been related to processing T. indica fruits. We measured and compared mechanical properties of individual food parts in the diet of ring-tailed lemurs in different seasons in 1999-2000, 2008, and 2010. Fracture toughness, hardness, and modulus of foods were measured with a portable mechanical tester. The ripe fruits of T. indica are indeed the toughest and hardest foods ingested by the lemurs. In addition, they are among the largest foods consumed, require high numbers of ingestive bites to process, and are the most frequently eaten by volume. During controlled cutting tests of the ripe fruit shell, multiple runaway side cracks form alongside the cut. Similarly, the lemurs repeatedly bite the ripe shell during feeding and thereby introduce multiple cracks that eventually fragment the shell. Studies of enamel microstructure (e.g., Lucas et al.: BioEssays 30 (2008) 374-385; Campbell et al., 2011) advance the idea that the thin enamel of ring-tailed lemur teeth is susceptible to substantial micro-cracking that rapidly erodes the teeth. We conclude that micro-cracking from repeated loads, in combination with the mechanical and physical properties of the fruit, is primarily responsible for the observed dental damage.

Built to Bite: Feeding Kinematics, Bite Forces, and Head Shape of a SpecializedDurophagous Lizard,Dracaena Guianensis(Teiidae)

Most lizards feed on a variety of food items that may differ dramatically in their physical and behavioral characteristics. Several lizard families are known to feed upon hard-shelled prey (durophagy). Yet, specializations toward true molluscivory have been documented for only a few species. As snails are hard and brittle food items, it has been suggested that a specialized cranial morphology, high bite forces, and an adapted feeding strategy are important for such lizards. Here we compare head and skull morphology, bite forces, and feeding kinematics of a snail-crushing teiid lizard (Dracaena guianensis) with those in a closely related omnivorous species (Tupinambis merianae). Our data show that juvenile D. guianensis differ from T. merianae in having bigger heads and greater bite forces. Adults, however, do not differ in bite force. A comparison of feeding kinematics in adult Dracaena and Tupinambis revealed that Dracaena typically use more transport cycles, yet are more agile in manipulating snails. During transport, the tongue plays an important role in manipulating and expelling shell fragments before swallowing. Although Dracaena is slow, these animals are very effective in crushing and processing hard-shelled prey.

Perceived chewing ability and need for long‐term care in the elderly: a 5‐year follow‐up study

Increasing need for long-term care in older adults is expected with the ageing of Japan's population. The aim of the present study was to show the relationship between perceived chewing ability and long-term care needs for over 5 years in elderly persons. The chewing ability of 812 elderly persons living independently was evaluated at baseline using self-assessed masticatory ability, and it was classified into one of three categories: ability to chew all foods (good masticatory ability), ability to chew only slightly hard food (fair masticatory ability), and ability to only chew soft or pureed food (poor masticatory ability). Participants' care needs were then followed through Japan's long-term care insurance system for over 5 years. The log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model were used to examine statistical differences in the frequency of care-needs certification between participants with good and fair or poor masticatory ability. Among participants aged 65-79 years, the frequency of care-needs certification was significantly higher in those with fair or poor masticatory ability than in those with good masticatory ability, and the relative hazard ratio was significantly higher in those with fair or poor masticatory ability than in those with good masticatory ability, after adjusting for age, gender, current employment status, educational background, social interaction, chronic medical conditions and dentition status. These relationships were not found among those aged 80-93 years. Impairment in perceived chewing ability may be associated with higher incidence of certification in Japan's long-term care insurance system among elderly persons aged 65-79.

Tooth Chipping as a Tool to Reconstruct Diets of Great Apes (Pongo, Gorilla, Pan)

Most methods of dietary reconstruction are limited in their applicability to either extant or extinct taxa. We apply and discuss a method in which dietary information can be reconstructed from chips in the tooth enamel of both living and fossil primates. Such chips can be used to indicate the presence of large hard foods in the diet, and also to provide an estimate of the bite force that was used when the chip was created. Furthermore, the equations derived from this method allow an estimate of maximum bite force to be obtained from a simple measurement of tooth size. We use this method to investigate dietary differences in nonhuman great apes (Pongo, Gorilla, Pan). The high frequency of chips on teeth of Pongo indicate that they frequently use high forces to process hard foods such as seeds and nuts. Gorilla can generate even higher bite forces, but their low incidence of tooth chips suggests that they do so when consuming soft but tough foods. Tooth chips provide a lasting dietary signal that is not easily masked or erased, making them particularly useful for the study of rarely eaten items such as some fallback foods.

DIETARY HARDNESS, LOADING BEHAVIOR, AND THE EVOLUTION OF SKULL FORM IN BATS

The morphology and biomechanics of the vertebrate skull reflect the physical properties of diet and behaviors used in food acquisition and processing. We use phyllostomid bats, the most diverse mammalian dietary radiation, to investigate if and how changes in dietary hardness and loading behaviors during feeding shaped the evolution of skull morphology and biomechanics. When selective regimes of food hardness are modeled, we found that species consuming harder foods have evolved skull shapes that allow for more efficient bite force production. These species have shorter skulls and a greater reliance on the temporalis muscle, both of which contribute to a higher mechanical advantage at an intermediate gape angle. The evolution of cranial morphology and biomechanics also appears to be related to loading behaviors. Evolutionary changes in skull shape and the relative role of the temporalis and masseter in generating bite force are correlated with changes in the use of torsional and bending loading behaviors. Functional equivalence appears to have evolved independently among three lineages of species that feed on liquids and are not obviously morphologically similar. These trends in cranial morphology and biomechanics provide insights into behavioral and ecological factors shaping the skull of a trophically diverse clade of mammals.

Model Matematika Optimasi untuk Perbaikan Proses Penggorengan Vakum Terhadap Tekstur Keripik Buah

Hard and crunchy are specific characteristics of fried product prefered by consumer. To have texture of crunchy product being suitable with consumer taste, it is necessary to observ characteristic change of raw material and frying condition. In frying process, the changes of hardness and crunchiness characteristics of food occur. These changes are predicted caused by free water vaporization and the decrease of starch content in food. The objective of this research is to develop mathematical model of hardness and crunchiness changes as the function of water and extract content degradation. Sample of the research is jack fruit fried in the temperature of 70–100° C, duration of 15–60 minutes, and pressure of 80–90 kPa. The parameters observed are hardness and crunchiness, water and starch content before and after frying. The result showed that hardness and crunciness change as the function of water vaporization and the decrease of starch content can be used to predict hardness and crunciness of product during vacuum frying.

A Comparative Evaluation of Fixation Techniques in Anterior Mandibular Fractures Using 2.0 mm Monocortical Titanium Miniplates Versus 2.4 mm Cortical Titanium Lag Screws

To compare the efficacy and surgical outcome of treatment of anterior mandibular fracture using either 2.0mm titanium miniplate or 2.4mm titanium lag screw technique. A total of 30 patients were managed by open reduction and internal fixation utilizing the miniplate and lag screw technique for fractures of anterior mandible. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group I: (15 patients) were treated with Leibinger, 2.0mm titanium mini plates system with self-tapping screws and Group II: (15 patients) were treated with 2.4mm cortical lag screw (Synthes). Intraoperatively duration of surgery was measured from the time incision was placed till the closure of wound. Subsequent follow up was done at 3, 6, 12, 24weeks, postoperatively. During every follow up, patients were assessed clinically for malocclusion, neurosensory deficit, biting efficiency, implant failure, mal-union/non-union. Pre and postoperative radiographs were taken to assess the gap between fracture segments. Results were evaluated using Chi square and the unpaired t test. In our study, the mean duration of surgery (hours) was 1.97±0.52 for group I and 1.26±0.55 for group II. The difference was found to be statistically significant (p value 0.001). i.e. more time was taken in case of surgery with mini-plates when compared to the lag screw. Short surgical procedure reduces the incidence of infectious complications, which significantly lowers the financial burden. The mean post-operative radiographic distance between all measuring points were considerably more in case of mini-plate group as compared to lag screw group. Lag screw group showed faster improvement in terms of biting efficiency as compared to mini-plate group which showed a tendency to masticate only medium hard food items by 24weeks. In both groups, no postoperative malocclusion was noted. In initial weeks, neurosensory deficit was seen more in mini-plate group as compared to lag screw group but after six weeks all patients showed improvement in neurosensory function without any permanent nerve damage. According to this prospective study, rigid internal fixation provided by lag screw technique for anterior mandibular fracture offers several advantages over conventional bone plating. It is an excellent means of achieving rapid and safe fixation which is followed by primary bone healing in anterior mandibular fractures, without any major complications.

Relationships between Self-assessed Masticatory Ability and Higher Level Functional Capacity among Community-dwelling Young-old Persons

Higher level functional capacity is considered a crucial component for independent living among the elderly. The aim of the present study was to show the relationships between self-assessed masticatory ability and higher level functional capacity among young-old persons living independently in the community. A total of 366 persons aged 67–74 years was enrolled in the study. Data on background factors and self-assessed masticatory ability were collected by questionnaires. Self-assessed masticatory ability was classified into one of three categories (ability to chew all kinds of food, only somewhat hard food, or only soft or puréed food). Higher level functional capacity was measured using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index, which consists of three sublevels: instrumental self-maintenance, intellectual activity, and social role. Significant differences were found in the total score (13-point scale), intellectual activity (4-point scale), and social role (4-point scale) among the three groups of self-assessed masticatory ability. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that severely impaired masticatory ability (the ability to chew only soft and puréed food) was significantly related to a loss of three points or more for the total score, and a loss of one point or more for intellectual activity and social role after adjustment for a number of confounding variables. Self-assessed masticatory ability is significantly and independently related to higher level functional capacity, especially intellectual activity and social role, among young-old persons living independently in the community. It is worthwhile noting masticatory ability when clinicians investigate factors associated with disability in independent living.