Relationship between chewing ability and cognitive impairment in the rural elderly. (May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, Eun-Kyong; Lee, Sung Kook; Choi, Youn-Hee; Tanaka, Makiko; Hirotsu, Kimiko; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Lee, Hee-Kyung; Jung, Yun-Sook; Amano, Atsuo
• Is Part Of: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics. Volume 70(2017)
• Page Start: 209
• Page End: 213
• Publication Date: 2017-05
• Subjects: Chewing ability -- Cognitive impairment -- Elderly; Aging -- Periodicals; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 305.26
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2017.02.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0167-4943

Abstract

Highlights: We visited the house of elderly living in rural area and assessed cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), activities of daily living, nutritional status, and chewing ability. Chewing ability was assessed objectively using gum that changed color based on chewing performance. Our result showed that poor chewing ability is associated with cognitive impairment or dementia in the elderly living in rural area. We assessed cognitive impairment, activities of daily living, nutritional status, and chewing ability of rural elderly. Abstract: Objective: Relationship between masticatory function and cognitive impairment had been suggested but still understudied. We investigated the association between chewing ability and cognitive impairment among the elderly living in a rural region. Methods: A total of 295 elderly individuals aged ≥70 years in a rural city of Korea participated in a cross-sectional study. Trained nurses conducted interviews and assessed chewing ability using gum that changed color based on chewing performance. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) of Korean vesrsion. Socio-demographic characteristics, activities of daily living (ADL), Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) were also assessed using questionnaires as potential confounders. Results: The mean age of the participants was 81.4 (ranged 70–102) years and 67.8% of them were female. Participants with low chewing ability were significantly older, dependent, and had lower MNA and MMSE-DS scores. The elderly with middle or low chewing ability had significantly higher risk for having cognitive impairment than those with higher chewing ability. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that poor chewing ability is associated with cognitive impairment or dementia in the elderly living in rural area.