Journal
HEALTHCARE
Volume 9, Issue 7, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9070845
Keywords
masticatory function; bone mineral density; community-dwelling elderly; cross-sectional study; propensity score analysis
Funding
- Center for Community-Based Health Research and Education (CoHRE)
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The study found a significant association between masticatory function and bone mineral density (BMD) in community-dwelling elderly adults, with differences observed between sexes. Other factors such as muscle mass and age may also play a role in this relationship, highlighting the potential benefits of regular oral health care for this population.
The relationship between masticatory function and bone mineral density (BMD) is unclear. This cross-sectional study examined this relationship after adjusting for confounding factors. The subjects were 702 community-dwelling elderly adults (306 men, 396 women) who had been recruited for the Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education study in 2019. Objective masticatory function was assessed using the gummy jelly method. The median for each descriptive statistic was 69.0 years for age, 86.2% for the young adult mean, and 18.0 for masticatory function. Comparisons of the groups with good and poor masticatory function by sex revealed a significant difference in muscle mass and the tooth number for both sexes (p < 0.05). Men showed significant differences in age (p < 0.05) and salivary occult blood findings (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis using propensity scores showed a significant association between masticatory function and BMD in both sexes (men: odds ratio 163.0, 95% confidence interval 1.36-19,610.55, p = 0.04; women: odds ratio 48.65, 95% confidence interval 1.52-1561.15, p = 0.03 in women). Masticatory function and BMD in the community-dwelling elderly may be related. However, other factors, including frailty and sarcopenia, may also be involved. Regular oral health care by dentists and dental hygienists may benefit this population.
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