International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 4, Issue 2 , Pages 89-95, June 2010

Self-assessed Impairment of Masticatory Ability and Lower Serum Albumin Levels Among Community-dwelling Elderly Persons

  • Shingo Moriya

      Affiliations

    • Department of Oral Health, National Institute of Public Health, Wako, Japan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Shingo Moriya, Department of Oral Health, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama, 351-0197, Japan
    • ,
  • Kanchu Tei

      Affiliations

    • Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Oral Pathobiological Science, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
    • ,
  • Tsukasa Muramatsu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Health and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Human Health Science, Matsumoto University, Matsumoto, Japan
    • ,
  • Ayumi Murata

      Affiliations

    • Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Science, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
    • ,
  • Masumi Muramatsu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Sapporo City University, Sapporo, Japan
    • ,
  • Kenji Notani

      Affiliations

    • Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Science, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
    • ,
  • Yuichi Ando

      Affiliations

    • Department of Oral Health, National Institute of Public Health, Wako, Japan
    • ,
  • Akiko Eto

      Affiliations

    • Department of Oral Health, National Institute of Public Health, Wako, Japan
    • ,
  • Nobuo Inoue

      Affiliations

    • Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Science, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
    • ,
  • Hiroko Miura

      Affiliations

    • Department of Oral Health, National Institute of Public Health, Wako, Japan

Accepted 10 December 2009.

Summary 

Background

Serum albumin is considered a key nutrient that is significantly related to general health among elderly persons. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between masticatory ability and serum albumin levels in the elderly.

Methods

A total of 768 persons were enrolled in the study. Data on background factors and the self-assessed masticatory ability were collected by means of questionnaires. An intraoral examination was performed to examine the pattern of occluding pairs of natural teeth, and blood samples were collected from the cutaneous vein to measure serum albumin levels. A forward stepwise multivariate logistic model was constructed with serum albumin levels as the dependent variable and the self-assessed masticatory ability as the principal independent variable, to adjust for potential confounding variables.

Results

Sex, current employment status, social interaction, and self-assessed masticatory ability were retained in the final model, and they were significantly associated with serum albumin levels. The odds ratios for lower levels of serum albumin (≤ 40 g/L) were 1.88 for males, 1.70 for non-working status, 1.55 for low social activity status, and 1.43 for the self-assessed impairment of masticatory ability.

Conclusion

A weak, statistically significant relationship may exist between self-assessed impairment of masticatory ability and lower levels of serum albumin in the elderly living independently.

Key Words:  elderly , mastication , nutritional status

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PII: S1873-9598(10)70029-6

doi:10.1016/S1873-9598(10)70029-6

International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 4, Issue 2 , Pages 89-95, June 2010

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