Relationship between masticatory function and frailty in community-dwelling Japanese elderly

Background Frailty likely results in impaired functioning, and frail individuals requiring long-term care have recently attracted the attention of researchers. In the oral health field, the number of elderly individuals who require intervention for retaining occlusion has been increasing, as has the number of remaining teeth and required prosthetic treatment. Additionally, the number of elderly with reduced masticatory function has also been increasing, and frailty is a suspected factor. Aims The aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between frailty and masticatory function decline. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods A total of 747 participants (total mean age 73.6 ± 5.8 years old) underwent a comprehensive examination at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. Three masticatory functions were evaluated: maximum occlusal force, mixing ability, and self-reported chewing ability. Frailty was determined using all 25 questions of the Basic checklist developed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, following the method reported by Satake et al. Results Binomial logistic analysis clarified the relationship between frailty and evaluation of each of the three masticatory functions. Significant correlations of pre-frailty or frailty with maximum occlusal force, mixing ability, and subjective chewing ability were observed. Conclusion All three masticatory functions (maximum occlusal force, mixing ability, and self-reported chewing ability) were associated with pre-frailty or frailty in community-dwelling Japanese elderly.