[An evaluation of the biting force, the body composition and the amount of masticatory action in young females].
The purposes of this study were to investigate factors related to maximum biting force and to understand the characteristics of physical properties of daily ingested foods in young females. One hundred and forty subjects aged 18-23, with Angle 1 class occlusion, had not suffered from periodontitis, and had not been treated for preparation of tooth crown of first molars. Body height and weight were measured, and percentage of body fat, fat mass (FM) and lean body mass (LBM) were estimated, using the impedance analyzer. The maximum biting force was measured by the press sensation method. According to the formula on the basis of our new version of Yanagisawa's food classification, the mean value of the amount of masticatory action for one day was calculated. Subjects were divided into the normal biting force and the low biting force groups with -1SD of the maximum biting force, in order to compare body composition and backgrounds in sports activities between these two groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out, employing maximum biting force (kg.f) as a dependent variable, and having a background in sports activities, FM, LBM, the number of missing teeth, the number of dental caries and the amount of masticatory action for one day as independent variables. Results were as in the following: 1) The proportion of subjects who had a background in sports activities in the low biting force group were less than that in the normal biting force group (p < 0.01). 2) Having a background in sports activities and LBM were positively correlated to maximum biting force (p < 0.01), while the amount of masticatory action for one day was not. 3) All subjects, especially those in the low biting force group seldom had food requiring the highest amount of masticatory action.


CONCLUSIONS
Having a background in sports activities and LBM are positively correlated with the maximum biting force, while the amount of masticatory action for one day was not correlated positively nor negatively in young females.
Kuwano
T
T
Faculty of Home Economics, Gifu Women's University, Japan.
Takada
H
H
Washino
K
K
Inaba
R
R
Yumoto
Y
Y
Iwata
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001732:Bite Force; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology