Association between functional dental state and dietary intake of Chinese vegetarian old age home residents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between dental functional status and dietary intakes of Chinese vegetarian old age home residents.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was performed in a group of 76 older vegetarian Chinese women living in an old age home. Oral examination was performed by a dental surgeon. Sixty-eight of them had a 24-hour food record by direct observation, analysed by a Chinese food composition table. Nutritional status was measured by Body Mass Index (BMI), and the functional status by modified Barthel Index (BI).


RESULTS
Forty-two subjects (55.3%) were edentulous; 59 subjects (77.6%) had chewing difficulties; 35 subjects (46%) had poor dental functional status defined by having five or less functional teeth unit (FTU). When compared with those older people with better dental functional status, the poor dental functional status group was more likely to have chewing difficulties, tolerate soft diet only, and be functionally dependent (BI < 15/20). Poor dental functional status was associated with lower mean daily fibre intake, but not with intakes of macronutrients and micronutrients, after adjustment by BI categories.


CONCLUSIONS
Poor dental functional status is associated with impaired chewing and lower fibre intake in Chinese vegetarian old age home residents, but it is not associated with reduced intakes of macronutrients or micronutrients.
Kwok
Timothy
T
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. tkwok@cuhk.edu.hk
Yu
Charles N F
CN
Hui
Hing W
HW
Kwan
Mandy
M
Chan
Veronica
V
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000172:deficiency; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008409:Mastication; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000503:physiopathology*