Relationship between self-assessed masticatory disability and 9-year mortality in a cohort of community-residing elderly people.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between self-assessed masticatory disability and mortality.


METHODS
Prospective.


METHODS
Community based.


METHODS
Total of 1,405 randomly selected people aged 65 and older living in Settsu, Osaka Prefecture, in October 1992.


METHODS
Data on health status as indicated by disability scores, history of health management, self-assessed masticatory ability, and psychosocial conditions were collected by means of interviews during home visits at the time of enrollment. Nine-year follow-up was completed for 1,245 (88.6%; 398 deceased and 847 alive).


RESULTS
Self-assessed masticatory disability was significantly associated with being 75 and older, having overall disability, not using dental health checks or general health checks, not participating in social activities, not feeling that life is worth living (no ikigai), and finding relationships with people difficult. As for the association between self-assessed masticatory disability and mortality, the estimated survival rate for those with self-assessed masticatory disability was lower than that for those without for each group stratified by sex and age (65-74 and >or=75), and the equality of survival curves according to self-assessed masticatory disability was significant for each group. After controlling for potential predictors of mortality, self-assessed masticatory disability remained as a significant predictor of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio=1.63, 95% confidence interval=1.30-2.03, P<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that self-assessed masticatory disability may be associated with a greater risk of mortality in community-residing elderly people.
Nakanishi
Noriyuki
N
Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Course of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita-shi, Japan. noriyuki@pbhel.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Fukuda
Hideki
H
Takatorige
Toshio
T
Tatara
Kozo
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D009909:Oral Health; D012307:Risk Factors