title: The relationships among child's ability of mastication, dietary behaviour and physical fitness.
abstract: To investigate the relationships between the ability of mastication and physical fitness, and between the ability of mastication and dietary behaviour in children, I examined these parameters using the data of sugar elution rate, physical fitness and athletic ability survey and self-administered questionnaire on dietary behaviour on 171 sixth grade children (88 boys and 83 girls). The sugar elution rate was the index of the ability of mastication and was evaluated by the chewing gum method. The results of self-administered questionnaire on dietary behaviour were used as an index of dietary behaviour. Physical fitness was evaluated by the physical fitness and athletic ability survey of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Regression analysis revealed that the sugar elution rate had significantly positive correlations with the mean grip strength, sit-up, sit-and-reach, repetition side steps and ball throw. The results of self-administered questionnaire on dietary behaviour revealed that the sugar elution rate was significantly higher in children, who had high expectation of food intake and high frequency of vegetable intake, than those with lower parameters. These results suggest that the ability of mastication correlates with physical fitness and dietary behaviour in children.
authors: Miyuki Kibayashi, Department of Dental Hygiene, Junior College, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kibayashi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose