title: Physical fitness and oral function in community-dwelling older people: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to quantify the relation between physical fitness and oral function, including tongue and lip movements.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Physical fitness and oral function influence quality of life and activities of daily living in older individuals. Occlusal contact and mastication performance are associated with physical fitness, but the association between tongue and lip movements and physical fitness is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six independent community-dwelling older individuals (24 men, 42 women; mean age, 70.3 ± 5.9 years) participated in this study. Measures of physical fitness were the one-leg standing time with eyes open, the functional reach test, anteflexion, the timed up and go test, and grip strength. Measures of oral function were tongue pressure, lip pressure, tongue movement from side to side, the repetitive saliva-swallowing test (RSST), oral diadochokinesis and masticatory efficiency. Multiple regression analysis was used to quantify the relation between physical fitness and oral function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, exercise habits and number of remaining teeth, the tongue movement from side to side and/or oral diadochokinesis were chosen as significant factors in each physical fitness measurement. Furthermore, the lip pressure and masticatory efficiency were associated with handgrip strength.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral function, including tongue and lip movements, was associated with physical fitness in older people in this study. Tongue dexterity as characterised by tongue movement from side to side and oral diadochokinesis particularly associated with physical fitness.
authors: Division of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.|Department of Oral Health, Kobe Tokiwa Junior College, Kobe, Japan.
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Izuno
authors: Division of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan. hori@dent.niigata-u.ac.jp.
authors: Kazuhiro
authors: K
authors: Hori
authors: Department of Oral Health, Kobe Tokiwa Junior College, Kobe, Japan.
authors: Misao
authors: M
authors: Sawada
authors: Department of Oral Health, Kobe Tokiwa Junior College, Kobe, Japan.
authors: Masayo
authors: M
authors: Fukuda
authors: Department of Oral Health, Kobe Tokiwa Junior College, Kobe, Japan.
authors: Chikako
authors: C
authors: Hatayama
authors: Oral Rehabilitation, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
authors: Kayoko
authors: K
authors: Ito
authors: Department of Oral Health, Kobe Tokiwa Junior College, Kobe, Japan.
authors: Yoshio
authors: Y
authors: Nomura
authors: Division of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D014059:Tongue
keywords: community-dwelling older people; lip; oral function; physical fitness; tongue