Relationship Between Self-Assessed Masticatory Disability and 9-Year Mortality in a Cohort of Community-Residing Elderly People

• Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 54 - 58
• Main Authors: Nakanishi, Noriyuki, Fukuda, Hideki, Takatorige, Toshio, Tatara, Kozo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Inc 01.01.2005; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Biological and medical sciences; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Community living; Data Collection; Disability; Disabled Persons; Elderly people; Feeding difficulties; Female; General aspects; Geriatrics; health factors; Humans; Japan; Longitudinal studies; Male; Mastication; masticatory disability; Medical sciences; Mortality; Mortality - trends; Mouth Diseases - mortality; Oral Health; Psychosocial adjustment; psychosocial factors; Retirement communities; Risk Factors; Selfreport; Settsu Japan; Human; Mortality; elderly people; Self; Psychosocial factor; Epidemiology; Disability; Gerontology; psychosocial factors; Cohort study; masticatory disability; health factors; Elderly; Community; Public health; Geriatrics
• ISSN: 0002-8614; 1532-5415
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53010.x

Objectives: To examine the relationship between self‐assessed masticatory disability and mortality. Design: Prospective. Setting: Community based. Participants: Total of 1,405 randomly selected people aged 65 and older living in Settsu, Osaka Prefecture, in October 1992. Measurements: 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 ≥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). Conclusion: These results indicate that self‐assessed masticatory disability may be associated with a greater risk of mortality in community‐residing elderly people.