Psychosomatic medical study on the chewing habits and health conditions of junior high school students in northern Hyogo Prefecture First Report: observation of matters related to chewing habits

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Psychosomatic Dentistry Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 97 - 111
• Main Authors: Furuta, Masahiko, Miyako, Haruhiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Dentistry 25.12.1999
• Subjects: junior high school students in northern Hyogo Prefecture; matters related to chewing habits; psychosomatic medical study
• ISSN: 0913-6681; 2186-4128
• DOI: 10.11268/jjpsd1986.14.97

Physical, psychological and social complaints caused by rough chewing habits, which means habits of not chewing well, can be ameliorated by chewing instruction. Matters related to chewing habits are important indices for chewing instruction aimed at improving physical, psychological and social health conditions due to the chewing habits. We investigated 2, 505 junior high school boys and girls in northern Hyogo Prefecture as the subjects, regarding the frequency of careful and rough chewing habits and matters related to those habits, and here report the results of the statistical observation. Results 1. Careful chewing habits were observed in 26.8% of the boys and 33.1% of the girls, and rough chewing habits in 73.2% of the boys and 66.9% of the girls. The frequency of rough chewing habits was markedly greater than that of careful chewing habits. The frequency of careful chewing habits was greater in girls than in boys. 2. As matters related to chewing habits, dental health, desire to chew, absence of chewing fatigue, consciousness of chewing, chewing frequency, meal times, consciousness of salivary secretion, intake of vegetables, and non-intake of snacks between meals were correlated with chewing habits in both boys and girls. A liking for strong or weak flavors showed a correlation only in girls.