Observational studyThe journal of nutrition, health & aging2025
Is poor chewing ability a risk factor for malnutrition? A six-year longitudinal study of older adults in Sweden.
Observational study in The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Masticatory performance in aging populations: A scoping review of research landscapes in Japan, Sweden, and India.The Japanese dental science review · 2026Review
- A global mapping of research on the relationship between oral health and nutritional status.BDJ open · 2026Article
- Assessing the Adaptive/Maladaptive Strategies of Mastication in Older Taiwanese Individuals Using the Masticatory Adaptation Experience Questionnaire (MAEQ).Journal of oral rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Oral health and its association with dysphagia severity and nutritional vulnerability after stroke: a structural equation modeling study.Clinical oral investigations · 2026Article
- Development of a frailty screening tool using components from clinical parameters and frailty criteria for Thai community-dwelling older adults.BMC geriatrics · 2026Observational
- Determinants of oral functions and oral frailty in older community-dwelling individuals: a comprehensive analysis.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026Article
- Identifying depression in middle-aged and older adults stratified by chewing ability using machine learning models: a nationwide cross-sectional study in China.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Frailty and oral health among middle-aged and older adults: findings from the English longitudinal study of ageing.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Establishment of a large-scale oral disease registry (NDCS-ODR) in a national specialty center.PloS one · 2026Article
- Chewing Matters: Masticatory Function, Oral Microbiota, and Gut Health in the Nutritional Management of Aging.Nutrients · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveTo investigate if poor chewing ability increases the risk of malnutrition and to compare its impact with other contributing factors.
designLongitudinal observational study.
settingPopulation-based survey.
participants1,596 community dwelling individuals aged 60 years or older who participated in the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care at Kungsholmen in 2001-2004 (baseline) and in 2007-2011 (follow-up) and were not at risk for malnutrition nor malnourished at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: The exposures were baseline chewing ability and change in chewing ability at follow-up. The primary outcome was malnutrition risk or being malnourished, as assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form. The secondary outcome was weight loss over 10% at follow-up. Logistic regressions assessed the associations between the exposures and the outcomes. The average marginal effects (percentage points) compared the effect of the exposure versus covariates on outcome probability.
results150 (9.4%) reported having difficulty chewing hard food, while 191 (12.0%) had persistent difficulties chewing hard food or lost the ability during the follow-up. At the time of follow-up, 212 (13.3%) were at risk or malnourished, while 179 (11.2%) had weight loss of more than 10%. Self-reported difficulty chewing hard food increased the odds of being at risk or malnourished at follow-up (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.06, 2.53) and having weight loss of more than 10% (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.10, 2.68). Individuals who had persistent difficulty chewing hard food or lost the ability to chew hard food during the follow-up period were more likely to be at risk or malnourished (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.26, 2.79) or had a weight loss of more than 10% (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.12, 2.65). Having difficulty chewing hard food at baseline increased the probability of the two outcomes by approximately 6 percentage points, whereas the covariates increased or decreased the probabilities by 4-16 percentage points.
conclusionPoor chewing ability may be a low-risk factor for malnutrition in older individuals. Self-reported difficulty chewing hard food during dental visits should be addressed.
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