Discrepancy between satisfaction with mastication, food acceptability, and masticatory performance in older adults

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-assessed satisfaction with mastication and food acceptability and masticatory performance in a large sample of older adults with various occlusal statuses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 708 community-dwelling, independently living elderly persons (351 men and 357 women) with a mean age of 66.0 (SD: 4.2) years. Satisfaction with masticatory function and food acceptability (apples, grilled beef, and hard rice crackers) were evaluated using questionnaires. Masticatory performance was determined using test gummy jellies developed for measuring masticatory performance. Subjects were grouped into 3 categories by posterior occlusal contacts according to the Eichner Index. The Kruskal-Wallis test and a multiple logistic regression analysis for dissatisfaction with masticatory function were conducted. RESULTS: Overall, posterior occlusal contacts, food acceptability, and masticatory performance were associated with satisfaction with masticatory function when evaluated with bivariate analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the number of foods that could be eaten without difficulty was the most important explanatory variable for dissatisfaction with masticatory function (P < .01). In contrast, objective masticatory performance was not significantly associated with dissatisfaction with masticatory function (P = .057) after controlling for posterior occlusal contacts and food acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: The subjective masticatory function was associated not only with objective masticatory performance, but also with an individual's posterior occlusal contacts.