Jun Nu-Ri, Kim Jae-Hyun, Jang Jong-Hwa
Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School, Dankook University, Cheonan-si 31116, Republic of Korea.
Department of Health Administration, Dankook University, Cheonan-si 31116, Republic of Korea.
Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Sep 10;11(18):2505. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11182505.
This study aimed to investigate the association between denture use, chewing ability, and cognitive function in Korean middle-aged adults, using samples representing middle-aged people at the national level. This longitudinal study included 9998 middle-aged adults using the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging 7th special survey data. Denture use, chewing ability, health-related factors, and general characteristics were assessed using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview. After controlling for general characteristics using a generalized estimating equation model, the association of denture use and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores with the chewing ability of those with or without dentures and MMSE scores were analysed. Among them, 24% of participants wore dentures, and 35.1% complained of difficulty chewing when wearing dentures. Among the participants who did not wear dentures, 16.4% complained of difficulty chewing. MMSE scores were lower among denture wearers than non-denture wearers (β = -0.026, < 0.001). In both groups, MMSE scores decreased with chewing difficulty and were significantly reduced among non-denture wearers ( < 0.05). Chewing ability was closely associated with cognitive functioning. Therefore, in order to prevent cognitive decline, chewing discomfort while wearing dentures must be eliminated, and oral health must be maintained.
本研究旨在利用具有全国代表性的中年人群样本，调查韩国中年成年人使用假牙、咀嚼能力和认知功能之间的关联。这项纵向研究纳入了9998名使用韩国老龄化纵向研究第7次专项调查数据的中年成年人。使用计算机辅助个人访谈评估假牙使用情况、咀嚼能力、健康相关因素和一般特征。在使用广义估计方程模型控制一般特征后，分析了假牙使用和简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）得分与有无假牙者的咀嚼能力以及MMSE得分之间的关联。其中，24%的参与者佩戴假牙，35.1%的人抱怨佩戴假牙时咀嚼困难。在未佩戴假牙的参与者中，16.4%的人抱怨咀嚼困难。佩戴假牙者的MMSE得分低于未佩戴假牙者（β = -0.026，<0.001）。在两组中，MMSE得分均随咀嚼困难程度增加而降低，且在未佩戴假牙者中显著降低（<0.05）。咀嚼能力与认知功能密切相关。因此，为预防认知能力下降，必须消除佩戴假牙时的咀嚼不适，并保持口腔健康。
