Oral Functions Are Associated with Muscle Strength and Physical Performance in Old-Old Japanese

Yuki Murotani, Kodai Hatta, Toshihito Takahashi, Yasuyuki Gondo, Kei Kamide, Mai Kabayama, Yukie Masui, Tatsuro Ishizaki, Ken-ichi Matsuda, Yusuke Mihara, Motoyoshi Fukutake, Yuichi Nishimura, Suzuna Akema, Hiromasa Hagino, Kotaro Higashi, Hitomi Togawa, Yoshinobu Maeda, Soshiro Ogata, Paula Moynihan and Kazunori Ikebe
Additional contact information
Yuki Murotani: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Kodai Hatta: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Toshihito Takahashi: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Yasuyuki Gondo: Department of Clinical Thanatology and Geriatric Behavioral Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Human Sciences, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Kei Kamide: Division of Health Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Mai Kabayama: Integrated General Nursing Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Yukie Masui: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
Tatsuro Ishizaki: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
Ken-ichi Matsuda: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Yusuke Mihara: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Motoyoshi Fukutake: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Yuichi Nishimura: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Suzuna Akema: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Hiromasa Hagino: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Kotaro Higashi: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Hitomi Togawa: Division of Comprehensive Prosthodontics, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
Yoshinobu Maeda: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
Soshiro Ogata: National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Suita 564-8565, Japan
Paula Moynihan: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Adelaide Dental School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Kazunori Ikebe: Department of Prosthodontics, Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-8

Abstract: Grip strength and walking speed are considered to be important indicators of physical frailty. However, no study has contemporaneously examined any association of multiple oral functions with grip strength and walking speed. The purpose of this study was to examine which oral functions are associated with muscle strength (grip strength), physical performance (walking speed) or both. The study participants were 511 community-dwelling people (254 men and 257 women) aged 77–81 years old. Six oral functions—oral wetness, occlusal force, tongue-lip motor function, tongue pressure, masticatory performance and swallowing function—were measured. Grip strength and walking speed were also measured. A partial correlation analysis, adjusted for gender, showed that occlusal force, tongue-lip motor function, masticatory performance and swallowing function were significantly associated with both grip strength and walking speed. In addition, tongue pressure was significantly associated with grip strength. A general linear model showed that tongue pressure and occlusal force were significantly associated with grip strength. Swallowing function and tongue-lip motor function were significantly associated with walking speed. It is suggested that there are different oral function measures for muscle strength and physical performance, and these oral function measures could be a useful proxy for physical frailty.

Keywords: oral health; hand strength; physical functional performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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