Relationship Between Self-Rated Masticatory Ability and Independent Life in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Objective: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the influence of self-rated masticatory ability on independent living in community-dwelling older adults. Method: A total of 1,377 subjects aged 65 and over who lived in Kumamoto City, Japan were participated in a survey to investigate critical factors for self-reliance in older adults. In this study, we defined independent life in older adults as self-perceived adequate health without long-term care certification. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess self-perceived masticatory ability in relation to the independent life. Results: The population with adequate self-rated masticatory ability included a significantly higher proportion of subjects with good self-perceived health without long-term care (72.7%) than the remaining subjects (27.3%). A logistic regression analysis revealed that there was significant relationship between subjective adequate mastication and living a self-reliant healthy life (p < .001). Conclusion: Our results showed that satisfactory masticatory function was positively related to a self-reliant life with subjective healthy conditions in community-dwelling older adults, which was associated with an extended active life expectancy.