Is Oral Frailty Related To Meal Satisfaction

Oral frailty causes nutritional imbalance, subsequently leading to malnutrition in older adults. Herein, we examined the relationship between oral frailty and meal satisfaction among community-dwelling older adults. Meal satisfaction was evaluated using self-administered questionnaires. Oral conditions were assessed based on the number of remaining teeth and oral frailty. Of the 940 subjects in the Kashiwa study, which was conducted in the Kashiwa city, Chiba prefecture, Japan, 71% responded that their meals were “tasty” and 96% responded “enjoyable”. Moreover, 23% responded that the amount of meal was “large,” and 63% responded “normal” - While the number of teeth was not significantly associated with meal satisfaction, there was a negative association between oral frailty and meal satisfaction. Our finding indicates that it is important to consider and manage oral functions, other than the number of remaining teeth, to maintain healthy eating habits in older adults.