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, Kazunori Ikebe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

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 tonguelip 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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number13199
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume18
Issue number24
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01-12-2021

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Pollution
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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