한국 노인의 독거여부에 따른 잔존치아수와 영양섭취에 미치는 영향

Abstract

I. Introduction Tooth loss, a typical dental and oral problem among the elderly, decreases chewing ability and leads to an imbalance in nutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a daily intake of 400g of fruit or vegetables for an adult male, however ingesting less than the recommended amount can contribute to an increased risk of cardiac disorders and systemic diseases. Therefore, the loss of multiple teeth among elderly individuals can have a profound negative impact on quality of life due to the loss of chewing ability and an associated decrease in the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. In addition, the oral health status and caloric intake of elderly individuals may differ based on whether they live in solitary or non-solitary conditions.

II. Purpose of Study The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between the amount of fruit and vegetable intake and oral health status among solitary and non-solitary dwelling elderly individuals using data collected from the representative and reliable Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).

III. Materials for Experiments and Methods This current study analyzed raw data from KNHANES IV and V collected between 2007 and 2011. Data used in the analysis were obtained after the approval of the research plan by the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health and Welfare. The KNHANES, a nationwide sampling survey for obtaining national-level health statistics, secured its representativeness by selecting subjects using a probability sampling method. KNHANES IV and V began in July 2007 and ended in December 2011. Subjects in the current study were 5,589 people aged > 65 years who participated in a health questionnaire, a physical examination, and a nutrition examination survey. As socio-economic indicators were selected by level of education, household income quartile, and oral health status, participants were classified as either edentulous (0 teeth), having > 1 and < 10 teeth, having > 10 and < than 20 teeth, having > 20 teeth, or using dentures. Regarding health behaviors, current smoking and drinking status within a month were assessed. By using KNHANES IV and V data collected between 2007 and 2009, the current study assessed the food items consumed per day from those > aged 65 years who participated in the nutrition survey using the 24-hour recall method. PASW Statistics 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for the statistical analysis of the data. The significance level was set at 0.05. All analyses used a complex sampling design. The association between nutrient intake and dental status among solitary and non-solitary dwelling elderly individuals was analyzed by using a complex sample general linear model. IV. Result of Experiment Of the study participants 15.7% were solitary dwelling and 84.3% were non-solitary dwelling. Those who did not have a prosthetic appliance and had < than 10 teeth consumed 315.60g of fruits and vegetables, an amount lower than the WHO recommended intake. Additionally, this consumption amount was significantly lower than the amount observed for elderly individuals with > 10 teeth. In the case of solitary dwelling elderly people, the intake of 338.11g of fruits and vegetables was significantly lower than the 439.43g ingested by non-solitary dwelling elderly people . Moreover, a significantly lower amount of fruit and vegetable intake was observed for elderly individuals who used prosthetic appliances or did not have fewer natural teeth.

V. Conclusion The results of the current study confirmed the relationship between oral health status and intake of fruits and vegetables among solitary and non-solitary dwelling elderly individuals. In addition, it was noted that the oral health status of solitary dwelling elderly individuals was not coupled to their intake of fruits and vegetables, as their intake did not exceed 400g. Therefore, future business strategies and national priorities should focus on improving the socioeconomic level of solitary dwelling elderly individuals towards the betterment of their oral health status.