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Objectives: Studies have examined the association between personality and health behaviour, but research focusing exclusively on regular dental visits has yet to be conducted. This study examined the association between personality traits and regular dental visits among Japanese community‐dwelling older adults. Methods: The participants in this cross‐sectional study included 1,057 community‐dwelling older adults aged 65–74 years from Ranzan and Yoshimi towns; data were collected from October to November 2015 and October to November 2016, respectively. Interviews were conducted to obtain sociodemographic, income, occupation and medical data. The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence was used to assess higher‐level competence; general intelligence was also evaluated. The 'Big Five' personality traits—openness to experience, consciousness, neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness—were also examined. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between regular dental visits and personality traits. Results: Among men, the number of natural teeth, current employment status and conscientiousness were associated with dental care utilization. Among women, the number of natural teeth, current annual income, the intellectual activity domain of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence and openness were significant. Conclusions: The factors associated with regular dental visits differed by gender. Overall, work was associated with men's visits, whereas intellectual activity and economic factors were relevant to women. Factors such as personality traits should be considered when addressing barriers to oral health. Understanding personality traits will help practitioners more effectively encourage older adults to make dental visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Serum albumin is considered a key nutrient that is significantly related to general health among elderly persons. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between masticatory ability and serum albumin levels in the elderly. Methods: A total of 768 persons were enrolled in the study. Data on background factors and the self-assessed masticatory ability were collected by means of questionnaires. An intraoral examination was performed to examine the pattern of occluding pairs of natural teeth, and blood samples were collected from the cutaneous vein to measure serum albumin levels. A forward stepwise multivariate logistic model was constructed with serum albumin levels as the dependent variable and the self-assessed masticatory ability as the principal independent variable, to adjust for potential confounding variables. Results: Sex, current employment status, social interaction, and self-assessed masticatory ability were retained in the final model, and they were significantly associated with serum albumin levels. The odds ratios for lower levels of serum albumin (≤ 40 g/L) were 1.88 for males, 1.70 for non-working status, 1.55 for low social activity status, and 1.43 for the self-assessed impairment of masticatory ability. Conclusion: A weak, statistically significant relationship may exist between self-assessed impairment of masticatory ability and lower levels of serum albumin in the elderly living independently. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: We examined the relationship between the swallowing function and the health-related QOL (quality of life) among community-dwelling dependent elderly persons., Methods: The subjects included 191 community-dwelling dependent elderly persons. Data were collected via questionnaires, including information regarding age, gender, the level of care required, post-cerebrovascular disease, the health-related QOL and the swallowing function. We used the SF-8 to measure the health-related QOL and the DRACE (Dysphagia Risk Assessment for the Community-dwelling Elderly) to evaluate the swallowing function., Results: The average DRACE score was 4.29±3.81. In addition, the swallowing risk was found to be related to the SF (social functioning) and MH (mental health) subscales of the SF-8., Conclusions: Our results suggest that the swallowing function is significantly related to the health-related QOL among community-dwelling dependent elderly persons.

Among the elderly, the quality of higher brain function is a contributing factor in performing activities of daily living. The aim of the study is to elucidate, epidemiologically, associations between mastication and higher brain function. A total of 208 community-dwelling elderly persons, aged 70-74 years, were enrolled. Self-assessed masticatory ability (masticatory ability) was classified into one of three categories: ability to chew all kinds of food, ability to chew only slightly hard food, or ability to chew only soft or pureed food. Brain function was assessed by four neuropsychological tests: Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM) test, the Verbal Paired Associates 1 (VerPA) task and the Visual Paired Associates 1 task (from the Wechsler Memory Scale Revised Edition), and the Block Design subtest (from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales-Third Edition). Correlations between masticatory ability and each test were examined using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Multinominal logistic regression models were conducted with the neuropsychological tests as the dependent variables and masticatory ability as the principal independent variable to adjust for age, gender, educational background, social activity, drinking/smoking habits, chronic medical conditions and dental status. Significant correlations were found between the RCPM test, the VerPA task, the Block Design test and masticatory ability. In multinominal logistic regression models, poor masticatory ability was significantly and independently related to the categories under the mean-s.d. points compared with those of the mean ± s.d. ranges for RCPM test and the VerPA task. Significant associations may exist between mastication and higher brain function among the elderly., (© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Objectives: To show relationships between oral conditions and physical performance in the elderly living independently., Methods: A total of 821 persons participated. Data on background factors and self-assessed masticatory ability were collected by means of questionnaires. An intraoral examination was performed to examine the pattern of occluding pairs of natural teeth. Handgrip strength and one-leg standing time with eyes open were measured. Step-wise linear regression models were conducted with muscle strength or one-leg standing time as the dependent variables; the pattern of occluding pairs and self-assessed masticatory ability as the principal independent variables., Results: The self-assessed masticatory ability was retained in the final model of the step-wise regression for the handgrip strength, and significant relationships were established in the participants aged 65-74, but the pattern of occluding pairs was not retained. The pattern of occluding pairs, and the self-assessed masticatory ability were retained in the final models for the one-leg standing time, and significant relationships were shown here., Conclusion: The self-assessed masticatory ability may be significantly related to muscle strength and static balance function, and the pattern of occluding pairs may be significantly related to the static balance function, particularly in the elderly aged 65-74.