INFLUENCE OF DENTAL STATUS ON DIETARY-INTAKE AND SURVIVAL IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERLY SUBJECTS

Objective: to evaluate the relationships between a functional measure of dental status (FDS), the nutrients intake profile (NIP) and mortali ty in a community elderly population. Design: cross-sectional analysis for FDS and MP and a prospective study for mortality. Setting: the ce ntral district of Brescia, northern Italy. Participants: of the entire cohort of 70-75 year-old elderly subjects living in the district (n = 1303), 1189 subjects were interviewed and examined at baseline. Fifty -two of these were lost to follow-up; data are presented for the remai ning 1137 subjects. Measurements: baseline data were collected by a do or-to-door interview using a standardized questionnaire which included a section about the dietary intake in the 24 h preceding the intervie w The 24-h NIP was calculated and compared with the US Food and Drug A dministration's 1980 Recommended Dietary Allowances to obtain a percen tage value of each nutrient for each respondent. The dental examinatio n considered the direct assessment of the number and position of resid ual teeth as well as the use of dentures; subjects were classified int o three groups: naturally adequate or naturally inadequate dentition a nd denture wearers. Association of NIP with FDS was computed using ANC OVA and multiple logistic regression models. Mortality data were colle cted over a 78-month follow-up period. Association of survival with FD S was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox proporti onal hazard models. Results: multiple logistic regression showed a sig nificant and independent association between the dental status and the intake of micronutrients, but not of macronutrients. Moreover, dentur e wearers had a dietary intake very similar to adequate dentition and substantially better than inadequate dentition. Inadequate dentition i n women was associated with higher mortality than adequate dentition. In elderly women, both inadequate dental status and folate intake were significant and independent predictors of mortality in a multivariate analysis based on nutritional parameters. However, inadequate dentiti on did not remain an independent predictor of mortality in a general m ultivariate model. Conclusion: in this cohort of urban elderly people, FDS is significantly associated with the NTP and indirectly with mort ality.