Journal of Clinical Medicine· 2026Q2
Association Between Masticatory Performance and Nutritional Risk in Older Adults Wearing Removable Dentures: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Composite Nutritional Indices
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
In older adults wearing removable dentures, better chewing ability (higher glucose concentration after chewing) was consistently linked to lower odds of nutritional risk as defined by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI). Specifically, each 10 mg/dL increase in glucose concentration was associated with an 11% lower risk (OR 0.89).
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Key points
- Higher masticatory performance (higher glucose concentration after chewing) was associated with lower odds of GNRI-defined nutritional risk in denture wearers.
- Each 10 mg/dL increase in glucose concentration correlated with an 11% lower risk of GNRI-defined nutritional risk (OR 0.89).
- Nutritional risk was identified in 21.8% (GNRI), 48.6% (PNI), and 31.3% (CONUT) of the 179 participants.
- Associations between masticatory performance and PNI- or CONUT-defined risk were not consistently observed across statistical models.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Impaired masticatory function may compromise nutritional status in older adults wearing removable dentures, but its associations with nutritional risk indices remain unclear. This study aimed to examine associations between masticatory performance and risk defined by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 179 outpatients aged ≥60 years wearing removable dentures. Masticatory performance was quantified by glucose concentration after chewing a gummy jelly. GNRI-defined risk was the prespecified primary outcome; PNI- and CONUT-defined risk were secondary. Logistic regression used Model 1 adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidity and an exploratory Model 2 with additional oral, dietary, and socioeconomic covariates. Results: Mean age was 74.1 ± 6.9 years, and 60.9% were female. Nutritional risk was identified in 21.8%, 48.6%, and 31.3% using the GNRI, PNI, and CONUT, respectively. Higher masticatory performance, indicated by higher glucose concentration, was associated with lower odds of GNRI-defined nutritional risk in both the primary parsimonious model (OR per 10 mg/dL increase, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82–0.95; p = 0.001) and the exploratory additionally adjusted model (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82–0.96; p = 0.002). Associations with PNI- and CONUT-defined risk were not consistent across models. Conclusions: Lower masticatory performance was consistently associated with higher GNRI-defined risk, whereas comparable associations were not consistently observed for PNI- or CONUT-defined risk. Objective assessment of masticatory performance may provide clinically relevant information regarding GNRI-defined nutritional risk in older removable denture wearers.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Complementary and Manual Therapy
Complementary and Manual TherapyHealth Professions