The relationship between nutrient intake, dental status and family cohesion among older Brazilians

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between inadequate nutrient intake, oral health and family cohesion. This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 887 non-institutionalized elderly people from Vitória, Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Oral examination was performed by trained and calibrated examiners and three measurements were considered: number of posterior occluding pairs of natural teeth (POP), number of teeth and overall dental status. Nutrient intake was assessed by a 24-hour diet recall interview. The elderly person's perception of family cohesion was assessed using the family adaptability and cohesion scale. People with no POP were more likely than those with 5 or more POP to have inadequate intake of vitamin C (OR = 2.79; 95%CI: 1.16-6.71), calcium (OR = 3.74; 95%CI: 1.69-8.25), riboflavin (OR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.10-5.64) and zinc (OR = 3.43; 95%CI: 1.07-10.94). There was no association between elderly people's perceptions of family cohesion and inadequate intakes. It was concluded that oral health is related to inadequate intake of important nutrients among non-institutionalized elderly people.

Micronutrient intake in elderly living in nursing homes

“…This study showed high results of the prevalence of inadequacy of micronutrients intake, mainly for vitamins E, B6, B9 and for calcium, corroborating the trend found in the literature in other investigations where the ingestion of those, and also of other nutrients, was below the recommendation for age and sex in elderly living in NHs (6,7,17). In the study by Fisberg et al (2013), based on data from the Research of Family Budget (RFB 2008(RFB -2009), the prevalence of inadequacy in the diet of noninstitutionalized Brazilian elderly was similar to the one found in this study (more than 50% for vitamins A, D and E, calcium, magnesium and pyridoxine) (18).…”

“…Corroborating the result found in this research, other studies reveal deficits in relation to the intake of antioxidant micronutrients in institutionalized elderly (3,7,8,17,19). Antioxidant micronutrients, such as vitamins A and C, zinc and selenium, are particularly important since individuals have a physiological condition at senescence characterized by an increase in the production of reactive species of the oxidative metabolism (RSOM), associated with a reduction of the antioxidant defense systems propitiating an environment of oxidative stress (10,(31)(32)(33).…”

“…The high prevalence of dietary inadequacy and the risk of micronutrient deficiencies in institutionalized elderly population has been confirmed by some exploratory studies (2,6,7). This study showed high results of the prevalence of inadequacy of micronutrients intake, mainly for vitamins E, B6, B9 and for calcium, corroborating the trend found in the literature in other investigations where the ingestion of those, and also of other nutrients, was below the recommendation for age and sex in elderly living in NHs (6,7,17).…”

“…Risk of vitamins and minerals deficiencies, such as B vitamins, vitamins C and D and minerals such as calcium, zinc and magnesium, have been reported by few studies involving elderly on Brazilian ILPs (7)(8)(9). Deficiencies of micronutrients are associated with important health problems in elderly, such as the increase of risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), more predisposition to weight loss, especially the reduction of muscular mass and strength, and lower tolerance to support chronic or infectious pathological processes (10,11).…”

Tooth loss and its association with dietary intake and diet quality in American adults

“…[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] Among studies that have evaluated the impact of tooth loss on dietary intake, [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] the majority have only focused on older adults. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] This is likely due to the fact that older adults are at a higher risk of tooth loss than young adults; 44 nonetheless, studies that included young and middle-aged adults are needed to support many studies that have shown significant associations between t...…”