Socioeconomic status, food security, and chewing discomfort of Korean elders: results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and chewing discomfort and identify the role of food insecurity in the association's causal pathway in a representative sample of Korean elders. MATERIALS/METHODS We conducted cross-sectional analyses of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2015) data for elders aged ≥ 65 years. Socioeconomic status indicators used included household income and education level. Chewing discomfort was assessed according to the self-reported presence of chewing problems. Food security was surveyed using a questionnaire based on the US Household Food Security Survey Module. RESULTS The odds ratios of chewing discomfort in the 1st and 2nd income quartiles were 1.55 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–2.10) and 1.40 (95% CI, 1.03–1.90), respectively, compared to participants in the highest income quartile. Participants with the lowest education level were 1.89 (95% CI, 1.30–2.75) times more likely to have chewing discomfort than those without chewing discomfort. After including food security in the final model, the logistic coefficients were attenuated in the income and education quartiles. CONCLUSIONS Low socioeconomic status was associated with chewing discomfort. In addition, the results confirm that food insecurity can mediate the association between socioeconomic inequalities and chewing discomfort among the elderly.

Oral status is associated with chewing difficulty in Thai older adults: data from a National Oral Health Survey

“…Low socioeconomic status can affect general and oral health [ 34 ], while high income was associated with less chewing discomfort. Older adults in upper income quartiles were less likely to have chewing discomfort than older adults in lower income quartiles [ 35 ]. Apart from current socioeconomic status, childhood socioeconomic status was also associated with chewing difficulty later in life at 50 years or older [ 36 ].…”