Intervention Effect of Chewing Gum Mastication in Residents and Users of Elderly Facility

Abstract

A decrease in oral function is a risk factor for aspiration pneumonia and suffocation, leading to a reduction in physical function and malnutrition at elderly people.. Therefore, there is a need to develop a simple method to improve oral function in older adults, including those requiring long-term care. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of chewing gum mastication training and habitation on the oral environment, eating habits of residents and users of the elderly facility. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups, the intervention and control groups. The intervention group consisted of 28 subjects（80.0［74.0-87.0］years）who chewed gum for 2 minutes three times daily for 2 months and the control group consisted of 26 subjects（88.0［82.5-94.0］years. Oral examination, oral function, physical condition, dietary habits questionnaire, and caregiver’s Vitality Index（VI）were evaluated. As a result, intra-group comparisons before, during, and after the intervention showed significant differences in gum mastication ability（p = 0.004）, appetite related to diet（p = 0.026）, looking forward to eating（p = 0.011）, and VI（p = 0.047）in the gum mastication group. In addition, gum mastication ability（p = 0.018）and appetite（p = 0.003）marked significant differences in changes before and after the intervention for the two groups. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis also revealed the impact of the intervention by gum mastication. It was shown that the simple intervention of chewing gum mastication used here might lead to improved oral function, increased interest of the elderly in diet and food, and increased motivation.