抄録
It is said that a habit of complete mastication, chewing thoroughly, is related to longevity and health, whereas incomplete mastication, not chewing completely, may contribute to poor health. The purpose of this study was to clarify the actual relationship between masticatory habits and systemic health from an epidemiological standpoint.
Questionnaires were administered to 1, 959 male students and 1, 932 female students at senior high schools in Naha City and its suburbs in Okinawa Prefecture. This questionnaire inquired about eating. chewing habits and overall health.
Complete and incomplete masticatory habits were recorded using an examination chart of masticatory habits and an evaluation chart of masticatory patterns. The examination chart and evaluation chart were prepared by Miyako of the Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University. The analysis of epidemio-logical data from the survey was performed at the Electronic Computer Center of Fukuoka University. Conclusions:
1. Complete mastication was observed in 31% of male and 39% of female senior high school students surveyed. Incomplete mastication was observed in 69% of male and 61% of female senior high school students. Thus, a majority of students of both sexes exhibited patterns of incomplete mastication.
2. Factors which were found to predispose to masticatory habits included presence of teeth, desire for mastication, fatigue from mastication, attitudes concerning importance of mastication, frequency of mastication, time of meals.
3. Regional differences in masticatory habits were found throughout Japan. Students from Okinawa Prefecture had the highest incidence of complete mastication whereas students from Kyoto exhibited the lowest incidence of complete mastication.
4. The relationship between masticatory habits and systemic health revealed that students exhibiting complete mastication tended to have better overall health while those who exhibited incomplete mastication tended to have poorer overall health.
