Comparison of Nutritional Status according to Oral Health of the Elderly: Using Data from the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

This study examined the general characteristics and nutritional status by oral health among the Korean elderly.The data from the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were used.The subjects were 1,352 old adults aged 65 years old and older.The oral health indicators were classified after completing a questionnaire asking about the experiences of toothache within the recent year, self-perception of oral health, chewing difficulty, and speaking difficulty.The group with poor self-perception of oral health had lower household income.The group with chewing difficulty showed older age, lower education status, and lower household income.The group with speaking difficulty showed older age, lower education status, lower household income, and higher current smoking.The group with speaking difficulty showed lower intakes of nuts and seeds and mushrooms.The group with chewing difficulty had a lower riboflavin intake than those without chewing difficulty.The group with speaking difficulty showed a lower intake of dietary fiber than those without speaking difficulty.Compared to the Korean Dietary Reference Intakes (KDRIs), the group with chewing difficulty showed a higher proportion of insufficiency in riboflavin intake than those without chewing difficulty.The group with speaking difficulty showed a higher proportion of insufficiency in iron intake than those without speaking difficulty.These findings showed that the elderly with chewing and speaking difficulties have a low nutritional status in some nutrients.Therefore, nutritional intervention and oral health care are necessary.