Malnutrition is a common health issue among older adults and can lead to increased morbidity, frailty and reduced quality of life. Several factors influence nutritional status, such as age, illness and lifestyle. This new research shows that chewing ability also plays a role.

“Our study shows that poor chewing ability is an independent risk factor for malnutrition, although the influence is relatively modest,” says Duangjai Lexomboon, dentist and researcher at the Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.

The study is based on data from the Kungsholmen Project (SNACK) and includes 1,596 individuals aged over 60.

The researchers investigated whether people who self-reported difficulties chewing hard food had a higher risk of malnutrition or significant weight loss (more than 10%) after six years.

The results showed that individuals with persistent or newly developed chewing problems were more likely to be malnourished at follow-up.

“Even though the effect size is small, the findings highlight the importance of paying attention to oral function when assessing the health of older adults,” says Lexomboon.