Association between dietary hardness score and activities of daily living among individuals aged 90 years

OBJECTIVES: With the rapidly aging world population, Japan has many older people with difficulties in maintaining oral health. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary hardness score and performance of activities of daily living (ADL) of 90‐year‐old individuals in rural areas of Japan. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 236 individuals (64 men and 172 women) aged 90 years in Mitsugi town, Hiroshima, Japan, were included. Assessment of oral status and survey of ADL were performed. The association of ADL with dietary hardness score and the number of remaining teeth was determined. RESULTS: The mean dietary hardness score was 8.3 ± 2.6. Eighty individuals showed independence in ADL, whereas 156 individuals showed dependence. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounding factors, showed that dietary hardness score was associated with ADL status but not the number of remaining teeth. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a low dietary hardness score is associated with dependence on ADL in 90‐year‐old individuals.