Association between masticatory function, frailty, and functional disability: an observational study

Increase in functional disability in aging societies is an international medical and public health issue. Masticatory function may be a potential risk factor for functional disability, but the role of frailty in the association has not been clarified. Forty thousand five hundred sixty-two community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and over who were insured by public health insurance as of April 2018 were followed up for a median of 3.0 years. Masticatory function was categorized as good, moderate, or poor based on a self-reported questionnaire. The development of functional disability was defined as a new certification of the need for long-term care. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95