The relationship between nutrient intake, dental status and family cohesion among older Brazilians

• Autor(a) principal: Andrade,Fabiola Bof de
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Caldas Junior,Arnaldo de França, Kitoko,Pedro Makumbundu, Zandonade,Eliana
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2011000100012
• topic: Oral Health; Nutrition; Aged; Social Support

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between inadequate nutrient intake, oral health and family cohesion. This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 887 non-institutionalized elderly people from Vitória, Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Oral examination was performed by trained and calibrated examiners and three measurements were considered: number of posterior occluding pairs of natural teeth (POP), number of teeth and overall dental status. Nutrient intake was assessed by a 24-hour diet recall interview. The elderly person's perception of family cohesion was assessed using the family adaptability and cohesion scale. People with no POP were more likely than those with 5 or more POP to have inadequate intake of vitamin C (OR = 2.79; 95%CI: 1.16-6.71), calcium (OR = 3.74; 95%CI: 1.69-8.25), riboflavin (OR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.10-5.64) and zinc (OR = 3.43; 95%CI: 1.07-10.94). There was no association between elderly people's perceptions of family cohesion and inadequate intakes. It was concluded that oral health is related to inadequate intake of important nutrients among non-institutionalized elderly people.