XXXX , chewing habits, and food choices among older Nigerians in Plateau State: a preliminary study.

@entity1 @entity4336 @entity2524
OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between @entity2524 , chewing habits, and food choices among older Nigerians. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered by an interviewer to 500 randomly selected Nigerians, aged 50 and above, drawn from households in Plateau State in the North Central part of Nigeria. Intake of fruits/vegetables, and hard food items such as nuts, roast @entity4336 and nontender meat, was assessed. The subjects were then examined clinically to chart their dentitions. RESULTS: The sample comprised of approximately equal numbers of @entity1 and @entity1 from predominantly rural and semi-urban communities. Those @entity1 who had more than 20 teeth selected fruits/vegetables more frequently than those with fewer teeth; in addition, they chewed hard foods more frequently. On the other hand, a larger proportion of @entity1 with 20 or fewer teeth indicated that they avoided certain food items because of their teeth/mouth conditions. One-way anova showed that the @entity1 who selected fruits/vegetables daily or weekly compared to occasionally or rarely had significantly more teeth on average. Multivariable logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, gender, income, and education showed that the number of remaining teeth was significantly associated with the selection of vegetables/fruits and other hard food items. CONCLUSION: @entity2524 affects selection of specific foods by older Nigerians in Plateau State and thus, could impact on the nutritional status of these individuals.
