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IN rural older adults, frailty and reduced chewing performance were linked to a higher risk of malnutrition in southern Taiwan too.
Frailty Raised Risk of Malnutrition
Malnutrition remains a frequent, under recognized threat to older adults, particularly in rural communities where access to supportive services can be limited. In a cross-sectional study of 269 community dwelling adults over 65 years old recruited from community sites in southern Taiwan, researchers examined how frailty, oral health related function, and dietary wellbeing related to risk of malnutrition.
Risk of malnutrition was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form. Frailty was measured with the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures frailty index. Oral function was assessed using objective measures, including the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument and a chewing gum test to estimate masticatory performance. Dietary wellbeing was measured using a dedicated scale, and analyses used logistic regression with stratified assessments to explore whether associations differed by clinical and oral health subgroups.
Frailty was associated with higher risk of malnutrition, with an odds ratio of 2.47. This relationship appeared most pronounced among participants with chronic diseases, those with fewer than 20 teeth, and those who used dentures, suggesting overlapping vulnerabilities that may cluster in routine practice.
Oral Health and Dietary Well Being Associations
Measures of chewing ability were also strongly related to nutritional vulnerability. Higher masticatory performance was associated with lower risk of malnutrition, with an odds ratio of 0.67. In stratified analyses, this inverse association was most evident among participants with tooth loss and those using dentures, groups in which impaired chewing can directly shape food choices, texture tolerance, and overall dietary adequacy.
Dietary well being showed a modest protective association in participants living with chronic diseases, indicating that day to day dietary experience and perceived wellbeing may be clinically relevant alongside physical function and oral health.
Overall, the findings suggest that risk of malnutrition in older adults may be better understood when frailty and oral function are considered together, particularly for rural, community dwelling populations with chronic disease burden.
Kuo YW et al. Associations of frailty, oral health, and dietary well-being with risk of malnutrition among rural community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study. Exp Gerontol. 2026;215:113065. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2026.113065.