Oral Functions and Various Cooking Methods Associated With Chewing-To-Swallowing Time in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

P C Lin; C H Huang; J H Wu; Y C Lin; Koichiro Matsuo; H L Huang

doi:10.1111/joor.13946

Oral Functions and Various Cooking Methods Associated With Chewing-To-Swallowing Time in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

J Oral Rehabil. 2025 Jan 24. doi: 10.1111/joor.13946. Online ahead of print.

Authors

P C Lin^{1

2

3}, C H Huang⁴, J H Wu^{1

2}, Y C Lin⁵, Koichiro Matsuo⁶, H L Huang^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral Hygiene, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
² Department of Dentistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
³ Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Hotel and Restaurant Management, National Pingtung University of Sicence and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan.
⁵ School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Oral Health Sciences for Community Welfare, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

PMID: 39861982
DOI: 10.1111/joor.13946

Abstract

Background: Oral frailty in older adults can affect their eating efficiency, prolonging meal times, which can compromise food flavour.

Objective: This study explored the association between cooking methods and chewing-to-swallowing time on the basis of different oral functions in older adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 65 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥ 65 years. Chewing-to-swallowing time was measured as participants tested the textures of two ingredients-chicken breast and baby Chinese cabbage-prepared using four cooking methods (boiling, sous vide, confit and high-pressure). Oral frailty was determined by the following items: tooth count, bite force, saliva secretion rate, swallowing, tongue-lip motor function and oral hygiene. Regression models analysed the correlation between cooking methods and chewing-to-swallowing time under various oral functions.

Results: No differences in chewing-to-swallowing time were found for chicken prepared using the various cooking methods among older adults with oral frailty (all p > 0.05). However, for older adults without oral frailty had a shorter chewing-to-swallowing time for both sous vide (β = -1.06, p < 0.001) and confit chicken (β = -1.79, p = 0.003) than for boiled chicken. For older adults with oral frailty had a shorter chewing-to-swallowing time for sous vide (β = -0.06, p < 0.001) and high-pressure methods (β = -1.16, p < 0.001) than for boiled vegetable. For older adults without oral frailty had a shorter chewing-to-swallowing time for high-pressure methods (β = -0.83, p < 0.001) than for boiled vegetable.

Conclusion: Under different oral functional conditions, cooking methods are associated with the chewing and swallowing times of older adults.

Keywords: chewing‐to‐swallowing time; cooking method; food texture; older adult; oral frailty; oral function.