Ryutaro Takahashi

Effects of Intervention Using a Community-Based Walking Program for Prevention of Mental Decline: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To evaluate the efficacy of a municipality‐led walking program under the Japanese public Long‐Term Care Insurance Act to prevent mental decline.

Simple screening test for risk of falls in the elderly

Background:  The aim of this study is to construct a simple screening test for the risk of falls in community‐dwelling elder persons.

Age and sex differences in the taste sensitivity of young adult, young-old and old-old Japanese

The present study examined sex and age differences in taste sensitivity among young adult, young‐old and old‐old Japanese.

Association of personality traits with oral health-related quality of life independently of objective oral health status: A study of community-dwelling elderly Japanese

OBJECTIVES Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is being increasingly used in epidemiologic studies of dentistry. However, patient-reported OHRQoL does not always coincide with clinical measures. Previous studies have shown a relationship between OHRQoL and personality, but did not concomitantly investigate oral function. We aimed to examine the association among personality traits, oral function, and OHRQoL using a large sample of community-dwelling Japanese elderly. METHODS The participants (n = 938; age, 69-71 years) were drawn from a complete enumeration of an urban area and a rural area of both the Tokyo metropolitan area and Hyogo Prefecture. The self-perceived impact of OHRQoL was measured using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). The oral status and socioeconomic characteristics were recorded in each participant, and personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) were assessed with the NEO-five-factor inventory. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships between OHRQoL and other factors, with p < 0.05 considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS Neuroticism was negatively associated with the GOHAI score in bivariate analyses (Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient (rs )= -0.20), whereas extraversion was positively associated (rs = 0.17). In the regression analyses, neuroticism (standardized partial regression coefficient (β) = -0.179) and extraversion (β=0.094) were significantly associated with the GOHAI scores independently of the number of teeth, maximal occlusal force, and financial status. CONCLUSIONS Personality traits are associated with OHRQoL independently of objective measures of oral health status in community-dwelling elderly Japanese. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This study showed personality traits are associated with OHRQoL independently of dental status and oral function in old Japanese people. As elderly patients undergo increasingly complex dental treatments, there is a need to evaluate patient personality traits prior to dental treatment and predict patient expectations and responses to planned treatment. This is advantageous in determining the most appropriate therapy.

The impact of subjective memory complaints on quality of life in community-dwelling older adults

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of memory complaints on quality of life (QOL) in elderly community dwellers with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Family relationships of self-care-dependent older people and institutionalized rate to nursing homes

Background:  The government recommends home care for self‐care‐dependent older people in order to suppress care expenditure. Family relationships between primary caregivers and self‐care‐dependent older people might be one of the factors influencing the institutionalized rate.

Lower Protein Intake Mediates Association Between Lower Occlusal Force and Slower Walking Speed: From the Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians Study.

To investigate the association between lower extremity motor function and occlusion in older adults and to examine the possibility of dietary intake of protein mediating the association.

Association of periodontal status with occlusal force and food acceptability in 70-year-old adults: From SONIC Study

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of periodontal status with occlusal force and food acceptability. We hypothesised that mastication deteriorated with reduced periodontal support, even when posterior occlusal contacts with natural teeth were maintained and the patients remained clinically asymptomatic. Participants were 482 independently living 69-71-year-olds, classified as Eichners group A, having no mobile teeth and no periodontal symptoms. The periodontal probing depth (PPD) and restoration status of each tooth were examined. Occlusal force in the intercuspal position was measured with pressure-sensitive films. Food acceptability was evaluated from the difficulty experienced in chewing apples, grilled beef, and hard rice crackers. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to investigate the association of periodontal status with occlusal force and food acceptability. A P-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that occlusal force had significant negative associations with maximal PPD (standardised partial regression coefficient (β) = -0.121) after controlling for gender, handgrip strength, number of teeth, and percentage of restored teeth. Approximately 15% of participants were included in the compromised food acceptability group. Logistic regression analyses showed that compromised food acceptability was significantly associated with PPD, after controlling for gender, number of teeth, and percentage of restored teeth. Periodontal probing depth (PPD) was significantly correlated with occlusal force and self-rated food acceptability after controlling for the possible confounding factors in septuagenarians, even those with complete posterior occlusal contacts and no tooth mobility.

Family relationships for self‐care‐dependent older people at home

Background:  Although the government recommends self‐care‐dependent older people be cared for at home, family relationships between caregivers and self‐care‐dependent older people surely would be one of the key factors for care at home. Good memories of family caregivers for self‐care‐dependent older people before self‐care‐dependence would overcome negative psychological symptoms to care at home.

FIVE-YEAR EXPERIENCE WITH THE LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE SYSTEM IN JAPAN

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