Table 2 State of oral health care and Self-perceived ability to chew food
Variable | Number of residents (Percentage) | Means (95% CI) | Correlation coefficient between oral moisture and each variable |
|---|---|---|---|
1. State of oral health care | |||
  (1) Regular dental examination in the previous 6 months | |||
 NO | 511 (91.3) | – | 0.06 |
 Yes | 49 (8.8) | – |  |
  (2) Frequency of tooth brushing per day | – | 1.65 (1.56–1.75) | 0.11* |
  (3) Frequency of gargling per day | – | 1.32 (1.20–1.44) | 0.12** |
2. Self-perceived ability to chew food | Â | Means (95% CI) | Correlation coefficient between oral moisture and total score |
Fruits (non-pickled fruits, overripe/soft fruits, or juice) | |||
 1.Sugar cane (not juice) | – | 5.24 (5.05–5.43) | – |
 2.Sliced guava | – | ||
 3.Sliced apple or pear | – | ||
 4.Sliced orange | – | ||
 5.Sliced star fruit or bell fruit | – | ||
 6.Sliced melon or tangerine | – | ||
 7.Sliced watermelon or pineapple | – | ||
 8.Papaya or banana | – | ||
(2) Fresh foods and meats | |||
 1.Squid | – | 4.40 (4.17–4.60) | – |
 2.Soy sauce-braised pork ears | – | ||
 3.Fried chicken leg or chicken fillet | – | ||
 4.Fish (steamed) | – | ||
(3) Cooked vegetables (mainly scrambled or braised food) | |||
 1.Stir-fried peanut | – | 5.87 (5.66–6.07) | – |
 2.Boiled bamboo shoots or broccoli | – | ||
 3.Sliced cucumber or kidney bean | – | ||
 4.Water spinach or cabbage | – | ||
 5.Pickled lettuce in soy sauce or pickled cucumber in soy sauce | |||
 6.Sliced sweet pepper | – | ||
 7.Steamed sweet potato or taro | – | ||
 8.Overcooked tomato | – | ||
(4) Sticky foods | |||
 Malt syrup nougat | – | 4.73 (4.45–5.00) | – |
 Mochi | – | ||
 Rice cake | – | ||
 Rice dumpling | – | ||
Total score | – | 20.22 (19.45–20.98) | 0.07 |