Association of depression with chewing problems in Koreans : A cross-sectional study using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study was designed to analyze the relationship between the presence and severity of depression and chewing problems (CPs) in a representative sample of the general population. @*Materials and Methods@#Health surveys and examinations were conducted on a nationally representative sample (n = 8150) of Korean was conducted. CPs was determined by a simple survey response concerning “Do you feel uncomfortable about chewing your food because of problems with your mouth such as teeth,dentures and gums?” Depression was defined as individuals with a total score ≥ 10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 survey. Data regarding demographics, socioeconomic history and comorbid health conditions were used to analyze adjusted logisticregression models. @*Results@#In the Korean population, the prevalence of depression was significantly greater in individuals with CP (17.2%) than in those without CP (10.2%). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the presence of depression was significantly associated with CPs (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] 1.90, P < 0.001). The risk of CPs increased with increasing severity of depression as follows severe depression (OR 2.62, P < 0.001), moderately severe depression (OR 2.19, P < 0.001). @*Conclusion@#The presence of depression was significantly associated with CPs, especially in severely depressed individuals. Depression screening should be considered in treating CP patients.