Table 1 Demographic and health related characteristics of participants and results of the univariate analysis (N = 775)

Age (year)

(Mean ± SD)

81.3 ± 9.3

82.0 ± 9.5

81.0 ± 9.2

0.159

60 ~ 69 years

93 (12.0%)

30 (12.4%)

63 (11.8%)

0.383

70 ~ 79 years

192 (24.8%)

52 (21.6%)

140 (26.2%)

≥80 years

490 (63.2%)

159 (66.0%)

331 (62.0%)

Sex

Male

305 (39.4%)

101 (41.9%)

204 (38.2%)

0.328

Female

470 (60.6%)

140 (58.1%)

330 (61.8%)

Marital status

Unmarried

528 (68.1%)

148 (61.4%)

380 (71.2%)

0.007

Married

247 (31.9%)

93 (38.6%)

154 (28.8%)

Education

Illiterate

206 (26.6%)

63 (36.1%)

143 (26.8%)

0.199

Primary school

158 (20.4%)

42 (17.4%)

116 (21.7%)

High school

286 (36.9%)

88 (36.5%)

198 (37.1%)

College and above

125 (16.1%)

48 (19.9%)

77 (14.4%)

Texture of diet

General diet

524 (67.6%)

74 (30.7%)

450 (84.3%)

<0.001

Soft diet

82 (10.6%)

19 (7.9%)

63 (11.8%)

Semi-liquid diet

28 (3.6%)

21 (8.7%)

7 (1.3%)

Liquid diet

49 (6.3%)

38 (15.8%)

11 (2.1%)

Tube feeding

92 (11.9%)

89 (36.9%)

3 (0.6%)

BMI

(Mean ± SD)

22.0 ± 3.9

21.2 ± 4.0

22.4 ± 3.8

<0.001

Underweight (BMI<18.5)

147 (19.0%)

66 (27.4%)

81 (15.2%)

<0.001

Normal (18.5 ≤ BMI<24)

389 (50.2%)

115 (47.7%)

274 (51.3%)

Overweight(24 ≤ BMI<28)

188 (24.3%)

44 (18.3%)

144 (27.0%)

Obesity (BMI ≥ 28)

51 (6.6%)

16 (6.6%)

35 (6.6%)

Dental condition

Normal teeth

136 (17.5%)

34 (14.1%)

102 (19.1%)

<0.001

Artificial teeth

138 (17.8%)

27 (11.2%)

111 (20.8%)

Dental caries

501 (64.6%)

180 (74.7%)

321 (60.1%)

Aspiration history (Occurred during the past month)

No

687 (88.6%)

169 (70.1%)

518 (97.0%)

<0.001

Yes

88 (11.4%)

72 (29.9%)

16 (3.0%)

Pneumonia history (Occurred during the past year)

No

715 (92.3%)

195 (80.9%)

520 (97.4%)

<0.001

Yes

60 (7.7%)

46 (19.1%)

14 (2.6%)

Hospitalization history (Occurred during the past year)

No

577 (74.5%)

156 (64.7%)

421 (78.8%)

<0.001

Yes

198 (25.5%)

85 (35.3%)

113 (21.2%)

Types of oral medication

(Mean ± SD)

2.5 ± 2.1

3.2 ± 2.3

2.2 ± 1.9

<0.001

≤2

446 (57.5%)

107 (44.4%)

339 (63.5%)

<0.001

≥3

329 (42.5%)

134 (55.6%)

195 (36.5%)

Dementia

No

634 (81.8%)

183 (75.9%)

451 (84.5%)

0.004

Yes

141 (18.2%)

58 (24.1%)

83 (15.5%)

Parkinson disease

No

728 (93.9%)

215 (89.2%)

513 (96.1%)

<0.001

Yes

47 (6.1%)

26 (10.8%)

21 (3.9%)

Stroke history

No

462 (59.6%)

99 (41.1%)

363 (68.0%)

<0.001

Yes

313 (40.4%)

142 (58.9%)

171 (32.0%)

TBI history

No

763 (98.5%)

236 (97.9%)

527 (98.7%)

0.530^b

Yes

12 (1.5%)

5 (2.1%)

7 (1.3%)

Cancer

No

752 (97.0%)

228 (94.6%)

527 (98.1%)

0.007

Yes

23 (3.0%)

13 (5.4%)

10 (1.9%)

Diabetes

No

577 (74.5%)

177 (73.4%)

400 (74.9%)

0.666

Yes

198 (25.5%)

64 (26.6%)

134 (25.1%)

Hypertension

No

391 (50.5%)

118 (49.0%)

273 (51.1%)

0.578

Yes

384 (49.5%)

123 (51.0%)

261 (48.9%)

Hyperlipidemia

No

709 (91.5%)

228 (94.6%)

481 (90.1%)

0.036

Yes

66 (8.5%)

13 (5.4%)

53 (9.9%)

Heart failure

No

731 (94.3%)

226 (93.8%)

505 (94.6%)

0.659

Yes

44 (5.7%)

15 (6.2%)

29 (5.4%)

Heart attack history

No

725 (93.5%)

218 (90.5%)

507 (94.9%)

0.019

Yes

50 (6.5%)

23 (9.5%)

27 (5.1%)

COPD

No

760 (98.1%)

236 (97.9%)

524 (98.1%)

1.000^b

Yes

15 (1.9%)

5 (2.1%)

10 (1.9%)

Digestive diseases

No

734 (94.7%)

224 (92.9%)

510 (95.5%)

0.141

Yes

41 (5.3%)

17 (7.1%)

24 (4.5%)