Eating habits in older people in Greece: the role of age, dental status and chewing difficulties.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of age-related parameters on the dietary preferences in a Greek community-dwelling sample. 130 participants aged between 18 and 92 years were interviewed and clinically examined. Data were collected on their socio-demographic characteristics, their dental status, the oral complaints, their chewing difficulties and the frequency of eating a variety of food types. The results revealed that increasing age was associated with increased frequency of consumption of fish, grains and vegetables. Impaired dental status and chewing difficulties did not affect the frequency of eating meat and other "difficult to chew" food, but it was related to more frequent consumption of softer food (chicken, fish, grains, and dairy products). The older Greeks did not exclude any food type from their diet, because of dental impairment. To overcome chewing problems they used various preparing methods to consume their favorite food. The dietary patterns of the older participants adhere to the traditional Mediterranean diet greater than those of the younger ones, revealing the various cultural and social parameters which influence food selection.