A comparison between young and elderly adults investigating the manual and oral capabilities during the eating process

The adequacy of food handling and eating performance is vital for human survival and well-being. However, physiological weakness due to ageing can often lead to compromised living. This work investigated quantifiable parameters to find associations between age and the eating capability in young (n = 36) and elderly sample populations (n = 40). The primary focus was to evaluate the strength of hand (hand and finger grip), mouth (tongue pressure) and the capability of texture discrimination (touch sensitivity and gel firmness). It was observed that, with age increment, there was a decrease in all measured forces (hand, finger, tongue) and an increased threshold in the texture discrimination (tactile and pair comparison test); the most decreased capability was observed in elderly women. Further statistical analyses show that hand grip force was related to finger force, tongue pressure and texture discrimination. These results demonstrate that a clear physiological separation exists between the two age groups and that the eating capability of an elderly individual can be objectively evaluated.