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To assess the association between oral health and general health, this study examined the relationship between chewing difficulty and twelve chronic health conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, cerebro- and cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disease, respiratory disease, eye/nose/throat disease, stomach/intestinal ulcer, renal dysfunction, thyroid disease, depression, and cancer in Korea. The study population was 3,066 elders aged 65 years old and more from the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Chewing difficulty was measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Chronic conditions were assessed by self-reported questionnaire. Confounders were age, gender, education, income, smoking, drinking, and obesity. Chi-square test, general linear model, and multiple logistic regression model were done with complex sampling design. Musculoskeletal disease (adjusted odds ratio=1.33), respiratory disease (adjusted odds ratio=1.52), and cancer (adjusted odds ratio=1.58) were independently associated with chewing difficulty. Multiple chronic conditions with more than 4 chronic disease showed significant association with chewing difficulty (adjusted odds ratio=1.37).
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