Abstract: Objective To investigate the prevalence of mild depressive disorder(MCI) and to analyze the relationship between MCI and masticatory ability in the community elderly. Methods A total of 2950 elderly people aged 60 years old and over were selected from 210 urban and rural communities in Haikou City to participate in the cross-sectional study. The masticatory ability of all cases was assessed by discolored gum based on chewing effect. Cognitive impairment was assessed by Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA) and mini-mental state examination(MMSE). Socio-demographic characteristics, activities of daily living(ADL) and mini-nutritional assessment(MNA) were also analyzed. Results The median age of the subjects was 81.5 years old(70-102 years old), of which 67.8% were women, and 590(20%) presented with MCI. The age and the proportion of women in cases with MCI were higher, and the levels of ADL, masticatory ability and nutritional status were lower than those without MCI(P <0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age and masticatory ability were independent influencing factors of MCI in the community elderly(P<0.05). Conclusions The prevalence rate of MCI in community elderly is about 20%, and the poor masticatory ability is related to MCI.

Key words: community elderly, masticatory ability, mild cognitive impairment, prevalence