OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of age, gender, height and body mass index (BMI) on oral water suction. METHOD: During the test, performed in duplicate, the time one person needs to continuously sip 40 ml of water was measured at room temperature using a straw 6 mm in diameter and another straw 3 mm in diameter. The volunteers were asked to remain seated with their head in a 90º angle between jaw and neck. If necessary they could swallow. In order to verify the reproducibility of the test the same evaluation was conducted in a group of 15 individuals, four times on separate days. The investigation included 180 asymptomatic individuals, a younger group (aged 20 to 30 years, 45 men and 45 women) and an older group (aged 65 to 89 years, 45 men and 45 women). RESULTS: Sucking time was longer for elderly than for young individuals. There was a gender difference for older subjects when the 3 mm straw was used, with a longer time for women than for men. Intra-subject variation was not significant. In young women BMI showed positive correlation with time of suction. Time of suction was not associated with height. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the ageing process causes impairment of liquid suction, and that this impairment is more intense in women than in men. In young women an increase in BMI is associated with a longer liquid suction time.
Suction; Distribution by Age and Gender; Swallowing; Height; Body Mass Index
