The Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS): Normative data for two crackers available in the Scandinavian and international markets

Abstract

Purpose: To establish normative data of crackers common in the Scandinavian and international markets for use in the Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS), and to investigate possible sex and age effects on masticatory performances. Method: 234 healthy participants (>20 years of age) were asked to either ingest the Göteborgskex Guld Marie™ cracker (n = 234) or to ingest both a Guld Marie cracker and a Tuc Original™ cracker (n = 115). Quantifiable measures of masticatory performance (number of bites, number of chewing cycles, number of swallows, and total time) were observed during TOMASS for each participant, directly on-site or by video recording. Result: There were no significant differences in masticatory performances between the crackers. Significant age effects were observed for all masticatory measurements, except for the number of swallows. The results showed insufficient support for an effect of sex, and that results obtained on-site and from video recordings were highly correlated. Conclusion: These findings suggest that similar masticatory performance is to be expected when performing TOMASS using the evaluated crackers. The age of the participant affects TOMASS performance, but the effect of sex is considerably smaller.