Oral frailty and nutritional appetite in older adults: a cross-sectional, moderated mediation model of oral self-efficacy and personal mastery

Oral self-efficacy is a key mechanism linking oral frailty to nutritional appetite, and personal mastery is a protective psychological resource that buffers this detrimental association. These findings highlight that interventions to improve nutritional outcomes in older adults should not only address physical oral health but also aim to enhance psychological resources like self-efficacy and a sense of personal control.