Nutritional status and masticatory function of the indigenous compared with non-indigenous people of Nayarit, Mexico.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the nutritional statuses and masticatory function of the non-indigenous and indigenous adult people of the state of Nayarit, Mexico.

Design: Forty-two indigenous (Cora or Huichol ethnic group) and 100 non-indigenous people, all adults with natural dentition, participated in this cross-sectional study. They performed a free-style masticatory test consisting five trials of chewing silicon pieces for 20 cycles.