Association between dietary diversity and periodontal health: a cross-sectional study of 26 595 older adults in central and southern China.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the association between dietary diversity (DD) and the periodontal health of older adults in China.<b>Design:</b> A cross-sectional study. The study was conducted at a health management centre of a large tertiary hospital in Hunan Province, China, which is also one of the largest health management centres in central and southern China. A total of 26 595 older adults aged 60 years or older participated in the study from 2017-2024. All participants completed a self-administered health assessment questionnaire before undergoing routine check-ups. DD among participants was evaluated using a dietary diversity score (DDS), which was subsequently classified into three levels: low-DDS, medium-DDS and high-DDS. Periodontal health examination results were recorded by professional physicians. Associations of DDS and food groups with periodontal health outcomes were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Up to 69.1% of participants had periodontal health problems, and only 18.2% of participants had a high-DDS. Among them, high-DDS (OR=0.69; 95% CI: 0.65 to 0.76; p<0.001) and medium-DDS (OR=0.79; 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.84; p<0.001) were associated with lower odds of periodontal health problems. Similarly, consumption of fruit (OR=0.64; 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.68; p<0.001), eggs (OR=0.93; 95% CI: 0.87 to 0.99; p=0.024), milk (OR=0.72; 95% CI: 0.68 to 0.77; p<0.001) and beans (OR=0.93; 95% CI: 0.88 to 0.98; p<0.001) was also associated with lower odds of these problems, whereas meat (OR=1.19; 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.26; p<0.001) consumption was associated with higher odds. A higher DD was associated with lower odds of periodontal health problems among older adults in China. Specific dietary patterns, including the consumption of various food groups, were also found to be associated with periodontal health status and deserve further exploration through prospective studies.