Topical Area: Medical Nutrition, Nutrition Translation

Objectives : Adults with poor oral health have been shown to consume poorer quality diets with lower intakes of fibre and protein; reporting difficulty consuming foods that are components of a Mediterranean Diet (MD) such as nuts and fruit^1,2,3.The aim of this analysis was to analyse data from a 12-month pilot cluster randomised study evaluating a peer support MD intervention in Northern Ireland, to investigate whether self-reported oral health status had an impact on change in Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) and nutrient intakes between baseline and 6-months in response to advice to adopt a MD.

Methods : 4-day food diary data collected from participants (n=31, mean age 59.5y) was entered into Nutritics and analysed using SPSS v22. General linear regression models were conducted to investigate whether self-reported oral health status, assessed via questionnaire, was a predictor of mean daily nutrient intakes and MDS at baseline and 6-months, as well as mean change in daily intake and MDS between baseline and 6-months.

Results : Significant increases in MDS were observed between baseline and 6-months for the three oral health groups (excellent or very good n=12, good n=8, fair or poor n=11; p=0.021, p=0.001, p=0.009 respectively), however there were no significant differences in change in MDS between the groups (p=0.84). Results from fully adjusted regression models showed self-reported oral health status was not a predictor of MDS at baseline or 6-months or change in MDS from baseline to 6-months (p=0.83, p=0.12, p=0.38 respectively). Change in mean daily intakes of monounsaturated fatty acids, carotene and fibre were, however, observed to be predicted by self-reported oral health status (p=0.01, p=0.04, p=0.01 respectively adjusted for age, gender, years in full-time education and body mass index); with individuals in the excellent or very good oral health group having a significantly greater change in intake between baseline and 6-months compared to individuals in the fair or poor oral health group.

Conclusions : These results highlight self-reported oral health status as a predictor of change in intakes of nutrients associated with MD, but not change in overall MDS, potentially due to small participant numbers. This information linking diet and oral health could be used to effectively develop future nutrition interventions.

Funding Sources :

Department for the Economy funded PhD

Presenting Author(s)

• SW

  Sara Wallace

  PhD Student
  Queen's University Belfast

Co-Author(s)

• RO

  Roisin O'Neill

  Research Fellow
  Queen's University Belfast

• LM

  Laura McGowan

  Queen's University Belfast

• CM

  Claire McEvoy

  Centre for Public Health, Queens University Belfast

• GM

  Gerry McKenna

  Centre for Public Health, Queens University Belfast

• MC

  Margaret Cupples

  Professor
  Queen's University Belfast

• CP

  Chris Patterson

  Professor
  Queen's University Belfast

• IY

  Ian Young

  Professor
  Queen's University Belfast

• FK

  Frank Kee

  Centre for Public Health, Queens University Belfast

• 

  Jayne Woodside

  Centre for Public Health, Queens University Belfast