Korean J Fam Pract.  2021 Dec;11(6):415-421. 10.21215/kjfp.2021.11.6.415.

Association between Korean Healthy Eating Index and Dental Caries in Korean Adults: 2013–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

• Yun DH
• Kwon YJ

• KMID: 2523464
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.21215/kjfp.2021.11.6.415

Abstract

Background
Dental caries is a chronic disease that is commonly seen in all age groups in Korea. Studies regarding the association between diet quality and dental caries are limited, and previous studies have focused only on children and adolescents. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between Korean Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and dental caries in Korean adults.
Methods
Among 22,948 people who participated in the 2013–2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 10,365 adults aged ≥20 years were included in this study. The Korean HEI values were categorized into quartiles. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dental caries according to the HEI quartiles after adjusting for confounders.
Results
The prevalence of dental caries significantly decreased with increasing HEI quartiles. When compared with quartile 4, the ORs and 95% CIs for dental caries were 1.364 (1.139–1.634) in quartile 1, 1.297 (1.097–1.533) in quartile 2, and 1.321 (1.107–1.577) in quartile 3 after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, current smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, hypertension, diabetes, household income, education level, and tooth brushing before sleeping.
Conclusion
Higher HEI value was significantly associated with lower prevalence of dental caries. Efforts to follow healthy diet habits could help in the prevention of dental caries in Korean adults.

Keyword

Healthy Eating Index; Dental Caries; The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; Nutrition