Investigation of direct and indirect association of ultra-processed food intake and periodontitis

Background: Ultra-processed foods are associated with both sugar intake and non-communicable diseases. We aimed to assess whether the intake of ultra-processed food is associated with periodontal disease and whether this association, if present, is dependent on non-communicable diseases. Methods: This analysis used data from cycles 2009 to 2010, 2011 to 2012, and 2013 to 2014 of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including participants aged 30 years or older. Dietary recalls were categorized according to the NOVA classification, and total contribution of ultra-processed foods to daily energy intake (%E) was calculated. Cases of periodontitis were defined as moderate or severe according to the CDC working group criteria for use in population surveillance of periodontitis. Adjustment variables to estimate total and direct associations were defined with directed acyclic graphs. Odds ratios were estimated with logistic regression for moderate/severe periodontitis and severe periodontitis, and ordinal logistic regression for the trichotomized outcome. Analyses were performed using NHANES fasting subsample weights. Results: Sample participants numbered 4809 (52.2% female), with a mean age of 52.1 years (SE, 0.3). The prevalence of periodontal disease was 27.8% for moderate and 6.5% for severe cases. Mean %E from ultra-processed foods was 54.4 (SE, 0.5). No significant crude, direct, or total association between ultra-processed %E and periodontal disease was found. Conclusion: Intake of ultra-processed foods is not associated with periodontal disease in US non-institutionalized adults over 30 years old, whether directly or by mediation.