Relationship Between Dietary Patterns and Oral Status in Northeast Germany

Objectives: Although there is much evidence that diet changes with tooth loss, the association between dietary patterns and prosthetic status is unknown. Data were collected during the baseline phase of SHIP (Study of Health in Pomerania), a government funded cross-sectional study in northeast Germany. Methods: A total of 6,248 randomly drawn adults aged 20 to79 years were contacted and 69% (4,310) were examined. The identification of dietary patterns within males and females were measured using a 33-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results: A K-means cluster analysis identified diet groups among the males and females. Males having 10 teeth or more most frequently preferred traditional German cooking (16%), males wearing an RPD (17%) or a CD (20%) were more likely to eat bread, cheese, and cold cuts, and males having 9 or fewer teeth (15%) ate meat, but no milk products. Among females, the most (16%-19%) ate normal meals of everything and, less frequently (2-4%), fast food, but oral status did not appear to influence their food choice. Conclusions: Males and females show differences in dietary patterns. Oral status appears to have no impact on diet in females, however elderly males wearing RPDs or CDs are more likely to eat traditional German cooking. An important impact on dietary patterns might be socioeconomic factors (age, family status, educational level) that will be taken into consideration in further investigations.