Identification of dietary patterns and their relationships with general and oral health in the very old

Little is known about the dietary patterns of Asian populations aged =85 years and their associated factors. Thus, we aimed to (1) identify these dietary patterns and (2) clarify the relationships between the dietary pattern and health outcomes in a community-dwelling very old population. The Tokyo Oldest Old Survey on Total Health study is an observational cohort study comprising 512 Japanese subjects (women, n=288; men, n=224; age, 87.8±2.2 years). Dietary patterns were assessed by principal component analysis using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. Barthel index, Mini-Mental State Examination, and oral health status [maximum occlusal force (MOF), denture use, and dentulous / edentulous state] were also measured. Two dietary patterns were identified. The first factor component "traditional Japanese" was characterized by a high consumption of vegetables, seaweed, legumes, and fish. The second factor component "noodles and confectioneries" was characterized by a high consumption of noodles, confectioneries, and non-alcoholic beverages. Multivariable analysis showed that the "traditional Japanese" dietary pattern was inversely associated with dentulous state (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.34-0.82), the lowest tertile of MOF (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.42-0.99), and denture use (OR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.26- 4.63) even after adjustment for potential confounders. Furthermore, the "noodles and confectioneries" dietary pattern was inversely associated with the lowest tertile of MOF (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.40-0.94). However, there were no significant associations between these dietary patterns and disability or cognitive function. We identified two dietary patterns in the very old population, which were associated with oral health status.