Frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and oral health-related quality of life among the elderly in Amirkola (Babol, Iran)

Introduction: Considering that nutrition plays a prominent role in the health of the elderly, oral health and the associated quality of life are very important for a healthy diet. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among the elderly in Amirkola. Materials & Methods: This study was part of the second phase of the Amirkola elderly cohort study conducted on 750 older people who underwent a special oral and dental examination in 2016-2020 using the Oral Health Questionnaire. The frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption was assessed with the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQFFQ), OHRQoL was assessed with the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), and information on age, sex, history of systemic diseases, and the number of teeth was extracted from the full data set completed by specialists for each patient. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20 using the chi-square statistical test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient. A value of p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Non-smokers and people with a higher level of education had a better OHRQoL (P=0.022 and P=0.036, respectively). There was no significant relationship between the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and OHRQoL, but a significant relationship was found between the frequency of fresh herb consumption and OHRQoL (p=0.005). In men, there was a significant relationship between the number of teeth and frequency of vegetable consumption as well as between OHRQoL and frequency of fresh herb consumption in men (P=0.048, r=0.096).In women, a significant relationship was observed between the frequency of total vegetable consumption and OHRQoL (p=0.021, r=0.129). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, it was found that the amount of fruit and vegetable consumption has no effect on improving the OHRQoL among the elderly of Amirkola city

Periodontal Status in Osteoporotic Postmenopausal Women in Amirkola, North of Iran

Background and purpose: Osteoporosis and periodontitis are two diseases associated with bone loss and are common among postmenopausal women. There are many contradictory results on the effect of osteoporosis on periodontal tissue. This study aimed to determine the association between osteoporosis and periodontal status in postmenopausal women. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was part of the second phase of the Amir kola Health and Aging Project (AHAP), in which 210 postmenopausal women were randomly divided into three groups (n=70 per group); normal bone density group,  osteopenic group, and osteoporotic group. Periodontal status was measured using Periodontal Disease Index (PDI), Plaque Index (PI), and Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Data were analyzed in SPSS V17 applying ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The average age of the participants was 65.24±4.36 years. There were no statistically significant differences between the mean OHI (2.26±1.40), PDI (2.76±1.42), and PI (1.23±0.87) in the osteoporotic group, and the mean OHI (2.01±1.62), PDI (2.56±1.61), and PI (1.35±0.91) in the osteopenia group, and mean OHI (1.73±1.37), PDI (2.47±1.43), and PI (1.23±0.87) in the normal group (P>0.05). The OHI, PDI, and PI had a slight but insignificant negative correlation with BMD. Conclusion: According to this study, there is no link between osteoporosis and periodontal status in postmenopausal women