Associations between meat consumption and the prevalence of degenerative arthritis and soft tissue disorders in the adventist health study, California U.S.A

J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Jan-Feb;10(1):7-14.

Abstract

Objective: To examine associations between the prevalence of degenerative arthritis and soft tissue disorders and consumption of meat and other foods among participants in the Adventist Health Study.

Methods: Unconditional logistic regression analysis is used to examine cross-sectional associations, adjusting for the effects of age, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, use of sex hormones and parity.

Results: The prevalence of degenerative arthritis and soft tissue disorders was 22.60 percent. Women had a higher prevalence than men and prevalence increased greatly with age. Smoking, higher body mass index, never use of contraceptive pills, and current hormone replacement therapy are associated with a higher prevalence of these disorders on multivariate analysis. Multivariate OR's comparing consumption of meat < 1/week; >or= 1/week; with the reference being no meat, were 1.31(95% CI: 1.21,1.43) and 1.49(1.31, 1.70) in women; and 1.19 (95% CI: 1.05,1.34) and 1.43(1.20, 1.70) in men. Dairy fat and fruit consumption were weakly associated with increased risk. There were protective associations with nut and salad consumption.

Conclusions: Greater meat consumption is associated with a higher prevalence of degenerative arthritis and soft tissue disorders in both male and female subjects of this population, as is hormone replacement therapy in women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Animals
  • California / epidemiology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Diet*
  • Female
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Meat*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Odds Ratio
  • Osteoarthritis / epidemiology*
  • Osteoarthritis / etiology
  • Prevalence
  • Protestantism*
  • Rheumatic Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Rheumatic Diseases / etiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors