Association Between Fast Food Consumption and Arthritis in American Adults Living in Poverty
Abstract
Introduction and Objective. Arthritis, affecting 1 in 4 US adults and projected to impact 78 million by 2040, poses significant functional challenges. Impoverished individuals face heightened consequences, including difficulties in employment. In 2013, arthritis-related costs exceeded $300 billion in the US. There continues to remain gaps in knowledge regarding causation, long-term effects, the impact of dietary changes, diversity of arthritis types, and the underlying mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between fast food consumption and various types of arthritis in a large sample of adults who are living in poverty in the US between 2017-2020. Methods. This analytical cross-sectional study used data from the 2017 - March 2020 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). Study participants were adults who had an income-to-poverty ratio below one. Participants who did not report an income-to-poverty ratio were excluded. The main outcome variable was the presence of arthritis and type of arthritis. The main exposure variable was fast food consumption in the last seven days (ie., “How many of those meals did you get from a fast-food or pizza place?”). Age, gender, race, smoking status, BMI, and food security were included as covariates. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analysis were used to calculate odds ratio (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. This study included. 2,137 participants mean age of 45.5 years and a BMI of 29.9 kg/m2. There was no association between fast food consumption and different forms of arthritis. However, BMI was significantly associated with developing psoriatic/other arthritis as the overweight group was found to have 3.59 greater odds of developing psoriatic/other arthritis (OR 3.59; 95% CI 1.36-9.47) while the obese group had 5.58 greater odds of developing psoriatic/other arthritis (OR 5.58; 95% CI 1.46-1.21.36). Females were more likely to develop OA (OR 3.84, 95% CI 1.07-13.81) and RA (OR 3.30; 95% CI 1.32-3.80). Conclusions-Implications. High-fat consumption in fast food may not be directly linked to arthritis in lower-income populations. Lifestyle factors could influence outcomes, necessitating patient counseling. Future studies with prospective data collection are warranted to clarify the role of fast-food consumption in arthritis development.
Abstract Category
9. Epidemiology
Secondary Abstract Category
23. Orthopedics
Keywords
Arthritis, fast food, western diet, arthritis severity, poverty
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Association Between Fast Food Consumption and Arthritis in American Adults Living in Poverty
Introduction and Objective. Arthritis, affecting 1 in 4 US adults and projected to impact 78 million by 2040, poses significant functional challenges. Impoverished individuals face heightened consequences, including difficulties in employment. In 2013, arthritis-related costs exceeded $300 billion in the US. There continues to remain gaps in knowledge regarding causation, long-term effects, the impact of dietary changes, diversity of arthritis types, and the underlying mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between fast food consumption and various types of arthritis in a large sample of adults who are living in poverty in the US between 2017-2020. Methods. This analytical cross-sectional study used data from the 2017 - March 2020 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). Study participants were adults who had an income-to-poverty ratio below one. Participants who did not report an income-to-poverty ratio were excluded. The main outcome variable was the presence of arthritis and type of arthritis. The main exposure variable was fast food consumption in the last seven days (ie., “How many of those meals did you get from a fast-food or pizza place?”). Age, gender, race, smoking status, BMI, and food security were included as covariates. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analysis were used to calculate odds ratio (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results. This study included. 2,137 participants mean age of 45.5 years and a BMI of 29.9 kg/m2. There was no association between fast food consumption and different forms of arthritis. However, BMI was significantly associated with developing psoriatic/other arthritis as the overweight group was found to have 3.59 greater odds of developing psoriatic/other arthritis (OR 3.59; 95% CI 1.36-9.47) while the obese group had 5.58 greater odds of developing psoriatic/other arthritis (OR 5.58; 95% CI 1.46-1.21.36). Females were more likely to develop OA (OR 3.84, 95% CI 1.07-13.81) and RA (OR 3.30; 95% CI 1.32-3.80). Conclusions-Implications. High-fat consumption in fast food may not be directly linked to arthritis in lower-income populations. Lifestyle factors could influence outcomes, necessitating patient counseling. Future studies with prospective data collection are warranted to clarify the role of fast-food consumption in arthritis development.