Exploring the link between diet quality and testosterone deficiency: evidence from NHANES 2011-2016
Xianlin Zhan1, Wei Yan1, Fei Xu2
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, PLA Naval Medical Center, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Background:
Testosterone deficiency (TD) is a prevalent condition that negatively impacts health, with diet quality being a potential modifiable risk factor. Using cross-sectional NHANES 2011-2016 data, we evaluated the association between diet quality and TD.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study analyzed 3262 male adults aged ≥20 years from NHANES (2011-2016). Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2020) and the Comprehensive Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI). Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between diet quality and TD.
Results:
Participants with TD had significantly lower HEI-2020 scores compared to non-TD participants (48.64 vs. 49.38, p = 0.038). In the fully adjusted model (age, race, BMI, etc.), participants in the highest tertile of CDAI had a significantly lower risk of TD (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76-0.96, p = 0.014). After adjusting for potential confounders (age, race, BMI, etc.), individuals in the highest tertile of HEI-2020 also showed a reduced odds of TD (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.98, p = 0.011).
Conclusions:
Better adherence to diet quality indices, as measured by HEI-2020 and CDAI, is associated with a lower risk of TD.
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