Instant noodles, processed food intake, and dietary pattern are associated with atopic dermatitis in an adult population (KNHANES 2009-2011).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) is continuously increasing in industrialized countries, possibly due to dietary and lifestyle changes. However, the association between processed food intake and AD has not been studied in a large adult population. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN We investigated the association between dietary habits and AD in 17,497 adults in the 2009-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). RESULTS We identified 4 dietary patterns using principal components analysis of a 63-item food frequency questionnaire: the "traditional dietary pattern", rich in rice and kimchi; the "processed food pattern", with more meat, instant noodles, soda, and processed foods; the "healthy dietary pattern", high in grains, vegetables, fruits, and seaweeds; and the "drinking dietary pattern", mainly drinking coffee and alcohol. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for AD were calculated according to dietary patterns after adjusting for potential confounders with incorporation of sample weights for the complex sample design. The "meat and processed food" pattern was associated with a significant 1.57 fold higher OR for atopic dermatitis than the low consumption group. Further analysis revealed that the increased atopic dermatitis was most closely associated with instant noodles. In contrast, the groups with high intake of rice and kimchi exhibited lower ORs, 0.38 and 0.43 folds, compared to the low intake group. CONCLUSION Consuming instant noodles, meat and processed foods was associated with increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis, whereas consuming rice and kimchi, and coffee was associated with decreased prevalence of atopic dermatitis.