Zhejiang University Hangzhou City, Zhejiang, China (People's Republic)
Disclosure(s):
Li Yuhui: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Objectives: We aimed to investigate the associations between sweet, salty and greasy taste preferences and cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) among schoolteachers in China.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 12,550 teachers (aged 39.4 ± 15.7 years, 74.1% women) in Zhejiang Province, China. Taste preferences were categorized as no preference, single preference, or multiple preferences. A taste preference score (ranging from 0 to 3 points) was calculated based on the number of taste preferences reported. CMDs included self-reported hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between taste preference and CMD.
Results: A total of 1,888 (15.3%) participants had at least one CMD, with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes being the three leading CMDs. Compared to no taste preference, multiple taste preferences were significantly associated with higher odds of CMD (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.36–2.13). Each point increment in the taste preference score was associated with 24% higher odds of having CMD (p‐trend < 0.001). Single preferences for salty (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.10–1.52) and greasy tastes (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.32–1.98) also showed elevated risks. Multiple taste preferences exhibited the strongest association with hyperlipidemia compared to no taste preference (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.46–2.37).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that dietary interventions targeting taste preferences may help reduce the burden of CMD among schoolteachers.
Funding Sources: This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China.
