Association between toothbrushing behavior and cardiometabolic multimorbidity among middle aged and older adults in North China: a cross-section study.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between toothbrushing behavior and cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) among middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: Data from the Beijing Health Service Survey were used to estimate the association between toothbrushing behavior and the risk of CMM using multilevel logistic models (N = 18,158).

Results: There were 554 patients with CMM, with a prevalence of 3.05%. We found a higher risk of CMM for those with toothbrushing once or less (OR = 2.16, 95%CI: 1.80, 2.59) compared with those brushed two or more times per day in the crude model. After adjusting for confounding factors, the association between the two remained significant (OR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.39, 2.04). The effect size was higher in adults with a higher education level (OR = 2.32) compared to those with a lower education level (OR = 1.39, P _{forinteraction}<0.01).

Conclusions: Poor toothbrushing practices were associated with CMM among middle-aged and older people. Longitudinal study can be considered to explore the causal association between the two and whether good toothbrushing habits can predict CMM and its progression.