Association of food intake with a risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a common liver disease, the risk of which can be increased by poor diet. The objective of this study was to evaluate the associations between food items and MAFLD, and to propose reasonable dietary recommendations for the prevention of MAFLD. METHODS: Physical examination data were collected from April 2015 through August 2017 at Nanping First Hospital (n = 3,563). Dietary intakes were assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The association between food intake and the risk of MAFLD was assessed by using the inverse probability weighted propensity score. RESULTS: Beverages (soft drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages) and instant noodles were positively associated with MAFLD risk, adjusting for smoking, drinking, tea intake, and weekly hours of physical activity [adjusted odds ratio (OR(adjusted)): 1.568; P = 0.044; OR(adjusted): 4.363; P = 0.001]. Milk, tubers, and vegetables were negatively associated with MAFLD risk (OR(adjusted): 0.912; P = 0.002; OR(adjusted): 0.633; P = 0.007; OR(adjusted): 0.962; P = 0.028). In subgroup analysis, the results showed that women [odds ratio (OR): 0.341, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.172–0.676] had a significantly lower risk of MAFLD through consuming more tubers than men (OR: 0.732, 95% CI: 0.564–0.951). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that reducing consumption of beverages (soft drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages) and instant noodles, and consuming more milk, vegetables, and tubers may reduce the risk of MAFLD.