Impact of Dietary Quality on Genital Oncogenic HPV Infection in Women

Background Most cervical cancers are directly linked to oncogenic or high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. This study evaluates associations between diet quality and genital HPV infection in women. Methods This study included 10,543 women from the 2003–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The outcome was the genital HPV infection status (HPV-negative, low-risk [LR] HPV, and HR-HPV). Dietary quality was evaluated using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), with which a higher score indicates a better diet quality. Results Women who are not consuming total fruits (15.8%), whole fruits (27.5%), or green vegetables and beans (43%) had a significantly higher risk of HR-HPV infection than women who complied with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (HR-HPV OR = 1.76, 1.63 and 1.48 for a HEI score of 0 vs. 5) after adjusting confounding factors. Similar results of these food components on LR-HPV infection were shown. In addition, intake of whole grains and dairy was inversely associated with LR-HPV infection. Conclusions This study showed that women who did not eat fruits, dark-green vegetables, and beans had a higher risk of genital HR-HPV infection. Intake of these food components is suggested for women to prevent HPV carcinogenesis.