Sex differences in the association between obesity and gingivitis among 12‐year‐old South Brazilian schoolchildren

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess the association between weight status and gingivitis in a representative sample of 12‐year‐old schoolchildren from South Brazil.BackgroundAn association between obesity and gingivitis in children and adolescents has been observed; however, the present evidence has major limitations.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted in Porto Alegre, South Brazil, from September 2009 to December 2010 and included a representative sample of 1528 12‐year‐old schoolchildren attending public and private schools. Data collection included the application of a questionnaire, recording of anthropometric measures (weight and height), and clinical examination (gingival bleeding index, recorded in four sites per tooth). The outcome of the study was the prevalence of gingivitis, defined as the proportion of schoolchildren presenting ≥52% of bleeding sites (based on the median). Weight status was categorized according to body mass index into normal, overweight, or obese. The association between predictor variables and gingivitis prevalence was assessed using Poisson regression models. Unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated.ResultsGingivitis prevalence was 48.7% (95% IC = 33.8‐63.6) and, on average, schoolchildren presented 51.8% (95% IC = 46.2‐57.5) of bleeding sites. Obese individuals had 13% higher prevalence for presenting gingivitis than did normal‐weight ones (PR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.09‐1.18, P < .001). The stratified analysis showed that this association was sex‐specific: Obese girls presented a greater chance of having gingivitis (adjusted PR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.09‐1.34, P < .001), but such association was not observed among boys (PR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.95‐1.20, P = .29).ConclusionThis study showed sex differences in the association between obesity and gingivitis among 12‐year‐old South Brazilian schoolchildren.

Epidemiology and associated factors of gingivitis in adolescents in Guangdong Province, Southern China: a cross-sectional study

“…Furuta et al suggested that sex-based differences in gingivitis in young people could be explained by oral health behaviours and hygiene statuses because females had greater knowledge, a more positive attitude, a healthier lifestyle, and better oral health behaviours than males [ 17 ]. In contrast, Lock et al reported that girls had a markedly higher prevalence of gingivitis than boys, especially among obese girls [ 33 ]. Differences between genders could be partly attributed to the regulatory effect of sex steroid hormones on gingival physiology.…”

Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries in Southern Italy: An Epidemiological Study

“…In this respect, the mother can be an important font of transmission in children especially in the first two years of life, when Streptococci mutans are initially transferred, especially using dental materials [3,[33][34][35][36]. us, if the mother does not follow appropriate behaviour of oral hygiene [27][28][29][30][31], the risk of development of cavities in the child increases since the concentration of bacteria is higher and more aggressive [37][38][39][40].…”

Not Only Metabolic Complications of Childhood Obesity

“…For instance, children experiencing overweight or obesity are more likely to develop dental caries [ 157 ]. Obese schoolchildren have been shown to be more likely to develop gingivitis than their normal-weight counterparts, whereas this relationship is modified by gender [ 158 ]. It was demonstrated that girls suffering from obesity tend to have a higher likelihood of gingivitis; however, no such relationship was observed among boys [ 158 ].…”