Does Adolescent Obesity Influence Caries Increment among Young Adults? A 5-Year Cohort Study in Southern Brazil

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to investigate whether obesity during adolescence influences caries increment among southern Brazilian young adults over a 5-year period.

In 2018, 1,197 adolescents attending public and private high schools in Santa Maria, southern Brazil, were examined, of whom 570 were reassessed after 5 years (retention rate: 47.6%). Baseline data collection included questionnaires on sociodemographic and behavioral variables, anthropometric measurements (height and weight), and clinical oral examinations (gingival bleeding index and Decayed, Missing, or Filled Surfaces [DMFS] index). At follow-up, the DMFS index was recorded again. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to assess the influence of weight status (normal, overweight, or obese) on caries increment. Incidence risk ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated.

At baseline, 16.3% of participants were overweight (n = 92) and 11% were obese (n = 62). The overall caries increment in this sample of young adults was 1.79 surfaces (95% CI = 1.31-2.26). In the final model, after adjusting for age, family income, toothbrushing frequency, frequency of consumption of sugary food, and baseline caries experience, obese participants had a twofold higher risk of an additional carious surface compared to participants of normal weight (IRR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.39-3.86, p = 0.001).

This study showed that obesity during adolescence was a risk factor for caries increment among young adults from southern Brazil.