Association between tooth loss and overweight/obesity among Brazilian adults : the Pró-Saúde Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between tooth loss and overweight/obesity in an adult Brazilian population. It is a cross-sectional study comprising 3,930 adults [1,744 men and 2,186 women; median age of 40 y (ranging 20-59); 16.9% obese; 7.3% almost all or all teeth missing]. Data were collected using a selfadministered questionnaire for tooth loss (4 categories), diet, access and use of health services, socioeconomic factors, health habits and behaviors, demographics and anthropometric measurements. Multiple ordinal logistic regressions were performed. In comparison with adults with BMI < 25 kg/m², the overweight (BMI ≥ 25 and < 30kg/m²) and obese individuals (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) showed a greater odds of tooth loss (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.4-1.9 and OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.5, respectively). After adjusting for potential confounders, overweight and obesity showed no statistically significant associations with tooth loss, with OR = 0.8 and OR = 0.9, respectively. The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that the association between overweight/obesity and tooth loss can be explained by known, common risk factors.