Association between obesity and periodontitis in pregnant women

Abstract

1. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate whether overweight and obesity prior to pregnancy is associated with periodontitis during pregnancy.

2. Methods The study examined a total of 315 pregnant women at 21 to 24 weeks of gestation. Overweight and obesity was defined based on criteria proposed by the World Health Organization Expert Consultation and Korean Society for the Study of Obesity. Periodontal conditions were assessed by measuring periodontal clinical attachment loss (CA loss). To investigate that obese pregnant women have increased the risk according to the extent of periodontitis, the data was divided into two groups: generalized periodontitis and localized periodontitis. A comparison between underweight, normal weight, and overweight / obese groups for explanatory variables was analyzed using the chi-square test for categorical variables and an analysis of variance for continuous variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out with adjustments for age, health and oral health behaviors, and obstetric information.

3. Results Age, age at first delivery, periodontitis (two or more interproximal sites with CA loss ≥ 4mm not on the same tooth), and periodontal conditions were significantly associated with body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05). The adjusted odds ratio of periodontitis was 4.57 (95% confidence interval: 2.30 to 9.07) for overweight and obese women (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2), after adjusting for all of the covariates. A dose-effect relationship was observed for this association when extent of the disease was taken into consideration.

4. Conclusions There is a strong association between overweight / obesity prior to pregnancy and periodontitis in pregnant women.