Relationship between obesity/overweight status, sugar consumption and dental caries among adolescents in South India

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between obesity/overweight status, sugar consumption and dental caries among adolescents in Udupi District, India. Methods: Study population consisted of 463 school children aged between 13 and 15years. Information on age, sex, type of school attending and frequency of sugar consumption per day was recorded by a structured self-administered questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) (height in metres and weight in kilograms) and caries measurements (DMFT) were taken by a trained recorder according to standard criteria. Results:Majority of the children were having low normal weight, with 18.6% in overweight and 3.5% in obese groups. There was a significant difference in the frequency of sugar consumption between the BMI groups. Obese group of children had more caries than the overweight and low-normal-weight children. Correlation analysis showed significant positive relation with BMI, decayed teeth and DMFT. Regression analysis showed that caries experience had a significant association with male sex (OR=2.09, CI=1.01-4.33), overweight/obese (OR=3.68, CI=1.79-7.56) and frequency of sugar consumption more than once per day (OR=3.13, CI=1.25-7.85). Conclusion:There was a significant association between overweight/obesity and caries experience among school children of Udupi District. Obesity and dental caries have common risk determinants and require a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to paediatric patients by both medical and dental healthcare professionals.