Impact of Pregestational Obesity on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Brazilian Pregnant Women: A Cohort Study

TL;DR

This study finds that pre-pregnancy obesity and low income are linked to worse oral health quality of life in Brazilian pregnant women after childbirth.

Contribution

The study identifies specific predictors of oral health-related quality of life in postpartum women, including pre-pregnancy BMI and socioeconomic factors.

Findings

Higher pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with worse oral health-related quality of life after childbirth.

Low education and income are significant predictors of poor oral health outcomes in postpartum women.

Flossing is linked to better oral health-related quality of life after delivery.

Abstract

The oral health-related quality of life of pregnant women and its effects on health conditions are important topics to be investigated in scientific research. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-pregnancy obesity on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in pregnant women. A prospective cohort study was carried out with 93 pregnant women who were evaluated in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy (T1) and after delivery (T2). The following were analyzed: dental caries (DMFT), OHRQoL (OHIP-14), anthropometric data (BMI), socioeconomic, demographic, oral hygiene behavioral habits and the use of dental services. Unadjusted and adjusted Poisson regression analyses were performed to determine the impact of predictors on OHRQoL. The results of the adjusted analysis showed lower education relative risk (RR) (1.37; 95%CI 1.02–1.83; <0.00), low income (RR 2.19; 95%CI 1.63–2.93; <0.00) and higher BMI pre-pregnancy (RR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01–1.04; <0.00) were associated with worse OHRQoL in postpartum pregnant women. Flossing was a predictor of better OHRQoL at T2 (RR 0.73; 95%CI 0.57–0.93; <0.01). Higher BMI, low education, low income and inadequate oral hygiene habits were predictors of worse OHRQOL of pregnant women after the birth of the baby.

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