Associations between general and abdominal obesity and oral health behaviors: a cross-sectional study based on data from the Rafsanjan Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Obesity poses a risk for numerous chronic diseases including those affecting oral health. The present study aimed to assess the possible associations between obesity and oral health behaviors among the Iranian adult population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the oral health branch of the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS) launched in 2015. A total of 6745 out of 9991 individuals were included in the analysis. RCS data had been collected by oral examination, interviewing, and completing questionnaires about demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, such as smoking and oral health habits (tooth brushing frequency, dental cleaning method, and dental visit), and anthropometric measurements. Body mass index (BMI) for general obesity and waist circumference (WC) for abdominal obesity were used. Multinomial logistic regression models were employed to assess the possible association between obesity status and oral health behavior. RESULTS: Of 6745 participants, 2869 (42.54%) were overweight, and 2123 (31.48%) and 3757 (55.70%) had general and abdominal obesity, respectively. General obesity was associated with poorer combined brushing and flossing habits (OR: 0.77, 0.61-0.97). Abdominal obesity showed associations, including reduced odds of combined brushing and flossing habits (OR: 0.68, 95% CI 0.55-0.85) and 19% less frequent daily tooth brushing (OR: 0.81, 0.68-0.96). Also, overweight showed associations, including increased combined brushing and flossing habits (OR: 1.35, 1.09-1.66) and 22% more frequent daily tooth brushing (OR: 1.22, 1.03-1.45). While abdominal obesity was not associated with the timing of the last dental visit, overweight and general obesity had higher odds of recent dental visits (OR: 1.14, 1.01-1.29 and OR: 1.17, 1.01-1.34, respectively). Furthermore, the rate of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) was lower in overweight and general obesity (OR: 0.96, 0.95-0.98, OR: 0.95, 0.94-0.97, respectively) and slightly higher in abdominal obesity (OR: 1.04, 1.03-1.05) compared to the reference group. CONCLUSION: The present study highlights the association between abdominal obesity and oral health behaviors, as it was linked to lower tooth brushing frequency, poorer combined brushing and flossing habits, and higher DMFT rates. These findings emphasize incorporating WC in risk assessments and addressing shared risk factors to improve oral health outcomes.