Systemic conditions and oral health-related quality of life of pregnant women of normal weight and who are overweight

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated systemic and periodontal conditions and their association with quality of life in women in the third trimester of pregnancy, assisted by the Brazilian public health-care system, with excessive and normal weight. Methods: Fifty pregnant women were allocated into two groups according to their pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI): excessive (GE; n = 25; BMI ≥ 25.00 kg/m2); and normal (GN; n = 25; 18.00 ≤ BMI ≤ 24.99 kg/m2). Thereafter, variables such as socio-economic level, anthropometric parameters (body mass index and gestational weight gain), systemic conditions, periodontal status, and oral health-related quality of life using the short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), were evaluated. Results: There was no significant difference between groups in schooling level, monthly household income and gestational weight gain (P > 0.05). The GE group showed a higher frequency of arterial hypertension (P = 0.018), sought dental services less frequently (P = 0.035), had a higher prevalence of periodontitis (P = 0.011), and had a higher OHIP-14 overall score (P = 0.004) characterised by physical and psychological impact. In the final binary logistic regression models, high maternal BMI was associated with arterial hypertension and periodontitis during pregnancy, while periodontitis was strongly associated with moderate and high impact on quality of life. Conclusion: Pregnant women in the third trimester with excessive weight, assisted by the Brazilian public health-care system, presented with a higher prevalence of arterial hypertension, worse periodontal conditions and consequent high impact on quality of life.