Edentulism associated with obesity: a study of four national surveys of 16 416 Swedes aged 55–84 years

Abstract

Objective. To investigate the association between edentulism and obesity in the Swedish population aged 55–84 years over a 22-year period as a result of changes in health and socio-economic factors. Material and methods. Subjects aged 55–84 years (n = 16 416) were randomly sampled from the Swedish population by Statistics Sweden on four occasions (1980–81, 1988–89, 1996–97 and 2002). Trained interviewers collected information about dental status and anthropometric, demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle and health-related factors. Statistical analyses were based on logistic regression models. Results. Edentulism decreased from 43% to 14% in the age group 55–84 years from 1980 to 2002, and the proportion of subjects with removable dentures decreased from 68% to 33%. In the age group 55–74 years, the proportion of subjects with low education decreased from 60% to 28%, and the proportion of obese subjects (body mass index ≥30 kg/m²) increased from 9% to 15%. In women aged 55–74 years, the association between obesity and edentulism, adjusted for health, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, was significant in all surveys, and the odds ratio for obesity changed from 1.64 (95% confidence interval 1.18–2.27) in 1980 to 3.17 (95% confidence interval 1.69–6.18) in 2002. In men, the association was weaker and was significant only in the sample that combined all surveys and included individuals aged 55–84 years. Conclusion. The study indicated an association between edentulism and obesity, which was most obvious in women aged 55–74 years.