Clustering of Obesity and Dental Health with Lifestyle Factors among Turkish and Finnish Pre-Adolescents

Abstract

Background: This study aims to assess any clustering between obesity, number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), television (TV) viewing, and lifestyle factors among pre-adolescents living in 2 countries with different developmental status and oral health care systems – Turkey and Finland. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study of Finnish (n = 338) and Turkish (n = 611) preadolescents, 10–12 years old, was undertaken with preadolescent oral health data and health behavior questionnaires for pre-adolescents and their mothers. The parameters examined were DMFT, body mass index (BMI), leisure time activities (TV viewing), and lifestyle factors (family dinners and dietary habits) of pre-adolescents. Data analysis included factor analysis, Student’s t-test, and Chi-square tests by cross tabulation. Results: Turkish pre-adolescents were more obese and had poorer dental health than their Finnish counterparts (p < 0.05). Turkish and Finnish pre-adolescents drinking fizzy drinks more than 3 times a week were more likely to watch TV for ≥ 2 h/school day (odds ratio (OR) = 1.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–2.28) than those consuming them once a week or less (OR = 3.06, 95% CI 1.39–6.75; p < 0.05). Factor analysis revealed that DMFT and obesity shared the same cluster among Turkish and Finnish pre-adolescents. Conclusion: Both medical and dental examination of any pediatric patient should include BMI, leisure time activities, and dietary habits as well as socio-economic status.