Abstract
Objectives: Dyspnea (shortness of breath) is common among obese individuals. However, no studies have evaluated the effect of dyspnea on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dyspnea on the OHRQoL of obese individuals prior to bariatric surgery. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 104 obese individuals. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, body mass index, perceptions of xerostomia (dry mouth), tooth loss and OHRQoL (OHIP-14). Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the association between dyspnea and OHRQoL. Results: Individuals with dyspnea had higher total OHIP-14 scores (1.40 ± 3.74) compared to those without dyspnea (0.50 ± 0.39) (P = 0.005). In the multivariate analysis, total OHIP-14 scores were 3.91-fold higher among the individuals with dyspnea. All domains of the questionnaire were associated with dyspnea, except physical disability and psychological disability. Conclusion: Dyspnea exerted a negative impact on OHRQoL in obese individuals, independently of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics.
Highlights
Obesity is a systemic disease that favors the development of numerous comorbidities, exerting a negative impact on quality of life and increasing the risk of premature death (KAPLAN et al, 2018; KOLOTKIN, ANDERSEN, 2017)
The loss of respiratory quality may be explained by the occurrence of respiratory comorbidities and the greater accumulation of fat in the abdominal regions, which hampers the movement of the diaphragm and expansion of the thoracic cage
The present study evaluated the effect of shortness of breath in obese individuals on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL)
Summary
Obesity is a systemic disease that favors the development of numerous comorbidities, exerting a negative impact on quality of life and increasing the risk of premature death (KAPLAN et al, 2018; KOLOTKIN, ANDERSEN, 2017). Obesity has been associated with oral problems, such as periodontal disease (NASCIMENTO et al, 2015) and tooth loss (NASCIMENTO et al, 2016). Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (ASHRAFIAN et al, 2015) alveolar hypoventilation syndrome (COLLET et al, 2007) and asthma (JAVANAINEN et al, 2010) are among the most common respiratory illnesses in this population, all of which are associated with dypsnea (shortness of breath). The loss of respiratory quality may be explained by the occurrence of respiratory comorbidities and the greater accumulation of fat in the abdominal regions, which hampers the movement of the diaphragm and expansion of the thoracic cage. Reducing one’s body weight could lead to improvements in both respiratory distress and quality of life in this population (MENDES, VARGAS, 2017)
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