Targeting Dental Caries and Body Mass Index Among Special Olympics Athletes in Australia

Abstract

AbstractDental caries and obesity‐associated chronic diseases are an additional burden to people with intellectual disabilities and one which can be reduced. To determine the association between dental caries and body mass index (BMI) among Special Olympics (SO) athletes. At the National SO Games (2014), three volunteer dentists screened consenting SO athletes (n = 116; 15–57 years old) and recorded decayed (D), missing (M), filled (F) teeth and caries experience (DMFT > 0). Volunteer‐accredited sports dietitians measured BMI as underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5–24.9), overweight (25.0–29.9), and obese (≥30) or used World Health Organization (WHO) classification of BMI‐for‐age for those under 19 years of age. The prevalence of decayed teeth was 16% and the mean DMFT was 4.0. About 40% of SO athletes had one or more missing and filled teeth. A third of the SO athletes had normal weight (33%), and the rest were overweight (40%) or obese (27%). Missing teeth and caries experience were significantly associated with higher BMI (χ2, p < .05). A more efficient common risk factor approach that simultaneously targets both dental caries and obesity should be adopted to improve the oral health and general health of SO athletes and the larger, more vulnerable population of people with intellectual disability.