Higher BMI (continuous / per-unit increment) vs Lower BMI (continuous reference / per 1 kg/m2 decrement): Dental caries in children
- Population
- Children (approx. 4-18 years)
- Intervention
- Higher BMI (continuous / per-unit increment)
- Comparison
- Lower BMI (continuous reference / per 1 kg/m2 decrement)
- Outcome
- Dental caries in children
Pooling studies that used BMI as a continuous variable showed no significant association between per-unit BMI and childhood dental caries (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.03; I2=3.5%); ungraded.
What each review found
Include earlier review versions| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Higher BMI (continuous / per-unit increment) vs Lower BMI (continuous reference / per 1 kg/m2 decrement) Dental caries in children · Children (approx. 4-18 years) · Dental examinations of children; 15 countries across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania, Continuous BMI, direct pooling (studies reporting BMI as a continuous variable) Pooling studies that used BMI as a continuous variable showed no significant association between per-unit BMI and childhood dental caries (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.03; I2=3.5%); ungraded. Childhood obesity in relation to risk of dental caries: a cumulative and dose-response systematic review and… (2024) All outcomes | OR 1.01 [0.99, 1.03] | 4 studies | GRADE not reported |
Higher BMI (continuous / per-unit increment) vs Lower BMI (continuous reference / per 1 kg/m2 decrement) Dental caries in children · Children (approx. 4-18 years) · Dental examinations of children; 15 countries across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania, Non-linear dose-response (restricted cubic splines) A significant non-linear association was found between BMI and childhood dental caries, with higher risk at higher BMI and also among underweight children; ungraded (no single pooled estimate). Childhood obesity in relation to risk of dental caries: a cumulative and dose-response systematic review and… (2024) All outcomes | Fig. 5: significant non-linear (restricted cubic spline) dose-response between BMI and childhood dental caries; relative risk rises at higher BMI (curve reaches ~2.4-2.9 at BMI 30-35) and is also elevated among… | Not reported | GRADE not reported |
Higher BMI (continuous / per-unit increment) vs Lower BMI (continuous reference / per 1 kg/m2 decrement) Dental caries in children · Children (approx. 4-18 years) · Dental examinations of children; 15 countries across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania, Linear dose-response (GLST, per 1 kg/m2 BMI increment) A significant linear dose-response was reported between each 1 kg/m2 increment in BMI and childhood dental caries (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03; I2=78.7%); ungraded. Childhood obesity in relation to risk of dental caries: a cumulative and dose-response systematic review and… (2024) All outcomes | OR 1.01 [1.00, 1.03] | 16 studies | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Childhood obesity in relation to risk of dental caries: a cumulative and dose-response systematic review and meta-analysis. 2024 All outcomes | December 2023 | 24 | Not applicable |
Studies behind the findings
The primary studies the full-text reviews tie to this outcome. Reviews with headline outcomes only do not list them here.
- Erosive tooth wear and caries experience in children and adolescents with obesity · 2019 · included by 1 of these review
- Is there a relationship between Birthweight and subsequent growth on the development of Dental Caries at 5 years of age? A cohort study · 2010 · included by 1 of these review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.