Sugar intake above international recommendations and oral disease burden: A population-based study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational analysis nested within a cohort study
PubMed 36504466 · doi:10.1111/odi.14464
What was done
Researchers analyzed cross-sectional data from the 18–19-year-old follow-up of the RPS Cohorts Consortium in São Luís, Brazil (n = 2515). High added sugar consumption was defined using WHO (≥5% total energy/day) and AHA (≥25 g/day) guidelines. The primary outcome was a latent construct of Chronic Oral Disease Burden incorporating decayed teeth, periodontal probing depth ≥4 mm, clinical attachment level ≥3 mm, and bleeding on probing. Structural equation modeling was used to adjust for socioeconomic status, sex, obesity, and plaque index.
What was found
High sugar consumption was present in 78.6% of adolescents under WHO criteria and 81.4% under AHA criteria. Sugar intake above recommendations was significantly associated with a greater Chronic Oral Disease Burden according to both WHO (standardized coefficient = 0.096; p = 0.007) and AHA limits (standardized coefficient = 0.056; p = 0.027). The authors also noted that even half the recommended maximum intake was associated with some individual oral disease indicators.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that general noncommunicable disease dietary guidelines for sugar intake are directly relevant for limiting combined dental caries and periodontal disease burden in adolescents.
Limits
The study is cross-sectional, precluding causal inference. Dietary sugar intake was based on self-report, introducing potential recall and reporting bias. The sample comes from a single Brazilian city, which may limit generalizability to other populations.
Cited by
- context The World Health Organization recommends limiting sugar intake to 25 grams per day.