Age is the most important factor for change in body mass index and waist circumference in older people in southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to assess the changes in body mass index and waist circumference (WC) and their associations with sociodemographic, behavioral, and health characteristics in non-institutionalized older people in southern Brazil over a period of ≤6 y. METHODS: This is a prospective study, with interviews conducted in 2014 and in 2019 to 2020. Of the 1451 individuals from Pelotas, Brazil, aged >60 y and interviewed in 2014, 537 were reevaluated in 2019 to 2020. An increase or decrease was defined as a variation of ≥5% in body mass index and WC in the second visit compared with the first. The association with changes in outcomes was assessed according to sociodemographic, behavioral, and health characteristics using multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Approximately 29% of the older participants lost body mass. Regarding WC, there was an increase in 25.6% in the older participants. The older participants ages ≥80 y had greater odds of losing body mass (odds ratio [OR] = 4.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.29-9.76) and of reducing WC (OR = 2.84; 95% CI, 1.59-6.94). Former smokers had, on average, 41% and 64% lower odds of losing and gaining body mass (95% CI, 0.37-0.95 and 95% CI, 0.19-0.68, respectively), and those who were on ≥5 medications had greater odds of gaining body mass (OR = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.12-3.28) and WC (OR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.18-2.74). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high proportion of older people who kept their body mass index and WC stable during this period, many of them lost body mass and gained WC. The findings also highlighted the importance of age in the nutritional changes observed in the population.

Excess Weight and Dental Caries throughout Childhood and Adolescence: Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyze existing scientific evidence on the longitudinal association between overweight/obesity and dental caries in children and adolescents and indicate possible gaps in the literature to guide future studies. Study design: A systematic search of the literature was performed for the identification of longitudinal studies on this issue. The search strategy included words related to the outcome (dental caries), exposure (overweight/obesity), population (children and adolescents), and study design (longitudinal) of interest. Searches were performed in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) databases. The risk of bias in the studies was appraised using the tool for the critical analysis of cohort studies proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Results: Among the 400 studies retrieved from the databases, only seven met the inclusion criteria and were selected to compose the present review. Five of the studies had a low risk of bias, but all had methodological flaws. As the studies reported different findings, the association between obesity and dental caries continues to be undefined. Moreover, there is a lack of well-designed studies on this issue with standardized methods to enable comparisons. Conclusion: Future studies should consider longitudinal designs, more precise diagnostic methods for obesity and dental caries, as well as the rigorous control of confounding factors and effect modifiers. How to cite this article: Silveira MG, Schneider BC, Tillmann TF, et al. Excess Weight and Dental Caries throughout Childhood and Adolescence: Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(6):691-698.

Gestational weight gain and childhood body mass index across three generations: Results from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Gestational weight gain (GWG) has been associated with the accumulation of body fat in offspring, but little is known about the intergenerational relationship. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of GWG in grandmothers and mothers on the child's body mass index (BMI). METHODS: This is a sub-study nested in the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort at 22 years follow-up visit. We calculated the BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) and evaluated overweight (>2 SD in ≤5 years of age and >1 SD for >5 years of age for BAZ). Grandmothers' and mothers' GWG were calculated as the difference between weight in the beginning of pregnancy and the last recorded weight before delivery. We standardized the GWG by adjusting for pre-gestational BMI. We also categorized GWG as adequate, excessive, or insufficient, in accordance with the Institute of Medicine (2009). Linear and logistic regressions stratified by child's age (≤2 years; 2.01-5 years; >5 years) were used. Structural equations were modelled to calculate the total, indirect, and direct effects of grandmothers' and mothers' GWG on children's BAZ. RESULTS: Nine hundred and forty-six out of 1113 children evaluated were 5 years of age or under. There was an indirect effect (through maternal birthweight, maternal pre-gestational BMI, maternal GWG, and child birthweight) of grandmother GWG on grandchild BAZ, from 2.01 to 5 years of age [ß = 0.12 95% CI: 0.04-0.20 (P < 0.01)]. Maternal GWG directly increased the child's BAZ at >5 years of age [ß = 0.34 95% CI: 0.15-0.53 (P < 0.001)]. CONCLUSIONS: GWG's effect on BMI does seem to be transmitted across three generations. Managing this will require health education during the gestational period for women and their families.

Relative validity of a computer-based semi-quantitative FFQ for use in the Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Studies.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relative validity of a FFQ developed for the Pelotas Birth Cohort Studies. DESIGN: Participants completed a ninety-two-food-item FFQ and then answered two 24-h recalls (24HR), one in-person interview and a second one by telephone, administered 14-28 d apart. Median and relative differences of energy, fifteen nutrients and eleven food groups were estimated based on the FFQ and the average of two 24HR. Nutrients were log-transformed and energy-adjusted using residual method. Validity was assessed by crude, energy-adjusted and de-attenuated Pearson and Lin's concordance correlation coefficients. Agreement of quartiles and weighted κ were performed. Differences in energy and nutrient estimations between methods were plotted in Bland-Altman graphs. SETTING: Pelotas, southern Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred fifty-four participants randomly selected from the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort during the 22-year follow-up (2015). RESULTS: The FFQ overestimated energy and most nutrients and food groups compared with the two 24HR. Energy-adjusted and de-attenuated Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from 0·21 to 0·66. The highest energy-adjusted and de-attenuated concordance correlation coefficients were observed for Ca (0·48), niacin (0·32), Na (0·29), vitamin C (0·28) and riboflavin (0·25). The percentage of nutrients classified into the same and opposite quartiles ranged from 36·5 to 60·3 %, and from 4·8 to 19·1 %, respectively. Weighted κ was moderate for Ca (0·51), beans and legumes (0·50) and milk and dairies (0·49). CONCLUSIONS: The FFQ provides a reasonable dietary intake assessment for habitual food consumption. However, the relative validity was weak for specific nutrients and food groups.