title: Periodontitis-associated risk factors in pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with periodontitis in pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in two stages. In Stage 1, a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of periodontitis among 810 women treated at the maternity ward of a university hospital. In Stage 2, the factors associated with periodontitis were investigated in two groups of pregnant women: 90 with periodontitis and 720 without. A hierarchized approach to the evaluation of the risk factors was used in the analysis, and the independent variables related to periodontitis were grouped into two levels: 1) socio-demographic variables; 2a) variables related to nutritional status, smoking, and number of pregnancies; and 2b) variables related to oral hygiene. Periodontitis was defined as a probing depth ≥ 4 mm and an attachment loss ≥ 3 mm at the same site in four or more teeth. A logistic regression analysis was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of periodontitis in this sample was 11%. The variables that remained in the final multivariate model with the hierarchized approach were schooling, family income, smoking, body mass index, and bacterial plaque.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors identified underscore the social nature of the disease, as periodontitis was associated with socioeconomic, demographic status, and poor oral hygiene.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, University Hospital, Postgraduate Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Neonatologist, Recife/PE, Brazil. dilmavp@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Maria Dilma Bezerra de Vasconcellos
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Piscoya
authors.forename: Ricardo Arraes de Alencar
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ximenes
authors.forename: Genivaldo Moura da
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Sílvia Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jamelli
authors.forename: Sonia Bechara
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000209:etiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult