Increased physical activity reduces prevalence of periodontitis.

Objectives: Physical activity has been shown to have a protective relationship with several chronic diseases. Recently, physical activity was also found to reduce the risk of periodontitis in a study in male health professionals. However, the relationship between physical activity and periodontitis in a diverse group of individuals is not thoroughly examined. The purpose of this study was to examine if there is an association between sustained physical activity and periodontitis in a subset of the third national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES III).

Methods: NHANES III participants 18 years of age or older who had had a periodontal examination and reported to have a similar physical activity (or inactivity) level for 10 years or longer were selected (n=2521). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between physical activity and periodontitis. The analysis was adjusted for: age, gender, race, education, smoking, body mass index, poverty index, vitamin use, healthy eating index, time since last dental visit, gingival bleeding, and dental calculus.

Results: Engaging in the recommended level of physical activity was significantly associated with lower periodontitis prevalence (OR=0.58, 95% CI, 0.35-0.96). Smoking, however, was found to modify this relationship. The association was strong and significant among never (OR=0.46, 95% CI, 0.23-0.93) and former smokers (OR=0.26, 95% CI: 0.09-0.72), but not among current smokers (OR=1.10, 95% CI: 0.48-2.53).

Conclusions: These results suggest that engaging in the recommended level of exercise is associated with lower periodontitis prevalence, especially among never and former smokers.