Distinct oral and fecal microbiota composition in preschool children with overweight/obesity: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: Limited research has explored the relationship between microbiota characteristics in both the oral cavity and the intestine, and the prevalence of obesity or overweight status in preschool-aged children. In this study, we collected saliva, oral mucosal plaque, supragingival dental plaque, and fecal samples from 47 preschool children aged 3 to 6 with obesity/overweight, along with 34 age-matched normal-weight controls. These samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing for microbial analysis. We found that the overweight/obesity group exhibited a lower richness and diversity of fecal microbiota compared to the control group. Distinct niche-specific clustering was observed across different oral niches. In the overweight/obesity group, five genera showed significantly higher abundance,

SUBMITTER: Feng H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12799744 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature