Knowledge and Practices of Oral Health Status among Pregnant Women Attending Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro
Ifat Balouch
Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Bilawal Medical College Hospital Kotri, Sindh, Pakistan.
Erum Jahan
Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan.
Rehmatullah Kandhro
Community Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Pakistan.
Zubeda Bhutto
Dow Institute of Nursing and Midwifery, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi Pakistan.
Batool Bibi
Department of Periodontology, Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi Pakistan.
Reema Akhtiar
Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Bilawal Medical College, C. D. F Hospital Hyderabad, Pakistan.
Salman Shams *
Department of Oral Diagnosis, Faculty of Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Pregnant women's oral health behaviors and attitudes are infrequently studied in low-income countries, but they should be taken into account when developing preventive or therapeutic research to lessen the load of oral illnesses.
Objective: To assess the knowledge and practices of oral health in pregnant women attending Oral diagnosis outpatient department OPD of Liaquat university hospital Jamshoro.
Subject and Methods: A total of 150 patients were included in the study. Data was collected by providing questionnaire to pregnant women who attended OPD for their antenatal check up. Socidemographic findings, questions related to participant’s knowledge regarding oral health and practices adopted were recorded.
Results: Most of the patients, 49.3% were in age range of 26 to 35 years with the majority of them being housewives. A total of 48% were illiterate followed by 24.6% who had only just primary education. Around 51.3% have the good habit of brushing twice a day. Only 37.3% had knowledge about nutritional implications in pregnancy, and 34% visit dentist once in six months.
Conclusion: The majority of patients has little or average knowledge regarding oral health in pregnancy.
Keywords: Pregnancy, oral health, knowledge, practices