Oral health of pregnant women and possibilities for improving oral health prophylaxis in Lithuania.

IF 1.1 4区医学 Q4 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Central European journal of public health Pub Date : 2025-03-01 DOI:10.21101/cejph.a8459

Jolita Juknienė, Gabrielė Šimėnaitė, Birutė Mockevičienė

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify potential areas for improvement in the prevention of oral diseases in pregnant women by assessing their oral care habits and awareness regarding oral health.

Methods: An original, anonymous, web-based survey was conducted among women at any stage of pregnancy. The survey consisted of 23 questions regarding oral care habits, knowledge about oral health of mother and child, general and oral health changes, and attendance of oral healthcare services during pregnancy. The data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 27.0 version software. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to analyse the data. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 714 pregnant women participated in the study, with a mean (SD) age of 30.2 (4.4) years. Majority of the respondents demonstrated acceptable oral health-related knowledge and habits. A lack of interdental care among pregnant women was discovered. Nearly a third (27.6%) of the respondents reported a decline in their oral health during pregnancy. The most commonly reported general and oral health issues during pregnancy were increased stomach acid levels (71.3%) and gum bleeding (43.3%). Pregnant women were most frequently informed about the importance of oral care by an obstetrician-gynaecologist (25.4%).

Conclusions: The study revealed the need for targeted interventions to enhance oral health awareness and practices among pregnant women in Lithuania. While overall oral hygiene habits were acceptable, deficiencies in interdental care and knowledge regarding oral health during pregnancy were evident. Higher level of education and urban residency were associated with superior oral care practices of pregnant women. In order to improve oral health of mother and child, interdisciplinary collaboration and dissemination of accessible, evidence-based information are essential.

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立陶宛孕妇的口腔健康和改善口腔健康预防的可能性。

目的：该研究的目的是通过评估孕妇的口腔护理习惯和对口腔健康的认识，确定预防口腔疾病的潜在改进领域。方法：在任何怀孕阶段的妇女中进行了一项原始的、匿名的、基于网络的调查。调查包括23个问题，涉及口腔护理习惯、母婴口腔健康知识、一般口腔健康变化、孕期口腔保健服务出席情况等。采用IBM SPSS 27.0版本软件进行数据分析。采用描述性统计、卡方检验和Wilcoxon符号秩检验对数据进行分析。p < 0.05为差异有统计学意义的水平。结果：共有714名孕妇参与研究，平均（SD）年龄为30.2（4.4）岁。大多数应答者表现出可接受的口腔健康知识和习惯。发现孕妇缺乏牙间护理。近三分之一（27.6%）的受访者报告说，她们的口腔健康在怀孕期间有所下降。怀孕期间最常见的全身和口腔健康问题是胃酸水平升高（71.3%）和牙龈出血（43.3%）。孕妇最常被妇产科医生告知口腔护理的重要性（25.4%）。结论：该研究表明，需要有针对性的干预措施，以提高立陶宛孕妇的口腔健康意识和做法。虽然总体的口腔卫生习惯是可以接受的，但在怀孕期间的牙间护理和口腔健康知识方面的不足是显而易见的。较高的教育水平和城市居住与孕妇良好的口腔护理实践相关。为了改善母亲和儿童的口腔健康，跨学科合作和传播可获取的循证信息至关重要。

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来源期刊

Central European journal of public health PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

1.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal publishes original articles on disease prevention and health protection, environmental impacts on health, the role of nutrition in health promotion, results of population health studies and critiques of specific health issues including intervention measures such as vaccination and its effectiveness. The review articles are targeted at providing up-to-date information in the sphere of public health. The Journal is geographically targeted at the European region but will accept specialised articles from foreign sources that contribute to public health issues also applicable to the European cultural milieu.