IADR Abstract Archives
Dental visit and perceived need among Hong Kong pregnant women
Objectives: To investigate the dental visit behaviour and perceived need for dental visit among Hong Kong pregnant women.
Methods: First-time pregnant women (within the first 20 weeks of gestation) who had enrolled in prenatal care programs at maternal and child health centers or public hospitals were recruited. Information on dental visit behaviour, perceived need for dental visit, dental scheme coverage, self-reported oral health problems and socio-demographic background was collected using a self-completed questionnaire.
Results: 214 pregnant women with a mean age of 31.1 years (SD=4.1) and mean gestation week of 13.8 (SD=2.7) participated in this study. Two fifths of them had a dental visit prior to becoming pregnant. A higher proportion of these women had dental scheme coverage compared to those who had no dental visit before pregnancy (55% vs. 26%, p<0.001). Only 8% of the women had a dental visit after getting pregnant, while 47% thought they needed a dental visit at present. Significantly higher proportion of the women who self-reported gum bleeding perceived a need for dental visit compared to those that did not (67% vs. 37%, p<0.001). Regarding the most appropriate time for dental visit during pregnancy, 27% of the women thought it was the 4-6th month, 12% held the misconception that dental visits should be avoided during pregnancy, while 55% did not know. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that pregnant women with self-reported gum bleeding (OR=2.6, p=0.005), not having dental scheme coverage (OR=2.1, p=0.019), and who perceived their oral health status as fair or poor (OR=2.3 and 40.4 respectively, p=0.001) were more likely to have a perceived need for dental visit.
Conclusions: Dental visits are not common among pregnant women in Hong Kong. Their knowledge about dental visits during pregnancy is poor, but having a perceived need for dental visits is common.
Methods: First-time pregnant women (within the first 20 weeks of gestation) who had enrolled in prenatal care programs at maternal and child health centers or public hospitals were recruited. Information on dental visit behaviour, perceived need for dental visit, dental scheme coverage, self-reported oral health problems and socio-demographic background was collected using a self-completed questionnaire.
Results: 214 pregnant women with a mean age of 31.1 years (SD=4.1) and mean gestation week of 13.8 (SD=2.7) participated in this study. Two fifths of them had a dental visit prior to becoming pregnant. A higher proportion of these women had dental scheme coverage compared to those who had no dental visit before pregnancy (55% vs. 26%, p<0.001). Only 8% of the women had a dental visit after getting pregnant, while 47% thought they needed a dental visit at present. Significantly higher proportion of the women who self-reported gum bleeding perceived a need for dental visit compared to those that did not (67% vs. 37%, p<0.001). Regarding the most appropriate time for dental visit during pregnancy, 27% of the women thought it was the 4-6th month, 12% held the misconception that dental visits should be avoided during pregnancy, while 55% did not know. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that pregnant women with self-reported gum bleeding (OR=2.6, p=0.005), not having dental scheme coverage (OR=2.1, p=0.019), and who perceived their oral health status as fair or poor (OR=2.3 and 40.4 respectively, p=0.001) were more likely to have a perceived need for dental visit.
Conclusions: Dental visits are not common among pregnant women in Hong Kong. Their knowledge about dental visits during pregnancy is poor, but having a perceived need for dental visits is common.