The Effect of Educational Intervention on Self-efficacy Related to the Oral and Dental Hygiene of Pregnant Mothers

Paying attention to oral health of the vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, is of particular importance. Because self-efficacy is a predictor of behaviors related to oral and dental health, this study was conducted to determine the effect of educational intervention on the self-efficacy related to the oral and hygiene among pregnant mothers.

This was a quasi-experimental study performed on 100 pregnant women who referred to Yazd Karami General Health Center in 2020. Samples were objective-oriented and randomly divided into case and control groups (50 people in each group). The demographic questionnaire and Oral Hygiene Self-efficacy Questionnaire (OHSQ) were used. It included 19 items related to self-efficacy ,such as: brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist (with a score range of 0-76).The intervention was done during one month in four 60-minute training sessions. One month later, data from both groups were collected again. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 21 software and paired t-test, independent t-test and Chi-square.

There was a significant increase in the mean of self-efficacy regarding flossing in the case group before (11.26 ±5.66) and after the intervention (14.06 ± 5.79) (P = 0.03). The difference in self-efficacy of flossing between the case and control groups (11.64 ±6.83) after the intervention was significant, as well. (P = 0.04). The total self-efficacy in the case group increased significantly before (41.00 ± 9.18) and after the intervention (46.34 ± 10.10) (P = 0.04), and between the case and control groups (41.32 ± 13.45) after the intervention, too, became significant (P = 0.04).

Educational intervention can increase the self-efficacy related to oral and dental hygiene among pregnant mothers, especially with regard to the use of dental floss, and can be effective in maintaining their oral and dental health during pregnancy.