ABSTRACT
Backgrounds: Hormonal changes occurring in women during pregnancy may have an impact on oral and dental health. Pregnant women are more susceptible to dental and oral health issues, which may have harmful effects like premature births and babies with low birth weight (LBW). Pregnant women should be well informed about the oral health education and the importance of maintaining oral health during pregnancy. Objective: To identify socio-demographic characteristics associated with the pregnant women knowledge, regarding dental and oral health maintenance at the Palmerah Community Health Center, West Jakarta. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 194 pregnant women taken by purposive sampling. Self-administered questionnaire contained 15 questions has been tested for validity and reliability. Spearman's Correlation Test was conducted to assess the correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and pregnant women's knowledge. Results: Knowledge regarding dental and oral health maintenance was poor among pregnant women (46.9%). There was significant correlation between knowledge regarding dental and oral health maintenance and education level (p = 0.000), occupational status (p = 0.001) and number of pregnancies (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Knowledge regarding dental and oral health care maintenance among pregnant women at the Palmerah Community Health Center, West Jakarta, needs to be improved. More intensive dental and oral health education among pregnant women are still required.
