DETERMINATION OF AWARENESS OF MIDWIVES AND NURSES WORKING IN PRIMARY PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES REGARDING ORAL AND DENTAL HEALTH IN PREGNANCY

Abstract

This descriptive study was conducted to determine the awareness of midwives and nurses regarding oral and dental health in pregnancy. The universe of the study consists of midwives and nurses working in all Family Health Centers (n=34) in a city center in the Mediterranean region, Turkey. It was aimed to reach the whole universe (n=119) without sampling, and 106 midwives and nurses who volunteered to participate in the study formed the sample of the research. The data were collected by using a questionnaire including 22 questions. In the analysis of the data, the Chi-square test was used in addition to descriptive statistical methods. The midwives and nurses stated that the most common dental health problem during pregnancy was dental caries (67.0%), and the oral-dental health problem during pregnancy can be associated with the low birth weight (32.1%). Participants had no idea about the relationship between oral/dental health in pregnancy and stillbirth and preeclampsia. Only 39.6% of them answered the question of whether women should have dental treatment in their pregnancy asyes, while 59.4% had no idea about the dental examination. Professional experience year was determined to affect the participants' giving more positive responses in some issues related to oral and dental health (low birth weight, dental X-ray) (p <0.01), and it was found that loss of teeth positively affected the state of giving education to pregnant women about oral health (p <0.05). The study showed that the awareness of midwives and nurses about oral and dental health during pregnancy was not at the desired level, and they should be educated on this issue.