Mothers Knowledge and Behaviour Towards Oral Health During Pregnancy

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the knowledge and behaviour of mothers in maintaining their oral health during pregnancy. Material and Methods: This study included 167 women in five community primary health centres in Central Jakarta whose last child ranged between 0-59 months. The participants were asked to fill the questionnaire "Knowledge and Behaviour Towards Oral Health during Pregnancy" (KBOHP). This questionnaire assessed the knowledge and behaviour in maintaining oral health during pregnancy. Results: Almost 80% of participants reported that they had government dental health coverage. Only about 16% of participants reported that they visit dentist before pregnancy and only about 32% of the participants reported to have oral health problems during pregnancy. Although they have oral health problems, only 18% of them visited the dentists during pregnancy. Only 33% of the participants knew that the periodontal problems can affect pregnancy outcome, and 54.5% of participants had never heard of a possible connection between oral health and pregnancy. About 74% of participants reported that they never had specific oral health care instruction during pregnancy. Participants who received oral health instruction from their health providers also tend to have dental visit during pregnancy. Conclusion: Knowledge and behaviour towards oral health during pregnancy in this population was still low. A program that is developed to improve knowledge and behaviour in maintaining oral health during pregnancy is needed.

Oral Cancer Knowledge among a Sample of Elderly People in Depok City, West Java, Indonesia

Objective: To determine the level of knowledge concerning oral cancer among a sample of elderly people with various sociodemographic characters, behavior, and dental visits in Depok City, Indonesia. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study of oral cancer awareness was conducted among 100 elderly people in Depok City using an intervieweradministered questionnaire. We collected information regarding sociodemographic data regarding age, gender, marital status, education, health insurance, risk factors and early signs of oral cancer, and questions related to lifestyle factors relevant to oral cancer, including smoking, drinking alcohol, tobacco chewing, betel quid chewing, and dental visits. Data were analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences and presented through descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: 64% of respondents have poor knowledge of the oral cancer risk factors, while only 25% of respondents have sound knowledge of the early signs of oral cancer. There was a significant difference in the level of oral cancer knowledge according to gender (p=0.01), level of education (p=0.008), smoking behavior (p=0.03), and dental visits (p=0.01). Conclusion: The oral cancer knowledge among elderly people in Depok City is still lacking. Further, some sociodemographic factors influence the level of oral cancer knowledge.