ABSTRACT
AIMS: The quality of prenatal dental services is essential for improving the oral health of both mothers and children. However, a lack of a reliable tool to assess the quality of prenatal oral care has hindered research in this area. To address this gap, the study aimed to validate the Organizational Determinants of Prenatal Dental Services Questionnaire (OD_PDS) in Iranian pregnant women. METHODS: Literature reviews, interviews, and a cross-sectional survey with 300 pregnant women were conducted. To evaluate the validity; face, content and construct validity were assessed. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the Test-retest method were used for reliability assessment. RESULTS: The final version of the OD_PDS comprises 12 items, and four subscales, which are Costs (four items), Access to Equipment and services (three items), Review of the service delivery process (two items), and Professional Behavior (three items). Questions with a factor loading of less than 0.3 were excluded. The obtained fit indices were acceptable (X2/pdf = 3.383, RMSEA: 0.089, CFI = 0.869, and TLI = 0.820). The content reliability was demonstrated by Cronbach's α = 0.702 and 0.713 and the ICC = 0.724. CONCLUSION: The current study indicates that the OD_PDS is a valid and reliable tool for Prenatal Dental Services assessment in health centers.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the determinants that influence oral healthcare behaviours among Iranian pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Comprehensive health service centres. PARTICIPANTS: A sample consisting of all people involved in the process of oral care during pregnancy, 18 pregnant women, 7 midwives/healthcare workers, 3 supervisors of prenatal care services and 3 dentists) were purposefully sampled in terms of demographic characteristics. METHODS: The qualitative content analysis study conducted 31 semistructured individual interviews in 2022, utilising MAXQDA V.10. RESULTS: The participants identified 3 main categories and 11 subcategories: individual and physiological determinants (care needs, perceived importance, motivation, oral health literacy and inherent pregnancy limitations), organisational determinants (costs, access to equipment and services, review of service delivery process and professional behaviour) and social-cultural determinants (educational services and support from family and friends). CONCLUSIONS: The results can be used in interventions to improve oral healthcare for pregnant women. This study highlights the importance of addressing individual, organisational and social-cultural determinants to improve oral healthcare during pregnancy.
