Is There Any Association Between Health Literacy Level, Periodontal Status, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Pregnant Women?

Objective: As a part of general health, the periodontal health status of the pregnant women is not only important for pregnancy but also utmost for antenatal and postnatal life of a fetus. This study aimed to determine the health literacy level of pregnant women and to demonstrate the association between health literacy level, periodontal status, and adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to nonpregnant women. Methods: A total of 216 participants (pregnant/nonpregnant = 104/112) were included in this cross-sectional study. Health literacy level was determined using a self-completed Turkish Health Literacy Scale, 32-item questionnaire. Plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, and clinical attachment level were recorded. The records of pregnant women were evalu- ated for preeclampsia, preterm delivery, and low birthweight. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. Results: The health literacy level, plaque index, gingival index, and bleeding on probing values were higher in pregnant women (P = .022, P = .007, and P = .034 respectively). While a positive correlation was observed between health literacy level and birthweight, a negative one was found between periodontal parameters, either birthweight or birth week (P <.05). Nevertheless, there was not any association between health literacy level and periodontal parameters (P >.05). Conclusion: Our results showed that health literacy level was higher in pregnant women without any effects on periodontal status. Given the unique conditions of pregnancy, our study provides remarkable data that may help establish oral health care during pregnancy routinely for both pregnant women and caregivers. Keywords: Health literacy, maternal health, periodontal status, periodontal indices, pregnancy outcomes ÖZ Amaç: Genel sağlığın bir parçası olan periodontal sağlık, gebelerde sadece gebeler için değil, fetü- sün antenatal ve postnatal yaşamı için de son derece önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, gebe kadın- ların sağlık okuryazarlık (SOY) düzeyini belirlemek ve gebenin SOY düzeyi ile periodontal durumu ve istenmeyen gebelik sonuçları arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışmaya toplam 216 katılımcı (gebe/gebe olmayan = 104/112) dahil edildi. SOY düzeyleri, katılımcılar tarafından doldurulan Türkiye SOY Ölçeği-32 kullanılarak belir- lendi. Katılımcılardan plak indeks (PI), gingival indeks (GI), sondalamada kanama (SK), sondalama derinliği (SD) ve klinik ataşman seviyesi (KAS) klinik parametreleri kayıt altına alındı. Gebelerin rutin jinekolojik kayıtları preeklampsi, erken doğum ve düşük doğum ağırlığı açısından değerlen- dirildi. İstatistiksel anlamlılık p<.05 olarak belirlendi. Bulgular: Gebelerde SOY, GI ve SK değerleri daha yüksekti (sırasıyla, P = .022, P = .007, P =.034). SOY ile doğum ağırlığı arasında pozitif bir korelasyon gözlenirken, periodontal parametreler ile hem bebeğin doğum ağırlığı hem de doğum haftası arasında negatif yönlü bir ilişki bulundu (P <.05). Bununla birlikte, SOY ile peri- odontal parametreler arasında herhangi bir ilişki yoktu (P >.05). Sonuç: Bulgularımız, SOY'un gebelerde daha yüksek olduğunu ancak bu yüksekliğin periodontal duruma herhangi bir etkisinin olmadığını göstermiştir. Gebeliğin kendine özgü koşulları göz önüne alındığında, çalışmamız hem gebeler hem de bakıcılar için gebelikte ağız sağlığı bakımının rutin olarak oluşturulmasına yardımcı olabilecek dikkate değer veriler sunmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Anne sağlığı, hamilelik sonuçları, sağlık okur yazarlığı, periodontal durum, periodontal indeksler

Keywords:

Health literacy, maternal health periodontal status, periodontal indices,

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