The Association of Oral Health Literacy and Oral Health Knowledge with Social Determinants in Pregnant Brazilian Women

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess oral health literacy (OHL) in pregnant women and its association with social determinants and knowledge regarding eating habits and oral hygiene in infants. This cross-sectional study assessed 175 pregnant women in a hospital in southern Brazil. Socioeconomic and demographic data were obtained using a questionnaire, and OHL was determined by the Brazilian Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (BREALD-30). Eating habits and oral hygiene knowledge were assessed by statements on a 3-point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using Spearman correlations and the Mann-Whitney U test (α = 0.05). The mean (SD) age was 26.2 (6.17) years. Most of the participants had up to 8 years of education (60.0 %) and belonged to socioeconomic class "C" or lower (56.0 %). The mean (SD) score on the BREALD-30 was 22.4 (4.66). A positive correlation was found between BREALD-30 scores and knowledge (r s = 0.370, p < 0.001), income (r s = 0.374, p < 0.001), and the age at which infants first consumed sugar in their diets (r s = 0.370, p < 0.001). A negative correlation was found between BREALD-30 scores and domicile agglomeration (r s = -0.237, p = 0.020). BREALD-30 scores were higher among pregnant women who had more than 8 years of education (p < 0.001), who belonged to higher socioeconomic classes (p < 0.001), and who were employed (p = 0.025). A significant correlation was found between OHL and knowledge. Lower social determinants were associated with lower OHL. Oral health literacy should be considered in health education practices to facilitate adherence to health recommendations in pregnant women.

Oral health knowledge, behaviors and parental practices among rural–urban migrant children in Guangzhou: a follow-up study

“…This study shows that the level of oral health knowledge, behaviors and parental practices at the baseline significantly affected the changes of the oral health knowledge, oral hygiene and dietary habits of migrant children in the final survey. The association between oral health knowledge and oral behaviors has also been confirmed in many other studies [28–30]. In the present study, our findings suggest that children with less oral health knowledge were more likely to achieve significantly positive changes one year later.…”

Validation for Brazilian Portuguese language of the Hong Kong Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry (BOHLAT‐P)

“…Similar results were observed in the original validation study . Previous cross‐sectional studies, including an investigation conducted in Brazil, have also reported an association between lower OHL scores and lower educational level …”

“…16 Previous cross-sectional studies, including an investigation conducted in Brazil, have also reported an association between lower OHL scores and lower educational level. 28,29 Discriminant and predictive validity were only partially supported by the results of the present study. The associations between OHL and dental caries, the number of teeth with cavitated caries, and B-ECOHIS scores were not significant at the multivariate level after adjusting for confounding factors.…”

Oral Health Literacy and Related Factors among Pregnant Women Referring to Health Government Institute in Kerman, Iran

“…The mean health literacy score was higher in women with more than eight literacy classes. Those who were at a lower social level had lower health literacy [24]. After assessing oral health literacy in American women with the first pregnancy, it was found that their health literacy was low.…”