Does Multiparity Affect Periodontitis Associated Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes' Awareness?

Abstract

Background: Periodontal disease is a very common, undesirable, and neglected bacterial infection causing destruction of the connective tissue and dental bone support. During pregnancy, the oral bacteria could lead to tissue damage and mediate immune response which can impair the development and fetal growth in the placenta that it may be a risk factor for pre-term birth (before 37 weeks of gestation). The goal of this study to measure the knowledge and awareness of women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia toward the relation between periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcome. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from January 2020 until November 2021. based on a validated questionnaire developed by the authors. A convenience sample size of 966 women, aged 20-50 years, with a confidence level of 95%, and a 5% margin of error was selected. The questionnaire was divided into three main sections: demographics, knowledge and attitude. Results: The study showed a mean score of awareness of 3.801.26 (54.35 ± 17.98%) while the mean score of attitudes was 1.60 ± 0.98 (39.91 ± 24.42%). There was no statistically significant relationship to age group, nationality, or parity, however, scores were significant to university education level. Conclusion: Learning from previous multigravidas did not influence knowledge and awareness towards adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with PD.