Knowledge, Attitude And Practices Among Obstetricians Regarding Oral Health Of Expectant Mothers In Southern Rajasthan: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
Keywords:
Obstetricians; Expectant mothers; Oral health; Knowledge, attitude and practice; Southern Rajasthan.Abstract
Background: Obstetricians, owing to their frequent contact with expectant mothers, are uniquely positioned to promote maternal oral health.
Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices among obstetricians’ regarding oral health of expectant mothers of Southern Rajasthan.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among obstetricians registered with the National Medical Commission (NMC), Udaipur branch, Southern Rajasthan. A self-designed, structured, pre-tested, close-ended questionnaire comprising 18 items was administered through e-mail (Google Forms) following informed consent. Of 150 registered obstetricians (23 of whom participated in a prior pilot validation and were excluded from the main study), 90 completed the questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20; Pearson's Chi-square test was applied to assess associations, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05.
Results: Of the 90 respondents, 75 (83.3%) were female and 61 (67.7%) had more than 10 years of clinical experience. Good knowledge, good attitude and good practice were observed in 53 (58.9%), 53 (58.9%) and 69 (76.6%) of obstetricians, respectively. No statistically significant differences in knowledge, attitude or practice were found across age, sex or years of practice (p > 0.05 for all comparisons).
Conclusion: Obstetricians in Southern Rajasthan demonstrated satisfactory knowledge and a generally favorable attitude toward maternal oral health, but this awareness was not consistently reflected in routine antenatal practice. Structured interdisciplinary training and clinical guidelines are needed to bridge this gap...
