Anwar E Ahmed, Alhanouf N Albalawi, Asma A Alshehri and Rand M AlBlaihed
King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, KSA
Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy, KSA
King Khalid University, KSA
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Primary Health Care
Background: Although stress during pregnancy has negative effects on children�s development and pregnant women�s health, no study has assessed stress and its predictors among pregnant Saudi women. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between sociodemographic and self-reported oral health problems and perceived stress in a sample of pregnant Saudi women. Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 438 pregnant women who attended the obstetrics/gynecology clinic. We collected data on their sociodemographic and oral health status. Stress was assessed using the perceived stress scale. Results: 33.4% of the sample reported high stress. The study revealed significantly high stress in women with no or low income, chronic disease, sleep deprivation, no teeth brushing, irregular eating patterns, gestational diabetes, and no family support (P<0.05). Self-reported oral health problems were significantly associated with high stress (P<0.05). A multiple linear regression model shows no teeth brushing, chronic disease, sleep deprivation, gestational diabetes, and gingival redness predicted an increase in stress by (3.6, 2.4, 2.1, 1.4, and 1.4, respectively). Conclusions: It was estimated that 3 in 10 pregnant women in our hospital reported high stress levels. Our study shed light on the relationship between healthy habits, oral health status, and perceived stress in pregnant women. This research may help healthcare practitioners who provide care to pregnant women to educate them in regard to healthy habits, and to develop a program to reduce stress.
Email: ALALBALAWI1@gmail.com
