Introduction: Oral and dental health is one of the most important parts of public health. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors influencing oral and dental health among the pregnant mothers referring to urban health centers in Khorramabad, Iran, based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) in 2016.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 340 pregnant mothers living in Khorramabad, Iran were selected from health centers using multi-stage random sampling. The decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index, the Oral Health Index – Simplified (OHIS), the health belief model (HBM) scale, and performance regarding oral and dental health care were measured and the data were analyzed. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS 20 software and descriptive statistical tests, Pearson correlation coefficient, and linear regression.
Results: The mean DMFT score was 7.8 ± 3.27 and the mean OHIS score was 2.74 ± 1.65. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a direct and significant relationship between the constructs of the health belief model and performance (p< 0.05). Among the constructs of the health belief model, self-efficacy (22.2 %) had the highest predictive power. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the DMFT and OHIS scores.
Conclusion: The present study showed that cognitive barriers are associated with oral and dental health behaviors and they should receive attention from the oral and dental health professionals. On the other hand, the most important predictor variable of oral health care among pregnant mothers is self-efficacy. Therefore, the self-efficacy of pregnant women should be boosted for them to practice good oral and dental health care.