Oral health-related quality of life among women early postpartum: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Periodontal diseases can negatively impact the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of pregnant women. This study investigates the association between maternal oral inflammatory load (OIL), sociodemographic characteristics, and the OHRQoL in postpartum women.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, breastfeeding mothers were recruited from St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto within 2-4 weeks postpartum. Mothers were categorized into "Normal/low" and "High" OIL groups based on the absolute counts of oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs). The Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire was used to assess the impact of the maternal OIL on the OHRQoL. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between maternal sociodemographic factors including age, marital status, education level, employment status, parity, and their OHRQoL.

Results: Forty-seven mothers were included in this study. Mothers with high OIL reported higher impact on their OHRQoL (30%) than mothers with normal/low OIL (21%), but these differences were not statistically different. There was a negative relationship between the mother's education level and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the "physical pain" dimension (p < 0.05), and between the mothers' age and employment status and the "physical disability" dimension (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was noted between multi-parity and the extent of impact of OHRQoL on the "physical disability" dimension (p = 0.009), and between the marital status and the "psychological disability" dimension (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study highlighted the significant impact of sociodemographic characteristics on the OHRQoL of mothers, showcasing the importance of considering these factors when implementing targeted preventive dental care programs for mothers.

Keywords: inflammation; oral health; periodontal diseases; postpartum; pregnant; quality of life.