Oral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
Abstract Background This systematic review aimed to assess pregnant women’s knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward oral health changes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and examine their oral health-seeking behavior during pregnancy. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Google...
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BMC
2025-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Oral Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-06249-y |
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| author | Torojah Mayaline Williams Adetola Emmanuel Babalola Olubusayo Bolarinwa Victor Adeyanju Somoye Oluwaseun Akinola Azeez Olayinka Julianah Onasanya Victor Miracle Johnson Adaeze Favour Egemonye |
| author_facet | Torojah Mayaline Williams Adetola Emmanuel Babalola Olubusayo Bolarinwa Victor Adeyanju Somoye Oluwaseun Akinola Azeez Olayinka Julianah Onasanya Victor Miracle Johnson Adaeze Favour Egemonye |
| author_sort | Torojah Mayaline Williams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background This systematic review aimed to assess pregnant women’s knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward oral health changes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and examine their oral health-seeking behavior during pregnancy. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals Online (AJOL), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the Cochrane Library. Both Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms related to oral health, knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, antenatal care, pregnancy, and Africa were used. Boolean operators (“AND,” “NOT,” and “OR”) refined the search strategy. Two independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data using Rayyan software, with a third reviewer resolving conflicts. The Robins-E tool assessed the risk of bias. Results Fifteen of seventy-five studies initially identified met the inclusion criteria after full-text screening. Most employed a cross-sectional design. Findings revealed low oral health-seeking behavior among pregnant women in Africa, attributed to factors such as negative dental experiences, concerns about harm to the unborn child, and the belief that dental care is unnecessary. Many women visited dental clinics only when they noticed significant oral health changes. Conclusions The reviewed studies demonstrated a low risk of bias and consistent findings. Pregnancy is a critical period, and poor oral health can adversely affect birth outcomes. Insufficient knowledge and misconceptions deter women from seeking dental care during pregnancy. To address this, targeted oral health education must improve awareness and overcome barriers to seeking care. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-baa2921bd5de47dea8b4db345ac0954b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1472-6831 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Oral Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-baa2921bd5de47dea8b4db345ac0954b2025-08-20T02:05:16ZengBMCBMC Oral Health1472-68312025-06-012511810.1186/s12903-025-06249-yOral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic reviewTorojah Mayaline Williams0Adetola Emmanuel Babalola1Olubusayo Bolarinwa2Victor Adeyanju Somoye3Oluwaseun Akinola Azeez4Olayinka Julianah Onasanya5Victor Miracle Johnson6Adaeze Favour Egemonye7Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of WisconsinFaculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of IbadanJohns Hopkins UniversityFaculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of IbadanFaculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of IbadanFaculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of IbadanFaculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of IbadanCollege of Medicine, University of LagosAbstract Background This systematic review aimed to assess pregnant women’s knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward oral health changes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and examine their oral health-seeking behavior during pregnancy. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journals Online (AJOL), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the Cochrane Library. Both Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms related to oral health, knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, antenatal care, pregnancy, and Africa were used. Boolean operators (“AND,” “NOT,” and “OR”) refined the search strategy. Two independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data using Rayyan software, with a third reviewer resolving conflicts. The Robins-E tool assessed the risk of bias. Results Fifteen of seventy-five studies initially identified met the inclusion criteria after full-text screening. Most employed a cross-sectional design. Findings revealed low oral health-seeking behavior among pregnant women in Africa, attributed to factors such as negative dental experiences, concerns about harm to the unborn child, and the belief that dental care is unnecessary. Many women visited dental clinics only when they noticed significant oral health changes. Conclusions The reviewed studies demonstrated a low risk of bias and consistent findings. Pregnancy is a critical period, and poor oral health can adversely affect birth outcomes. Insufficient knowledge and misconceptions deter women from seeking dental care during pregnancy. To address this, targeted oral health education must improve awareness and overcome barriers to seeking care.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-06249-yKnowledgePerceptionAttitudeOral healthPregnancyWomen |
| spellingShingle | Torojah Mayaline Williams Adetola Emmanuel Babalola Olubusayo Bolarinwa Victor Adeyanju Somoye Oluwaseun Akinola Azeez Olayinka Julianah Onasanya Victor Miracle Johnson Adaeze Favour Egemonye Oral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review BMC Oral Health Knowledge Perception Attitude Oral health Pregnancy Women |
| title | Oral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review |
| title_full | Oral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Oral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review |
| title_short | Oral health knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review |
| title_sort | oral health knowledge perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women in sub saharan africa a systematic review |
| topic | Knowledge Perception Attitude Oral health Pregnancy Women |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-06249-y |
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