Association between oral hygiene during pregnancy and mental health in the postpartum period

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670907
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Social dentistry
• Research Institution: Asahi University (2017); Aomori University of Health and Welfare (2014-2016)
• Principal Investigator: SAITO YOSHIKO 朝日大学, 保健医療学部, 教授 (20362767)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NOGUCHI Tadahide 自治医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (30275705) ; MINAKAMI Hisanori 北海道大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (40102256) ; MATSUO Hiroya 神戸大学, 保健学研究科, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔衛生 / 産後うつ病 / 産後のメンタルヘルス / 妊娠期のメンタルヘルス / Maternal comfort / 自己効力感 / GHQ / GOHAI

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was conducted in 118 postpartum women in whom inspection of oral cavity by a dental hygienist with supervision of a dentist and questionnaires such as General Health Questionnaire 12. Women were divided by an oral status into two groups; women with favourable oral status (Group A) and women with counterpart characteristics (Group B). The GHQ 12 score was significantly higher in the Group B than in Group A.
Our cross-sectional survey data among primipara pregnant women and primipara postpartum women demonstrated that the incidence of inflammation of the gums, tartar deposits, and tooth with plaque was significantly higher in the postpartum women than in the pregnant women, while GHQ 12 score was significantly lower in the postpartum women than in the pregnant women. In the longitudinal survey among 36 women, the decrease in GHQ-12 score four months after parturition than during pregnancy were not associated with oral hygiene, which were similar between the two groups.

Free Research Field

母性看護学