title: Improving oral health in low-income pregnant women with a nurse practitioner-directed oral care program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the effectiveness of an advanced practice nurse model of care to improve oral health in low-income pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women (n=170) were randomized to either control or experimental group in a hospital-based inner city clinic in the Midwest. Participants completed pretest and posttest questionnaires. Those in the experimental group participated in an educational session, received dental supplies, and were scheduled for an oral care appointment. Descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, and Pearson's chi-square test were used to analyze the data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge scores showed a small positive trend while favorable self-perception of oral health increased significantly in the experimental group. The experimental group demonstrated a significant increase in frequency of brushing and flossing teeth, marked reduction in intake of high sugar drinks, and reported more than twice as many visits for a dental check-up than the control group. Significant barriers to obtaining oral health services were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because adverse pregnancy outcomes have been linked to periodontitis in numerous research studies, pregnant women must be educated about the importance of oral health and the necessity of a check-up. APNs are in an ideal position to educate women and assist them to obtain necessary oral health services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Saint Louis University, and Department of OB-GYN Clinic, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, USA. cibulkan@slu.edu
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cibulka
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Forney
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lazaroff
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarabia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009909:Oral Health; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016730:Program Development; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D040241:Social Marketing; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult