Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Daniel W. McNeil

Committee Co-Chair

Christa Lilly

Committee Member

Christa Lilly

Committee Member

Shari A. Steinman

Abstract

Oral health during the perinatal period has an impact on the health of women and their offspring. Oral self-care behaviors are preventive methods that can be employed to maintain or improve oral health but may be compromised during the perinatal period. Identifying factors affecting oral self-care behaviors might provide direction on how to intervene in oral health during and after pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to investigate independent and interactive effects of depression and stress on oral self-care behaviors of perinatal women in Appalachia, given the burden of oral disease in this region. A total of 1,172 women in the first or second trimester of pregnancy were enrolled in West Virginia or Pittsburgh, PA. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale-10, and self-report items about oral self-care behaviors (i.e., toothbrushing, flossing, and mouth rinsing) six times across the perinatal period. A Generalized Estimating Equation approach was used to analyze longitudinal data. Results showed that higher levels of depression or stress were associated with decreased odds of healthy toothbrushing and flossing. Interaction effects between maternal depression and stress were found, suggesting women with high depression – high stress and high depression – low stress/low depression – high stress had decreased odds of healthy toothbrushing behavior compared to women with low depression – low stress. Findings suggest that targeting emotional distress might be helpful in improving oral self-care behaviors in perinatal women in Appalachia.

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