Prevalence of Periodontitis in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Health Facilities in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of periodontitis in pregnant women in Gondar Town and factors associated with periodontitis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gondar Town among pregnant women attending antenatal care from February to June 2024. Data collection was conducted by trained professionals using a pre-tested, structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire through KoboToolbox, an online data collection platform. Periodontitis was assessed based on the presence of bleeding on probing, dental calculus and periodontal pockets, in accordance with the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). A binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the associations between sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical factors and periodontitis. RESULTS: Six hundred and twenty-eight pregnant women were included in the study (mean age = 27.8 years; SD = 5.1). The prevalence of periodontitis, bleeding on probing and calculus deposition was 32.8% (95% CI: 29.1-36.6), 64.3% (95% CI: 60.6-68.0) and 41.5% (95% CI: 37.6-45.5), respectively. Among pregnant women in Gondar Town, maternal age ≥ 35 years, antihypertensive medication use, and being in the third trimester of gestation were positively associated with periodontitis, whereas iron supplement use was negatively associated with periodontitis. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that periodontitis is relatively common among pregnant women, highlighting the importance of preventive strategies and oral health screening during antenatal care follow-up.