Journal of North Khorasan

Background & Objectives: The relationship between oral diseases and adverse outcomes of pregnancy demands more attention to oral hygiene for pregnant women. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of educational programs based on the theory of planned behavior to improving the oral health behavior of pregnant women attending urban health facilities Ashkhaneh city in 2013. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out on 150 pregnant women, selected with simple sampling.( 75 females of each site). Data were collected using a researcher desingend questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated. Data was analyzed by SPSS18 software at significance level of 0.05. Results: The most frequent samples aged between 21-25 years old. Before the intervention, the mean score of knowledge, attitude, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, behavioral intention and performance of the intervention and control groups showed no significant difference (p>0/05). After the intervention, the average of all the scores in the intervention group showed an increase except for subjective constructions after training (p<0/05). This difference was not significant in the control group (p> 0/05). Conclusion: Using the theory of planned behavior improves oral health in the pregnant women.