Although guidelines recommend antenatal care providers such as midwives promote oral health during pregnancy, oral health training is not routinely provided in undergraduate midwifery curricula. The ...aim of this study was to implement an oral health module into an Australian undergraduate midwifery program, and evaluate its effectiveness in improving the oral health knowledge and confidence of midwifery students.
Pre-test post-test study (2015–2017).
An undergraduate midwifery program within an Australian university.
All first-year undergraduate midwifery students enrolled in two core units at the above university (N = 56).
Oral health modules were implemented into each of the two core units within the first year of the Bachelor of Midwifery course. Changes in knowledge and confidence were measured using a standardised questionnaire, administered at baseline, immediately following module completion, and at 2 and 3 years following module completion.
44 students participated in the baseline survey (79% response rate), of which 41 completed the first post-module questionnaire, 21 completed the second post-questionnaire, and 24 completed the third post-questionnaire. Knowledge scores significantly increased from baseline (mean 13.12) to follow-up (mean 17.78, p < 0.001), with increases being retained through to the 3-year mark (mean 18.29, p < 0.001). Confidence scores also showed a sustained increase following the module, particularly regarding introducing oral health in the first antenatal appointment (62.1% increase, p < 0.001) and referring pregnant women to a dentist (48.2% increase, p < 0.001). However, the 48.2% increase (p < 0.001) in confidence in conducting a visual mouth check on a pregnant woman following the module was not sustained at subsequent time points, reducing to a 31.5% increase (p = 0.118) by the third year post-module.
The module is effective in improving and sustaining the knowledge and confidence of midwifery students to promote maternal oral health. Ongoing updates may be required to keep confidence high regarding visual mouth checks.
To the Editor:
Sabatine et al. (March 24 issue)
1
demonstrated in the Clopidogrel as Adjunctive Reperfusion Therapy (CLARITY)–Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 28 trial that clopidogrel ...added to aspirin, heparin, and thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation reduced the composite end point of TIMI grade 0 or 1 flow, death from any cause, or recurrent myocardial infarction. However, the benefit in terms of this composite end point was driven by the greater TIMI flow grade achieved in the clopidogrel group than in the placebo group; there were no differences between the groups in the rates of the clinical . . .
