Oral health program preferences among pregnant women in a managed care organization

The purpose of the study was to understand the oral health information preferences of pregnant women and new mothers.

This study was conducted at a Minnesota managed care organization. A random sample of 250 women with public program insurance and 250 privately insured women was selected from the population of pregnant women in the claims systems. The study consisted of a mailed survey and phone contact to nonresponders. The analytic sample consisted of 123 public-pay and 127 private-pay respondents. Descriptive statistics summarize the preferences for oral health care topics.

Receiving information by mail was preferred by both groups. Women favored information concerning infant-specific oral health more than information on both mother and infant oral health. While public-pay respondents had more enthusiasm for many topics, the topic preference rankings within each sample were similar.

Similarities in program preferences suggest that common interventions could be designed that would appeal to both groups without extensive tailoring.