Common Periodontal Diseases and Socio-Cultural Factors Associated with Occurrence of Periodontal Disease among Women of Reproductive Age Seeking Health Care in Banadir Hospital, Mogadishu Somalia

Introduction: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) oral health refers to a state of being free from oral or facial pain, oral infection, sores, periodontal disease, tooth loss and other diseases that inhibit the capacity to chew, bite, smile and speak. Dental and oral health is an essential part of systemic health and well-being. Poor oral hygiene can lead to dental cavities and gum disease, and has also been linked to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Oral diseases virtually affect the entire population, but it has not been made a priority. Hence oral diseases have been termed as a “neglected epidemic‟. Globally, the prevalence of dental caries among adults is nearly 100% and prevalence of severe periodontitis is 15-20%. Due to the collapse of the central government of Somalia since 1991, the health system also collapsed including oral health care and no surveys done since then. However, non-official reports suggest that oral health service utilization in Benadir region and Somalia in general is poor, as most patients only attend dental clinics with advanced stages of decayed teeth which can only be extracted. The objective of this study was to establish the social cultural and lifestyle factors associated with occurrence of Periodontal Disease among women of reproductive age attending Benadir Hospital in Mogadishu Somalia. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in Benadir region in South-Eastern Somalia. The study was conducted among women in their reproductive age between 15-49 years residing in Benadir region and attending Benadir Hospital for ANC and outpatient care. Sample size was determined as 422 using the Fisher (1998) formula. Systematic sampling method was used for data collection. Results: The prevalence of periodontal disease among women of reproductive age attending Benadir Hospital in Mogadishu is 82%. Sociocultural and lifestyle factors found to be influencing occurrence of periodontal disease among these women were smoking tobacco (OR=22.60, 95%CI=3.071-166.29., P<0.05), drinking alcohol (OR=3.399, 95% CI of OR=1.123-10.396, P<0.05), chewing miraa (OR=1.926, 95%CI=1.093-3.396, P<0.05) and taking soft drinks regularly (OR=2.010, 95%CI of OR=1.150-3.510, P<0.05). Conclusion and Recommandation: To help reduce the burden of periodontal disease in Mogadishu, health promotion officers need to focus more on emphasizing on lifestyle changes such as reduction in alcohol intake, reduction of uptake of sugary drinks, not chewing miraa or smoking tobacco to bring down prevalence of periodontal diseases among women in Mogadishu. Keywords: Sociocultural and Lifestyle Factors, Periodontal Disease, Women, Benadir Hospital, Mogadish