Process Evaluation of Antenatal Oral Healthcare Programme: A Qualitative Study Among Healthcare Providers in Selangor, Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/cos.v13i1.6231Keywords:
antenatal mothers, oral health programme, SWOT analysis, healthcare providers, qualitative studyAbstract
Objective: This study evaluated the implementation of the Oral Healthcare Programme (OHCP) for antenatal mothers in Selangor from the perspectives of antenatal care providers (ANCPs) using a SWOT framework.
Materials and Methods: A qualitative exploratory design was employed involving Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) with dental officers, medical officers, and nurses/midwives from three districts in Selangor. Participants were purposively sampled, and interviews were conducted virtually using Zoom platform. Data were thematically analysed guided by SWOT analysis principles.
Results: The identified OHCP’s strengths include integrating oral health into maternal services, committed healthcare personnel, and accessible services. The programme’s weaknesses include a limited workforce, inadequate cross-sectoral collaboration, and inconsistent referral mechanisms. The highlighted opportunities include digital innovation and enhanced training, while the threats of the OHCP were the funding constraints, lack of prioritization in maternal health, and sustainability concerns.
Conclusions: The study identifies the need for an improvised level of interprofessional coordination, standardized workflows, and innovative educational strategies, such as digital tools, to improve programme coverage and sustainability. Strengthening resource allocation and policy support are crucial for optimizing the impact of antenatal oral healthcare.
Keywords: antenatal mothers, oral health programme, SWOT analysis, healthcare providers, qualitative study
References
Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2022). Social Statistics Bulletin, Malaysia. Putrajaya: Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal.
Ebrahimi, T., & Farokhi, M. (2022). Effectiveness of oral health education interventions on oral health literacy levels in adults; A systematic review. In medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.04.22273407
Folayan, M. O., El Tantawi, M., Aly, N. M., & Al-Batayneh, O. B. (2015). Factors associated dental caries among Nigerian children aged 6 24 months. Pediatric Dentistry, 37(5), 393–399.
Guidelines Oral Healthcare Antenatal Mothers. Putrajaya: Ministry Health Malaysia. (2004).
Health Informatics Centre, Ministry Health Malaysia. (2023). National Oral Health Information System (NOHIS) Data Report 2023. (n.d.). Ministry Health Malaysia.
Integrated Health Services: What Why? Geneva: World Health Organization. (2018). World Health Organization.
Jacobs, R. J., Lou, J. Q., & Ownby, R. L. (2020). systematic review eHealth interventions improving health literacy. Health Informatics Journal, 26(4), 2676–2697.
Kayser, L., Karnoe, Furstrand, D., Batterham, R., Christensen, K. B., & Osborne, R. H. (2015). multidimensional tool based eHealth literacy framework: Development initial validation. Journal Medical Internet Research, 17(5).
Lee, S. H., Nurmatov, U. B., Nwaru, B. I., Mukherjee, M., Grant, L., & Pagliari, C. (2016). Effectiveness of mHealth interventions for maternal, newborn and child health in low- and middle-income countries: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Global Health, 6(1), 010401. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.06.010401
Plutzer, K., & Keirse, M. J. N. C. (2014). Influence of an intervention to prevent early childhood caries initiated before birth on children’s use of dental services up to 7 years of age. The Open Dentistry Journal, 8(1), 104–108. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874210601408010104
Ramos-Gomez, F. J. (2012). Clinical guidelines recommendations infant oral health care. Pediatric Dentistry, 34(6), 384–389.
Saddki, N., Yusoff, & Hwang, Y. L. (2010). Factors associated dental visit behaviour among Malaysian pregnant women. European Journal Dentistry, 4(2), 182–188.
Updated Guidelines Oral Healthcare Antenatal Postnatal Mothers. Putrajaya: Ministry Health Malaysia. (2023).
Watt, R. G. (2012). Social determinants of oral health inequalities: implications for action. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 40 Suppl 2, 44–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0528.2012.00719.x
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Compendium of Oral Science
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Materials contained in the journal may be reproduced for educational purposes provided that both the author(s) and the journal are appropriately recognised; otherwise duplication is not permitted. No articles, reports, or portions there of may be translated into other languages, published in books, journals, magazines, or any other print form without written permission from the authors and from the journal.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data expressed in the articles and reports herein are those of the author(s) and not of the publisher and the editor(s). The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any schemes, methods, instructions or ideas referred to in the content.
