Predictors of Oral Health Behaviors in Female Students: An Application of the Health Belief Model
نویسندگان
1 Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
2 Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahed University, Tehran, IR Iran
3 Biostatistics Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IR Iran.
4 Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
doi
چکیده
Oral and dental health diseases can affect the general health of students.Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of oral and dental health behavior using the health belief model(HBM) in female students in Teheran, Iran.Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study framed by the HBM, including 400 female students living in district 5 ofTehran, Iran. The sampling technique used in this study was multi-stage stratified random sampling. The data on the HBM constructs(perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy) and demographiccharacteristics were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, andlinear regression were performed to analyze the data, using the SPSS software, version 18.Results: The results showed that there were relationships between the knowledge, perceived barriers, cues to action, and mother’seducation with oral health behaviors. A multivariate hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with the barrier entered at stepone, knowledge at step two, and cues to action at step three. Finally, the three variables accounted for 17% of the total variance in theoral and dental health behavior.Conclusions: The current study provided evidence for the utility of the belief-basedmodelin the prediction of oral healthbehaviors.It could be suggested that oral health behavior can be promoted by reducing the perceived barriers and enhancing the students’knowledge of oral and dental hygiene.
