Brushing behavior among young adolescents: does perceived severity matter

Abstract

BackgroundOral health is a basis for general health and well-being and affects physical and psychological aspects of the human life. The aim of this study was to determine the power of the health belief model in general and the role of perceived severity and its components in particular in predicting tooth brushing behavior among young adolescents.MethodsThis was a cross sectional study of a sample of female students grade four in Rasht (a metropolitan in north Iran) in 2012. A systematic random sampling method was applied to recruit students. They were asked to respond to a designed questionnaire containing items on brushing behavior based on the health belief model. In this study for the first time perceived severity and perceived barriers were divided into two parts, perceived subjective and objective severity and perceived physical and psychological barriers and were treated as independent variables. Logistic regression analysis was performed in order to identify the variables that predict the desirable behavior (brushing twice a day or more).ResultsIn all 265 female students were entered into the study. Of these, only 17.4% reported that they were brushing at least twice a day (desirable behavior). The results obtained from the logistic regression analysis indicated that perceived objective severity (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.21- 0.66, P = 0.001) and feeling less perceived psychological barriers (OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.50- 4.52, P = 0.001) were the significant predicting factors for brushing twice a day.ConclusionThe findings suggest that perceived objective severity and perceived psychological barriers play important role in adapting a desirable health behavior among young adolescents.

Development and validation of the Oral Health Behavior Questionnaire for Adolescents based on the Health Belief Model (OHBQAHBM)

“…Previous research has identified self-efficacy and perceived barriers as a predictor of toothbrushing and flossing behaviors [34,35]. Similarly, in our study, perceived barriers could serve as a predictor for flossing and dental visit patterns while self-efficacy predicted toothbrushing behavior.…”

Oral hygiene status in a general population of Iran, 2011: a key lifestyle marker in relation to common risk factors of non-communicable diseases

“…Kasmaei et al have already expressed their concerns about dental health condition in Iran. They urged quick action for OH education in our community (45). Only 5.7% of total population met the minimum recommendations for daily tooth brushing and flossing.…”

Keep on brushing: a longitudinal study of motivational text messaging in young adults aged 18–24 years receiving Work and Income Support

“…The cues in this intervention were brief but focused on perceptions of susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy. Although the active components of this intervention cannot be discerned, others have found adolescent tooth brushing was predicted by perceived objective severity, feeling less perceived psychological barriers, and self-efficacy (29).…”