Using health belief model to predict oral health behaviors in girl students: A structural equation modeling

Development and validation of dental visiting behavior among adults based on health belief model

Aim

This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument, Dental Visiting Behavior Based on Health Belief Model among Adults (DVBHBM), and to assess factors influencing adults' dental visiting behavior based on Health Belief Model.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 277 adults in Hyderabad, India. The DVBHBM instrument, based on Health Belief Model, was developed, validated, and distributed among participants. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive analysis, independent t-tests, and path analysis were conducted to explore construct validity, internal consistency, attitudes, and relationship among variables.

Results

Participants with discomfort exhibited higher perceived susceptibility (3.70 ± 1.15) compared to those with regular dental visits (2.84 ± 1.26, p < 0.05). Conversely, individuals with regular dental visits demonstrated significantly greater perceived benefits (22.32 ± 2.5) than those experiencing discomfort (19.76 ± 3.36, p = 0.001). Perceived barriers were lower among individuals with regular dental visits (11.01 ± 4.61) compared to those experiencing discomfort (12.71 ± 4.26, p = 0.001). Participants with regular dental visits also perceived the severity of not visiting a dentist (3.87 ± 0.95) more strongly than those experiencing discomfort (2.91 ± 1.03, p = 0.000). Cues to action were more pronounced in individuals with discomfort (3.34 ± 1.06) compared to those with regular dental visits (2.98 ± 1.07, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Participants exhibiting discomfort in dental visits had significantly higher perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, cues to action and self-efficacy towards dental visits. However, factors such as age, gender, marital status, income, brushing, flossing and tobacco use did not impact dental visiting behaviour of adults.

The moderating role of trust in government adoption e-service during Covid-19 pandemic: health belief model perspective

The present paper discusses the influence of factors in the health belief model (HBM) on adopting government e-services during the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Furthermore, the present study demonstrates the moderating effect of trust in HBM. Therefore, we propose an interacting model between trust and HBM. A survey of 299 citizens in Indonesia was used to test the proposed model. By using a structural equation model (SEM), this study found that the HBM factors (perceived susceptibility, perceived benefit, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, cues to action, health concern) significantly affect the intention to adopt government e-services during the Covid-19 pandemic, except for the perceived severity factor. In addition, this study reveals the role of the trust variable, which significantly strengthens the effect of HBM on government e-service.

Sustaining the Benefits of Social Media on Users’ Health Beliefs Regarding COVID-19 Prevention

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has facilitated the efficient and effective dissemination of healthcare information and helped governments keep in touch with their citizens. Research has indicated that social media can exert negative and positive influences on users’ mental health. One negative effect is social media fatigue caused by information overload. However, under the current pandemic, comprehensive research has yet to be executed on the effect exerted by social media on users’ health beliefs and subjective well-being (SWB). Consequently, we conducted our research to probe the influence of social media on users’ perceptions of COVID-19 prevention. This study established a research model based on 340 valid responses to an online questionnaire survey from Taiwan. SmartPLS 3.0 was used to verify the developed measurement and structural models. We found social media users’ incidental and focused knowledge gain positively related to their social media intensity. In addition, social media intensity positively correlated with health beliefs and SWB. Accordingly, we can determine that proper social media use can enhance health beliefs. Based on our derived findings, we propose a set of practical recommendations to leverage social media effectively and sustainably during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparison of the effect of mothers and students' education on the promotion of oral health behaviours in female students, using the health belief model

BACKGROUND

Oral diseases are considered an important health challenge around the world, especially among children. This study aimed to compare the effects of mothers and students' education on female students' oral health behaviours.

METHODS

This three-arm randomized controlled educational trial was conducted on 261 fifth- and sixth-grade female students. The participants were selected and divided into two intervention groups (students' mothers and students) and a control group through simple random sampling. The intervention included four 60-min and two 90-min education sessions for the students and their mothers, respectively. The data were analysed using the SPSS 22 software.

RESULTS

The results revealed a significant increase in the mean scores of knowledge (p < 0.001), self-efficacy (p = 0.038), and cues to action (p < 0.001) in the students' intervention group. However, in the students-mothers' group the mean score of knowledge significantly increased (p < 0.001), and perceived barriers significantly decreased (p = 0.001). After the intervention, a significant difference was observed among the three study groups regarding the mean scores of knowledge (p < 0.001), perceived susceptibility (p = 0.005), perceived severity (p = 0.005), perceived benefits (p = 0.011), cues to action (p < 0.001) and brushing and flossing behaviours (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In this study, the mothers' education did not have any additional effects on the students' education. It seems that, in underprivileged communities where mothers had a low level of education, it might be better for oral health education to focus more on the students.

The efficacy of peer-led oral health programs based on Social Cognitive Theory and Health Belief Model among Hong Kong adolescents: a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Oral diseases are preventable through the building of good oral health behaviors. Theory-based behavior change was key to the efficacy of oral health promotion since conventional promotion strategies achieved only short-lived and limited improvements. The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy of a peer-led oral health intervention based on the health belief model (HBM) and the social cognitive theory (SCT) on oral self-care behaviors among Hong Kong adolescents. One thousand one hundred and eighty-four adolescents in 12 schools participated and were randomly assigned to either intervention or control group, utilizing a cluster-randomized controlled trial design. Brushing/flossing frequency, HBM/SCT constructs, oral health knowledge, and dental anxiety were measured at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Changes in behaviors were assessed using mixed-effects model and the mediators of behavioral change were identified with parallel multiple mediation analysis. At 6 months, the intervention group showed a significant increase in the frequency of brushing and flossing compared with the control group. Self-efficacy was identified as mediator between treatment condition and behavioral changes of brushing and flossing. Combining theories of HBM and SCT is a promising avenue for efficacy in oral health behaviors. The effects were mediated through cognitive variables, which provided guidance for both theory and health intervention development.

Factors influencing job satisfaction among dentists during the new normal of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: A structural equation modeling approach

BACKGROUND

Dentistry is one of the highest risk occupations that face COVID-19, especially in countries that are severely affected by the pandemic, such as Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study was to determine factors influencing job satisfaction among dentists during the new normal of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia by utilizing the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach.

METHODS

A total of 310 Indonesian dentists voluntary completed an online questionnaire, which contained 58 questions. Several latent variables such as perceived severity of COVID-19, staff cooperation and management commitment, personal protective equipment, job stress, working hours, income, and overall job satisfaction were analyzed simultaneously.

RESULTS

SEM revealed perceived severity of COVID-19 had significant effects on job stress (β:0.394, p = 0.025) and the utilization of personal protective equipment (β:0.757, p = 0.001). Subsequently, job stress (β:-0.286, p = 0.001), working hours (β:0.278, p = 0.018), income (β:0.273, p = 0.003), personal protective equipment (β:0.145, p = 0.038), and staff cooperation & management commitment (β:0.091, p = 0.002) were found to have significant effects on overall job satisfaction. In addition, management & staff cooperation was found to have a significant association with job stress reduction (β:-0.319, p = 0.003) which subsequently led to higher satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study is one of the first that analyzed job satisfaction among dentists in Indonesia during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The integrated latent variables can be applied and extended to evaluate job satisfaction among dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic in other countries. Finally, this study contributed as a theoretical foundation for policymakers to enhance the job satisfaction of dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic.