The Effect of Training on Student's Oral and Dental Health Behaviors and Health Belief Model Constructs

Oral and dental health can be effective in children’s performance at school and their success in future. Health belief model describes health behaviors based on individuals’ beliefs and attitudes. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of training based on health belief model on girl students’ oral and dental health behaviors and health belief models.
In this quasi-experimental study, 140 students of the fifth grade of primary school in Ahvaz were randomly divided into an intervention and a control group. The information about health behaviors and health belief model was gathered before the study and after 8 weeks. Oral and dental health training based on the health belief model constructs was conducted in 5 sessions through lecture and group discussion. After all, the data were entered into the SPSS statistical software (v. 21) and analyzed using independent and paired t-test.
Before the intervention, 58.6% of the intervention group students and 62.9% of the control group ones sometimes brushed their teeth. In addition, 41.4% of the students in the intervention group and 37.1% of those in the control group brushed their teeth once a day. Besides, 60% of the intervention group students and 34.3% of control group ones did not use dental floss. Also, 40% of the students in the intervention group and 65.7% of those in the control group sometimes used dental floss. After the intervention, 98.6% of the intervention group students and 38.6% of the control group ones brushed their teeth once a day. Additionally, 80% of the students in the intervention group used dental floss in a day. The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups regarding the mean score of health behaviors (brushing teeth and using dental floss) (P=0.001) and the constructs health belief model including perceived intensity, perceived sensitivity, perceived barriers, perceived benefits, guidance for action, and perceived self-efficacy (P The results showed that health belief model was quite effective in improvement of oral and dental health behaviors. Thus, this model is suggested to be used for training students at schools.