Effect of Educational Intervention on Oral Health Behaviour based on Health Belief Model in Female Secondary School Students of Paveh in 2011

Introduction: Education is a powerful tool in reducing dental diseases. It is known as an essential part of oral health services. This study evaluated the impact of education on oral health behavior of students based on health belief model.

Methods: This educational intervention study was carried out on secondary school girls of Paveh, Iran in 2011. A standard questionnaire was used to collect the data, including demographic characteristics, dimensions of health belief model and performance of students before and after intervention. The educational intervention was conducted over three sessions. To examine differences between groups in terms of demographic factors, dimensions of health belief model and performance status before and after the intervention, Chi-square test and logistic regression were used. P<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Sixty students were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Among the demographic variables, only maternal education was significantly different between the two groups (P=0.02). Educational intervention significantly improved the perceived susceptibility (P=0.006), perceived severity (P=0.007), perceived barriers (P=0.01), and use of dental floss (P=0.009) in the intervention group. However, the impact on perceived barriers, cues to action, and brushing performance were not found significant (P>0.05).

Conclusion: The importance of education caused promoting dental health behaviors of students. It also emphasized adopting more appropriate methods for oral health training.