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Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of an oral self-care education intervention based on the Theory of Planned Behavior in Taiwanese undergraduates.
Participants
We recruited 63 and 90 students in the experimental group (EG) and comparison group (CG), respectively, from a medical university.
Methods
A quasi-experimental design was employed. The EG received health education and a brief action and coping planning intervention.
Results
The EG was significantly more likely to brush for more than 3 minutes (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.52), use the modified Bass brushing technique (aOR = 7.81), and floss (aOR = 21.21) at the 2-week follow-up than was the CG. At the 6-week follow-up, the combined effect of high action and coping planning with high perceived power for predicting floss use was observed in the EG (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Intervention may promote periodontal-disease-preventing behaviors in undergraduates, particularly for achieving adherence to daily flossing.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of Taiwan and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital.