Perceived behavioural control and coping planning predict dental brushing behaviour among Iranian adolescents

The aim of this prospective study was to test the role of the direct predictors in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), perceived behavioural control (PBC) and intention as well as action planning and coping planning as predictors of changes in dental brushing behaviour among Iranian adolescents.

One thousand students were selected from 57 high schools in Qazvin, IR Iran. N = 983 participants completed an initial questionnaire at Time 1 and they were asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire 1 month later (Time 2). At Time 1, PBC, behavioural intention, action planning and coping planning were assessed. Dental brushing behaviour was assessed both at Time 1 and 4 weeks later at Time 2. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictive validity of PBC, intention, action planning and coping planning both, as main effects and as interactions on dental brushing behaviour.

Past behaviour, gender and age explained 46.5% of the variance in dental brushing at Time 2 in step 1. Adding intention to brush, PBC, action planning and coping planning in the second and third step explained an additional 24.9% of the variance in dental brushing at Time 2. Adding the interactions terms for action planning × coping planning, action planning × PBC and coping planning × PBC further increased the predictive validity of the model by 6.00% over and above the main effects.

Intentions, PBC, action planning and coping planning are predictive variables for oral self-care behaviour. This finding suggests that an intervention simultaneously targeting PBC, action planning and coping planning might be particularly promising to promote oral self-care in adolescence.