Using the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop an oral hygiene self-care intervention for Punjabi immigrant adults: an...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Oral hygiene self-care is crucial for overall health.
• Punjabi immigrant adults face unique barriers to effective oral hygiene.
• Developing targeted interventions is essential for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of the Safeguard Your Smile (SYS) intervention.
• To apply the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework for intervention design.
• To create a tailored oral hygiene self-care intervention for Punjabi immigrant adults.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 3 stages and 8 steps of the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework.
• Incorporated findings from a qualitative focus group to identify behavioral issues.
• Defined behavior sources (capability, opportunity, motivation) and selected intervention functions, policy categories, and behavior change techniques (BCTs).

Main Results:

• Identified inadequate knowledge and inconsistent daily routines as key barriers to oral hygiene self-care.
• Selected nine specific BCTs to address these barriers.
• Defined target behaviors including frequency, duration, and technique for oral hygiene.

Conclusions:

• The Safeguard Your Smile (SYS) intervention development process can inform other behavior change interventions.
• Tailoring strategies to specific contexts and populations is crucial for intervention success.
• The BCW framework provides a robust structure for developing complex health behavior interventions.