Randomized controlled trial of a one-minute intervention changing oral self-care behavior.
Non-compliance with oral self-care recommendations, despite education and motivation, is a major problem in preventive dentistry. Forming concrete if-then action plans has been successful in changing self-care behavior in other areas of preventive medicine. This is the first trial to test the effects of a brief planning intervention on interdental hygiene behavior. Two hundred thirty-nine participants received a packet of floss, information, and a flossing guide. They were randomly assigned to a control or an intervention group. The intervention took 1.16 minutes and consisted of forming a concrete plan of where, when, and how to floss. Baseline measures and two-week and two-month follow-ups included self-report, residual floss, and theory of planned behavior variables. The intervention significantly affected flossing in that group at two-week and two-month follow-ups, as compared with the control group. This study provides evidence for the effects of a concise intervention on oral self-care behavior.
Sniehotta
F F
FF
University of Aberdeen, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. f.sniehotta@abdn.ac.uk
Araújo Soares
V
V
Dombrowski
S U
SU
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education* / Q000295:instrumentation; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic