title: Statistical analysis for identifying mediating variables in public health dentistry interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article provides an overview of statistical mediation analysis methods in the evaluation of public health dentistry interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First, reasons for conducting mediation analysis are outlined, followed by a discussion of the link between the mediation model and theoretical bases of interventions. Second, the basic statistical procedures in mediation analysis are presented. An example application to data from a hypothetical intervention is provided in Appendix A. Third, interpretation of the results from statistical mediation analysis is described along with additional information pertinent to identifying true mediation relations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Guidelines for describing mediation analyses in research articles related to public health dentistry intervention studies are outlined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA. david.mackinnon@asu.edu
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: MacKinnon
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Luecken
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D035841:Behavioral Research; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009909:Oral Health; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011636:Public Health Dentistry / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design