title: Interdental cleaning behaviour and its relationship with psychological constructs based on the transtheoretical model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to test the applicability of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to gain an understanding of interdental cleaning behaviour change in senior high school students (12th grade) in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multistage cluster sampling was employed to recruit 361 senior high school students from 8 schools in Yazd City, Iran. This cross-sectional study took place from November 2008 to March 2009. Appropriate instruments were used to identify the stages of interdental cleaning behaviour and psychological attributes, including interdental cleaning behaviour, decisional balance, and self-efficacy. The statistical analysis of the data included descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 361 students, nearly 12.5% were in the maintenance stage, while 49.6% were in the pre-contemplation stage, with the rest distributed among the other stages of interdental cleaning behaviour change. There was a statistically significant difference in the stages of interdental cleaning behaviour change by gender. Self-efficacy and decisional balance differed significantly across the stages of interdental cleaning behaviour change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TTM was found to be useful in determining the stages of interdental cleaning behaviour change among students. This study suggests the development of theory-based and empirically supported intervention strategies and programs to improve interdental cleaning behaviour with an emphasis on improving students' self-efficacy in this area.
authors: Department of Health Education, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors: Mohammad Ali
authors: MA
authors: Morowatisharifabad
authors: Arezoo
authors: A
authors: Fallahi
authors: Haidar
authors: H
authors: Nadrian
authors: Ahmad
authors: A
authors: Haerian
authors: Babak Nemat
authors: BN
authors: Babaki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy; D004522:Educational Status; D005220:Fathers / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000523:psychology*; D018187:Personal Construct Theory; D011582:Psychological Theory; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult