title: Short-term improvement in oral self-care of adolescents with social-cognitive theory-guided intervention.
abstract: METHODS
  Cluster randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clusters of adolescents (classrooms of 15- to 16-year-olds) in each school were allocated either into a control group or into an intervention group. The interventions consisted of peer cooperation (peer support) and peer interactive learning (observational learning) facilitated through feedback from a dentist (professional support). Three intervention sessions with preselected pairs of adolescents were delivered in the first three weeks. Gender, family socio-economic status (baseline) and different social-cognitive domain variables (baseline, six, and 12 months) were assessed using a questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dental plaque levels were the primary outcome measure and they were measured at baseline, after the intervention measured only in the social-cognitive theory-guided group, at six and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the six-month follow-up there was a statistically significant difference in means ± SD between the social-cognitive intervention group (27.4 ± 19.4) and the control group (35.1 ± 20.0). At the 12-month follow-up, there was no statistically significant difference in means ± SD between the social-cognitive intervention group (27.4 ± 18.5) and the control group (31.9 ± 17.8). Variations in dental plaque levels at different time periods were explained by the following predictors: family's socio-economic status, social-cognitive domain variables, group affiliation and baseline plaque levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social-cognitive theory-guided interventions improved oral self-care of adolescents in the short term. This improvement lasted only for five months after the intervention was discontinued.
authors.affiliation: NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Ayr, Scotland, UK and the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Emma P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hall-Scullin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003815:Dentists; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000523:psychology*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012572:School Health Services; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors