[Self-efficacy as a mediator for improvement in oral health clinical indices].

The concept of self-efficacy (SE) was developed by BANDURA, in 1977. SE has been widely utilized in health care and has shown to be a powerful predictor in various domains of behavior such as in smoking cessation, weight control and participation in programs of disease prevention. This study investigated if a psychosocial intervention fosters improvements in clinical indices in patients who are about to receive dental treatment. It was predicted that the experimental group (EG) would show a greater progress as to plaque and bleeding clinical indices than the control group (CG), and SE would mediate that improvement. Besides the standardized dental procedures, the 30 participants from the EG received a psychosocial intervention based on the PROCHASKA; DiCLEMENTE'S model (1983). The 30 participants in the CG received only standardized dental procedures. The results revealed that the prevalence of scores 2 and 3 of the plaque and bleeding indices underwent a significant decrease in the EG, in relation to the CG (U = 97.00, p = 0.0001 and U = 179.00, p = 0.0001, respectively). Only the subjects from the EG presented a relevant increase of SE, considering the pre- and post-treatment periods (Z = -3.58, p < 0.0001). Yet, there was no difference between both groups as to the increase of SE between the pre- and post-testing periods. In short, the results showed that psychosocial intervention was effective and suggest that other factors besides SE may mediate a relevant improvement of clinical indices in the EG.

[1]  E. Maibach,et al.  Self-efficacy in health promotion research and practice: conceptualization and measurement , 1995 .

[2]  W. Miller,et al.  Motivational Interviewing with Problem Drinkers , 1983, Behavioural Psychotherapy.

[3]  J. L. D. Couto,et al.  Motivação do paciente: avaliação dos recursos didáticos de motivação utilizados para a prevenção da cárie e doença periodontal , 1992 .

[4]  J. Stewart,et al.  Changes in dental knowledge and self-efficacy scores following interventions to change oral hygiene behavior. , 1996, Patient education and counseling.

[5]  L. Tedesco,et al.  Self-efficacy and reasoned action: Predicting oral health status and behaviour at one, three, and six month intervals , 1993 .

[6]  L. Brown.  Research in Dental Health Education and Health Promotion: A Review of the Literature , 1994, Health education quarterly.

[7]  H. Löe,et al.  PERIODONTAL DISEASE IN PREGNANCY. I. PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY. , 1963, Acta odontologica Scandinavica.

[8]  J. Prochaska,et al.  Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: toward an integrative model of change. , 1983, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[9]  A. Bandura.  Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control , 1997, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[10]  A. Bandura.  Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. , 1977, Psychological review.

[11]  M. Litt,et al.  Social and psychological theories and their use for dental practice. , 1993, International dental journal.

[12]  R. Schwarzer,et al.  Self-efficacy and health behaviours. , 1996 .

[13]  Å. Ånerud.  The short and long term effect of A-V motivation, motivation by dentist and by dental hygienist. , 1969, Journal of periodontal research.

[14]  Gislaine Afonso de Souza,et al.  A auto-eficácia como mediadora da melhora em índices clínicos de saúde oral , 2002 .

[15]  A. O'Leary,et al.  Self-efficacy and health. , 1985, Behaviour research and therapy.

[16]  M. Knuuttila,et al.  Dental self-efficacy as a determinant to oral health behaviour, oral hygiene and HbA1c level among diabetic patients. , 1999, Journal of clinical periodontology.

[17]  P. Gjermo.  Audio-visual motivation and oral hygiene instruction. The effect upon gingival status and oral cleanliness in 15 years old children. , 1972, Odontologisk revy.

[18]  H. Löe,et al.  PERIODONTAL DISEASE IN PREGNANCY. II. CORRELATION BETWEEN ORAL HYGIENE AND PERIODONTAL CONDTION. , 1964, Acta odontologica Scandinavica.

[19]  Monteiro da Silva,et al.  A auto-eficÆcia como mediadora da melhora em Ìndices clÌnicos de saœde oral Self-efficacy as a mediator of improvement in oral health clinical indices , 2002 .

[20]  J. Stewart,et al.  Relationship of dental coping beliefs and oral hygiene. , 1991, Community dentistry and oral epidemiology.