Mothers' role in promoting oral health in children aged 6 months to 1 year

Introduction: It is essential for parents, and especially mothers, to become aware of the factors that affect oral health-promoting behaviors in children through behavior change theories. This study aimed to determine mothers' role in improving children's oral health based on the health belief model (HBM). Methods: The population of this descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study comprised 240 mothers in Ilam (Iran), selected via stratified random sampling. The data collection instrument was a self-report questionnaire with two sections, including seven demographic and contextual questions, four items for perceived severity, four items for perceived benefits, four items for perceived barriers, three items for cues to action, and five items for perceived self-efficacy. The data were analyzed in SPSS 21 by using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent samples t-test, linear regression analysis, and Pearson correlation coefficient, at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The participants aged 20–47 with a mean of 31.8 ± 5.67 years. The linear regression analysis indicated that the constructs of perceived severity (B = 0.073, P < 0.001), perceived benefits (B = 0.013, P < 0.001), perceived barriers (B = 0.111, P < 0.01), cues to action (B = 0.517, P < 0.001), and perceived self-efficacy (B = 0.292, P < 0.001) explained 55% of the variance of behavioral intention. Conclusion: With respect to the effects of perceived barriers and perceived severity on predicting oral health behaviors, effective outcomes can be achieved by emphasizing these two constructs in educational programs based on the HBM.