The Impact of Oral Health Behaviors, Health Belief Model, and Absolute Risk Aversion on the Willingness of Japanese University Students to Undergo Regular Dental Check-Ups: A Cross-Sectional Study

Ichiro Sumita, Naoki Toyama (), Daisuke Ekuni, Takayuki Maruyama, Aya Yokoi, Daiki Fukuhara, Yoko Uchida-Fukuhara, Momoko Nakahara and Manabu Morita
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Ichiro Sumita: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Naoki Toyama: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Daisuke Ekuni: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Takayuki Maruyama: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Aya Yokoi: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Daiki Fukuhara: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Yoko Uchida-Fukuhara: Department of Oral Morphology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Momoko Nakahara: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
Manabu Morita: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-Cho, Kita-Ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-9

Abstract: Oral health behaviors, risk aversion, and the health belief model are associated with health behaviors. However, there have been few studies that investigated the association between these factors and the willingness to undergo regular dental check-ups. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between the willingness of Japanese university students to undergo regular dental check-ups and oral health behaviors, the health belief model, and absolute risk aversion. An analysis was conducted with the cooperation of questionnaire respondents ( n = 748) who underwent dental check-ups at Okayama University. The students answered questionnaires on oral health behaviors, the health belief model, absolute risk aversion, and willingness to undergo regular dental check-ups. The logistic regression analysis showed significant positive associations ( p < 0.05) between oral health behaviors (use of the inter-dental brush and the dental floss) and the health belief model with the willingness to undergo regular dental check-ups. However, there was no significant association with absolute risk aversion ( p > 0.05). These results suggest that willingness to undergo regular dental check-ups was associated with oral health behaviors and the health belief model, but not with absolute risk aversion.

Keywords: oral health behaviors; health belief model; absolute risk aversion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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