ArticleBMC public health2025
Associations between self-efficacy, social support, racial discrimination, and adolescents oral health.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Barriers to dental service utilization in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC oral health · 2026Pooled it
- Association of clinical consequences of untreated caries in early childhood with oral health-related quality of life.Revista brasileira de epidemiologia = Brazilian journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to develop a conceptual model exploring the relationships between perceived social support (PSS), self-efficacy, racial discrimination, and oral health (OH) in adolescents.
methodsA cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 12-18 was conducted at a university dental clinic. Participants completed a questionnaire on demographics, OH, PSS, general self-efficacy, and task-specific self-efficacy (TSSE). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for analysis.
resultsA total of 252 adolescents participated in the study, with an average age of 14 years; 60% were female, 81% were born in Canada, 56% identified as White, and 20% perceived discrimination. PSS was positively associated with general self-efficacy (p = 0.002), TSSE for dental visits (p = 0.004), dietary habits (p = 0.004), and tooth-brushing (p = 0.002), while also elevating sugar consumption (p = 0.002). PSS (p = 0.048) and discrimination (p = 0.01) reduced tooth-brushing frequency. Self-efficacy for dietary habits (p = 0.005) and tooth-brushing (p = 0.002) positively correlated with increased tooth-brushing, while self-efficacy for dietary habits decreased sugar consumption (p = 0.001). Self-efficacy for tooth-brushing was linked to reduced dental visits (p = 0.02). PSS indirectly increased brushing frequency (p = 0.02) and reduced dental-care utilization (p = 0.004). Discrimination indirectly reduced self-efficacy for dental visits (p = 0.003) but increased self-efficacies for tooth-brushing (p = 0.01) and dietary habits (p = 0.03).
conclusionPSS was directly related to increased self-efficacy, while discrimination indirectly affected OH. Oral health was associated with self-efficacy for dietary habits and tooth-brushing, but not dental visits alone. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH EQUITY: The findings underscore the critical need to address systemic inequities in oral health care access. By exploring the interplay between social support, discrimination, and self-efficacy, this study highlights actionable pathways to reduce disparities and improve oral health outcomes among adolescents.
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