Gender Variations in the Psychological Factors as Defined by the Theory of Planned of Oral Hygiene Behaviors

Oral self-care practice is an effective preventive measure for maintaining good individual oral health which is an integral part of one's general health. The aim of this analysis was to investigate gender differences in the psychological factors defined by the Theory of Planned Behavior applied to oral hygiene behavior (OHB). For males only attitudes were important determinants of intention to improve OHB, whereas among females were relevant also social related aspects as social norms, perceived difficulty and perceived control. Insight in gender variations in the psychological determinants of OHB is relevant to refine preventive approaches to modify OHB for male and women in the desired direction.