The theory of reasoned action in describing tongue cleaning adherence among college going students of India: a model guided study

Background. Just mere brushing of teeth is not enough for maintaining good oral health. Regular cleaning of tongue is equally important for maintaining good oral hygiene and to escape social embarrassment and personal discomfort, which could arise as a result of halitosis. Objective. To test the variables of Theory of Reasoned Action to explain the behavior of tongue cleaning among college going students of Udaipur city, Rajasthan, India. Material and methods. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 756 college going students of Udaipur city, India using an online self-administered structured questionnaire which was designed based on our study objectives. Logistic regression analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were employed for statistical analysis. Confidence level and level of significance were set at 95% and 5% respectively. Results. Logistic regression analysis showed that with one unit increase in subjective norm, the tongue cleaning behavior odds increased significantly by 1.124. Also, the tongue cleaning behavior odds was 1.77 times significantly greater among those brushing their teeth twice a day than those brushing once a day. Structural Equation modelling also evidenced the significant direct effect of subjective norm on tongue cleaning behavior (β = 0.2, p≤0.05). Conclusion. Our results highlighted the importance of subjective norms in espousing tongue cleaning preventive behaviour habit. It is thus recommended to highpoint the role of significant others in changing tongue cleaning behaviour.