Health Supportive Behavior in Adults

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Abstract

This study presents partial results of an extensive research project called Health-Enhancing and Health-Threatening Behaviour: Determinants, Models, and Consequences (GA13-19808S). The aim of the research is to map behavioural components related to dental health in adults and link them to selected personality traits and other aspects of health related behaviour. The research sample consisted of 1121 respondents (69% women) between twenty and sixty years of age (m = 33.9, SD = 11.95). A majority of the research group stated that they went to regular preventive check-ups (78%) as well as dental preventive examinations (44% twice a year, 38% once a year). Seventy-nine (79) percent of the respondents reported regular dental hygiene (brushing teeth twice a day). A larger extent of health-supportive behaviour was reported by women, both with respect to general preventive check-ups and dental preventive examinations and regular dental hygiene. Furthermore, differences have been observed between people in young adulthood and the elderly as far as both general and dental preventive check-ups were concerned. In both cases young adults reported going to a lower number of check-ups. Dental health supportive behaviour related to other aspects of health-supportive behaviour, such as observation of the principles of healthy diet and a regular daily regime. Finally, an expected, yet rather weak relation (partial ε2 = 0.014) between the frequency of stomatological check-ups and the stability dimension measured by Gordon Personal Profile-Inventory was also found. Respondents who have preventive check-ups twice a year reach higher responsibility values than those with a lower frequency of check-ups.