Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Oral Health Behavior Social Support (OHBSS) Scales in English and Spanish for Mexican-origin young adults

Tracy L Finlayson^{1

2}, Cristian Garcia-Alcaraz³, Vanessa L Malcarne^{3

4}, Mark Ryder^{5

6}, Guadalupe X Ayala^{7

8}, Lourdes S Martinez⁹, Melody K Schiaffino¹⁰, Kristin S Hoeft⁵, Stuart A Gansky⁵, Erin Dougherty¹¹, Nannette Stamm¹², Brian Shue¹³, Gerardo Maupomé¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4162, USA. tfinlays@sdsu.edu.
² Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, 9245 Sky Park Court Suite 220, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA. tfinlays@sdsu.edu.
³ San Diego State University, University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
⁵ School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco, 707 Parnassus, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
⁶ Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Via Ortega, Rm 119, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
⁷ School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4162, USA.
⁸ Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, 9245 Sky Park Court Suite 220, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA.
⁹ School of Communication, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
¹⁰ School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0602, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0602, USA.
¹¹ El Rio Health, P.O. Box 1231, Tuscon, AZ, 85702, USA.
¹² Vista Community Clinic, 1000 Vale Terrace Dr, Vista, CA, 92084, USA.
¹³ Innercare, 900 Main St, Brawley, CA, 92227, USA.
¹⁴ Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, 1050 Wishard Blvd, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.

PMID: 40211288
PMCID: PMC11987366
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-025-05880-z

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Oral Health Behavior Social Support (OHBSS) Scales in English and Spanish for Mexican-origin young adults

Tracy L Finlayson et al. BMC Oral Health. 2025.

. 2025 Apr 10;25(1):515.

doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05880-z.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4162, USA. tfinlays@sdsu.edu.
² Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, 9245 Sky Park Court Suite 220, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA. tfinlays@sdsu.edu.
³ San Diego State University, University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
⁵ School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco, 707 Parnassus, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
⁶ Department of Bioengineering, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Via Ortega, Rm 119, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
⁷ School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4162, USA.
⁸ Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, 9245 Sky Park Court Suite 220, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA.
⁹ School of Communication, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
¹⁰ School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0602, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0602, USA.
¹¹ El Rio Health, P.O. Box 1231, Tuscon, AZ, 85702, USA.
¹² Vista Community Clinic, 1000 Vale Terrace Dr, Vista, CA, 92084, USA.
¹³ Innercare, 900 Main St, Brawley, CA, 92227, USA.
¹⁴ Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, 1050 Wishard Blvd, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.

PMID: 40211288
PMCID: PMC11987366
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-025-05880-z

Abstract

Background: Valid, reliable measures of psychosocial constructs are needed in oral health research. This study quantitatively evaluated the psychometric properties of nine new Oral Health Behavior Social Support (OHBSS) scales, which measured support for three oral health behaviors (brushing, flossing, dental care), queried for each of three sources (family, health providers, others/friends).

Methods: Young Mexican-origin adults in the southwestern United States-Mexico border region completed an online survey, in English or Spanish (N = 502). Survey items included: OHBSS scales, general social support scales, oral health behaviors, self-rated oral health status, dental anxiety, acculturation and socio-demographics. Subsample 1 participants also completed a dental exam (N = 41). Subsample 2 participants also completed a repeat OHBSS survey two-to-six weeks later (N = 56). Psychometric properties were tabulated, overall and by language preference (English or Spanish). Convergent and divergent validity were evaluated via correlations between the dental-specific OHBSS social support scales, scores from three validated general social support scales, and scales expected to be largely unrelated (acculturation, dental anxiety). Correlations examined predictive validity between the OHBSS scales and oral health behaviors, and self-reported and clinical outcomes. Test-retest reliability was assessed via intraclass correlation coefficients in Subsample 2.

Results: Of 502 participants, 60% preferred speaking English, 37% were single, and 21% were male. OHBSS scores indicated that health providers then family provided the most support for all three oral health behaviors, while others/friends did not provide much support. Spanish speakers tended to have higher OHBSS scores than English speakers. Correlations followed expected patterns and supported convergent and divergent validity, in the full sample and across languages. OHBSS scales exhibited many significant weak-moderate positive correlations (r = 0.10-0.38) with general social support scales. Few (11/108) significant correlations (< -0.16) were observed between OHBSS scales, acculturation, and dental anxiety. OHBSS scales exhibited some significant weak-moderate positive correlations with oral health-promoting behaviors. OHBSS scales were not associated with clinical outcomes. OHBSS scales exhibited good test-retest reliability overall and in Spanish.

Conclusion: Psychometric properties for the OHBSS scales were acceptable in both English and Spanish versions. The scales are valid and reliable tools for assessing social support for oral health-promoting behaviors from family, health providers, and others/friends.

Trial registration: Not applicable.

Keywords: Dental caries; Dental utilization; Flossing; Mexican–American; Oral health; Periodontal disease; Psychometric properties; Social support; Toothbrushing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was obtained from the San Diego State University Institutional Review Board (SDSU IRB Protocol HS-2021–0201) prior to the start of the study. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) also reviewed and approved the study protocol (#17–051-E). Written informed consent was obtained from each study participant in either English or Spanish. Consent for publication: No individual participant has been identified in the details within this manuscript. Each author has approved the final version of this paper. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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References

1. National Institutes of Health. Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges. Bethesda: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; 2021. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/oralhealthinamerica.
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Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Oral Health Behavior Social Support (OHBSS) Scales in English and Spanish for Mexican-origin young adults

Affiliations

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Oral Health Behavior Social Support (OHBSS) Scales in English and Spanish for Mexican-origin young adults

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical