Purpose: E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among active-duty military personnel who perceive vaping as less harmful compared to traditional cigarette smoking. Research supports the value of mouth self-examination in detecting oral lesions and seeking professional medical help in the early stages. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on a health belief model to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel who had ever used e-cigarettes.
Methods: A mixed-method approach with a single-group pre- and posttest design was utilized. Participants completed a pretest survey, watched a prerecorded educational intervention, and completed an immediate posttest. The posttest survey included the same survey items as the pretest, as well as open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and thematic coding.
Results: Comparison of pre- and posttest demonstrated participants (N = 28) were more aware of risk factors for developing oral cancer, the benefits of mouth self-examination, and learned the mouth self-examination technique (p < 0.05). Based on the qualitative data, nine participants (n = 9) stated they would change their behavior, for example, perform mouth self-examination frequently or quit smoking.
Conclusion: An educational intervention developed based on the health belief model is an effective method to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel.
","abstract_html":"<p>Purpose: E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among active-duty military personnel who perceive vaping as less harmful compared to traditional cigarette smoking. Research supports the value of mouth self-examination in detecting oral lesions and seeking professional medical help in the early stages. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on a health belief model to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel who had ever used e-cigarettes.</p> <p>Methods: A mixed-method approach with a single-group pre- and posttest design was utilized. Participants completed a pretest survey, watched a prerecorded educational intervention, and completed an immediate posttest. The posttest survey included the same survey items as the pretest, as well as open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and thematic coding.</p> <p>Results: Comparison of pre- and posttest demonstrated participants (N = 28) were more aware of risk factors for developing oral cancer, the benefits of mouth self-examination, and learned the mouth self-examination technique (p < 0.05). Based on the qualitative data, nine participants (n = 9) stated they would change their behavior, for example, perform mouth self-examination frequently or quit smoking.</p> <p>Conclusion: An educational intervention developed based on the health belief model is an effective method to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Strakhova, Ksenia"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS) in Dental Hygiene","degree_level":"Thesis: EWU Only","degree_discipline":"Dental Hygiene","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2021-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:12:39Z","subjects":["Dental Hygiene","Dental Public Health and Education","Public Health Education and Promotion"],"languages":[],"rights":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/711","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Strakhova, Ksenia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Dental Hygiene"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis: EWU Only"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS) in Dental Hygiene"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Dental Hygiene","Dental Public Health and Education","Public Health Education and Promotion"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/711"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Purpose: E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among active-duty military personnel who perceive vaping as less harmful compared to traditional cigarette smoking. Research supports the value of mouth self-examination in detecting oral lesions and seeking professional medical help in the early stages. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on a health belief model to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel who had ever used e-cigarettes.
Methods: A mixed-method approach with a single-group pre- and posttest design was utilized. Participants completed a pretest survey, watched a prerecorded educational intervention, and completed an immediate posttest. The posttest survey included the same survey items as the pretest, as well as open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and thematic coding.
Results: Comparison of pre- and posttest demonstrated participants (N = 28) were more aware of risk factors for developing oral cancer, the benefits of mouth self-examination, and learned the mouth self-examination technique (p < 0.05). Based on the qualitative data, nine participants (n = 9) stated they would change their behavior, for example, perform mouth self-examination frequently or quit smoking.
Conclusion: An educational intervention developed based on the health belief model is an effective method to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effectiveness of an educational intervention based on health belief model to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Strakhova, Ksenia"],"dc:description.abstract":["Purpose: E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among active-duty military personnel who perceive vaping as less harmful compared to traditional cigarette smoking. Research supports the value of mouth self-examination in detecting oral lesions and seeking professional medical help in the early stages. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on a health belief model to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel who had ever used e-cigarettes.
Methods: A mixed-method approach with a single-group pre- and posttest design was utilized. Participants completed a pretest survey, watched a prerecorded educational intervention, and completed an immediate posttest. The posttest survey included the same survey items as the pretest, as well as open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and thematic coding.
Results: Comparison of pre- and posttest demonstrated participants (N = 28) were more aware of risk factors for developing oral cancer, the benefits of mouth self-examination, and learned the mouth self-examination technique (p < 0.05). Based on the qualitative data, nine participants (n = 9) stated they would change their behavior, for example, perform mouth self-examination frequently or quit smoking.
Conclusion: An educational intervention developed based on the health belief model is an effective method to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/711"],"dc:rights":["Access perpetually restricted to EWU users with an active EWU NetID"],"dc:subject":["Dental Hygiene","Dental Public Health and Education","Public Health Education and Promotion"],"dc:title":["Effectiveness of an educational intervention based on health belief model to promote mouth self-examination among active-duty military personnel"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Dental Hygiene"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis: EWU Only"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS) in Dental Hygiene"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:12:39Z"}