Effects of social support on oral health behavior: Serial multiple‐mediator model

Objective This study investigates the serial multiple mediation of job stress and perceived behavioral control (PBC) in the relationship between social support and oral health behavior (OHB). Materials and Methods This cross‐sectional study was conducted in Minhang District, Shanghai, China, between July and November 2021. 559 Employees from 10 community health centers were recruited. A five‐part survey was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, social support, job stress, PBC and OHB. Descriptive statistics, independent‐sample t‐test, Pearson's correlation analysis, ordinary least‐squares regression and the bootstrap method were used to analyze data. Results Social support was found to impact OHB through three significant mediation pathways: the pathway through job stress (point estimate = 0.033; 95%BC CI [0.004, 0.089]), the pathway through PBC (point estimate = 0.283; 95%BC CI [0.174, 0.416]), and the serial multiple mediating pathway through first job stress and then PBC (point estimate = 0.006; 95%BC CI [0.001, 0.019]). Conclusion This study indicates that job stress and PBC play a serial multiple‐mediator role in the relationship between social support and OHB. To ensure the effectiveness of social support intervention on OHB, workplace managers and employees should strengthen the motivators that could promote the reduction of job stress and the improvement of PBC.