Relationships between oral health-related self-efficacy, oral health literacy, social support, and illness perception among patients with periodontitis: a moderated mediation model.

Key Points

• This study aims to explore the connections between oral health-related self-efficacy, literacy, social support, and illness perception among periodontitis patients.
• Assessed oral health literacy among periodontitis patients
• Tested a moderated mediation model to examine relationships
• Evaluated the roles of self-efficacy and social support in promoting literacy
• Self-efficacy directly improved oral health literacy levels
• Social support partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and literacy
• Illness perception did not moderate any pathways in the model