A campaign encouraging dental attendance among adolescents in Scotland: the barriers to behaviour change.

Qualitative consumer research was used to develop a health promotion campaign for school pupils aged 15-17 years to encourage them to attend a dentist for examination. The campaign used a combination of conventional health education about the benefits of dental care together with incentives for attending. The emphasis throughout was to establish an association with young style and group norms of social attractiveness. This study was part of the evaluation of the campaign. The aim was to identify the characteristics of those who responded positively to the campaign and to identify barriers to behaviour change. Those who responded were mainly female, intended to stay on at school beyond the age of 16 years and were more likely to be frequent attenders. Apathy and a lack of felt need were the main barriers to responding. Easier access to care and targeting a younger age group might enhance the success of similar interventions.