Abstract: Objective To explore the influencing factors on delayed healthcare seeking behavior in adult patients with dental caries based on the health belief model. Methods A convenience sampling method was employed to select adult patients with dental caries who visited a county-level hospital in Linqun County, Fuyang, from June 2022 to September 2025. Data were collected via questionnaires on general demographic characteristics, clinical information, and a self‑designed Caries Health Belief Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors associated with delayed healthcare seeking behavior. Results among the 430 participants, 133 (30.93%) delayed their dental healthcare seeking by less than three months, while 297 (69.07%) delayed by three months or more. The delayed healthcare seeking group had a significantly higher proportion of deep caries compared to the non-delayed group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Factors identified as significant predictors of delayed healthcare seeking behavior included educational level (OR=2.938), type of medical insurance (resident medical insurance OR=1.463, self-paid OR=3.728), number of carious lesions (2 lesions OR=1.084, 3 or more lesions OR=3.191), monthly income (OR=0.953), perceived susceptibility (OR=0.857), perceived severity (OR=0.818), perceived benefits (OR=0.747), perceived barriers (OR=3.992), self-efficacy (OR=0.811), and cues to action (OR=0.751) (all P<0.05). Structural equation modeling revealed that perceived barriers had a significant positive direct effect on delayed healthcare seeking behavior (β=0.421). Perceived barriers also negatively influenced self-efficacy (β=-0.380), which in turn negatively affected delayed behavior (β=-0.350) (all P<0.01). Cues to action positively predicted perceived severity (β=0.293) and negatively predicted perceived barriers (β=-0.221). Perceived severity was found to have a negative effect on delayed behavior (β=-0.150), all with statistical significance (all P<0.01). Conclusion The incidence of delayed healthcare seeking behavior is high among patients with dental caries. And various dimensions of the health belief model, including perceived barriers, self-efficacy, perceived severity, cues to action, perceived susceptibility, and perceived benefits, collectively exert both direct and indirect influences on this behavior.

Key words: Dental caries, Delayed healthcare seeking behavior, Health belief model, Influencing factor analysis, Perceived barriers, Self‑efficacy