Table 1_Nursing Dental Coping Belief Scale among Portuguese healthcare professionals (NDCBS-PT): validation and associated factors.docx

The correlated four-factor model - internal locus of control (IL), external locus of control (EL), self-efficacy (SE) and oral healthcare beliefs (OHCB) - showed the best relative fit, although fit was marginal (CFI = 0.858). Despite pronounced floor effects, total-score reliability was acceptable to good (ordinal α and ωt = 0.81). The institutional sector was the most consistent independent determinant of global scores (p = 0.004).

Some non-public sectors showed more favorable global scores than the public sector. The EL domain was the most sensitive to caregiver profiles showing exploratory associations with gender (p = 0.009), area of training (p = 0.043), and age-experience interaction (p = 0.007). Although men had more favorable beliefs, this requires caution as gender invariance was not established.

Regarding SE, specific oral health training was the only significant predictor (p = 0.034). Item-level diagnostics identified items 3, 4, and 24 as weak.</p>Conclusion<p>The NDCBS-PT demonstrated sufficient reliability and preliminary structural support for the four-factor model among Portuguese healthcare professionals, though requiring further refinement. Caregivers’ beliefs appear to be influenced by organizational settings and professional backgrounds.

Oral-health training was linked to better self-efficacy and merits prospective testing.</p>