Table 2 Comparison of other characteristics of betel nut chewers, overall and by chewing class
| Â | Overall | Class 1 | Class 2 | P value** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
n = 300 | n = 78 | n = 222 | ||
| Â | X[95% CI]*or n (%) | X [95% CI] or n (%) | X[95% CI] or n (%) | Â |
Demographic/ Socioeconomic characteristics | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Age, years | 37.7 [36.2-39.3] | 45.7 [42.8-48.7] | 34.9 [33.3-36.6] | <0.001** |
Gender, % male | 157 (52.3) | 38 (48.7) | 119 (53.6) | 0.46 |
Education, % with post-secondary | 21 (7.0) | 3 (3.8) | 18 (8.1) | 0.20 |
Marital status, % married | 98 (32.7) | 29 (37.2) | 69 (31.1) | 0.32 |
Behavioural characteristics | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Length of betel nut use, years | 19.8 [18.3-21.3] | 25.5 [22.1-28.9] | 17.8 [16.2-19.3] | <0.001** |
Number of nuts chewed per day | 12.8 [11.3-14.2] | 7.3 [5.32-9.18] | 14.6 [12.9-16.4] | <0.001** |
Length of time betel nut chewed, minutes | 18.7 [10.5-26.9] | 37.8 [7.07-68.6] | 12.0 [9.51-14.4] | 0.01** |
% that visit the dentist | 89 (29.7) | 35 (44.9) | 54 (24.3) | <0.001** |
Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders | Â | Â | Â | Â |
% screened positive*** | 46 (15.3) | 3 (3.8) | 43 (19.6) | <0.001** |