Table 4 Association between caries and independent variables in Xuhui, China (n = 9804)

Age

–

0.351

12.875

< 0.001**

1.342

1.269–1.419

Gender

Boys

Girls

−0.015

− 0.331

0.741

0.992

0.946–1.040

Household registration

Non-Shanghai

Shanghai

−0.347

−2.811

0.005**

0.843

0.756–0.941

Guardians

Parents

Grandparents

0.051

0.589

0.556

1.027

0.940–1.122

Education level of guardians

Below high school

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

High school

−0.219

−1.884

0.060

0.886

0.777–1.010

College and above

−0.624

−5.900

< 0.001**

0.740

0.677–0.810

Feeding patterns

exclusive or predominant artificial feeding

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

exclusive or predominant breastfeeding

0.147

2.519

0.012*

1.081

1.017–1.150

Combination feeding

0.001

0.019

0.985

1.001

0.934–1.072

Frequency of eating desserts and candies

–

0.004

0.200

0.842

1.002

0.982–1.022

Frequency of drinking sweetened beverages

–

0.062

3.289

0.001**

1.035

1.013–1.058

Eating sweets before sleep (days per week)

Rarely/never (< 1)

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Sometimes (1–3)

0.367

7.502

< 0.001**

1.216

1.155–1.281

Often (> = 4)

0.553

5.469

< 0.001**

1.298

1.196–1.409

The age of starting tooth- brushing

–

0.124

5.010

< 0.001**

1.079

1.043–1.117

Toothbrush (times per day)

< 1

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

1

−0.100

−1.979

0.048*

0.948

0.899–1.000

> = 2

−0.516

−5.527

< 0.001**

0.741

0.661–0.831

Helping children brush teeth (days per week)

Rarely/never (< 1)

Ref

Ref

Ref

Ref

Sometimes (1–3)

−0.188

−2.732

0.007**

0.905

0.841–0.972

Often (4–6)

−0.134

−0.910

0.362

0.929

0.790–1.093

Everyday (7)

−0.031

−0.411

0.681

0.983

0.907–1.066

Parental perception about children’s oral health

–

−0.939

−32.053

< 0.001**

0.951

0.945–0.956

Score of guardians’ oral health knowledge

–

−0.017

−2.007

0.045*

0.992

0.985–0.999

Constant

–

2.045

7.140

< 0.001**

–

–