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Table 4 Severity of dental caries by socioeconomic characteristic, sugar consumption, toothbrushing behavior, and dental visit history

From: Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among school-aged children in Tripoli, Libya: a cross-sectional study

Child characteristics

First grade

Seventh grade

Unadjusted

Adjusted

Unadjusted

Adjusted

RR (95% CI)

p value

RR (95% CI)

p value

RR (95% CI)

p value

RR (95% CI)

p value

Socioeconomic characteristics

        

 Sex

        

  Male

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Female

0.93 (0.81–1.07)

0.32

0.94 (0.77–1.14)

0.52

1.00 (0.85–1.21)

0.88

1.16 (0.92–1.46)

0.22

 School type

        

  Public

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Private

0.92 (0.78– 1.08)

0.32

1.00 (0.79–1.27)

0.18

1.02 (0.781.34)

0.88

0.78 (0.54–1.13)

0.18

 Screening site

        

  Abu Saleem

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Hey al Andalus

1.00 (0.86–1.14)

0.95

0.51 (0.29–0.90)

0.23

0.73 (0.62–0.87)

 < 0.001

0.59 (0.45–0.79)

 < 0.001

 Mother’s educational level

        

   < High school

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

   ≥ High school

0.86 (0.73–1.03)

1.00

0.84 (0.65–1.08)

0.16

1.07 (0.88–1.29

0.51

1.05 (0.78–1.40)

0.76

 Father’s educational level

        

   < High school

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

   ≥ High school

0.91 (0.78–1.07)

0.12

0.97 (0.77–1.22)

0.77

1.20 (0.99–1.45)

0.06

1.28 (0.96–1.71)

0.10

 Mother’s employment status

        

  Homemaker

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Employed

0.99 (0.84–1.16)

0.84

1.00 (0.82–1.23)

0.97

0.89 (0.74–1.06

0.19

0.73(0.57–0.93)

0.02

 Father’s employment status

        

  Freelancer

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Employed

0.98 (0.83–1.16)

0.84

0.98 (0.79–1.22)

0.84

1.30 (1.08–1.58)

0.01

1.25 (0.97–1.61)

0.08

Sugar consumption

        

 Drinking soda

 

 < 0.001

 

0.57

 

0.12

 

0.32

  Rarely or never

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Several times/wk

1.44 (1.22–1.70)

 < 0.001

1.50 (0.58–3.91)

0.41

0.78 (0.63–0.98

0.04

0.74 (0.55–0.98)

0.04

  1 time/d

1.25 (1.00–1.56)

0.05

1.03 (0.69–1.54)

0.88

0.99 (0.74–1.31

0.92

0.76 (0.50–1.15)

0.19

  2–3 times/d

1.37 (1.04–1.80)

0.03

1.05 (0.75–1.46)

0.80

1.02 (0.77–1.37

0.88

0.83 (0.54–1.28)

0.40

   ≥ 4 times/d

1.67 (1.00–2.77)

0.05

1.19 (0.95–1.50)

0.13

1.08 (0.49–2.39)

0.85

1.13 (0.32–4.04)

0.85

 Drinking juice

 

 < 0.001

 

0.22

 

0.87

 

0.52

  Rarely or never

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Several times/wk

1.97 (1.53–2.53)

 < 0.001

1.42 (0.97–2.08)

0.14

0.95 (0.71–1.29)

0.77

0.97 (0.43–2.18)

0.93

  1 time/d

1.89 (1.44–2.47)

 < 0.001

1.26 (0.83–1.90)

0.28

0.91 (0.66–1.26)

0.58

1.44 (0.89–2.35)

0.14

  2–3 times/d

2.09 (1.60–2.74)

 < 0.001

1.39 (0.90–2.16)

0.07

1.02 (0.73–1.42

0.91

1.25 (0.80–1.94)

0.33

   ≥ 4 times/d

2.58 (1.73–3.84)

 < 0.001

1.97 (1.03–3.79)

0.04

0.79 (0.41–1.53

0.48

1.13 (0.76–1.69)

0.54

 Eating sweets

 

 < 0.001

 

0.03

 

0.78

 

0.31

  Rarely or never

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Several times/wk

1.93 (1.43–2.59)

 < 0.001

1.34 (0.82–2.18)

0.24

0.96 (0.71–1.32)

0.84

0.98 (0.51–1.91)

0.96

  1 time/d

2.09 (1.54–2.83)

 < 0.001

1.51 (0.91–2.49)

0.11

0.87 (0.62–1.24)

0.48

0.86 (0.51–1.44)

0.57

  2–3 times/d

2.34 (1.79–3.32)

 < 0.001

1.79 (1.06–3.03)

0.03

1.06 (0.74–1.50

0.76

0.82 (0.50–1.33)

0.42

   ≥ 4 times/d

2.22 (1.48–3.33)

 < 0.001

1.01 (0.52–1.93)

0.99

0.99 (0.61–1.58)

0.96

0.88 (0.58–1.34)

0.56

Toothbrushing behavior

        

 Brushing frequency

 

0.01

 

0.77

 

0.01

 

0.51

  Rarely or never

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Several times/wk

1.11 (0.89–1.40)

0.34

1.02 (0.50–2.10)

0.96

0.96 (0.71–1.31)

0.82

NAa

NAa

  1 time/d

0.97 (0.78–1.21)

0.74

1.14 (0.62–2.10)

0.68

0.78 (0.57–1.05)

0.10

1.16 (0.73–1.85)

0.53

  2–3 times/d

0.96 (0.77–1.21)

0.80

1.00 (0.55–1.83)

1.00

1.19 (0.88–1.60)

0.23

0.96 (0.70–1.31)

0.79

   ≥ 4 times/d

0.57 (0.40–0.82)

 < 0.001

1.15 (0.63–2.13)

0.65

1.17 (0.78–1.75)

0.46

0.85 (0.63–1.15)

0.30

 Brushing duration

 

0.01

 

0.21

 

 < 0.001

 

 < 0.001

   < 1 min

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  1 min

0.77 (0.63–0.94)

0.01

0.82 (0.58–1.17)

0.27

1.46 (1.10–1.93)

0.01

1.47 (1.05–2.05)

0.03

  2 min

0.69 (0.55–0.86)

 < 0.001

0.81 (0.61–1.08)

0.16

1.09 (0.81–1.47)

0.58

1.07 (0.75–1.52)

0.72

   ≥ 3 min

0.76 (0.59–0.99)

0.04

1.02 (0.78–1.34)

0.89

0.80 (0.52–1.21)

0.29

0.65 (0.39–1.07)

0.09

Dental visit history

        

 Past dental visit

 

 < 0.001

 

 < 0.001

 

 < 0.001

 

 < 0.001

  Never

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

1.0 [Ref]

 

  Routine

1.02 (0.82–1.26)

0.87

1.04 (0.73–1.49)

0.83

1.63 (1.20–2.22)

 < 0.001

1.45 (0.94–2.22)

0.09

  Treatment

1.59 (1.29–1.96)

 < 0.001

1.91 (1.44–2.52)

 < 0.001

2.10 (1.69–2.62)

 < 0.001

2.25 (1.70–2.99)

 < 0.001

  Emergency

1.96 (1.60–2.39)

 < 0.001

2.01 (1.55–2.61)

 < 0.001

2.13 (1.65–2.75)

 < 0.001

2.61 (1.91–3.57)

 < 0.001

  1. CI confidence interval, NA not applicable, RR rate ratio