Table 2.
Potential covariates associated with the occurrence of dental caries.
| Variables | OR (95%CI) | P |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 1.05 (1.05–1.06) | <0.001 |
| Gender | ||
| Male | Ref | |
| Female | 1.17 (1.04–1.31) | 0.009 |
| Race | ||
| Non-Hispanic White | Ref | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 1.29 (1.05–1.59) | 0.016 |
| Others | 0.89 (0.75–1.06) | 0.178 |
| Education | ||
| <high school | Ref | |
| high school | 0.59 (0.48–0.74) | <0.001 |
| >high school | 0.36 (0.30–0.45) | <0.001 |
| PIR | ||
| <1.0 | Ref | |
| ≥1.0 | 0.75 (0.60–0.93) | 0.008 |
| Drinking, n (%) | ||
| <Once/week | Ref | |
| ≥Once/week | 1.27 (1.07–1.49) | 0.006 |
| Physical activity, n (%) | ||
| <450 MET × minutes/week | Ref | |
| ≥450 MET × minutes/week | 0.67 (0.54–0.84) | <0.001 |
| Unknown | 1.38 (1.08–1.77) | 0.012 |
| Hypertension | ||
| No | Ref | |
| Yes | 2.76 (2.40–3.17) | <0.001 |
| Diabetes | ||
| No | Ref | |
| Yes | 2.72 (2.20–3.35) | <0.001 |
| Dyslipidemia | ||
| No | Ref | |
| Yes | 1.96 (1.73–2.22) | <0.001 |
| CVD | ||
| No | Ref | |
| Yes | 2.75 (2.35–3.21) | <0.001 |
| Bone loss around teeth | ||
| No | Ref | |
| Yes | 3.09 (2.34–4.07) | <0.001 |
| BMI | 1.01 (1.01–1.02) | 0.034 |
| WBC | 1.00 (0.99–1.02) | 0.590 |
| Carbohydrate | 1.00 (1.00–1.00) | 0.436 |
| Fiber intake | 0.99 (0.99–0.99) | 0.019 |
| Last dental visit | ||
| <1 year | Ref | |
| 1–5 years | 1.07 (0.92–1.23) | 0.375 |
| ≥5 years | 1.47 (1.22–1.76) | <0.001 |
| Dental care | ||
| No | Ref | |
| Yes | 2.02 (1.69–2.42) | <0.001 |
| Frequency of using dental floss | ||
| <7 times/week | Ref | |
| ≥7 times/week | 1.15 (0.97–1.36) | 0.112 |
| Unknown | 0.27 (0.23–0.32) | <0.001 |
OR: odds ratio; CI: confidence interval; Ref: reference.