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. 2025 Aug 21;13:953. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03304-9

Table 6.

Group comparisons of DAS based on low and high expressions of the independent variables

Independent variable Wave 27: 2013/2014
(median (IQR 25–75))
Wave 31: 2019/2020
(median (IQR 25–75))
z-value p-value N
Sex: male 8 (6–10) 8 (6–10) -1.03 0.152 115
Sex: female 10 (7–12) 9 (6–12) -1.34 0.090 145
Partner: yes 9 (6.5–11) 8 (6–11) -1.34 0.090 145
Partner: no 9 (7-12.5) 9 (7-12.5) -0.31 0.379 33
Children: yes 9 (6–11) 9 (6–11) -1.54 0.066 217
Children: no 9 (6–13) 8 (6–13) -0.01 0.446 51
L-1: high 8 (6–10) 8 (6–10) -1.20 0.115 161
L-1: low 11 (8–14) 11 (7-16.25) -0.29 0.387 44
Annual dentist appointments: min once a year 9 (6–11) 8 (6–11) -1.00 0.160 110
Annual dentist appointments: none a year 9 (7–12) 8 (7–12) -0.01 0.495 99
Daily Frequency of teeth brushing: min twice a day 9 (7–12) 8 (6–11) -2.54 0.006 223
Daily frequency of teeth brushing: max once a day 8 (6–10) 8 (6.5–13.5) -1.27 0.102 33
G-Score: healthy 8 (6–10) 8 (6–10) -0.82 0.205 154
G-Score: unhealthy 10 (7–14) 10 (6.5–13) -1.48 0.069 69
Perceived condition of health: healthy 8 (6–10) 8 (6–10) -1.35 0.094 137
Perceived condition of health: unhealthy 10 (8–15) 11 (7–14) -1.06 0.143 63
Perceived influence over health: high 8 (6–11) 8 (6–11) -1.04 0.198 195
Perceived influence over health: low 10 (8–12) 10 (7.5–12) -0.35 0.365 37
PHQ-2: no indication for depression 8 (6–10) 7 (6–10) -2.07 0.019 103
PHQ-2: indication for depression 10 (8–13) 10 (7–13) -0.15 0.441 95
GAD-2: no indication for anxiety 8 (6–10) 8 (6–10) -0.68 0.250 87
GAD-2: indication for anxiety 10 (7–13) 10 (7–13) -0.44 0.664 109
OSSS-3: moderate to high social support 9 (7–11) 8 (6–11) -2.41 0.008 217
OSSS-3: low social support 10 (8–13) 11 (8–14) -0.37 0.354 19

Descriptive values (median, iqr: inter quartile range, z-value, p-value, N) for group comparisons (Wilcoxon signed-rank tests) of dental anxiety measured with the DAS based on Sex (male/female), Age (years), Partners (yes/no), Life satisfaction (high/low), Annual dentist appointments (≥ 2/<2), Daily frequency of tooth brushing (≥ 2/<2), G-Score (healthy/unhealthy), Perceived condition of health (good/poor), Perceived influence over health (high/low), indication for depression measured with PHQ-2 (yes/no), indication for anxiety measured with GAD-2 (yes/no), and social support measured with OSSS-3 (moderate to high/low). Bold: significant group differences.