Table 2. Subjective oral health, social and behavioural characteristics of the studied population.

	Age 6 yr		Age 9 yr		Age 12 yr
	N	%	N	%	N	%
Gender	744		789		1201
Male		52.1		51.8		51.8
Female		47.9		48.2		48.2
Type of school	744		789		1201
Public		69.9		76.2		74.8
Private		30.1		23.8		25.2
Region of Residence	744		789		1201
Islands		10.3		10.1		9.2
North		18.7		21.2		20.7
South		71.0		68.7		70.1
Cultural or Ethnic group	NI		NI		1161
Kanak						27.3
Polynesian						18.2
Caledonian						45
European, Asian and others						9.5
Mother's employment status	509		505		NI
Unemployed		29.5		42.6
blue collar, tradesman		32.0		20.6
Management, executive		38.5		36.8
Father's employment status	479		485		NI
Unemployed		10.2		9.9
blue collar, tradesman		59.7		49.1
Management, executive		30.1		41.0
Type of health insurance	508		508		NI
Basic insurance only		22.8		20.1
State aid supplemental (AMG)		26.8		33.1
Private supplemental		50.4		46.8
Usual drinks when thirsty	741		789		1199
Water		69.6		64.9		64.6
Sweet drinks		30.4		35.1		35.4
Smoking habits	NI		NI		1201
Never smoked						88.3
Has smoked						11.7
Frequency of tooth brushing	739		789		1196
<1 weekly		25.6		37.5		20.2
≥1 weekly		8.1		6.7		24.5
≥1 daily		66.3		55.8		55.3
Dental attendance	730		785		1189
Had never visited a dentist		49.7		22.0		16.9
Had visited a dentist		50.3		78.0		83.1
Dental fear (VAS scale from 0 (no fear) to 10 (severe fear))	739		780		1201
DF-VAS 0–3		77.7		61.1		64.6
DF-VAS 4–6		11		23.2		19.2
DF-VAS 7–10		11.3		15.7		16.2
Self-perception of oral health	NI		687		1092
No oral health problem				41.2		50.9
Oral health problems				58.8		49.1
Chewing difficulties	NI		NI		1011
Food impossible to chew						16.7
Food difficult to chew						14.6
No difficulties						68.6

N: Numbers; %: Proportion; NI: not investigated.