Table 1.
Distribution of variables in the sample of Galician schoolchildren, by age group
| Variables | Prevalence | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 12 years | Age 15 years | p-value | ||||
| n | Percentage (95% CI) | n | Percentage (95% CI) | |||
| Sex | Male | 501 | 47.8% [44.5–51.2] | 339 | 43.2% [39.6–46.9] | 0.0706 |
| Female | 544 | 52.2% [48.8–55.5] | 444 | 56.8% [53.1–60.4] | ||
| Residence | Urban area | 605 | 53.5% [50.1–56.8] | 488 | 54.6% [50.9–58.3] | 0.6482 |
| Rural area | 440 | 46.5% [43.2–49.9] | 295 | 45.4% [41.7–49.1] | ||
| Frequency of toothbrushing | More than once a day | 698 | 65.8% [62.5–68.9] | 611 | 78.0% [74.7–80.9] | < 0.0001 |
| Once a day | 226 | 22.5% [19.8–25.5] | 134 | 16.8% [14.2–19.7] | ||
| Less than once a day | 21 | 2.0% [1.2–3.2] | 15 | 1.9% [1.2–3.2] | ||
| Occasionally | 86 | 8.5% [6.8–10.6] | 20 | 3.2% [2.0–5.1] | ||
| Never or hardly ever | 10 | 1.2% [0.6–2.4] | 1 | 0.1% [0.0–0.6] | ||
| Type of toothbrush | Manual | 874 | 85.3% [82.7–87.6] | 705 | 92.0% [89.7–93.8] | 0.0008 |
| Electric | 294 | 33.9% [30.5–37.4] | 167 | 23.9% [20.7–27.4] | ||
| Both | 133 | 12.7% [10.7–15.1] | 81 | 10.4% [8.5–12.8] | ||
| Toothbrushing starting age | Mean ± SD | 3.82 ± 1.55 | - [3.72–3.92] | 3.94 ± 1.81 | - [3.81–4.07] | 0.1775c |
| Dental hygienea | Absence of dental plaque | 218 | 19.9% [17.3–22.7] | 279 | 36.2% [32.7–39.9] | < 0.0001 |
| Plaque on gingival border | 479 | 46.1% [42.7–49.4] | 350 | 44.9% [41.2–48.6] | ||
| Plaque on 1/3 gingival | 261 | 25.5% [22.7–28.6] | 128 | 15.8% [13.2–18.7] | ||
| Plaque on > 1/3 gingival | 86 | 8.6% [6.8–10.7] | 26 | 3.1% [2.1–4.7] | ||
| Fluorides | Yes | 954 | 91.3% [89.2–93.1] | 709 | 90.5% [88.0–92.6] | < 0.0001 |
| No | 91 | 8.7% [6.9–10.8] | 74 | 9.5% [7.4–12.0] | ||
| Dental floss | Yes | 159 | 18.6% [15.9–21.7] | 127 | 19.2% [16.3–22.5] | 0.7942 |
| No | 707 | 81.4% [78.3–84.1] | 552 | 80.8% [77.5–83.7] | ||
| Dietary habitsb | Cariogenic diet | 983 | 94.4% [92.6–95.7] | 410 | 52.1% [48.4–55.7] | < 0.0001 |
| Non-cariogenic diet | 62 | 5.6% [4.3–7.4] | 373 | 47.9% [44.3–51.6] | ||
| Type of dental care | Public dental health services | 341 | 33.3% [30.2–36.6] | 163 | 20.3% [17.5–23.4] | < 0.0001 |
| Private dental clinics | 686 | 66.7% [63.4–69.8] | 610 | 79.7% [76.6–82.5] | ||
| Time since last visit to the dentist | Less than 1 month | 307 | 30.5% [27.4–33.7] | 216 | 28.1% [24.9–31.6] | 0.0769 |
| 1–3 months | 241 | 24.6% [21.8–27.7] | 178 | 23.0% [20.1–26.3] | ||
| 4–5 months | 246 | 24.0% [21.3–27.1] | 167 | 21.8% [18.9–25.1] | ||
| More than 6 months | 208 | 20.2% [17.6–23.0] | 205 | 26.2% [23.1–29.6] | ||
| Never | 8 | 0.7% [0.3–1.5] | 7 | 0.8% [0.4–1.7] | ||
| Caries prevalence | Yes | 409 | 39.6% [36.3–42.9] | 385 | 51.7% [48.0–55.4] | < 0.0001 |
| No | 636 | 60.4% [57.1–63.7] | 398 | 48.3% [44.6–52.0] | ||
Statistical evaluation using the Chi-square test with 2nd-order Rao-Scott correction for differences by age group
aDental plaque of explored teeth (16, 11, 26, 36, 31, 46): 0 = Dental plaque-free; 1 = Dental plaque on gingival border; 2 = Dental plaque on 1/3 gingival; 3 = Dental plaque on more than 1/3 gingival
bQuestion: Which of these foods have you eaten the last week? a) Candies b) Chewing gums and jelly beans c) Soft drinks and processed juices d) Chocolate e) Popcorn and crackers f) Pastries and cakes g) Ice creams h) Others (to specify). To mark the frequency of consumption of each food: None/ 3 times a week or less/ 4–6 times a week/ Everyday
cStatistical evaluation using the Student’s t-test for the difference of means by age group