Table 1.
Socio-demographic and dental characteristics of school children in Mekelle city (n = 398)
| Variable | Category | Dental service utilization | Total N | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes N (%) | No N (%) | ||||
| Age | 6–10 | 17 (40.5) | 187 (52.5) | 204 | 0.139 |
| 11–15 | 25 (59.5) | 169 (47.5) | 194 | ||
| Sex | Male | 24 (57.1) | 175 (49.2) | 199 | 0.328 |
| Female | 18 (42.9) | 181 (50.8) | 199 | ||
| Grade level | 1–4 | 18 (42.9) | 186 (52.2) | 204 | 0.250 |
| 5–8 | 24 (57.1) | 170 (47.8) | 194 | ||
| Mother’s education | Illiterate | 2 (4.8) | 89 (25) | 91 | 0.002 |
| Read and write only | 3 (7.1) | 14 (3.9) | 17 | ||
| 1–8 | 14 (33.3) | 125 (35.1) | 139 | ||
| 9–12 | 15 (35.7) | 58 (16.3) | 73 | ||
| College and above | 8 (19) | 70 (19.7) | 78 | ||
| Father’s education | Illiterate | 2 (4.8) | 45 (12.6) | 47 | 0.262 |
| Read and write only | 1 (2.4) | 22 (6.2) | 23 | ||
| 1–8 | 15 (35.7) | 116 (32.6) | 131 | ||
| 9–12 | 6 (14.3) | 69 (19.4) | 75 | ||
| College and above | 18 (42.9) | 104 (29.2) | 122 | ||
| Monthly household income in ETB ᾩ | ≤ 1000 | 5 (11.9) | 105 (29.5) | 110 | 0.133 |
| 1001–2000 | 11 (26.2) | 54 (15.2) | 65 | ||
| 2001–3000 | 7 (16.7) | 55 (15.4) | 62 | ||
| 3001–4000 | 2 (4.8) | 18 (5.1) | 20 | ||
| 4001–5000 | 4 (9.5) | 28 (7.9) | 32 | ||
| > 5000 | 13 (31) | 96 (27) | 109 | ||
| Dental pain experience in the past 12 months | Have dental pain | 35 (83.3) | 52 (14.6) | 87 | < 0.001 |
| No dental pain | 7 (16.7) | 304 (85.4) | 311 | ||
ETB-Ethiopian Birr; ᾩ 1 USD = 34 ETB