Table 3 Univariate analysis of risk factors associated with deciduous caries prevalence (n = 9804)

Age

–

0.371

−15.710

< 0.001**

Gender

Boys

Girls

−0.033

− 0.817

0.414

Household registration

Non-Shanghai

Shanghai

−0.716

−6.766

< 0.001**

Guardians

Parents

Grandparents

0.131

1.774

0.076

Education level of guardians

Below high school

Ref

Ref

Ref

High school

−0.262

−2.497

0.013*

College and above

−0.787

−8.791

< 0.001**

Feeding patterns

exclusive or predominant artificial feeding

Ref

Ref

Ref

exclusive or predominant breastfeeding

0.064

1.218

0.223

Combination feeding

−0.056

− 0.938

0.348

Frequency of eating desserts and candies

–

0.069

4.427

< 0.001**

Frequency of drinking sweetened beverages

–

0.138

8.778

< 0.001**

Eating sweets before sleep (days per week)

Rarely/never (< 1)

Ref

Ref

Ref

Sometimes (1–3)

0.577

13.541

< 0.001**

Often (> = 4)

0.751

8.443

< 0.001**

The age of starting tooth- brushing

–

0.162

8.607

< 0.001**

Toothbrush (times per day)

< 1

Ref

Ref

Ref

1

−0.005

−0.112

0.911

> = 2

− 0.154

−2.346

0.019

Helping children brush teeth (days per week)

Rarely/never (< 1)

Ref

Ref

Ref

Sometimes (1–3)

−0.096

−1.772

0.076

Often (4–6)

−0.187

− 1.452

0.146

Everyday (7)

−0.192

−3.328

0.001

Parental perception about children’s oral health

–

−0.957

−33.800

< 0.001**

Score of guardians’ oral health knowledge

–

−0.030

−4.186

< 0.001**