Table 2 Frequency distribution of oral health related behaviors (dietary and oral hygiene) overall and by ethnic groups
Variable | Overall (N = 906) % (n) | Maasai (n = 721) % (n) | non Maasai (n = 185) % (n) | p-value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Frequency of: Eating sweets | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 60.8 (551) | 62.4 (450) | 54.6 (101) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 39.2 (355) | 37.6 (271) | 45.4 (84) | 0.052 |
Eating biscuits | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 64.5 (584) | 67.4 (486) | 53.0 (98) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 35.5 (322) | 32.6 (235) | 47.0 (87) | < 0.001 |
Drinking carbonated soft drinks | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 66.3 (601) | 70.2 (506) | 51.4 (95) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 33.7 (305) | 29.8 (215) | 48.6 (90) | < 0.001 |
Drinking fruit drink | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 68.7 (622) | 71.8 (518) | 56.2 (104) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 31.3 (284) | 28.2 (203) | 43.8 (81) | < 0.001 |
Drinking tea with sugar | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 21.7 (197) | 24.7 (178) | 10.3 (19) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 78.3 (709) | 75.3 (543) | 89.7 (166) | < 0.001 |
Drinking tea without sugar | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 88.7 (804) | 87.5 (631) | 93.5 (173) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 11.3 (102) | 12.5 (90) | 6.5 (12) | 0.021 |
Drinking milk from cows | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 17.9 (162) | 14.1 (102) | 32.4 (60) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 82.1 (744) | 85.9 (619) | 67.6 (125) | < 0.001 |
Drinking soured milk | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 41.7 (378) | 41.5 (299) | 42.7 (79) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 58.3 (528) | 58.5 (422) | 57.3 (106) | 0.762 |
Eating meat | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 55.4 (502) | 56.7 (409) | 50.3 (93) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 44.6 (404) | 43.3 (312) | 49.7 (92) | 0.115 |
Cleaning teeth | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 24.6 (223) | 27.2 (196) | 14.6 (27) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 75.4 (683) | 72.8 (525) | 85.4 (158) | < 0.001 |
Using toothpaste | ||||
Low (≤1per week) | 62.4 (565) | 69.6 (502) | 34.1 (63) | |
High (≥2 per week or daily) | 37.6 (341) | 30.4 (219) | 65.9 (122) | < 0.001 |
Type of tooth brush | ||||
Plastic | 46.9 (425) | 39.8 (287) | 74.6 (138) | |
Chewing stick | 47.0 (426) | 53.7 (387) | 21.1 (39) | |
Charcoal | 0.7 (6) | 0.8 (6) | 0.0 (0) | |
Don’t have | 5.4 (49) | 5.7 (41) | 4.3 (8) | < 0.001 |