Table 2 Characteristics of mothers and children
Variables | Frequency (n) | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|
Age of mothers in years | ||
15 to 24 | 1030 | 50.0 |
25 to 34 | 759 | 36.9 |
35 and above | 270 | 13.1 |
Education of mothers | ||
No education | 243 | 11.8 |
Primary | 1344 | 65.3 |
Secondary | 432 | 20.9 |
Higher | 40 | 1.9 |
Religion of mothers | ||
Muslim | 909 | 44.2 |
Christian | 1139 | 55.3 |
Other | 11 | 0.5 |
Region of mothers | ||
Northern region | 380 | 18.5 |
Central region | 674 | 32.7 |
Southern region | 1005 | 48.8 |
Ethnicity of mothers | ||
Chewa | 605 | 29.0 |
Tumbuka | 222 | 10.8 |
Lomwe | 336 | 16.3 |
Tonga | 76 | 3.7 |
Yao | 287 | 13.9 |
Sena | 119 | 5.8 |
Nkhonde | 18 | 0.9 |
Ngoni | 237 | 11.5 |
Mang’anja | 53 | 2.6 |
Nyanja | 49 | 2.4 |
Other | 57 | 2.8 |
Employment status of mothers | ||
Yes | 1151 | 55.9 |
No | 908 | 44.1 |
Wealth index of mothers | ||
Poorest | 466 | 22.6 |
Poorer | 454 | 22.1 |
Middle | 390 | 18.9 |
Richer | 379 | 18.4 |
Richest | 370 | 17.9 |
Marital status | ||
Never in union | 131 | 6.4 |
Married | 1742 | 82.6 |
Widowed/Divorced | 186 | 9.1 |
Number of children of mothers | ||
1–2 | 1064 | 51.7 |
3–4 | 613 | 29.8 |
5 and above | 382 | 18.6 |
Sex of Infants | ||
Male | 1027 | 49.9 |
Female | 1032 | 50.1 |
Age of infants | ||
0–2 months | 873 | 42.4 |
3–4 months | 573 | 27.8 |
5–6 months | 613 | 29.8 |