Table 2 Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants

Age

 10–19 years

78

70.3

56

30.1

47.39, 3, 0.000*

 20–25 years

13

11.7

33

17.7

 \(>\,25\) years

19

17.1

95

51.1

 No response

1

0.9

2

1.1

Education

 Lower primary school

1

0.9

–

–

131.41, 5, 0.000*

 Upper primary school

6

5.4

–

–

 High school

46

41.4

55

29.6

 Pre-degree/higher secondary school

8

7.2

–

–

 College

13

11.7

129

69.4

 No response

37

33.3

2

1.1

Profession

 Working professional

–

–

78

41.9

162.66, 4, 0.000*

 Student

20

18.0

88

47.3

 Homemaker

59

53.2

15

8.1

 Farmer

27

24.3

1

0.5

 No response

5

4.5

4

2.2

Prior pad choices

 Disposable non-biodegradable

61

55.0

110

59.1

38.91, 3, 0.000*

 Reusable non-biodegradable

–

–

2

1.1

 Reusable biodegradable

25

22.5

3

1.6

 Hybrid usage of various sanitary products

25

22.5

71

38.2

First person in the family to to make switch

 Yes

107

95.5

166

89.2

3.17, 1, 0.075

 No

5

4.5

19

10.2

Money spent every month on sanitary products

 More than ₹100 ($US 1.31)

–

–

47

25.3

103.58, 4, 0.000*

 ₹50–₹100 ($US 0.65–$US 1.31)

11

9.9

54

29.0

 Less than ₹50 ($US 0.65)

67

60.4

74

39.8

 Using cloth pad and no expense

33

29.7

1

0.5

 No response/Don’t know

–

10

5.4