Table 2a Factors associated with choice of menstrual hygiene methods
|  | MMM N = 43 | Sanitary pads N = 3029 | Others N = 72 | Total N = 3144 | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |||
Age (in years) | ≤ 21 | 33 (76.7) | 2738 (90.4) | 67 (93.1) | 2838 (90.3) | 0.008* |
> 21 | 10 (23.3) | 291 (9.6) | 5 (6.9) | 306 (9.7) | ||
Marital status | Unmarried | 41 (95.3) | 2979 (98.3) | 70 (97.2) | 3090 (98.3) | 0.253 |
Married/ Separated/ Divorced | 2 (4.7) | 50 (1.7) | 2 (2.8) | 54 (1.7) | ||
Current residence | Rural | 10 (23.3) | 921 (30.4) | 32 (44.4) | 963 (30.6) | 0.022* |
Urban | 33 (76.7) | 2108 (69.4) | 40 (55.6) | 2181 (69.4) | ||
Hometown | Rural | 17 (39.5) | 1341 (44.3) | 39 (54.2) | 1397 (44.4) | 0.201 |
Urban | 26 (60.5) | 1688 (55.7) | 33 (45.8) | 1747 (55.7) | ||
Type of current stay | Home | 23 (53.5) | 1997 (65.9) | 53 (73.6) | 2073 (65.9) | 0.001* |
In campus hostel | 6 (14.0) | 628 (20.7) | 7 (9.7) | 641 (20.4) | ||
Off campus@ | 14 (32.6) | 404 (13.3) | 12 (16.7) | 430 (13.7) | ||
Socioeconomic status | Lower and middle | 13 (30.2) | 1858 (61.3) | 50 (69.4) | 1921 (61.1) | < 0.001* |
Upper | 30 (69.8) | 1171 (38.7) | 22 (30.6) | 1223 (38.9) | ||
Fathers’ education | Illiterate and/or up to middle school | 7 (16.3) | 748 (24.7) | 27 (37.5) | 782 (24.9) | 0.019* |
High school and above | 36 (83.7) | 2281 (75.3) | 45 (62.5) | 2362 (75.1) | ||
Mothers’ education | Illiterate and/or up to middle school | 5 (11.6) | 694 (22.9) | 24 (33.3) | 723 (23.0) | 0.024* |
High school and above | 38 (88.4) | 2335 (77.1) | 48 (66.7) | 2421 (77.0) | ||
Freedom to manage day-to-day expenses | Absent | 11 (25.6) | 1167 (38.5) | 31 (43.1) | 1209 (38.5) | 0.160 |
Present | 32 (74.4) | 1862 (61.5) | 41 (56.9) | 1935 (61.5) | ||
Personal source of income | Absent | 37 (86.0) | 2883 (95.2) | 67 (93.1) | 2987 (95.0) | 0.018* |
Present | 6 (14.0) | 146 (4.8) | 5 (6.9) | 157 (5.0) | ||