Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of the participants (N = 504)
Variable | Females (N = 215) n (%) | Males (N = 289) n (%) | Total n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Age, years | |||
18–20 | 82 (38.1) | 70 (24.2) | 152 (30.2) |
21–24 | 133 (61.9) | 219 (75.8) | 352 (69.8) |
Mean (SD) age of participants | 21.0 (1.8) | 21.8 (1.6) | 21.5 (1.7) |
Religion | |||
Christian | 184 (85.6) | 243 (84.1) | 427 (84.7) |
Muslim | 27 (12.5) | 36 (12.5) | 63 (12.5) |
Not reported | 4 (1.9) | 10 (3.4) | 14 (2.8) |
Marital status | |||
Single | 194 (90.2) | 279 (96.5) | 473 (93.8) |
Married | 8 (3.7) | 4 (1.4) | 12 (2.4) |
In a relationship/cohabiting | 13 (6.1) | 6 (2.1) | 19 (3.8) |
University year | |||
First | 109 (50.7) | 114 (39.4) | 223 (44.3) |
Second | 70 (32.6) | 100 (34.6) | 170 (33.7) |
Third | 33 (15.3) | 75 (26.0) | 108 (21.4) |
Fourth | 3 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (0.6) |
Type of secondary school attended | |||
Boarding school | 106 (49.3) | 136 (47.1) | 242 (48.0) |
Day school | 70 (32.6) | 103 (35.6) | 173 (34.3) |
Both | 39 (18.1) | 50 (17.3) | 89 (17.7) |
Financial support | |||
Parent/Guardian | 191 (88.8) | 244 (84.4) | 435 (86.3) |
Sponsorship/Well-wisher | 14 (6.5) | 23 (8.0) | 37 (7.3) |
Self | 9 (4.2) | 21 (7.3) | 30 (6.0) |
Others | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.3) | 2 (0.4) |
Resident of Mbeya | |||
Yes | 67 (31.2) | 84 (29.1) | 151 (30.0) |
No | 147 (68.4) | 205 (70.9) | 352 (69.8) |
Not reported | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.2) |