Table 1 Weighted summary statistics of study variables with chi-square results (N = 9,176)

Explanatory variables

 Age

χ² = 445.82, p ≤ 0.001

  15–19

1906 (20.77)

86.26

13.74

  20–24

1786 (19.46)

73.73

26.27

  25–29

1489 (16.23)

67.28

32.72

  30–34

1260 (13.73)

62.77

37.23

  35–39

1110 (12.1)

59.46

40.54

  40–44

916 (10)

58.8

41.2

  45–49

708 (7.72)

57.6

42.4

 Educational level

χ² = 311.91, p ≤ 0.001

  No education

419 (4.56)

82.72

17.28

  Primary

1798 (19.6)

79.18

20.82

  Secondary

6029 (65.71)

68.69

31.31

  Higher

930 (10.13)

48.24

51.76

 Marital status

χ² = 251.24, p ≤ 0.001

  Never in union

5458 (59.48)

74.58

25.42

  Married

1644 (17.92)

55.18

44.82

  Living with partner

1476 (16.09)

69.08

30.92

  Widowed

189 (2.06)

65.08

34.92

  Divorced

93 (1.01)

51.37

48.63

  Separated

315 (3.43)

60.95

30.05

 Religion

χ² = 75.46, p ≤ 0.001

  Roman Catholic

1802 (19.69)

75.37

24.63

  Protestant

19.47 (21.27)

69.16

30.84

  Elcin

4035 (44.09)

68.92

31.08

  Seventh-day Adventist

436 (4.76)

70.61

29.39

  No religion/Other

105 (1.15)

64.08

35.92

  Other

827 (9.03)

58.88

41.12

 Health insurance coverage

χ² = 435.54, p ≤ 0.001

  No

7554 (82.39)

73.97

26.03

  Yes

1614 (17.61)

47.57

52.43

 Employment

χ² = 311.42, p ≤ 0.001

  No

5202 (57.04)

76.67

23.33

  Yes

3918 (42.96)

59.45

40.55

 Mobility in the last 12 months

χ² = 168.98, p ≤ 0.001

  No

5770 (62.93)

73.83

26.17

  One trip

1507 (16.44)

65.83

34.17

  Two trips and above

1892 (20.63)

58.44

41.56

 Early sexual debut

χ² = 275.13, p ≤ 0.001

  No Intercourse

1276 (14)

87.05

12.95

  Less than 15 years

425 (4.66)

74.92

25.08

  15–17

2844 (31.19)

70.43

29.57

  18 years and above

4573 (50.15)

63.27

36.73

 Parity

χ² = 226.30, p ≤ 0.001

  None

2954 (32.19)

79.29

20.71

  One birth

1871 (20.39)

65.38

34.62

  Two births

1609 (17.53)

64.61

35.39

  Three births

1140 (12.42)

59.15

40.85

  Four births and above

1603 (17.47)

67.5

32.5

 Sex of household head

χ² = 11.78, p = .01

  Male Household

4122 (44.92)

67.49

32.51

  Female Household

5054 (55.08)

70.82

29.18

 Contraceptive use

χ² = 103.92, p ≤ 0.001

  No Method

4572 (49.83)

74.25

25.75

  Non-Modern Method

42 (.46)

60.32

39.68

  Modern Method

4562 (49.72)

64.48

35.52

 Medical self-autonomy

χ² = 4.54, p = 0.16

  Not a big problem

8595 (93.73)

69.06

30.94

  Big Problem

574 (6.27)

73.29

26.71

 Distance to health facility

χ² = 92.93, p ≤ 0.001

  Not a big problem

6369 (69.45)

66.25

33.75

  Big Problem

2802 30.55)

76.32

23.68

 Household wealth index

χ² = 528.09, p ≤ 0.001

  Poorest

1429 (15.57)

85.2

14.8

  Poorer

1625 (17.71)

77.61

22.39

  Middle

1795 (19.56)

72.4

27.6

  Richer

2116 (23.06)

67.19

32.81

  Richest

2211 (24.1)

69.33

47.5

 Reading of newspaper

χ² = 260.42, p = 0.001

  Not at all

2733 (29.82)

78.29

21.71

  Less than once a week

2850 (31.1)

72.35

27.65

  At least once a week

3581 (39.08)

60.04

39.96

 Listening to radio

χ² = 33.73, p ≤ 0.001

  Not at all

1601 (17.46)

73.76

26.24

  Less than once a week

2273 (24.8)

71.6

28.4

  At least once a week

5294 (57.75)

67

33

 Watching of television

χ² = 272, p ≤ 0.001

  Not at all

4123 (44.97)

77.46

22.54

  Less than once a week

1214 (13.24)

69.96

30.04

  At least once a week

3831 (41.79)

60.39

39.61

 Place of residence

χ² = 344, p ≤ 0.001

  Urban

5190 (56.56)

61.49

38.51

  Rural

3986 (43.44)

79.52

20.48

 Region of residence

χ² = 728.84, p ≤ 0.001

  Caprivi

457 (5)

72.83

27.17

  Erongo

771 (8.4)

48.04

51.96

  Hardap

304 (3.31)

63.46

36.54

  Karas

343 (3.74)

53.82

46.18

  Kavango

836 (9.1)

89.59

10.41

  Khomas

2202 (24)

58.2

41.8

  Kunene

258 (2.81)

61.92

38.08

  Ohangwena

894 (9.75)

85.08

14.92

  Omaheke

225 (2.45)

55.23

44.77

  Omusati

884 (9.63)

82.25

17.75

  Oshana

755 (8.23)

76.22

23.78

  Oshikoto

707 (7.7)

75.02

24.98

  Otjozondjupa

540 (5.89)

69.01

30.99