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Table 2 Percentage of adolescent girls using hygienic products by background characteristics in India, NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21)

From: Spatiotemporal change in socioeconomic inequality in hygienic menstrual product use among adolescent girls in India during 2015–2019

Background characteristics

NFHS-4 (2015-16)

NFHS-5 (2019-21)

% of girls using hygienic products

N = 117,749

95% CI

[Lower, Upper]

% of girls using hygienic products

N = 114,839

95% CI

[Lower, Upper]

Age at menarche (in years)

    

≤ 12

38.70

[37.51, 39.90]

53.74

[52.56, 54.92]

13–15

36.24

[35.55, 36.93]

49.16

[48.52, 49.81]

≥ 16

38.41

[35.81, 41.08]

54.61

[52.18, 57.03]

Education

    

No education

8.14

[7.318, 09.05]

17.56

[16.10, 19.14]

Primary

12.86

[11.76, 14.06]

22.46

[20.98, 24.02]

Secondary

39.15

[38.48, 39.83]

51.85

[51.22, 52.47]

Higher

61.77

[60.06, 63.46]

69.17

[67.67, 70.62]

Religion

    

Hindu

37.18

[36.49, 37.87]

50.35

[49.70, 51.00]

Muslim

30.14

[28.62, 31.70]

43.35

[41.75, 44.97]

Christian

54.87

[51.63, 58.07]

63.51

[60.66, 66.26]

Others

46.39

[43.16, 49.64]

69.33

[67.00, 71.57]

Social groups

    

SC

34.84

[33.67, 36.04]

48.94

[47.86, 50.01]

ST

24.73

[23.42, 26.08]

39.96

[38.58, 41.34]

OBC

35.69

[34.84, 36.54]

48.21

[47.41, 49.01]

Other

46.65

[45.37, 47.93]

61.42

[60.16, 62.66]

Exposure to mass media

    

No exposure to mass media

9.67

[9.026, 10.36]

27.23

[26.30, 28.18]

At least exposed to any one kind of mass media

41.67

[40.99, 42.36]

55.57

[54.93, 56.20]

Marital status

    

Currently not married

38.15

[37.47, 38.82]

50.59

[49.95, 51.22]

Currently married

28.91

[27.75, 30.10]

46.64

[45.34, 47.95]

Region of residence

    

Northern

45.16

[43.81, 46.51]

65.78

[64.62, 66.92]

Central

18.40

[17.72, 19.09]

30.48

[29.62, 31.37]

Eastern

24.86

[23.82, 25.92]

44.17

[42.95, 45.41]

Western

50.85

[48.74, 52.96]

64.64

[62.79, 66.44]

Southern

67.65

[66.21, 69.06]

72.50

[71.16, 73.81]

Northeastern

27.65

[26.08, 29.27]

38.94

[37.24, 40.66]

Place of residence

    

Urban

57.87

[56.58, 59.15]

68.76

[67.54, 69.95]

Rural

27.57

[26.95, 28.19]

42.82

[42.19, 43.46]

  1. Note: N = sample size; CI = confidence interval; SC = Scheduled Caste; ST = Scheduled Tribe; OBC = Other Backward Classes; all percentages are weighted
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International Journal for Equity in Health

ISSN: 1475-9276

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