Early sexual debut among adolescent girls and young women in Sierra Leone: A multilevel analysis of prevalence and predictors

Table 1 Background characteristics of the adolescent girls and young women 15–24 in Sierra Leone (n = 4438)

Variable	Weighted frequency (n)	Weighted percentage (%)
Individual level variables
Age (years)
15–19	1921	43.3
20–24	2517	56.7
Level of education
No education	962	21.7
Primary	639	14.4
Secondary/higher	2837	63.9
Current working status
Not working	2022	45.6
Working	2416	54.4
Read newspapers or magazines
Not at all	4023	90.7
Less than once a week	305	6.8
At least once a week	109	2.5
Listen to radio
Not at all	2409	54.3
Less than once a week	990	22.3
At least once a week	1039	23.4
Watch television
Not at all	3110	70.0
Less than once a week	661	15.0
At least once a week	667	15.0
Use internet
Never	3595	81.0
Yes, the last 12 months	767	17.3
Yes, before the last 12 months	75	1.7
Family size
Less than five	1179	26.6
Five or more	3259	73.4
Marital status
Never married	2530	57.0
Married/cohabiting	1823	41.1
Previously married	84	1.9
Ethnicity
Creole	31	0.7
Fullah	150	3.4
Kono	181	4.1
Limba	426	10.0
Loko	90	2.0
Madingo	105	2.4
Mende	1389	31.3
Sherbro	57	1.3
Temne	1619	36.5
Korankoh	179	4.0
Others	210	4.3
Religion
Christian	1073	24.2
Islam	3365	75.8
Ever heard of sexually transmitted infections
No	150	3.4
Yes	4288	96.6
Contraceptive use and intention
Using	1506	34.0
Intend to use	1910	43.0
Does not intend to use	1021	23.0
Contextual level variables
Wealth index
Poorest	647	14.6
Poorer	778	17.5
Middle	884	19.9
Richer	1113	25.1
Richest	1015	22.9
Place of residence
Urban	2187	49.3
Rural	2251	50.7
Province
Eastern	855	19.3
Northern	915	20.6
North Western	826	18.6
Southern	780	17.6
Western	1062	23.9

ISSN: 2055-7426