Table 2

Respondents’ demographic characteristics (n=6625)

CharacteristicMeanSD
Age
 Woman’s age at delivery266.56
 Partner age328.08
n%
Urban81412.3
Ethnicity
 Chewa189028.6
 Lomwe116717.7
 Yao91413.8
 Ngoni82612.5
 Tumbuka67010.1
 Sena3505.3
 Tonga2083.1
 Nkhonde1091.6
 Other4747.2
Religion
 Christian, other denomination284643.0
 Catholic113317.1
 Muslim94314.2
 Church of Central Africa Presbyterian87513.2
 Seventh Day Adventist3775.7
 No religion2363.6
 Anglican1802.7
 Other religion350.5
Education
 None68010.3
 Primary466970.5
 Secondary119818.1
 Higher771.2
Literacy
 Can read444467.1
 Cannot read215832.7
 Blind or visually impaired30.05
 Missing200.003
Wealth
 Poorest151422.9
 Poor147322.2
 Middle140721.2
 Rich116417.6
 Richest106716.1
Marital status
 Not currently married104815.8
Pregnancy
 Primiparous162024.5
 Multiple1512.3
 Unintended288643.6
 Mistimed223133.7
 Unwanted6559.9
 Antenatal care
 Attended ≥1 antenatal care visit659199.5
 Attended ≥4 antenatal care visits302245.6
 Delivery risk
 0 risk factors215232.5
 1 risk factor306246.2
 2 risk factors92914.0
 3 risk factors4657.0
 4 risk factors170.3
 5 risk factors00.0
 Caesarean delivery predetermined1051.6
  • Note that delivery risk was calculated from five MES items for woman’s last pregnancy. Number of risk factors that each woman reported. Risk factors included maternal age <19 years, incomplete antenatal care (<4 visits), primiparity, giving birth to multiples (eg, twins) and giving birth to a very small neonate (<2500 g, or a neonate described as very small if no birth weight data).

  • MES, Millennium Development Goal Endline Survey.