Table 1

General characteristics of participants, total and by fieldwork period

VariableTotal (n=481)November-December
2020 (n=84)
February-April
2021 (n=397)
P value*
Sociodemographic and migration variables
Age—years, mean (SD)33.2 (10.7)33.1 (10.5)33.3 (10.7)0.883
Female (%)55.353.655.70.726
Educational level (%)0.944
 None6.07.15.8
 Primary or less38.936.939.3
 Secondary or technical equivalent27.027.427.0
 Preparatory or technical equivalent19.117.919.4
 Some college or more8.910.78.6
Travelling with minors68.458.370.50.029
Working in the past week (%)34.356.029.7<0.000
Slept in a risky place in the past 3 months2 (%)†17.320.216.60.426
Country of origin (%)0.051
 Mexico25.220.226.2
 Honduras47.039.348.6
 Guatemala10.411.910.1
 El Salvador10.215.59.1
 Other7.213.16.0
Was in migrant detention before coming to Tijuana (%)50.335.753.40.003
Months in Tijuana, mean (SD)3.4 (1.0)7.7 (0.7)4.3 (0.4)<0.001
Access to sanitation and protective/risk behaviours
Always has access to water for handwashing (%)92.596.491.70.374
Always has access to soap (%)87.796.485.90.084
Washed hands or used hand sanitiser frequently or very frequently (%)89.894.188.90.158
Self-isolated at home or in a shelter frequently or very frequently (%)47.965.544.2<0.001
Wore a mask when in public frequently or very frequently (%)93.492.993.50.843
Used public transport never or rarely (%)40.829.843.10.024
Visited crowded places never or rarely (%)80.382.179.90.631
Health and COVID-related variables
Diabetes (%)4.41.25.00.117
Hypertension (%)7.76.08.10.510
COPD (%)7.37.17.30.959
Cardiovascular disease (%)2.12.42.00.831
Obesity (%)4.810.73.50.005
Thinks she/he has had COVID-19 (%)12.918.111.80.124
Previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (%)‡11.411.111.40.977
Positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies§ (%)53.046.354.50.181
Positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA (nasal swab) (%)1.501.80.217
  • 2 test, or t test, comparing between recruitment periods.

  • †Slept in a vehicle, correctional institution, drug treatment centre, streets/beach/canal.

  • ‡Percentage calculated over those tested previously (9 in first period, 105 in second period).

  • §Percentage excludes six participants who had already received a COVID vaccine. Indeterminate results are also excluded.