Table 1. Socio-economic and demographic characteristics of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Sierra Leone.
| Variables | Frequency (n = 7,514) | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Ages (years) | ||
| 15–19 | 1,616 | 21.5 |
| 20–29 | 2,528 | 33.6 |
| 30–39 | 2,048 | 27.3 |
| 40–49 | 1,322 | 17.6 |
| Parity | ||
| Never gave birth | 1,895 | 25.2 |
| One to four | 3,892 | 51.8 |
| Five and above | 1,727 | 23.0 |
| Type of residence | ||
| Urban | 3,092 | 41.1 |
| Rural | 4,422 | 58.9 |
| Sex of the head of household | ||
| Male | 5,356 | 71.3 |
| Female | 2,158 | 28.7 |
| Household size | ||
| Less than six | 2,995 | 39.9 |
| Six and above | 4,519 | 60.1 |
| Work status | ||
| Not working | 2,280 | 30.3 |
| Working | 5,234 | 69.7 |
| Marital status | ||
| Married | 4,795 | 63.8 |
| Not married | 2,719 | 36.2 |
| Regions of Sierra Leone | ||
| East | 1,579 | 21.0 |
| North | 1,822 | 24.2 |
| Northwest | 1,026 | 13.7 |
| South | 1,831 | 24.4 |
| Western | 1,256 | 16.7 |
| Levels of education | ||
| No formal education | 3,571 | 47.5 |
| Primary | 1,017 | 13.5 |
| Secondary | 2,641 | 35.2 |
| Higher | 285 | 3.8 |
| Wealth Indices | ||
| Poorest | 1,533 | 20.4 |
| Poorer | 1,428 | 19.0 |
| Middle | 1,531 | 20.4 |
| Richer | 1,634 | 21.7 |
| Richest | 1,388 | 18.5 |
| BMI categories (kg/m 2 ) | ||
| Underweight (<18.5) | 502 | 6.7 |
| Normal weight (18.5–24.9) | 4,974 | 66.2 |
| Overweight (25.0–29.9) | 1,479 | 19.7 |
| Obese (≥30.0) | 559 | 7.4 |
| Watching Television | ||
| Yes | 1,889 | 25.1 |
| No | 5,625 | 74.9 |
| Listening to radios | ||
| Yes | 3,142 | 41.8 |
| No | 4,372 | 58.2 |
| Reading of magazines | ||
| Yes | 489 | 6.5 |
| No | 7.025 | 93.5 |
| Smoking of cigarettes | ||
| Yes | 224 | 3.0 |
| No | 7,290 | 97.0 |
| Alcohol use | ||
| No response recorded | 3,766 | 50.1 |
| Yes | 667 | 8.9 |
| No | 3,081 | 41.0 |
The data source is SLDHS-2019.
In Table 1 the majority of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Sierra Leone were in the 20-29-year age group 2528/7514(33.6%); parity of one-to-four 3892/7514(51.8%); of rural residence 4422/7514(58.9%); male-headed households 5356/7514(71.3%); the household size of six and above 4519/7514(60.1%); working class 5234/7514(69.7%); married 4,795/7514(63.8%); from the South 1831/7514(24.4%); had no formal education 3571/7514(47.5%); richer wealth index 1634/7514(21.7%); normal weight 4974/7514(66.2%); did not watch television 5625/7514(74.9%); did not listen to radios 4372/7514(58.2%); did not read magazines 7025/7514(93.5%), did not smoke cigarettes 7290/7514(97.0%), and did not respond to the alcohol use question 3766/7514(50.1%).