Table 2.
Operational definitions of community-level variables.
| Community characteristic | Definition |
|---|---|
| Demographic | |
| Mean age at first birth for women | Mean age at first birth for women aged over 35 in the community |
| Mean age at marriage for women | Mean age at first marriage for women aged over 35 in the community |
| Mean number of children ever born | Mean number of children born to women aged over 35 in the community |
| Economic | |
| Percentage of men currently employed | Percentage of adult men currently employed in the community |
| Mean number of years of education for men | Mean number of years of education for adult men in the community |
| Percentage of women currently employed | Percentage of adult women currently employed in the community |
| Mean number of years education for women | Mean number of years of education for adult men in the community |
| Behavioral | |
| Mean age at sex for women | Mean age at first sex for all women aged over 35 in the community |
| Mean age at sex for men | Mean age at first sex for all men aged over 35 in the community |
| Sexual behavior of men | Percentage of men aged over 35 who report risky sex (sex with multiple partners with non-use of condoms) in the last 12 months |
| Sexual behavior of women | Percentage of women aged over 35 who report risky sex (sex with multiple partners with non-use of condoms) in the last 12 months |
| HIV/AIDS knowledge of men | Mean score on knowledge of HIV/AIDS index for all men aged over 35 in the community. Index ranges from 0 to 7 and includes; having heard of AIDS, knowing a healthy person can be HIV+, knowledge of mother to child transmission, knowing that abstinence, condom use, limiting number of sexual partners and monogamy are ways to prevent HIV |
| HIV/AIDS knowledge of women | Mean score on knowledge of HIV/AIDS index for all women aged over 35 in the community. Includes same elements as for men |
| HIV/AIDS attitudes of men | Mean score on attitudes toward others with HIV for men aged over 35 in the community. Index includes in Burkina Faso and Ghana: would care for a relative with HIV, does not think HIV+ status should be kept a secret, believes a HIV+ teacher should be allowed to teach, and believes children should be taught about condoms. In Zambia does not include believes a HIV+ teacher should be allowed to teach |
| HIV/AIDS attitudes of women | Mean score on attitudes toward others with HIV for women aged over 35 in the community. Includes same elements as for men |
Note: All variables in the table were included in the analysis; those in italics were significant in at least one country and are thus presented in the final analysis.