Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristic of female students in Mehalmeda secondary school, Amhara region, Ethiopia, June 2013.

Variables		Frequency	Percentage
Age at interview	13–15 years	85	17.3
	16–18 years	369	75.0
	19–21 years	36	7.3
	>21 years	2	0.4
Age at menarche	9–12 years	44	8.9
	13–16 years	411	83.5
	>17 years	37	7.5
Education status of respondents	grade 9	315	64.0
	grade 10	123	25.0
	grade 11	40	8.1
	grade 12	14	2.8
Place of residence	Urban	285	57.9
	Rural	207	42.1
Religion	Orthodox	483	98.2
	Protestant	7	1.4
	Muslim	2	0.4
Ethnicity	Amhara	490	99.6
	Others	2	0.4
Marital status	Single	476	96.7
	Married	16	3.3
Respondents living arrangement	Mother and father	327	66.5
	Mother only	60	12.2
	Father only	14	2.8
	Relatives	25	5.1
	Friends	16	3.3
	Alone	50	10.2
Fathers’ educational status	Can’t read and write	71	14.4
	Read and write	300	61.0
	Elementary school	53	10.8
	High school	33	6.7
	College	35	7.1
Mothers’ educational status	Can’t read and write	142	28.9
	Read and write	257	52.2
	Elementary school	56	11.4
	High school	20	4.1
	College	17	3.5
Mothers’ occupation	House wife	19	3.9
	Farmer	349	70.9
	Trade/business	71	14.4
	Employed (Government/private)	53	10.8
Family monthly income	<500 birr	241	49.0
	500–1000 birr	133	27.0
	1000–1500 birr	62	12.6
	>1500 birr	56	11.4