Table 2.
Demographic details of the short message service (SMS) group participants versus the control group participants. Percentages may not total 100% due to nonrespondents and missing data.
| Parameter | SMS group (n=150), n (%) | Control group (n=150), n (%) | P value | |
| Male | 84 (56.0) | 76 (50.7) | .36 | |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Urdu | 61 (40.7) | 62 (41.3) | .93 | |
| Sindhi | 30 (20.0) | 30 (20.0) | ||
| Punjabi | 7 (4.7) | 11 (7.3) | ||
| Others | 52 (34.7) | 47 (31.3) | ||
| Monthly income (US$) | ||||
| <US $68 | 32 (21.3) | 36 (24.0) | .60 | |
| US $68-97 | 57 (38.0) | 54 (36.0) | ||
| US $97-146 | 40 (26.7) | 44 (29.3) | ||
| >US $194 | 9 (6.0) | 3 (2.0) | ||
| Don’t know | 12 (8.0) | 13 (8.7) | ||
| Relationship of child with cell phone provider | ||||
| Father | 72 (48.0) | 77 (51.3) | .90 | |
| Mother | 38 (25.3) | 39 (26.0) | ||
| Grandparent | 12 (8.0) | 12 (8.0) | ||
| Aunt | 15 (10.0) | 11 (7.3) | ||
| Others | 13 (8.7) | 11 (7.3) | ||
| Preferred language for SMS | ||||
| Roman Urdu | 45 (30.0) | 41 (27.3) | .32 | |
| Urdu | 98 (65.3) | 106 (70.7) | ||
| Sindhi | 2 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) | ||
| English | 5 (3.3) | 2 (1.3) | ||
| Others | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.3) | ||
| Education of cell phone owner (n=77) | ||||
| No formal education | 11 (14.2) | 14 (18.2) | .18 | |
| Primary | 7 (9.1) | 8 (10.4) | ||
| Secondary | 18 (23.4) | 6 (7.8) | ||
| Tertiary | 3 (3.8) | 3 (3.8) | ||
| Madrasah education only | 2 (2.6) | 5 (6.5) | ||
| Education of child’s mother | ||||
| No formal education | 50 (33.3) | 42 (28.0) | .34 | |
| Primary | 31 (20.7) | 22 (14.7) | ||
| Secondary | 37 (24.7) | 47 (31.3) | ||
| Intermediate | 10 (6.7) | 16 (10.7) | ||
| Religious education | 22 (14.7) | 23 (15.33) | ||
| Education of child’s father | ||||
| No formal education | 53 (35.3) | 51 (34.0) | .68 | |
| Primary | 13 (8.7) | 21 (14.0) | ||
| Secondary | 55 (36.7) | 58 (38.7) | ||
| Intermediate | 16 (10.7) | 9 (6.0) | ||
| Religious education | 13 (8.7) | 11 (7.3) | ||