Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the surveyed population (n = 632).
| Characteristics | Frequency (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age group (in years) | 18–45 | 313 (49.5%) |
| 46–60 | 211 (33.4%) | |
| >60 | 108 (17.1%) | |
| Literacy status | Illiterate | 42 (6.6%) |
| Primary school | 60 (9.5%) | |
| Middle school | 131 (20.7%) | |
| High school | 203 (32.2%) | |
| Pre University Course | 76 (12.0%) | |
| Graduate | 105 (16.6%) | |
| Postgraduate | 15 (2.4%) | |
| Occupational status | Professional | 11 (1.7%) |
| White collar | 22 (3.5%) | |
| Skilled | 6 (0.9%) | |
| Semiskilled | 36 (5.7%) | |
| Unskilled | 10 (1.6%) | |
| Home maker | 500 (79.1%) | |
| Student | 22 (3.5%) | |
| Retired | 25 (4.0%) | |
| Religion* (n = 587) | Hindu | 539 (91.8%) |
| Christian | 19 (3.3%) | |
| Muslim | 29 (4.9%) | |
| Socio- economic status# (n = 587)* | Upper | 114 (19.4%) |
| Middle | 439 (74.8%) | |
| Lower | 34 (5.8%) | |
# assessed using modified B.G Prasad’s scale for socio-economic classification, which is an income-based scale used in India and hence, requires constant update to take into account of inflation and depreciation of Indian rupees.
*total number of surveyed families