Table 1.
Sample characteristics and Form 3 baseline comparability between girls graduating prior to the pandemic and girls experiencing COVID-19-related school closures (n=910)
| Baseline characteristics* | COVID-19 cohort (n=509) |
Pre-COVID-19 cohort (n=403) |
P value |
| N (%) or mean (IQR) | N (%) or mean (IQR) | ||
| Age in years (on 2 January of their Form 3 year) | 17.5 (16.5–18.4) | 17.2 (16.4–17.9) | <0.001 |
| Socioeconomic status† (lowest two quintiles) | 195 (39.1) | 166 (41.4) | 0.411 |
| Marital status (MCW) | 11 (2.5) | 17 (4.2) | 0.181 |
| Baby at home to care for | 24 (5.5) | 20 (5.0) | 0.570 |
| Orphan (no living parent) | 27 (5.3) | 19 (4.7) | 0.629 |
| Ever consumed alcohol (self-report) | 2 (0.46) | 1 (0.25) | 0.636 |
| Happy at home | 422 (97.2) | 390 (97.3) | 0.979 |
| Happy at school | 425 (97.9) | 394 (98.3) | 0.654 |
| Work for pay | 90 (20.7) | 114 (28.4) | 0.074 |
| Non-school-related work hours—prior school day‡ | 2.17 (1.0–3.0) | 2.31 (1.0–3.0) | 0.341 |
| Harassment for sex—in school | 38 (8.8) | 34 (8.5) | 0.701 |
| Harassment for sex—out of school | 122 (28.1) | 167 (41.7) | <0.001 |
| Being touched indecently—past 6 months | 67 (15.4) | 64 (16.0) | 0.776 |
| Prior pregnancy§ | 28 (6.4) | 21 (5.2) | 0.448 |
| Reported sexual activity | 165 (38.0) | 141 (35.2) | 0.378 |
| Age of sexual debut¶ | 15.8 (15.0–17.0) | 15.5 (15.0–17.0) | 0.379 |
| Early sexual debut (<15 years)** | 20 (4.6) | 14 (3.5) | 0.268 |
| Wanted to have sex—first time** | 54 (32.7) | 38 (27.0) | 0.282 |
| Reported condom use—past 6 months** | 94 (57.0) | 91 (64.5) | 0.298 |
| Hormonal contraceptives—current use** | 16 (9.7) | 11 (7.8) | 0.550 |
| Engaging in transactional sex | 11 (2.5) | 7 (1.8) | 0.405 |
| Lost to survey follow-up | 64 (12.6) | 36 (8.9) | 0.319 |
Statistically significant differences at p<0.05 in bold.
*Survey responses at Form 3 were collected for 835 girls (434 COVID-19 and 401 pre-COVID-19).
†10 girls missing data on socioeconomic status, measured as lowest two quintiles versus wealthier three.
‡Only among girls responding to participating in work activities (prior day restricted to Monday-Friday).
§Includes girls whose delivery dates were prior to 1 October of their Form 3 year and girls who reported a prior pregnancy in the survey.
¶Only 150 girls knew their age at sexual debut (63 COVID-19 and 87 pre-COVID-19).
**Only among sexually active.
MCW, married, cohabiting, divorced.