Table 1.
Socio-demographic and other characteristics of the study participants
| Variable | Number (n = 1426) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | ||
| < 5 | 331 | 23.2 |
| 5–10 | 724 | 50.8 |
| > 10 | 371 | 26 |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 881 | 61.8 |
| Female | 545 | 38.2 |
| Family monthly income (in Afghanis) | ||
| < 2500 (< 30 USD) | 1285 | 90.1 |
| 2500–20,000 (30–250 USD) | 107 | 7.5 |
| > 20,000 (> 250 USD) | 34 | 2.4 |
| Family size | ||
| < 5 people | 330 | 23.1 |
| ≥ 5 people | 1096 | 76.9 |
| Mother’s education | ||
| Primary | 35 | 2.4 |
| Secondary | 4 | 0.3 |
| Bachelor | 0 | 0 |
| Uneducated | 1387 | 97.3 |
| Father’s (guardian of family) occupation | ||
| Farmer | 1161 | 81.4 |
| Jobless | 194 | 13.6 |
| Shopkeeper | 46 | 3.2 |
| Driver | 25 | 1.8 |
| House construction | ||
| Mud | 1314 | 92.1 |
| Concrete | 112 | 7.9 |
| Source of drinking water | ||
| Boreholes | 526 | 36.9 |
| Irrigation canal | 687 | 48.2 |
| Open dug wells | 213 | 14.9 |
| Use of toilet | ||
| Pit toilets | 364 | 25.5 |
| Septic tank toilets | 45 | 3.2 |
| Open defecation | 1017 | 71.3 |
| Washing hands after defecating/before eating | ||
| Yes | 474 | 33.2 |
| No | 952 | 66.8 |
| Walking barefoot | ||
| Yes | 962 | 67.5 |
| No | 464 | 32.5 |
| Finger nail status | ||
| Untrimmed | 1138 | 79.8 |
| Trimmed | 288 | 20.2 |
| Habit of nail biting | ||
| Yes | 215 | 15.1 |
| No | 1211 | 84.9 |
| Consumption of raw vegetables | ||
| Yes | 1250 | 87.7 |
| No | 176 | 12.3 |
| Habit of eating soil | ||
| Yes | 50 | 3.5 |
| No | 1376 | 96.5 |
USD United States Dollar