Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of reproductive age women (N = 6,584)

Age (years)

< 0.001

15–19

1,426

21.65

94.44

5.56

20–24

1,321

20.06

89.18

10.82

25–29

1,093

16.60

89.07

10.93

30–34

949

14.41

88.68

11.32

35–39

741

11.25

89.53

10.47

40–44

558

8.48

90.50

9.50

45–49

496

7.55

Marital status

< 0.001

Never married

2,176

33.05

93.65

6.35

Married

3,531

53.63

88.63

11.37

Cohabitation

64

0.96

94.34

5.66

Widowed

457

6.94

90.81

9.19

Divorced

357

5.42

89.94

10.06

Educational status

< 0.001

No education

67

1.02

93.75

6.25

Primary

2,533

38.47

91.79

8.21

Secondary

3,405

51.72

90.57

9.43

Higher

578

8.79

83.82

16.18

Religion

0.114

Islam

19

0.29

72.73

27.27

Hindu

49

0.75

90.77

9.23

Christianity

6,447

97.92

90.65

9.35

No religion

69

1.04

85.92

14.08

Health insurance coverage

< 0.001

No

6,446

97.90

90.80

9.20

Yes

138

2.10

76.85

23.15

Parity

< 0.001

Null

2,064

31.35

94.39

5.61

1–3

3,533

53.66

88.21

11.79

4 and above

987

14.99

90.90

9.10

Pregnant Status

< 0.001

No or unsure

6,304

95.74

91.00

9.00

Yes

280

4.26

80.59

19.41

Frequency of reading newspaper or magazine

< 0.001

Not at all

4,159

63.17

91.94

8.06

Less than once a week

1,364

20.72

89.17

10.83

At least once a week

1,061

16.11

86.21

13.79

Frequency of listening to the radio

< 0.001

Not at all

1,541

23.41

93.40

6.60

Less than once a week

1,059

16.08

90.85

9.15

At least once a week

3,984

60.51

89.08

10.92

Frequency of watching television

0.059

Not at all

3,641

55.30

91.28

8.72

Less than once a week

1,002

15.21

89.66

10.34

At least once a week

1,941

29.49

89.47

10.53

Ever heard of breast cancer

< 0.001

No

849

12.90

97.69

2.31

Yes

5,735

87.10

89.30

10.70

BSE in the last 12 months

< 0.001

No

4,110

62.43

96.25

3.75

Yes

2,473

37.57

80.45

19.55

Visited health facility last 12 months

< 0.001

No

2,354

35.76

94.50

5.50

Yes

4,230

64.24

88.26

11.74

Sex of household head

0.856

Male

4,290

65.15

90.86

9.14

Female

2,294

34.85

90.02

9.98

Wealth index

< 0.001

Poorest

944

14.35

93.66

6.34

poorer

1,025

15.57

91.77

8.23

Middle

1,240

18.83

89.56

10.44

Richer

1,602

24.33

90.47

9.53

Richest

1,773

26.93

88.27

11.73

Type of place of residence

0.033

Urban

2,414

36.66

89.48

10.52

Rural

4,170

63.34

91.11

8.89

Distance to a health facility

0.013

Big problem

1,674

25.43

92.05

7.95

Not a big problem

4,910

74.57

90.03

9.97

Region

< 0.001

Botha-bothe

382

5.80

89.81

10.19

Leribe

1,054

16.01

89.73

10.27

Berea

893

13.56

90.13

9.87

Maseru

1,859

28.23

88.35

11.65

Mafeteng

575

8.74

89.07

10.93

Mohale’s hoek

515

7.82

92.57

7.43

Quthing

314

4.76

90.79

9.21

Qacha’s-nek

204

3.09

93.72

6.28

Mokhotlong

347

5.28

91.53

8.47

Thaba Tseka

442

6.71

91.83

8.17