Table 2 Socio-demographic data of study participants in the experimental and control groups

Socio-demographic data of mothers

Age

 < 20

6

14.3

6

13.6

p = 0.553

 × 2 = 3.029

df = 4

 21–25

17

40.5

16

36.4

 26–30

11

26.2

12

27.3

 31–35

6

14.3

10

22.7

 > 36

2

4.8

0

0

Education

 Not schooled

35

83.3

34

77.3

p = 0.778

 × 2 = 0.502

df = 2

 Grade 1–5

5

11.9

7

15.9

 Grade 6–11

2

4.8

3

6.8

Occupation

 Fortune telling

27

64.3

31

70.5

p = 0.779

 × 2 = 1.765

df = 4

 Selling incense sticks

9

21.4

8

18.2

 Selling books in buses

3

7.1

4

9.1

 Other

2

4.8

1

2.3

 No job

1

2.4

0

0

Ethnicity

 Thelingu

37

88.1

38

86.4

p = 0.810

 × 2 = 0.058

df = 1

 Sinhala

5

11.9

6

13.6

 Other

0

0

0

0

Religion

 Christianity

37

88.1

40

90.9

p = 0.670

 × 2 = 0.182

df = 1

 Buddhism

5

11.9

4

9.1

 Other

0

0

0

0

Monthly income of household

 < 5000

35

83.3

33

75

p = 0.652

 × 2 = 1.632

df = 3

 5000–10,000

6

14.3

8

18.2

 10,000–20,000

1

2.4

2

4.5

 20,000–30,000

0

0

1

2.3

 > 30,000

0

0

0

0

No. of children

 < 2

20

47.6

19

43.2

p = 0.171

 × 2 = 0.918

df = 2

 3–4

14

33.3

16

36.4

 > 5

8

19

9

20.5

Marital status

 Married

24

57.1

28

63.6

p = 0.546

 × 2 = 4.025

df = 5

 Unmarried

2

4.8

0

0

 Divorced

1

2.4

2

4.5

 Widowed

1

2.4

3

6.8

 Separated

12

28.6

9

20.5

 Remarried

2

4.8

2

4.5