This chapter provides a description of the situation of respondents of reproductive age in the country. This information is useful for understanding the context of the reproductive and health status of women and men. Percent distributions of various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are shown for the full sample. The main background characteristics that will be used in subsequent chapters on reproduction and health are age at the time of the survey, marital status, broad education levels, urban/rural residence, region, and the wealth quintile to which respondents belong. In addition, information is provided on employment and work status, literacy, exposure to mass media, and internet usage.
This chapter also covers some adult health issues including health insurance coverage and tobacco use.