Impact of faith-based organizations on the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use pre-marital testing and counseling in Buea: a cross-sectional study

Impact of faith-based organizations on the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use pre-marital testing and counseling in Buea: a cross-sectional study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Short Report Impact of faith-based organizations on the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use pre-marital testing and counseling in Buea: a cross-sectional study Gougni Kenne Lioni, Atabong Emmanuel Njingu, Stanley Sunjo Nyuydzedze This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6364431/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in BMC Research Notes → Version 1 posted 13 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Hereditary and sexually transmissible diseases are preventable through testing and counselling before marriage (Premarital testing and counselling) or before engaging in a sexual relationship. Multiple Christian and Muslim faith-based organizations (FBOs) in many countries including Cameroon have adopted compulsory premarital testing and counseling (PMTC) to enforce PMTC and achieve its potential benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of FBO on the knowledge and use of PMTC in Buea. Methods This was a community-based, cross-sectional, analytic study conducted from January 2020 to July 2020 in the town of Buea. A total of 654 participants were recruited through multistage sampling. A 12-item questionnaire was used to assess knowledge of PMTC, and multivariable regression was used to examine the impact of FBO on use or willingness to use PMTC. Results: A total of 654 persons consented to the study and completed the questionnaire. Among the study participants were 412 (63%) members of FBOs and 242 (37%) non-members of FBOs. There was no significant difference in the use or willingness to use PMTC between members and non-members of FBO. About 79% of members of FBO reported that they used or were willing to use PMTC, while close to 81% of non-members of FBO used or were willing to use PMTC. Similarly, our study did not find a significant difference in the mean knowledge of PMTC among FBO members and non-members. Being legally married was strongly positively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC (aOR: 7.10, CI: 0.07–0.30). Single parents (aOR: 0.48, CI: 2.15–2.81) and especially cohabiting persons (aOR: 0.29, CI: 0.23–0.45) were negatively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC. Conclusion: In Buea, there were no significant differences in the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use PMTC between members and non-members of faith-based organizations. Compared to legally married couples, cohabiting couples and single parents are less likely to do testing and counselling prior to engaging in a sexual relationship and bearing children. Background Sexually transmissible Infections (STIs) and genetic diseases are prevalent in Cameroon. In the past decade, the prevalence of HIV in Cameroon went up to as high as 4.3% among the general population [ 1 ]. In 2023, there was an estimated 9900 new HIV infections in Cameroon, with certain subpopulation groups such as female sex workers (36%) and men who have sex with men (37%) experiencing a higher rate of HIV infection [ 2 – 4 ]. In addition to HIV, Cameroon has a high rate of sickle cell disease (SCD) trait, about 18.2% of the general population are carriers of the disease while 2–3% have the full-blown disease (homozygous ss form) [ 5 ]. Besides HIV and SCD, hepatitis B (11.2%) and hepatitis C (6.5%) are also rampant in Cameroon [ 6 , 7 ]. Cameroon’s Ministry of Health in collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, has committed substantial resources to foster STI and hereditary disease screening. This effort is based on the fact that, there is evidence that early detection, counselling, and treatment can lower transmission of STIs and hereditary diseases, which will lead to improved health outcomes [ 8 ]. Despite the government's and her partners' efforts, knowledge and uptake of STI and hereditary disease screening remain low [ 9 , 10 ]. Low testing rates have also been seen in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa [ 11 , 12 ]. Since testing is the entry point for disease treatment and control programs, a low testing rate undermines the measures put in place for the prevention and control of these sexually transmissible and hereditary diseases. Premarital testing and counselling (PMTC) have been adopted by several countries and faith-based organizations as a means to curb the spread of STIs and handicapping hereditary diseases. Qatar and other countries in the Middle East have effectively implemented compulsory PMTC as a national policy [ 12 , 13 ]. In these countries with compulsory PMTC, there exists high rate of consanguineous marriages. In Oman, for example, the frequency of consanguineous marriage among first cousins is as high as 34% [ 14 ]. There is empirical evidence that consanguineous marriages increase the likelihood of transmitting hereditary diseases and genetic disorders to offspring [ 15 ]. In addition to preventing the spread of genetic diseases, PMTC also impedes the spread of HIV and other STIs among people in stable sexual relationships. Sero-discordancy occurs in 8–40% of persons in sexual relationship [ 16 , 17 ], and HIV sero-discordant couples have been shown to be a major source of new infections; about 65–85% of new HIV infections are gotten from sero-discordant married/cohabiting partners [ 16 – 18 ]. HIV negative individuals have a higher risk of contracting HIV when in a sero-discordant marriage, this risk could be alleviated by PMTC [ 19 , 20 ]. Despite its potential benefits, compulsory PMTC remains highly controversial [ 17 ]. On the one hand, compulsory PMTC is considered as being unethical, against human rights and a potential window that allows for increased stigmatization to those who test positive to HIV[ 21 – 23 ]. On the other hand, women’s groups and some leaders of faith-based organizations argue that, mandatory PMTC and denying marriage to discordant persons and persons that could potentially give birth to children with debilitating genetic diseases is a way of protecting women and negative partners from HIV infection and it further protects children from handicapping hereditary genetic conditions [ 23 – 25 ]. However, the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) are against all forms of mandatory testing [ 26 ]. Amid this contention, some Pentecostal churches in Cameroon and other African countries have gone ahead to adopt compulsory PMTC for church members[ 23 , 27 ]. Multiple previous studies in Cameroon and sub-Saharan Africa [ 9 , 28 – 30 ] have evaluated the understanding of premarital testing and the factors influencing its use within the general population. These studies indicated that, among other factors, religious institutions affect couples' willingness to participate in premarital testing. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, none of these studies have examined the impact of mandatory Premarital Testing and Counseling (PMTC) adopted by some faith-based organizations (FBOs) on public awareness and utilization of PMTC. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess and compare the level of knowledge and use of premarital testing and counseling among members and non-members of Christian and Muslim FBOs in Buea. The results of this study will significantly inform policy-making decisions regarding premarital testing and counseling and help address gaps in the existing literature. Methods Study Design and setting This was a community-based, cross-sectional analytic study carried out from January 2020 to July 2020 in Buea. Buea is the Regional headquarters of the Southwest region of Cameroon and has a surface area of 870 square kilometers [ 31 , 32 ]. Buea is a highly complex community caught between a blend of urban, semi-urban, rural, and traditional settings. All 254 ethnic groups in Cameroon are represented in this area, attracted by the Cameroon Development Cooperation (CDC) and the University of Buea. Buea is a predominantly Christian town, with about 70% of the population at least nominally Christian, 21% Muslims, and 9% pagans/atheists. The town has a moderate economy with agricultural, administrative, business, tourism, and the financial sector taking central stage of the town. Buea has an estimated population of 200,000 inhabitants, constituting essentially of the Bakweris (the indigenes) [ 31 , 32 ]. English and French are the two official languages, while pidgin English is the lingua franca. At the time of this study, Buea had 23 different FBOs identified, including the Catholics, the Presbyterians, Baptists, and Muslims. All the identified FBOs required members to undergo PMTC before marriage. Sample Size Calculation The sample size was calculated using the formula for estimating proportions [ 33 ]. The rate of uptake of premarital testing and counselling in Buea is unknown; a pre-study estimate of 50% was used to obtain a minimum sample size of 422 participants for this study. In this study, we included 654 participants. Study Population and Sampling For this study, we included all married and unmarried adults who were 18 years or older and lived in Buea, gave consent to take part in the study and was within the sampling frame. We however, excluded adults who could not and adults who did not give consent, and participants with a self-reported history of mental health or psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, two neighborhoods in the selected health areas were excluded for security reasons. A multistage sampling method was used. Firstly, a simple random sampling technique was used to select five health areas (Bokwoango, Muea. Molyko, Buea road, and Buea town) out of the seven health areas in Buea (sample frame). Secondly, probability proportionate to size sampling was used to determine the proportion of sample size from each of the five selected health areas. Thirdly, simple random sampling was used to recruit the desired number of participants from each of the selected health districts. Study Procedure For this study, we considered all those who profess membership to a faith-based organization and are fully committed to the laws of the FBO as members of FBO, while all those who did not profess membership to any FBO and/or are not fully committed to the laws of any FBO as non-members of FBO. After ethical and administrative clearances were obtained, additional verbal approval was gotten from leaders of FBOs and quarter heads of the study area. The research team took 4 months to move from door to door within the different quarters of Molyko and Buea road health areas to collect data. These 2 health areas are the most populated health areas of the town, one month was spent in each of the other three selected health areas to collect data. The questionnaire used in this study was adapted from validated questionnaires already used in other studies [ 12 , 29 , 34 ]. The questionnaire was administered in English and did not require translation. It was pre-tested, interviewer administered. Demographic and socioeconomic variables were collected. In addition, married participants were asked if they did PMTC and all participants were asked if their decision to marry a particular partner was/will be influenced by results of PMTC. Efforts were made to match the sociodemographic characteristics of participants in each group. Data management Data was entered into Microsoft Excel 2010, cleaned, and later exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for analysis. A pretested questionnaire adapted from previous studies [ 12 , 29 , 34 ] was used for data collection. Each incorrect answer was given a score of ‘‘0’’whereas each correct answer was given a score of ‘‘1”. The total knowledge score was calculated and ranged from 0 to 12. The mean knowledge score for each variable was computed and compared between members and non-members of faith-based organizations. The mean knowledge score for each category of variable was classified as correct knowledge if ≥ 6 and incorrect knowledge if < 6. Continuous variables were summarized using mean and standard deviation. Age was divided into 3 categories for this study because the dataset was normally distributed. Shapiro-Wilk test gave a p-value of 0.194. Categorical variables were summarized using counts and percentages. Sociodemographic variables were compared between members and non-members of FBO using Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. Mean knowledge scores across various domains were compared using independent t-test. We used multivariable regression model to determine how FBOs and other factors independently affect the use of PMTC. Backward elimination was used to select predictor variables for the final multivariable regression model. We initially included all predictor variables and retained variables with assessed change in estimate of over 5%. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated. This paper has been prepared in conformity with the STROBE guidelines, recommended by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) network [ 35 ]. Results Of the 698 people that were approached by the research team, 654 persons consented to the study and completed the questionnaire. Amongst the study participants were 349 (53.4%) females and 305 (46.6%) males, there were 412 (63%) members of FBOs and 242 (37%) non-members of FBOs. Most of the study participants were single (60.4%), aged less than 35 years (48%), had attained a tertiary level of education (51.2%), and earned between 100000–250,000 FCFA (61.1%). The mean age for members of FBO was 32.30 (± 4.26) years, and the mean age for non-members of FBO was 30.45 (± 3.86) years. The were 321(49.1%) participants who were Catholic Christians, 102 (15.6%) Presbyterian Christians, 93 (14.2%) Baptist Christians, 73 (11.2%) Pentecostal Christians, and 65 (9.9%) Muslim participants in this study. There was no significant difference in the socio-demographic characteristics of both groups (Table 1 ). Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of members and non-members of faith-based organizations. Demographic variable Total n (%) N = 654 Members of FBO n (%) n = 412 Non-members of FBO n (%) n = 242 p-value Sex (n, %) Male 305 (46.64) 192 (46.60) 113 (46.69) 0.082 Female 349 (53.36) 220 (53.40) 129 (53.31) Age group (years) < 35 314 (48.01) 198 (48.06) 116 (47.93) 0.631 35–54 191 (29.20) 161 (39.08) 30 (12.40) ≥ 55 149 (22.78) 53 (12.86) 96 (39.67) Marital status (n, %) Single 395 (60.40) 249 (60.44) 146 (60.33) 0.140 Married 148 (22.63) 93 (22.57) 55 (22.73) Cohabiting 78 (11.92) 49 (11.89) 29 (11.98) Single parent 33 (5.04) 21 (5.10) 12 (4.96) Level of education Primary/no formal education 27 (4.13) 17 (4.13) 10 (4.13) 0.193 Secondary 292 (44.64) 184 (44.66) 108 (44.63) Tertiary 335 (51.22) 211 (51.21) 124 (51.24) Level knowledge of PMTC Correct knowledge (≥ 6) 539 (82.42) 341 (82.77) 198 (81.82) 0.051 Incorrect knowledge (< 6) 115 (17.58) 76 (18.45) 39 (16.12) Employment status Employed 448 (68.50) 282 (68.45) 166 (68.60) 0.0591 Unemployed 74 (11.32) 47 (11.41) 27 (11.16) Student 132 (20.39) 83 (20.15) 49 (20.25) Monthly income (CFA) (n, %) 250000 144 (22.01) 91 (22.09) 53 (21.90) Percentages may not add up to 100% in some cases due to rounding up. The overall mean knowledge of PMTC score for members of FBO was 10.29 (± 3.87) and 10.25 (± 4.01) for non-members of FBO. There was no significant difference in the overall mean knowledge score between the 2 groups; this was also true across different subcategories of members and non-members of FBO. However, the mean knowledge score was significantly higher for participants 55 years (7.53, ± 3.87). Similarly, the knowledge score was found to increase as the level of education and income level increased. Also, married (11.81, ± 3.20) and single (11.67, ± 5.52) persons were found to have significantly higher mean knowledge scores compared to their cohabiting (9.09, ± 4.82) and single-parent (10.03, SD 4.11) counterparts respectively. There was no significant difference in knowledge mean scores between males and females (Table 2 ). Table 2 Mean knowledge score comparison between members a non-members of FBOs Demographic variable Members of FBO Mean Knowledge score (SD), non-members of FBO Mean Knowledge score (SD), p-value Sex (n, %) Male 11.82 (5.32) 11.61(6.10) 0.079 Female 10.72 (3.14) 11.10 (4.43) 0.041 Age group (years) < 35 11.05 (4.19) 10.83 (3.73) 0.154 35–54 10.89 (3.21) 10.73 (4.34) 0.521 ≥ 55 7.21 (3.67) 7.85 (4.08) 0.862 Marital status (n, %) Single 11.71 (5.01) 11.62 (6.07) 0.932 Married 11.85 (3.45) 11.77 (2.94) 0.824 Cohabiting 8.83 (4.36) 9.34 (5.32) 0.630 Single parent 9.82 (4.56) 10.23 (3.69) 0.078 Level of education Primary/no formal education 6.25 (2.47) 6.79 (3.42) 0.891 Secondary 10.89 (2.81) 11.04 (3.89) 0.870 Tertiary 11.95 (2.33) 11.83 (2.74) 0.908 Employment status Employed 11.08 (3.67) 10.89 (2.90) 0.079 Unemployed 6.82 (4.09) 6.64 (5.34) 0.175 Student 11.69 (2.86) 11.51 (2.18) 0.883 Monthly income (CFA) (n, %) 250000 11.09 (3.02) 11.36 (4.87) 0.497 There was no significant difference in the use or willingness to use PMTC between people who belong to faith-based organizations and people do not belong to FBO, about 79% of members of FBOs reported that they used or were willing to use PMTC while close to 81% of non-members of FBO used or were willing to use PMTC. However, legally married couples were found to have a significantly higher likelihood (AOR 7.10; CI: 0.07–0.90; p < 0.001) of using PMTC compared to cohabiting couples and single parents. Furthermore, couples who are cohabiting (AOR 7.10; CI: 0.07–0.90; p < 0.001) and single parents (AOR 7.10; CI: 0.07–0.90; p < 0.001) were found to be negatively associated with the use of PMCT. The odds of using or willing to use PMTC increased as level of education increased, participants who had attained tertiary level of education (AOR 4.32; CI: 0.27–0.71; p < 0.001)were about twice more likely to use PMTC compared to persons who had completed secondary level of education (AOR 2.29; CI: 0.19–0.78; p < 0.001). Simillarly, employed participants (AOR 2.35; CI: 0.16–0.41; p < 0.001) were more likely to use PMTC compared to unemployed participants (AOR 0.26; CI: 0.46–0.66; p < 0.001). In the same like, higher income earners had higher likelihood of using PMTC compared to their counterparts (Table 3 ). Table 3 Use of PMTC between members and non-member of FBOs Demographic variable Will you or did you use PMTC? OR (95% CI) p-value AOR (95%CI) p-value Yes No Sex (n, %) Female 274 (78.51) 75 (21.49) 1.00 1.00 Male 254 (83.29) 51 (16.72) 3.87 (1.03–1.73) 0.001 2.47 (2.03–1.99) 0.001 Age group (years) < 35 262 (83.44) 52 (16.56) 1.00 35–54 172 (90.05) 19 (9.95) 1.94 (2.10–2.81) 0.071 - - ≥ 55 94 (63.09) 55 (36.91) 3.23 (1.13–1.66) 0.084 - - Marital status (n, %) Single 366 (92.66) 29 (4.43) 1.00 1.00 Married 144 (97.30) 4 (2.70) 4.22 (0.13–0.94) 0.001 7.10 (0.07–0.30) 0.001 Cohabiting 6 (7.69) 72 (92.31) 0.12 (0.44–0.91) 0.001 0.29 (0.23–0.45) 0.001 Single parent 12 (36.36) 21 (63.64) 0.36 (2.28–2.59) 0.001 0.48 (2.15–2.81) 0.001 Member of FBO? Yes 326 (79.13) 86 (20.87) 1.00 No 197 (81.40) 45 (18.60) 1.31 (1.43–1.87) 0.921 - - Level of education Primary/no formal education 14 (51.85) 13 (48.15) 1.00 1.00 Secondary 197 (67.47) 95 (32.53) 5.61 (0.45–0.84) 0.001 2.29 (0.19–0.78) 0.018 Tertiary 317 (94.63) 18 (5.37) 5.77 (0.28–0.79) 0.001 4.32 (0.27–0.71) 0.004 Level knowledge of PMTC Correct knowledge (≥ 6) 488 (90.54) 51 (9.46) 1.00 1.00 Incorrect knowledge (< 6) 40 (34.78) 75 (65.21) 7.84 (0.40.69) 0.001 3.16 (0.21–0.58) 0.001 Employment status Student 102 (77.27) 30 (22.73) 1.00 1.00 Unemployed 35 (47.30) 39 (52.70) 0.13 (1.01–1.49) 0.002 0.26 (0.46–0.66) 0.001 Employed 391 (87.28) 57 (12.72) 2.98 (0.59–0.89) 0.001 2.35 (0.16–0.41) 0.001 Monthly income (CFA) (n, %) 250000 127 (88.19) 17 (11.81) 3.48 (0.28–0.90) 0.001 2.97 (0.19–0.38) 0.006 Discussion This study evaluated the impact of faith-based organizations on knowledge and use/willingness to use premarital testing and counseling (PMTC) in Buea. Our findings demonstrate that there was no significant difference in the use or willingness to use PMTC between participants who are members of FBO and those who are not members of FBO. This was also true across all subcategories of members and non-members of FBOs. Multiple previous studies [ 24 , 25 , 36 – 39 ] have postulated that it is essential to engage faith-based organizations in addressing misconceptions and improving the uptake of PMTC in the community, hence reducing the burden of associated diseases. Approximately 88% of participants in a study in Saudi Arabia [ 36 ] agreed that religious experts should contribute to the promotion of PMTC through their public discussions and speeches. Furthermore, another Saudi study [ 39 ] showed that the participation of clerics and the presence of a religious fatwa could positively change the attitude of about 53% of the study’s participants, who did not initially accept the concept of PMTC. In Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, and Cameroon all have faith-based organizations, including Muslims with compulsory PMTC [ 10 ]. While these studies measured the percentage of persons influenced by FBOs to accept PMTC, the studies failed to compare the knowledge and use/willingness to use PMTC among persons affiliated with FBOs with that of individuals who are not affiliated with FBO in order to accurately assess the impact of FBOs on PMTC. This difference in methodology makes comparison to our study difficult, and it also raises doubts about whether the influence of FBO on PMTC is as much as previously expressed in these studies. Similarly, our study did not find a significant difference in the level of knowledge of PMTC among FBO members and non-members. This was also true across different subcategories of members and non-members of FBO. The mean knowledge scores for members and non-members of FBO were similar. However, the overall mean knowledge score was good for both FBO members and non-members. The high percentage (> 90%) of participants of this study who have completed secondary or tertiary education could be the reason for the obtained good mean PMTC knowledge score. Being educated has been shown to increase the level of PMTC knowledge [ 39 ]. In their study in Cameroon, Akoku et al. [ 10 ] demonstrated that good knowledge of PMTC was a driving factor for the high willingness to accept PMTC. Other studies in the Middle East [ 12 , 40 ] also reported that the majority of participants had good knowledge of PMTCT. Contrary to our findings, another study in Buea [ 9 ] found that less than a quarter of participants had good knowledge of PMTC. This study was, however, focused on sickle cell disease knowledge rather than PMTC as a whole, which was the focus of our study. On the one hand, we found that being legally married was strongly positively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC (aOR: 7.10, CI: 0.07–0.30). On the other hand, single parents (aOR: 0.48, CI: 2.15–2.81) and especially cohabiting persons (aOR: 0.29, CI: 0.23–0.45) were negatively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC. Most married couples in Cameroon undergo 3 different types of marriage procedures which are legally binding; these are civil, religious, and customary marriages. By the time these 3 marriage procedures are completed, most couples would have undergone PMTC [ 41 ]. Moreso, most married people prefer to screen for hereditary and sexually transmissible diseases before engaging in a legal everlasting marriage commitment [ 42 ]. In line with the findings of this study, Kevin et al. [ 43 ] in a large cluster randomised trial involving 4440 participants in a community-based delivery of integrated sexual and reproductive health services in Zimbabwe found that, uptake of STI screening was negatively associated with being single or having a boyfriend or girlfriend compared with being married. Similar to other studies [ 12 , 40 , 42 ], our study demonstrated that the likelihood to use/willingness to use PMTC increased as the level of education and as level of income increased, also in concordance with the above-mentioned studies, employed participants were more likely to use or willing to use PMTC compared to their unemployed counterparts. A similar trend was observed between knowledge of PMTC and level of education, income level, and employment status. This study is not without limitations. To begin with, this study was done in Buea, which is only one of the many cities in Cameroon. Even though the selection of participants was randomized, the geographical limitation somewhat limits the generalizability of our findings. Next, the age of participants at the time of marriage was not considered; assessing the impact of FBO at the age of marriage for every married participant would have improved the internal validity of the study. We also did not include specific occupation participants, peer pressure for marriage, and consanguinal marriages in our analysis. Furthermore, given that knowledge of premarital testing and counselling (PMTC) is a confounder in the evaluation of the effect of FBO on the use/willingness to use PMTC, there is a potential compromise to the internal validity of our study caused by including participants with limited knowledge of PMTC. To ameliorate this effect, first, study participants of this study were randomly selected, with both members and non-members of FBOs having individuals with limited knowledge on PMTC, and the mean knowledge of PMTC was similar for both groups. Second, the level of knowledge of PMTS as a variable was added to the multivariable analysis, hence adjusting its effect as a confounder to the impact FBO on the use/willingness to use PMTC. Finally, the study design was cross-sectional, which limits the power of the study in terms of establishing causality. The decision to participate in PMTC is complex and multi-faceted. Future research could attempt to explore the impact of a particular factor through a cohort or an interventional study design. Conclusion In Buea, there were no significant differences in the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use PMTC between members and non-members of faith-based organizations. Knowledge about PMTC and the use or willingness to use PMTC are higher among relatively high-income earners, people who have attained a secondary or tertiary level of education, and among employed persons. Further, cohabiting couples and single parents compared to legally married couples are less likely to do testing and counselling prior to engaging in a sexual relationship and bearing children. This group should be targeted in interventions aiming to improve STI and hereditary disease screening among couples in sexual relationships and those aiming to have children. Abbreviations FBO faith-based organizations PMTC premarital testing and counseling STI Sexually Transmissible Infection HIV Human immunodeficiency virus SCD Sickle cell disease OR Odds ratio Declarations Authors and Affiliations Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon Kalfou Integrated Health Center, Kalfou, Cameroon Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions GKL formulated the study concept and collected data. She contributed to data analysis, literature review, and the write-up of the manuscript. AEN conceptualized the methods and contributed to reviewing the results and write-up of the manuscript. GKL and AEN conceptualized the regression modeling techniques, NSS reviewed the results, and contributed to the write-up Ethics approval The study was approved by Faculty of Health Sciences-Institutional Review Board at the University of Buea (approval number: 2020/1169-03/UB/SG/IRB/FHS). Additionally, administrative approvals were obtained from the Regional Delegation of Public Health for the Southwest Region. Consent to participate All participants provided written informed consent, including acceptance of data collection from the questionnaire. All investigators worked according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication. All authors hereby consent to publication of this work in any and all BMC research notes publications. Funding This research received no funding from any agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. References DHS-MICS. The 2011 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey and Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey Yaounde. Cameroon: National Institute of Statistics; 2011. Park J, Papworth E, Kassegne S, Moukam L, Billong S, Macauley I, et al. HIV prevalence and factors associated with HIV infection among men who have sex with men in Cameroon. J Int AIDS Soc. 2013;16(4 Suppl 3):18752. 10.7448/IAS.16.4 . Baral S, Logie C, Grosso A, Wirtz A, Beyrer C. Modified social ecological model: a tool to guide the assessment of the risks and risk contexts of HIV epidemics. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:482. 10.1186/1471-2458-13-482 . Sandie AB, Tchatchueng Mbougua JB, Nlend AEN, et al. Hot-spots of HIV infection in Cameroon: a spatial analysis based on Demographic and Health Surveys data. 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Al-Husain M, Al-Bunyan M. Consanguineous marriages in Saudi population and the effect of inbreeding on prenatal and postnatal mortality. Ann Trop Paediatr. 1997;17:155–6. Dunkle K, Stephenson R, Karita E, Chomba E, Kayitenkore K, Vwalika Cea. New heterosexually transmitted HIV infections in married or cohabiting couples in urban Zambia and Rwanda: an analysis of survey and clinical data. Lancet. 2008;371:2183–91. 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60953-8 . Bachanas P, Medley A, Pals S, Kidder D, Antelman G, Benech Iea. Disclosure, Knowledge of Partner Status, and Condom Use Among HIV-Positive Patients Attending Clinical Care in Tanzania, Kenya, and Namibia. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2013;27(7):425–35. 10.1089/apc.2012.0388 . Anglemyer A, Rutherford GW, Baggaley RC et al. Antiretroviral therapy for prevention of HIV transmission in HIV-discordant couples - Anglemyer, A – 2011 | Cochrane Library. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009153.pub2/full (accessed 6 March 2025). Matovu J. Preventing HIV transmission in married and cohabiting HIV-discordant couples in sub-Saharan Africa through combination prevention. Curr HIV Res. 2010;8:430–40. Eyawo O, de Walque D, Ford N, et al. HIV status in discordant couples in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2010;10:770–7. Rennie S, Mupenda B. Ethics of mandatory premarital HIV testing in Africa: the case of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. Dev World Bioeth. 2008;8(2):126–37. Durojaye E, Balogun V. Human Rights Implications of Mandatory Premarital HIV Testing in Nigeria. Int J Law Policy Fam. 2010;24(2):245–65. 10.1093/lawfam/ebq004 . Ifemeje S. Mandatory premarital HIV testing policy in Nigeria: a gross violation of the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. Int J Hum Rights. 2012;16(3):401–10. Burns K, Mandatory Premarital HIV. December Testing: An Overview, New York, Open Society Institute and Soros Foundations Network; Available at http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/law/articles_publications/publications/mandatory-hiv-testing-20100513 . Accessed 2018. Barmania S, Aljunid SM. Premarital HIV testing in Malaysia: a qualitative exploratory study on the views of major stakeholders involved in HIV prevention. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2017;17:12. WHO. Statement on HIV testing and counseling: WHO, UNAIDS re-affirm opposition to mandatory HIV testing,2012. Available from http://www.who.int/hiv/events/2012/world_aids_day/hiv_testing_counselling/en/ . Accessed 9 March 2022. Luginaah IN, Yiridoe EK, Taabazuing M-M. From mandatory to voluntary testing: Balancing human rights, religious and cultural values, and HIV/AIDS prevention in Ghana. Soc Sci Med. 2005;61:1689–700. Predictors of willingness to accept pre-. marital HIV testing and intention to sero-sort marital partners; risks and consequences: Findings from a population-based study in Cameroon - PMC, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6300297/ (accessed 6 June 2024). Oluwole EO, Okoye CD, Ogunyemi AO et al. Knowledge, attitude and premarital screening practices for sickle cell disease among young unmarried adults in an urban community in Lagos, Nigeria. Pan Afr Med J; 42. Epub ahead of print 6 May 2022. 10.11604/pamj.2022.42.8.27705 Umar SA, Oche OM. Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and use of mandatory premarital HIV testing as a prerequisite for marriages among religious leaders in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria. The Pan African Medical Journal ; 11. Epub ahead of print 16 February 2012. 10.11604/pamj.2012.11.27.1272 Buea | Mairie conseils Cameroun. https://mairies-du-cameroun.org/en/collectivites-territoriales/carte-communale/sud-ouest/buea (accessed 4 August 2024). Local Governments and Rural Development. A Case Study of Buea in Cameroon. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30824854.pdf (accessed 4 August 2024). Swinscow TDV. In: Campbell MJ, editor. Statistics at Square One. 9 ed. BMJ publishing group; 1997. Mahmood KA, Sadraldeen GS, Othman SM, et al. Knowledge, perception, and attitude toward premarital screening among university students in Kurdistan region–Iraq. PLOS Global Public Health. 2024;4:e0003515. Cuschieri S. The STROBE guidelines. Saudi J Anaesth. 2019;13:S31–4. Ibrahim NKR, Al-Bar H, Al-Fakeeh A, et al. An educational program about premarital screening for unmarried female students in King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. J Infect Public Health. 2011;4:30–40. Jones EF, Stahmann RF. Clergy Beliefs, Preparation, and Practice in Premarital Counseling. J Pastoral Care. 1994;48:181–6. Steiner-Grossman P, David KL. Involvement of rabbis in counseling and referral for genetic conditions: results of a survey. Am J Hum Genet. 1993;53:1359–65. Al-Kahtani NH. Acceptance of premarital health counseling in riyadh city, 1417h. J Family Community Med. 2000;7:27–34. Al-Farsi OA, Al-Farsi YM, Gupta I, et al. A study on knowledge, attitude, and practice towards premarital carrier screening among adults attending primary healthcare centers in a region in Oman. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:380. chain M on. Everything you need to know about marriage in Cameroon - Marry on chain. Everything you need to know about marriage in Cameroon - Marry on chain , https://marryonchain.com/p/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-marriage-in-cameroon (2023, accessed 2 March 2025). Alkalbani A, Alharrasi M, Achura S, et al. Factors Affecting the Willingness to Undertake Premarital Screening Test Among Prospective Marital Individuals. SAGE Open Nurs. 2022;8:23779608221078156. Martin K, Olaru ID, Buwu N, et al. Uptake of and factors associated with testing for sexually transmitted infections in community-based settings among youth in Zimbabwe: a mixed-methods study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2021;5:122–32. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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In the past decade, the prevalence of HIV in Cameroon went up to as high as 4.3% among the general population [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. In 2023, there was an estimated 9900 new HIV infections in Cameroon, with certain subpopulation groups such as female sex workers (36%) and men who have sex with men (37%) experiencing a higher rate of HIV infection [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR3\" citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. In addition to HIV, Cameroon has a high rate of sickle cell disease (SCD) trait, about 18.2% of the general population are carriers of the disease while 2\u0026ndash;3% have the full-blown disease (homozygous ss form) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Besides HIV and SCD, hepatitis B (11.2%) and hepatitis C (6.5%) are also rampant in Cameroon [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. Cameroon\u0026rsquo;s Ministry of Health in collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental organizations, has committed substantial resources to foster STI and hereditary disease screening. This effort is based on the fact that, there is evidence that early detection, counselling, and treatment can lower transmission of STIs and hereditary diseases, which will lead to improved health outcomes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. Despite the government's and her partners' efforts, knowledge and uptake of STI and hereditary disease screening remain low [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. Low testing rates have also been seen in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Since testing is the entry point for disease treatment and control programs, a low testing rate undermines the measures put in place for the prevention and control of these sexually transmissible and hereditary diseases.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePremarital testing and counselling (PMTC) have been adopted by several countries and faith-based organizations as a means to curb the spread of STIs and handicapping hereditary diseases. Qatar and other countries in the Middle East have effectively implemented compulsory PMTC as a national policy [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. In these countries with compulsory PMTC, there exists high rate of consanguineous marriages. In Oman, for example, the frequency of consanguineous marriage among first cousins is as high as 34% [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. There is empirical evidence that consanguineous marriages increase the likelihood of transmitting hereditary diseases and genetic disorders to offspring [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. In addition to preventing the spread of genetic diseases, PMTC also impedes the spread of HIV and other STIs among people in stable sexual relationships. Sero-discordancy occurs in 8\u0026ndash;40% of persons in sexual relationship [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e], and HIV sero-discordant couples have been shown to be a major source of new infections; about 65\u0026ndash;85% of new HIV infections are gotten from sero-discordant married/cohabiting partners [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR17\" citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. HIV negative individuals have a higher risk of contracting HIV when in a sero-discordant marriage, this risk could be alleviated by PMTC [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite its potential benefits, compulsory PMTC remains highly controversial [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. On the one hand, compulsory PMTC is considered as being unethical, against human rights and a potential window that allows for increased stigmatization to those who test positive to HIV[\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR22\" citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. On the other hand, women\u0026rsquo;s groups and some leaders of faith-based organizations argue that, mandatory PMTC and denying marriage to discordant persons and persons that could potentially give birth to children with debilitating genetic diseases is a way of protecting women and negative partners from HIV infection and it further protects children from handicapping hereditary genetic conditions [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR24\" citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]. However, the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) are against all forms of mandatory testing [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]. Amid this contention, some Pentecostal churches in Cameroon and other African countries have gone ahead to adopt compulsory PMTC for church members[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultiple previous studies in Cameroon and sub-Saharan Africa [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR29\" citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e] have evaluated the understanding of premarital testing and the factors influencing its use within the general population. These studies indicated that, among other factors, religious institutions affect couples' willingness to participate in premarital testing. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, none of these studies have examined the impact of mandatory Premarital Testing and Counseling (PMTC) adopted by some faith-based organizations (FBOs) on public awareness and utilization of PMTC. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess and compare the level of knowledge and use of premarital testing and counseling among members and non-members of Christian and Muslim FBOs in Buea. The results of this study will significantly inform policy-making decisions regarding premarital testing and counseling and help address gaps in the existing literature.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Design and setting\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis was a community-based, cross-sectional analytic study carried out from January 2020 to July 2020 in Buea. Buea is the Regional headquarters of the Southwest region of Cameroon and has a surface area of 870 square kilometers [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. Buea is a highly complex community caught between a blend of urban, semi-urban, rural, and traditional settings. All 254 ethnic groups in Cameroon are represented in this area, attracted by the Cameroon Development Cooperation (CDC) and the University of Buea. Buea is a predominantly Christian town, with about 70% of the population at least nominally Christian, 21% Muslims, and 9% pagans/atheists. The town has a moderate economy with agricultural, administrative, business, tourism, and the financial sector taking central stage of the town. Buea has an estimated population of 200,000 inhabitants, constituting essentially of the Bakweris (the indigenes) [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]. English and French are the two official languages, while pidgin English is the lingua franca. At the time of this study, Buea had 23 different FBOs identified, including the Catholics, the Presbyterians, Baptists, and Muslims. All the identified FBOs required members to undergo PMTC before marriage.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSample Size Calculation\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sample size was calculated using the formula for estimating proportions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. The rate of uptake of premarital testing and counselling in Buea is unknown; a pre-study estimate of 50% was used to obtain a minimum sample size of 422 participants for this study. In this study, we included 654 participants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy Population and Sampling\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this study, we included all married and unmarried adults who were 18 years or older and lived in Buea, gave consent to take part in the study and was within the sampling frame. We however, excluded adults who could not and adults who did not give consent, and participants with a self-reported history of mental health or psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, two neighborhoods in the selected health areas were excluded for security reasons. A multistage sampling method was used. Firstly, a simple random sampling technique was used to select five health areas (Bokwoango, Muea. Molyko, Buea road, and Buea town) out of the seven health areas in Buea (sample frame). Secondly, probability proportionate to size sampling was used to determine the proportion of sample size from each of the five selected health areas. Thirdly, simple random sampling was used to recruit the desired number of participants from each of the selected health districts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy Procedure\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this study, we considered all those who profess membership to a faith-based organization and are fully committed to the laws of the FBO as members of FBO, while all those who did not profess membership to any FBO and/or are not fully committed to the laws of any FBO as non-members of FBO. After ethical and administrative clearances were obtained, additional verbal approval was gotten from leaders of FBOs and quarter heads of the study area. The research team took 4 months to move from door to door within the different quarters of Molyko and Buea road health areas to collect data. These 2 health areas are the most populated health areas of the town, one month was spent in each of the other three selected health areas to collect data. The questionnaire used in this study was adapted from validated questionnaires already used in other studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]. The questionnaire was administered in English and did not require translation. It was pre-tested, interviewer administered. Demographic and socioeconomic variables were collected. In addition, married participants were asked if they did PMTC and all participants were asked if their decision to marry a particular partner was/will be influenced by results of PMTC. Efforts were made to match the sociodemographic characteristics of participants in each group.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eData management\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData was entered into Microsoft Excel 2010, cleaned, and later exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA pretested questionnaire adapted from previous studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e] was used for data collection. Each incorrect answer was given a score of \u0026lsquo;\u0026lsquo;0\u0026rsquo;\u0026rsquo;whereas each correct answer was given a score of \u0026lsquo;\u0026lsquo;1\u0026rdquo;. The total knowledge score was calculated and ranged from 0 to 12. The mean knowledge score for each variable was computed and compared between members and non-members of faith-based organizations. The mean knowledge score for each category of variable was classified as correct knowledge if \u0026ge; 6 and incorrect knowledge if\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;6.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eContinuous variables were summarized using mean and standard deviation. Age was divided into 3 categories for this study because the dataset was normally distributed. Shapiro-Wilk test gave a p-value of 0.194. Categorical variables were summarized using counts and percentages. Sociodemographic variables were compared between members and non-members of FBO using Pearson\u0026rsquo;s chi-square or Fisher\u0026rsquo;s exact test. Mean knowledge scores across various domains were compared using independent t-test. We used multivariable regression model to determine how FBOs and other factors independently affect the use of PMTC. Backward elimination was used to select predictor variables for the final multivariable regression model. We initially included all predictor variables and retained variables with assessed change in estimate of over 5%. Statistical significance was set at p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated. This paper has been prepared in conformity with the STROBE guidelines, recommended by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) network [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eOf the 698 people that were approached by the research team, 654 persons consented to the study and completed the questionnaire. Amongst the study participants were 349 (53.4%) females and 305 (46.6%) males, there were 412 (63%) members of FBOs and 242 (37%) non-members of FBOs. Most of the study participants were single (60.4%), aged less than 35 years (48%), had attained a tertiary level of education (51.2%), and earned between 100000\u0026ndash;250,000 FCFA (61.1%). The mean age for members of FBO was 32.30 (\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.26) years, and the mean age for non-members of FBO was 30.45 (\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.86) years. The were 321(49.1%) participants who were Catholic Christians, 102 (15.6%) Presbyterian Christians, 93 (14.2%) Baptist Christians, 73 (11.2%) Pentecostal Christians, and 65 (9.9%) Muslim participants in this study. There was no significant difference in the socio-demographic characteristics of both groups (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocio-demographic characteristics of members and non-members of faith-based organizations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographic variable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal n (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;654\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMembers of FBO n (%) n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;412\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNon-members of FBO n (%) n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;242\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e305 (46.64)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e192 (46.60)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e113 (46.69)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.082\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e349 (53.36)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e220 (53.40)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e129 (53.31)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge group (years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e314 (48.01)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e198 (48.06)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e116 (47.93)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.631\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u0026ndash;54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e191 (29.20)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e161 (39.08)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30 (12.40)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026ge; 55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e149 (22.78)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53 (12.86)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e96 (39.67)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarital status (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e395 (60.40)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e249 (60.44)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e146 (60.33)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.140\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e148 (22.63)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93 (22.57)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55 (22.73)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCohabiting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e78 (11.92)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49 (11.89)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29 (11.98)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle parent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33 (5.04)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21 (5.10)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 (4.96)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevel of education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary/no formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27 (4.13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (4.13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (4.13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.193\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e292 (44.64)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e184 (44.66)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e108 (44.63)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTertiary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e335 (51.22)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e211 (51.21)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e124 (51.24)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevel knowledge of PMTC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCorrect knowledge (\u0026ge; 6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e539 (82.42)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e341 (82.77)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e198 (81.82)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.051\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIncorrect knowledge (\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e115 (17.58)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76 (18.45)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39 (16.12)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployment status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e448 (68.50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e282 (68.45)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e166 (68.60)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.0591\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74 (11.32)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47 (11.41)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27 (11.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e132 (20.39)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83 (20.15)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49 (20.25)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonthly income (CFA) (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;100,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e242 (37.00)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e152 (36.89)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90 (37.19)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.208\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100000 -250,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e268 (40.98)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e169 (41.02)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99 (40.91)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;250000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e144 (22.01)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91 (22.09)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53 (21.90)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentages may not add up to 100% in some cases due to rounding up.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe overall mean knowledge of PMTC score for members of FBO was 10.29 (\u0026plusmn; 3.87) and 10.25 (\u0026plusmn; 4.01) for non-members of FBO. There was no significant difference in the overall mean knowledge score between the 2 groups; this was also true across different subcategories of members and non-members of FBO. However, the mean knowledge score was significantly higher for participants\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;55 years old (10. 88, \u0026plusmn; 3.86) compared to participants\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;55 years (7.53, \u0026plusmn; 3.87). Similarly, the knowledge score was found to increase as the level of education and income level increased. Also, married (11.81, \u0026plusmn; 3.20) and single (11.67, \u0026plusmn; 5.52) persons were found to have significantly higher mean knowledge scores compared to their cohabiting (9.09, \u0026plusmn; 4.82) and single-parent (10.03, SD 4.11) counterparts respectively. There was no significant difference in knowledge mean scores between males and females (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean knowledge score comparison between members a non-members of FBOs\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographic variable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMembers of FBO\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Knowledge score (SD),\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003enon-members of FBO\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Knowledge score (SD),\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.82 (5.32)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.61(6.10)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.079\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.72 (3.14)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.10 (4.43)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.041\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge group (years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.05 (4.19)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.83 (3.73)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.154\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u0026ndash;54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.89 (3.21)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.73 (4.34)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.521\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026ge; 55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.21 (3.67)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.85 (4.08)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.862\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarital status (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.71 (5.01)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.62 (6.07)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.932\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.85 (3.45)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.77 (2.94)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.824\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCohabiting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.83 (4.36)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.34 (5.32)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.630\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle parent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.82 (4.56)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.23 (3.69)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.078\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevel of education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary/no formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.25 (2.47)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.79 (3.42)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.891\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.89 (2.81)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.04 (3.89)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.870\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTertiary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.95 (2.33)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.83 (2.74)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.908\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployment status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.08 (3.67)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.89 (2.90)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.079\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.82 (4.09)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.64 (5.34)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.175\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.69 (2.86)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.51 (2.18)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.883\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonthly income (CFA) (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;100,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.87 (3.58)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8,72 (2.97)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.090\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100000 -250,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.74 (4.34)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.67 (3.40)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.325\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;250000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.09 (3.02)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.36 (4.87)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.497\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere was no significant difference in the use or willingness to use PMTC between people who belong to faith-based organizations and people do not belong to FBO, about 79% of members of FBOs reported that they used or were willing to use PMTC while close to 81% of non-members of FBO used or were willing to use PMTC. However, legally married couples were found to have a significantly higher likelihood (AOR 7.10; CI: 0.07\u0026ndash;0.90; \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) of using PMTC compared to cohabiting couples and single parents. Furthermore, couples who are cohabiting (AOR 7.10; CI: 0.07\u0026ndash;0.90; \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) and single parents (AOR 7.10; CI: 0.07\u0026ndash;0.90; \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) were found to be negatively associated with the use of PMCT. The odds of using or willing to use PMTC increased as level of education increased, participants who had attained tertiary level of education (AOR 4.32; CI: 0.27\u0026ndash;0.71; \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001)were about twice more likely to use PMTC compared to persons who had completed secondary level of education (AOR 2.29; CI: 0.19\u0026ndash;0.78; \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). Simillarly, employed participants (AOR 2.35; CI: 0.16\u0026ndash;0.41; \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) were more likely to use PMTC compared to unemployed participants (AOR 0.26; CI: 0.46\u0026ndash;0.66; \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). In the same like, higher income earners had higher likelihood of using PMTC compared to their counterparts (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUse of PMTC between members and non-member of FBOs\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographic variable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWill you or did you use PMTC?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOR (95% CI)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAOR (95%CI)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e274 (78.51)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75 (21.49)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e254 (83.29)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51 (16.72)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.87 (1.03\u0026ndash;1.73)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.47 (2.03\u0026ndash;1.99)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge group (years)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e262 (83.44)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52 (16.56)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u0026ndash;54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e172 (90.05)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19 (9.95)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.94 (2.10\u0026ndash;2.81)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.071\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026ge; 55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94 (63.09)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55 (36.91)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.23 (1.13\u0026ndash;1.66)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.084\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarital status (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e366 (92.66)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29 (4.43)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e144 (97.30)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (2.70)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.22 (0.13\u0026ndash;0.94)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.10 (0.07\u0026ndash;0.30)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCohabiting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (7.69)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72 (92.31)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.12 (0.44\u0026ndash;0.91)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.29 (0.23\u0026ndash;0.45)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle parent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 (36.36)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21 (63.64)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.36 (2.28\u0026ndash;2.59)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.48 (2.15\u0026ndash;2.81)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMember of FBO?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e326 (79.13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86 (20.87)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e197 (81.40)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45 (18.60)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.31 (1.43\u0026ndash;1.87)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.921\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevel of education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary/no formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14 (51.85)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13 (48.15)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e197 (67.47)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95 (32.53)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.61 (0.45\u0026ndash;0.84)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.29 (0.19\u0026ndash;0.78)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.018\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTertiary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e317 (94.63)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18 (5.37)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.77 (0.28\u0026ndash;0.79)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.32 (0.27\u0026ndash;0.71)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevel knowledge of PMTC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCorrect knowledge (\u0026ge; 6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e488 (90.54)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51 (9.46)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIncorrect knowledge (\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40 (34.78)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75 (65.21)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.84 (0.40.69)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.16 (0.21\u0026ndash;0.58)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployment status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102 (77.27)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30 (22.73)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35 (47.30)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39 (52.70)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13 (1.01\u0026ndash;1.49)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.26 (0.46\u0026ndash;0.66)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e391 (87.28)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57 (12.72)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.98 (0.59\u0026ndash;0.89)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.35 (0.16\u0026ndash;0.41)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMonthly income (CFA) (n, %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;100,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e169 (69.83)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73 (30.17)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100000 -250,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e232 (86.57)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36 (13.43)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.94 (0.32\u0026ndash;0.81)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.36 (0.11\u0026ndash;0.67)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.043\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;250000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127 (88.19)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (11.81)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.48 (0.28\u0026ndash;0.90)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.97 (0.19\u0026ndash;0.38)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.006\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study evaluated the impact of faith-based organizations on knowledge and use/willingness to use premarital testing and counseling (PMTC) in Buea. Our findings demonstrate that there was no significant difference in the use or willingness to use PMTC between participants who are members of FBO and those who are not members of FBO. This was also true across all subcategories of members and non-members of FBOs. Multiple previous studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR37 CR38\" citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e] have postulated that it is essential to engage faith-based organizations in addressing misconceptions and improving the uptake of PMTC in the community, hence reducing the burden of associated diseases. Approximately 88% of participants in a study in Saudi Arabia [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e] agreed that religious experts should contribute to the promotion of PMTC through their public discussions and speeches. Furthermore, another Saudi study [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e] showed that the participation of clerics and the presence of a religious fatwa could positively change the attitude of about 53% of the study\u0026rsquo;s participants, who did not initially accept the concept of PMTC. In Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, and Cameroon all have faith-based organizations, including Muslims with compulsory PMTC [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. While these studies measured the percentage of persons influenced by FBOs to accept PMTC, the studies failed to compare the knowledge and use/willingness to use PMTC among persons affiliated with FBOs with that of individuals who are not affiliated with FBO in order to accurately assess the impact of FBOs on PMTC. This difference in methodology makes comparison to our study difficult, and it also raises doubts about whether the influence of FBO on PMTC is as much as previously expressed in these studies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilarly, our study did not find a significant difference in the level of knowledge of PMTC among FBO members and non-members. This was also true across different subcategories of members and non-members of FBO. The mean knowledge scores for members and non-members of FBO were similar. However, the overall mean knowledge score was good for both FBO members and non-members. The high percentage (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;90%) of participants of this study who have completed secondary or tertiary education could be the reason for the obtained good mean PMTC knowledge score. Being educated has been shown to increase the level of PMTC knowledge [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]. In their study in Cameroon, Akoku et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e] demonstrated that good knowledge of PMTC was a driving factor for the high willingness to accept PMTC. Other studies in the Middle East [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e] also reported that the majority of participants had good knowledge of PMTCT. Contrary to our findings, another study in Buea [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e] found that less than a quarter of participants had good knowledge of PMTC. This study was, however, focused on sickle cell disease knowledge rather than PMTC as a whole, which was the focus of our study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the one hand, we found that being legally married was strongly positively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC (aOR: 7.10, CI: 0.07\u0026ndash;0.30). On the other hand, single parents (aOR: 0.48, CI: 2.15\u0026ndash;2.81) and especially cohabiting persons (aOR: 0.29, CI: 0.23\u0026ndash;0.45) were negatively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC. Most married couples in Cameroon undergo 3 different types of marriage procedures which are legally binding; these are civil, religious, and customary marriages. By the time these 3 marriage procedures are completed, most couples would have undergone PMTC [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e]. Moreso, most married people prefer to screen for hereditary and sexually transmissible diseases before engaging in a legal everlasting marriage commitment [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e]. In line with the findings of this study, Kevin et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e] in a large cluster randomised trial involving 4440 participants in a community-based delivery of integrated sexual and reproductive health services in Zimbabwe found that, uptake of STI screening was negatively associated with being single or having a boyfriend or girlfriend compared with being married.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilar to other studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e], our study demonstrated that the likelihood to use/willingness to use PMTC increased as the level of education and as level of income increased, also in concordance with the above-mentioned studies, employed participants were more likely to use or willing to use PMTC compared to their unemployed counterparts. A similar trend was observed between knowledge of PMTC and level of education, income level, and employment status.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study is not without limitations. To begin with, this study was done in Buea, which is only one of the many cities in Cameroon. Even though the selection of participants was randomized, the geographical limitation somewhat limits the generalizability of our findings. Next, the age of participants at the time of marriage was not considered; assessing the impact of FBO at the age of marriage for every married participant would have improved the internal validity of the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe also did not include specific occupation participants, peer pressure for marriage, and consanguinal marriages in our analysis. Furthermore, given that knowledge of premarital testing and counselling (PMTC) is a confounder in the evaluation of the effect of FBO on the use/willingness to use PMTC, there is a potential compromise to the internal validity of our study caused by including participants with limited knowledge of PMTC. To ameliorate this effect, first, study participants of this study were randomly selected, with both members and non-members of FBOs having individuals with limited knowledge on PMTC, and the mean knowledge of PMTC was similar for both groups. Second, the level of knowledge of PMTS as a variable was added to the multivariable analysis, hence adjusting its effect as a confounder to the impact FBO on the use/willingness to use PMTC. Finally, the study design was cross-sectional, which limits the power of the study in terms of establishing causality. The decision to participate in PMTC is complex and multi-faceted. Future research could attempt to explore the impact of a particular factor through a cohort or an interventional study design.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn Buea, there were no significant differences in the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use PMTC between members and non-members of faith-based organizations. Knowledge about PMTC and the use or willingness to use PMTC are higher among relatively high-income earners, people who have attained a secondary or tertiary level of education, and among employed persons. Further, cohabiting couples and single parents compared to legally married couples are less likely to do testing and counselling prior to engaging in a sexual relationship and bearing children. This group should be targeted in interventions aiming to improve STI and hereditary disease screening among couples in sexual relationships and those aiming to have children.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eFBO\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003efaith-based organizations\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003ePMTC\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003epremarital testing and counseling\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eSTI\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSexually Transmissible Infection\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eHIV\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHuman immunodeficiency virus\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eSCD\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSickle cell disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eOR\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOdds ratio\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors and Affiliations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKalfou Integrated Health Center, Kalfou, Cameroon\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors’ contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGKL formulated the study concept and collected data. She contributed to data analysis, literature review, and the write-up of the manuscript. AEN conceptualized the methods and contributed to reviewing the results and write-up of the manuscript. GKL and AEN conceptualized the regression modeling techniques, \u0026nbsp;NSS reviewed the results, and contributed to the write-up\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study was approved by Faculty of Health Sciences-Institutional Review Board at the University of Buea (approval number: 2020/1169-03/UB/SG/IRB/FHS). Additionally, administrative approvals were obtained from the Regional Delegation of Public Health for the Southwest Region.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll participants provided written informed consent, including acceptance of data collection from the questionnaire. All investigators worked according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors hereby consent to publication of this work in any and all BMC research notes publications.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no funding from any agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDHS-MICS. The 2011 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey and Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey Yaounde. Cameroon: National Institute of Statistics; 2011.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePark J, Papworth E, Kassegne S, Moukam L, Billong S, Macauley I, et al. 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Epub ahead of print 16 February 2012. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.11604/pamj.2012.11.27.1272\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.11604/pamj.2012.11.27.1272\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBuea | Mairie conseils Cameroun. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://mairies-du-cameroun.org/en/collectivites-territoriales/carte-communale/sud-ouest/buea\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://mairies-du-cameroun.org/en/collectivites-territoriales/carte-communale/sud-ouest/buea\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (accessed 4 August 2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLocal Governments and Rural Development. A Case Study of Buea in Cameroon. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30824854.pdf\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30824854.pdf\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (accessed 4 August 2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwinscow TDV. In: Campbell MJ, editor. Statistics at Square One. 9 ed. BMJ publishing group; 1997.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMahmood KA, Sadraldeen GS, Othman SM, et al. Knowledge, perception, and attitude toward premarital screening among university students in Kurdistan region\u0026ndash;Iraq. PLOS Global Public Health. 2024;4:e0003515.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCuschieri S. The STROBE guidelines. Saudi J Anaesth. 2019;13:S31\u0026ndash;4.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIbrahim NKR, Al-Bar H, Al-Fakeeh A, et al. An educational program about premarital screening for unmarried female students in King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah. J Infect Public Health. 2011;4:30\u0026ndash;40.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJones EF, Stahmann RF. Clergy Beliefs, Preparation, and Practice in Premarital Counseling. J Pastoral Care. 1994;48:181\u0026ndash;6.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteiner-Grossman P, David KL. Involvement of rabbis in counseling and referral for genetic conditions: results of a survey. Am J Hum Genet. 1993;53:1359\u0026ndash;65.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAl-Kahtani NH. Acceptance of premarital health counseling in riyadh city, 1417h. 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Everything you need to know about marriage in Cameroon - Marry on chain. \u003cem\u003eEverything you need to know about marriage in Cameroon - Marry on chain\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://marryonchain.com/p/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-marriage-in-cameroon\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://marryonchain.com/p/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-marriage-in-cameroon\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (2023, accessed 2 March 2025).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlkalbani A, Alharrasi M, Achura S, et al. Factors Affecting the Willingness to Undertake Premarital Screening Test Among Prospective Marital Individuals. SAGE Open Nurs. 2022;8:23779608221078156.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMartin K, Olaru ID, Buwu N, et al. Uptake of and factors associated with testing for sexually transmitted infections in community-based settings among youth in Zimbabwe: a mixed-methods study. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2021;5:122\u0026ndash;32.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-research-notes","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"resn","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Research Notes](http://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/resn/default.aspx","title":"BMC Research Notes","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6364431/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6364431/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHereditary and sexually transmissible diseases are preventable through testing and counselling before marriage (Premarital testing and counselling) or before engaging in a sexual relationship. Multiple Christian and Muslim faith-based organizations (FBOs) in many countries including Cameroon have adopted compulsory premarital testing and counseling (PMTC) to enforce PMTC and achieve its potential benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of FBO on the knowledge and use of PMTC in Buea.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was a community-based, cross-sectional, analytic study conducted from January 2020 to July 2020 in the town of Buea. A total of 654 participants were recruited through multistage sampling. A 12-item questionnaire was used to assess knowledge of PMTC, and multivariable regression was used to examine the impact of FBO on use or willingness to use PMTC.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA total of 654 persons consented to the study and completed the questionnaire. Among the study participants were 412 (63%) members of FBOs and 242 (37%) non-members of FBOs. There was no significant difference in the use or willingness to use PMTC between members and non-members of FBO. About 79% of members of FBO reported that they used or were willing to use PMTC, while close to 81% of non-members of FBO used or were willing to use PMTC. Similarly, our study did not find a significant difference in the mean knowledge of PMTC among FBO members and non-members. Being legally married was strongly positively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC (aOR: 7.10, CI: 0.07–0.30). Single parents (aOR: 0.48, CI: 2.15–2.81) and especially cohabiting persons (aOR: 0.29, CI: 0.23–0.45) were negatively associated with the use/willingness to use PMTC.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Buea, there were no significant differences in the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use PMTC between members and non-members of faith-based organizations. Compared to legally married couples, cohabiting couples and single parents are less likely to do testing and counselling prior to engaging in a sexual relationship and bearing children.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Impact of faith-based organizations on the level of knowledge and the use or willingness to use pre-marital testing and counseling in Buea: a cross-sectional study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-02 11:00:51","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6364431/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-06-28T21:04:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-15T21:45:23+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-07T14:50:40+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"56706704973376346178180370741628066472","date":"2025-06-04T16:19:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-06-02T09:31:08+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"198541707097045794013151014142201823832","date":"2025-06-02T07:29:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"87544631639590079138333956054803791619","date":"2025-06-02T05:20:12+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"150951353221630626367484148485977029187","date":"2025-05-31T17:57:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"70895201395183544657620547808944129876","date":"2025-05-30T08:28:33+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"143957556125675748023577315550601128794","date":"2025-05-29T21:49:31+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-05-29T21:43:21+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-05-05T19:27:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Research Notes","date":"2025-05-05T19:26:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-research-notes","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"resn","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Research Notes](http://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/resn/default.aspx","title":"BMC Research Notes","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9f333164-58ca-495e-b661-d7424e1b4a62","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 2nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-08T16:08:50+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6364431","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07574-9","journal":{"identity":"bmc-research-notes","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Research Notes"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-02 15:57:45","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 2nd, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-02 11:00:51","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s13104-025-07574-9","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07574-9","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6364431","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6364431","identity":"rs-6364431","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}