Chapter 2

DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 

2.1.  Demographic Characteristics

Urban/rural distribution:

Currently, more than two thirds of Armenian Population lives in designated urban areas, therefore we selectively involved more inhabitants of the towns and cities in the survey and case studies. In total, there were 863 (48%) rural and 937 (52%) urban respondents of the survey, including 660 (37%) from Yerevan and 277 (15%) from urban areas of the Ararat Region (Figure 2.1). The majority (83%) of respondents of the case studies were from urban areas.

Figure 2.1. Urban/rural distribution of respondents of the survey and case-studies 

Religious belief:

The majority of adults (97%) and young people (95%) involved in the survey, as well as all young respondents of the case studies (100%) considered themselves Christians by culture. 

Age and sex distribution: 

Survey data

The age of 900 young participants of the survey varied from 13 to 24 years old (Median = 17) and of 900 adult participants - from 25 to 71 years old (Median = 40). The largest group (31%) of the total survey population was composed of 564 young people 15-19 years old (Figure 2.2). 

Figure 2.2. The frequency distribution of the survey respondents, by age

(n=1800)

Table 2.1. represents details on the frequency and percentage distribution of the survey participants by gender and age. It is obvious from Table 2.1. that proportion of male respondents in the survey sample was smaller than of females. Thus, there were 40% of males among young people and only 14.7% among the adult respondents.

This fact may be explained by several reasons: 1) most of the teachers and health providers of the Armenian educational institutions and public health facilities are women; 2) mainly mothers and women guardians take care of children and were available for interview; 3) it was difficult to reach adult males at their home during the daytime; 4) the refusal rate for participation in the survey was higher among males compared to females.

Case studies data

The age of 150 participants of the case studies varied from 14 to 24 years old (Median = 16.5). The proportion of females was more than twice of proportion of males in the groups “A” (which included young people who participated in training courses on sexuality, and sexual and reproductive health) and “B” (which received relevant information from previously trained peer educators. However, there were more boys than girls in the target group “C”, participants of which didn’t have an access to accurate information on sexuality, and sexual and reproductive health (Table 2.2).

Table 2.1. The frequency and percentage distribution of the survey respondents,

 by gender and age (n=1800) 

Table 2.2. The frequency and percentage distribution of participants

 of the case studies, by gender (n=150) 

Marital status

Survey data

By the time of this survey, the great majority (86%) of young people have never been married, while most (90%) of the adult respondents over 24 years of age have been ever married. The frequency and percentage distribution of participants of the survey, according to their marital status at the time of interview is demonstrated in Table 2.3, below.

   Table 2.3. The frequency and percentage distribution

 of the survey respondents, by marital status (n=1800)

Case studies data

Among 150 participants of the case studies only 3 (2%) girls were currently married and lived with spouse. The remaining 147 (98%) respondents have never been married.     

2.2.  Social and Economic Status

Education

Survey data

Almost 43 percent of young participants of the survey were students at public schools, 22 percent at colleges, and 21 percent at universities or institutes.  But 112 young people (12%) were out of educational institution (completed or dropped out), 11 (1%) - lived in orphanages or boarding schools for children in need of special protection (Table 2.4).

Table 2.4. The frequency and percentage distribution

 of young respondents of the survey, by educational status (n=900) 

The educational level of the adult respondents of the survey was quite high: about 53% had a university level education and 36% had completed college or technical school. There were 325 (36%) health providers and 223 (25%) teachers/educators among participants of the survey. 

Case studies data

The majority (95%) of participants of the case studies were students. There were 113 (75%) students at public schools, 17 (11%) - at colleges, and 13 (9%) - at universities, as well 7 (5%) young people out of any educational institution (Table 2.5). 

        Table 2.5. The frequency and percentage distribution

 of participants of the case studies, by educational status

(n=150)