Page 135 - IJPS-10-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Household on teens’ COVID-19 prevention

Table 1. Distribution of adolescents and young adults Table 1. (Continued)
(15 – 24 years) who changed behaviors or adopted
some preventive measures according to selected Background characteristics Participants Percentage
background/household characteristics (COVID‑19 Pension 133 2.4
NIDS‑CRAM, 2020, South Africa) Household members who received grants
Background characteristics Participants Percentage None 3,737 66.9
Gender 1 1,246 22.3
Male 2,150 38.5 2+ 598 10.7
Female 3,431 61.5 Total 5,581 100
Ethnicity Abbreviation: ABET: Adult basic education and training.
African/Black 4,834 86.6
Colored 463 8.3 Behavioural changes Preventive practices
Asian/Indian 44 1.0 3% 4%
White 240 4.3 Low 35% none
Province 41% Medium 1-3 practice
56% 4-7 practices
Western Cape 7.36 7.4 High 61%
Eastern Cape 546 9.8
Northern Cape 334 5.9
Figure 1. Measures of behavioral changes and levels of preventive
Free State 335 6 practices among adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19
KwaZulu-Natal 1,638 29.3 period in South Africa (2021)
North West 332 5.9
Gauteng 853 15.3 3.3. Behavioral changes and adolescent
background/household characteristics throughout
Mpumalanga 534 9.6 the COVID-19 outbreak
Limpopo 598 10.7
Education level Table 2 presents the distribution of adolescents’ behavioral
changes during the COVID-19 period, categorized by
National certificate 53 0.9 background and household characteristics. Bivariate
Senior cert 2,462 44.1 analysis revealed that some individual and household-level
Below senior cert 2,881 51.6 factors were associated with behavioral changes among
ABET 19 0.3 adolescents (p < 0.001) in South Africa. The data show that
No schooling 166 3.0 male (40.8%) and female (36.7%) adolescents aged 15 –
Household access to electricity 24 years experienced low behavioral changes in response
Yes 5,298 94.9 to COVID-19. In contrast, only 3.3% of males and 4.1% of
females had high behavioral changes during the pandemic.
No 283 5.0
Access to water Our results also indicate that the association between
gender and behavioral changes during the COVID-19
Yes 4,109 73.6 period is significant. Regarding ethnicity, adolescents from
No 1,472 26.4 the Colored racial group constituted 2.8% of those with
Household size high behavioral changes during the COVID-19 period,
1 – 4 2,648 47.4 while adolescents from the White and Asian/Indian
5 – 6 1,850 33.1 racial groups had high behavior changes at 7% and 6.8%,
7+ 1,083 19.4 respectively. The results show a significant association
Household income between racial diversity and behavioral changes related
Employment 2,474 44.3 to COVID-19. In addition, the association between the
Business 331 5.9 province of residence and educational level during the
COVID-19 period was also significant. For instance,
Government grants 2,290 41.0 adolescents who reported being in the ABET education
Family 226 4.0 group and having no schooling constituted 0% and 3% with
No income 124 2.2 high behavior changes, respectively, which was equally low
(Cont’d...) among those with below the senior certificate (3%).

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 129 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2751