Maternal and child health in Yushu, Qinghai Province, China

Table 1 Population Characteristics

Characteristic	N	%
Age in Years (mean/SD)	30.1	8.8
Ethnicity
Tibetan from Kham region	392¹	100
Religious affiliation
Buddhist	401²	100
Age of marriage (mean 22.5, sd 3.7)
<18	21	9
18-24	138	60
25-29	60	26
> = 30	10	4
Marital Status
Married	232	60
Single, never married	91	24
Single with children	51	13
Divorced, widowed or separated	10	4
School Completion Rates
Primary	53	13
Secondary	6	1
Maternal Literacy
Unable to read at all	252	63
Reading with difficulty	75	19
Reading easily	8	2
Women's Occupation
Nomad	213	53
Farmer	66	17
Housewife	63	16
Nomad and farmer	49	12
Other	10	2
Husband's Occupation
Nomad	90	39
Farmer	64	28
Driver	34	15
Logger	8	3
Business	7	3
Other	25	11
Primary Sources of Household Income
Caterpillar fungus³	234	59
Sale of animals	29	7
Animal products	19	5
Husband's income	20	5
Temporary contracts	6	2
Other	87	23

¹10 missing; ²1 missing; ³Caterpillar fungus is a highly valued traditional Tibetan medicine harvested from the Tibetan Plateau and is an important source of income for the population.

ISSN: 1475-9276