Table 4 Associations with Early sexual debut among school-going adolescents in Sierra Leone and Liberia 2017 GSHS

Liberia vs Sierra Leone

0.640(0 .384- 1.067)

Age group

 14 or less

1

1

1

 15–16

0.060(0.025–0 .143)

0.051(0 .016–0 .161)

0 .080(0 .025–0 .253)

 ≥ 17

0 .021(0 .009–0 .050)

0 .017(0 .005–0 .057)

0 .035(0 .014–0 .086)

Sex (Male vs female)

1.754(1.151- 2.674)

1.575(0 .768- 3.231)

2.513(1.498- 4.215)

Current alcohol use (yes vs no)

1.048(0 .625- 1.757)

1.835(0 .635- 5.301)

0 .635(0 .308- 1.308)

Ever use cannabis (Yes vs No)

1.364(0 .566- 3.290)

0.575(0 .192- 1.726)

7.338(2.004- 26.864)

Ever use amphetamine use (Yes vs No)

1.475(0 .502- 4.337)

1.199(0 .355- 4.053)

0.987(0.208- 4.695)

Psychological distress items

 0

1

1

1

 1

1.242(0.718- 2.149)

1.185(0 .589- 2.387)

1.311(0 .743- 2.311)

 2–5

2.217(1.311- 3.748)

2.855(1.262- 6.457)

1.428(0.882- 2.312)

Missed class/school (yes vs no)

0 .906(0 .609- 1.347)

0 .922(0 .501- 1.699)

0.877(0 .544- 1.414)

Peer support (Yes vs No)

0.879(0.536- 1.441)

1.019(0 .487- 2.132)

0.751(0 .397- 1.422)

Parental support

 Low

1.183(0 .782 1.790)

1.071(0 .512- 2.242)

1.310(0 .669- 2.565)

 Medium

1.427(0 .814- 2.501)

1.621(0 .723- 3.633)

1.359(0 .533- 3.469)

 High

1

1