Table 3

Pooled proportions of absorbents used, the disposal of the absorbent and use of a daily bath during menstruation, in Indian studies published between 2000 and 2015

	Total pooled		Rural		Urban		Slum		Combination
Factor*	N	Pooled proportion, 95% CI	N	Pooled proportion, 95% CI	N	Pooled proportion, 95% CI	N	Pooled proportion, 95% CI	N	Pooled proportion, 95% CI
Absorbents used
Commercial pads	105	0.45, 0.38 to 0.52	56	0.32, 0.25 to 0.38	38	0.67, 0.57 to 0.76†	9	0.43, 0.20 to 0.67	2	0.34, 0.00 to 0.87
Cloths	102	0.50, 0.43 to 0.58	55	0.63, 0.56 to 0.70	35	0.27, 0.18 to 0.37†	8	0.61, 0.35 to 0.83	4	0.73, 0.41 to 0.95
Pads and cloths	42	0.13, 0.09 to 0.18	23	0.09, 0.05 to 0.13	14	0.21, 0.13 to 0.31†	4	0.10, 0.06 to 0.16	1	0.25, 0.16 to 0.36
Cottons/home-made disposables	12	0.04, 0.02 to 0.06	8	0.04, 0.02 to 0.07	4	0.04, 0.01 to 0.08	0		0
Underwear only	7	0.06, 0.01 to 0.14	6	0.07, 0.01 to 0.17	1	0.02, 0.01 to 0.05
Disposal of absorbent
Using routine waste/dustbin	44	0.45, 0.35 to 0.55	25	0.28, 0.19 to 0.38	16	0.70, 0.60 to 0.79†	3	0.51, 0.47 to 0.55	0
‘Throw away’‡	34	0.23, 0.16 to 0.31	19	0.28, 0.19 to 0.38	13	0.15, 0.09 to 0.24	2	0.30, 0.04 to 0.66	0
Burning	31	0.17, 0.08 to 0.29	22	0.15, 0.07 to 0.24	9	0.23, 0.05 to 0.49	0		0
Burying	24	0.25, 0.16 to 0.35	16	0.33, 0.22 to 0.45	8	0.12, 0.06 to 0.19†	0		0
In toilet§	17	0.09, 0.04 to 0.17	7	0.10, 0.00 to 0.30	10	0.07, 0.03 to 0.12	0		0
Hygiene
Daily bath during menstruation	39	0.84, 0.76 to 0.91	24	0.86, 0.76 to 0.93	12	0.92, 0.86 to 0.97	1	0.15, 0.13 to 0.18†	2	0.33, 0.00 to 1.00†

*Other subgroup analyses and meta-regression for factors in this table: See online supplement S2, tables S2.4- S2.6. For forest plots, see online supplement S3.
†p<0.05 compared to a rural setting.
‡In open space, rivers, wells, lakes, on the roadside, etc.
§Flushing in toilet or throwing in a pit latrine.