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Table 2 Association between attachment insecurity, socio-demographics, emotional needs, experience of adversity

From: The role of attachment relationship in adolescents’ problem behavior development: a cross-sectional study of Kenyan adolescents in Nairobi city

Variable Category n Mean (SD) (VASQ) Mean difference (95% CI) Group difference
School Middle SES school 68 65.4 (8.7) − 3.49 (− 6.28 to 0.69) t(135) = − 2.5; P = 0.015
Low SES school 69 68.9 (7.8)
Gender Female 72 65.7 (7.8) − 3.10 (− 5.91 to 0.29) t(135) = − 2.2; P = 0.031
Male 65 68.8 (8.8)
Age 14–16 Years 111 67.0 (8.0) − 0.54 (− 4.18 to 3.10) t(135) = − 0.29; P = 0.196
17–19 Years 26 67.5 (10.1)
Persons living with Guardian 21 69.6 (8.3) 2.87 (− 1.06 to 6.81) t(135) = 1.4; P = 0.151
Parents 116 66.7 (8.4)
Religion Muslim 28 65.9 (8.1) − 1.50 (− 5.08 to 2.09) t(132) = − 0.8; P = 0.410
Christian 106 67.4 (8.6)
Parents/guardian marital status Married 93 66.8 (8.5) − 0.26 (− 4.29 to 3.78) t(112) = − 0.1; P = 0.900
Other 21 67.1 (8.1)
Mother’s employment status Employed 102 66.1 (8.4) − 5.51 (− 10.34 to 0.67) t(113) = − 2.3; P = 0.026
Unemployed 13 71.6 (7.6)
Father’s employment status Employed 100 66.6 (8.3) − 1.05 (− 8.51 to 6.41) t(103) = − 0.3; P = 0.781
Unemployed 5 67.6 (3.5)
Guardian’s employment status Employed 19 69.9 (8.6) 5.89 (− 12.72 to 24.51) t(18) = 0.7; P = 0.514
Unemployed 1 64.0 (7.8)
Feels that emotional needs are met by parents No 46 67.9 (9.7) 0.38 (− 2.83 to 3.60) t(114) = 0.2; P = 0.813
Yes 70 67.5 (7.7)
Perceived parental relationship Supportive and loving 76 66.3 (8.4) − 1.43 (− 4.86 to 2.00) t(109) = − 0.8; P = 0.410
Unsupportive 35 67.8 (8.6)
Perceived relationship with mother Available when needed 34 67.7 (9.7) 1.09 (− 2.40 to 4.58) t(108) = 0.6; P = 0.538
Never available when needed 76 66.6 (7.9)
Perceived relationship with father Available when needed 61 67.4 (8.5) 1.89 (− 1.37 to 5.14) t(103) = 1.2; P = 0.253
Never available when needed 44 65.5 (8.1)
Perceived relationship with guardian Available when needed 8 71.8 (8.5) 3.58 (− 4.61 to 11.77) t(18) = 0.9; P = 0.370
Never available when needed 12 68.2 (8.6)
Drug use No 109 66.8 (7.6) − 1.71 (− 5.24 to 1.82) t(135) = − 1.0; P = 0.339
Yes 28 68.5 (11.1)
Experience adversity in childhood No 76 65.1 (7.7) − 6.74 (− 9.96 to 3.52) t(109) = − 4.2; P < 0.001
Yes 35 71.9 (8.4)
Experienced sexual/physical violence No 123 66.6 (8.5) − 5.87 (− 11.92 to 0.17) t(129) = − 1.9; P = 0.057
Yes 8 72.5 (6.8)
  1. Sample sizes do not add to 137, as there were missing values
  2. Statistically significant (in bolditalic) at the 0.05 probability level