Table 2 Odds ratio of variables (never missed class vs. missed at least once per semester)

Sex

Male (ref)

Female

0.042

1.42 (1.013, 1.993)

0.846

1.06 (0.594, 1.889)

Grown up

Urban (ref)

Rural

<0.0001

0.59 (.449, 0.767)

0.20

0.750 (0.483, 1.164)

Religion

Orthodox (ref)

Protestant

0.333

0.86 (0.640, 1.163)

0.439

0.84 (0.544, 1.303)

Muslim

0.055

1.60 (0.991, 2.587)

0.225

1.51 (0.775, 2.951)

Other religion

0.364

1.41 (0.671, 2.973)

0.834

0.89 (0.304, 2.612)

High school

Governmental or public (ref)

Private

<0.0001

3.22 (2.063, 5.037)

0.010

2.49 (1.246, 4.959)

Missionary

0.611

1.27 (0.505, 3.199)

0.995

1.00 (0.219, 4.517)

University entrance examination score range

Excellent (ref)

Very good

0.006

0.58 (0.395, 0.853)

0.872

0.96 (0.562, 1.629)

Good

0.017

0.60 (0.397, 0.913)

0.491

1.23 (0.687, 2.189)

Fair

0.254

0.56 (0.207, 1.515)

0.522

1.71 (0.331, 8.848)

Poor

0.502

0.630 (0.164, 2.426)

0.781

1.29 (0.211, 7.900)

Students mother or next of kin education level

No education (ref)

Primary

0.985

1.00 (0.725, 1.389)

0.297

0.75 (0.433, 1.292)

Secondary

0.163

1.33 (0.891, 1.979)

0.051

0.46 (0.210, 1.004)

Diploma

0.005

2.00 (1.228, 3.251)

0.063

0.42 (0.171, 1.049)

Degree

0.171

1.45 (0.853, 2.447)

0.013

0.26 (0.089, 0.752)

Students father or next of kin education level

No education (ref)

Primary

0.699

0.93 (0.651, 1.333)

0.564

1.18 (0.671, 2.077)

Secondary

0.298

1.25 (0.821, 1.907)

0.158

1.71 (0.812, 3.603)

Diploma

0.096

1.47 (0.935, 2.298)

0.266

1.57 (0.709, 3.479)

Degree

0.023

1.614 (1.069, 2.437)

0.103

2.06 (0.864, 4.925)

Place to have meal

In the university cafeteria (ref)

Non-café

0.001

1.89 (1.297, 2.748)

0.180

1.56 (0.814, 3.002)

Money they get monthly from family or relatives

Less than 100 birr (ref)

100-200 birr

0.277

1.32 (0.801, 2.171)

0.958

1.02 (0.502, 2.070)

200-300 birr

0.704

1.10 (0.683, 1.760)

0.600

0.83 (0.419, 1.653)

300-500 birr

0.070

1.52 (0.966, 2.405)

0.819

0.92 (0.459, 1.852)

More than 500 birr

0.001

2.73 (1.541, 4.850)

0.399

1.48 (0.596, 3.669)

Field of study

Medicine (ref)

Nursing

<0.0001

0.24 (0.154, 0.377)

<0.0001

0.20 (0.088, 0.428)

Midwifery

<0.0001

0.23 (0.141, 0.385)

0.001

0.24 (0.098, 0.567)

Medical laboratory technology

<0.0001

0.18 (0.105, 0.300)

<0.0001

0.14 (0.051, 0.388)

Health officer

<0.0001

0.20 (0.134, 0.302)

<0.0001

0.19 (0.099, 0.369)

Optometry

0.001

0.34 (0.172, 0.650)

0.003

0.16 (0.047, 0.536)

Environmental

<0.0001

0.23 (0.106, 0.510)

0.008

0.17 (0.046, 0.626)

Year of study

1st year (ref)

2nd year

0.004

1.87 (1.224, 2.852)

0.398

1.32 (0.690, 2.541)

3rd year

0.003

1.97 (1.264, 3.063)

0.583

1.20 (0.627, 2.297)

4th year

0.003

1.92 (1.252, 2.929)

0.080

1.84 (0.929, 3.657)

5th year

<0.0001

3.38 (1.704, 6.688)

0.549

0.71 (0.233, 2.171)

Total number of students in a class (per one additional student)

<0.0001

1.01 (1.005, 1.011)

0.257

1.00 (0.989, 1.003)

Reason for missing classes

Class schedule inconvenience

<0.0001

7.78 (5.320, 11.369)

<0.0001

13.72 (8.456, 22.244)

The subject does not need teachers guidance (simplicity)

<0.0001

3.33 (1.849, 5.989)

<0.0001

8.10 (3.942, 16.640)

Lack of interest to the subject

<0.0001

5.14 (2.057, 12.830)

<0.0001

9.15 (3.359, 24.926)

Do not like teachers teaching style

<0.0001

5.24 (3.285, 8.344)

<0.0001

3.37 (1.877, 6.032)