Food beliefs and practices among the Kalenjin pregnant women in rural Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
Background: Understanding food beliefs and practices is critical to the development of dietary recommendations, nutritional programmes, and educational messages. This study aimed to understand the pregnancy food beliefs and practices and the underlying reasons for these among the contemporary rural Kalenjin communities of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Methods: Through semi-structured interviews, data was collected from […]
The association of malaria morbidity with linear growth, hemoglobin, iron status, and development in young Malawian children: A prospective cohort study
Background: Although poor complementary feeding is associated with poor child growth, nutrition interventions only have modest impact on child growth, due to high burden of infections. We aimed to assess the association of malaria with linear growth, hemoglobin, iron status, and development in children aged 6-18 months in a setting of high malaria and undernutrition […]
Predicted effect of regionalised delivery care on neonatal mortality, utilisation, financial risk, and patient utility in Malawi: an agent-based modelling analysis
Background: Health-care regionalisation, in which selected services are concentrated in higher-level facilities, has successfully improved the quality of complex medical care. However, the effectiveness of this strategy in routine maternal care is unknown. Malawi has established a national goal of halving its neonatal mortality by 2030. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect […]
The role of household structure and composition in influencing complementary feeding practices in Ethiopia
While the household in which a child grows up is considered a critical environment that influences nutrition outcomes, there is little research examining the influence of household composition and structure on complementary feeding practices. This study examined the influence of household structure and composition on complementary feeding practices, using the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey […]
Antenatal depression and its potential causal mechanisms among pregnant mothers in Gondar town: Application of structural equation model
Background: Various forms of life stressors have been implicated as causes of antenatal depression. However, there is a lack of understanding of which forms of stress lead to antenatal depression and through what mechanisms. Modeling stress processes within a theoretical model framework can enhance an understanding of the mechanisms underlying relationships between stressors and stress […]
Incidence of postpartum and neonatal illnesses and utilization of healthcare services in rural communities in southern Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study
Although improving postpartum and neonatal health is a key element of the Ethiopian health extension program, the burdens of postpartum and neonatal illnesses and healthcare-seeking in rural communities in Ethiopia are poorly characterized. Therefore, we aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors for these illnesses and measure the utilization of healthcare services. We conducted […]
The ASSIST Study – The BD Odon Device for assisted vaginal birth: A safety and feasibility study
Background: Assisted vaginal birth is a vital health intervention that can result in better outcomes for mothers and their babies when complications arise in the second stage of labour. Unfortunately, instruments for assisted vaginal birth (forceps and ventouse) are often not utilised in settings where there is most clinical need, resulting in maternal and neonatal […]
Quality of and barriers to routine childbirth care signal functions in primary level facilities of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia: Mixed method study
Background Efforts to expand access to institutional delivery alone without quality of care do not guarantee better survival. However, little evidence documents the quality of childbirth care in Ethiopia, which limits our ability to improve quality. Therefore, this study assessed the quality of and barriers to routine childbirth care signal functions during intra-partum and immediate […]
Women’s satisfaction with the quality of antenatal care services rendered at public health facilities in Northwest Ethiopia: The application of partial proportional odds model
Objectives The study was aimed: (1) to describe the quality of antenatal care (ANC) at public health facilities in Northwest Ethiopia, including dimensions of the structure, process and outcome; and (2) to assess the relationship between ANC satisfaction and structure and process dimension of ANC quality. Design Cross sectional. Setting Healthcare facilities providing ANC services […]
Policy-maker attitudes to the ageing of the HIV cohort in Botswana
Background: The roll out of antiretroviral therapy in Botswana, as in many countries with near universal access to treatment, has transformed HIV into a complex yet manageable chronic condition and has led to the emergence of a population aging with HIV. Although there has been some realization of this development at international level, no clear […]
