Socioeconomic, urban‐rural and sex‐based inequality in infant mortality rate: evidence from 2013 Yemen demographic and health survey
Background: The occurrence of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) varied globally with most of the cases coming from developing countries including Yemen. The disparity in IMR in Yemen however, has not been well dealt and therefore we examined the IMR inequality based on the most reliable methodology in order to generate evidence-based information for some program […]
Association of socioeconomic and behavioral factors with adult mortality: Analysis of data from verbal autopsy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Background: Changes in socioeconomic status, lifestyle and behavioral factors among the urban population in Ethiopia is resulting in a shift in the causes of mortality.We used verbal autopsy data from 2006 to 2009 to measure the association of socioeconomic and behavioral factors with causes of mortality in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods. A total of 49,309 […]
Why do women not use skilled birth attendance service? An explorative qualitative study in north West Ethiopia
Background: Having a birth attendant with midwifery skills during childbirth is an effective intervention to reduce maternal and early neonatal morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, many women in Ethiopia still deliver a baby at home. The current study aimed at exploring and describing reasons why women do not use skilled delivery care in North West Ethiopia. […]
The association between men’s family planning networks and contraceptive use among their female partners: an egocentric network study in Madagascar
Background: Ensuring women have information, support and access to family planning (FP) services will allow women to exercise their reproductive autonomy and reduce maternal mortality, which remains high in countries such as Madagascar. Research shows that women’s social networks – their ties with partners, family members, friends, and providers – affect their contraceptive use. Few […]
Personal and environmental factors associated with the utilisation of maternity waiting homes in rural Zambia
Background: Although the association between the presence of maternity waiting homes (MWHs) and the personal and environmental factors that affect the use of MWHs has been explained in qualitative terms, it has never been tested in quantitative terms. The aim of this study was to test the association between the presence of MWHs and personal […]
Village health workers as health diplomats: negotiating health and study participation in a malaria elimination trial in The Gambia
Background: Although many success stories exist of Village Health Workers (VHWs) improving primary health care, critiques remain about the medicalisation of their roles in disease-specific interventions. VHWs are placed at the bottom of the health system hierarchy as cheap and low-skilled volunteers, irrespective of their highly valued social and political status within communities. In this […]
Infant feeding practices at routine PMTCT sites, South Africa: Results of a prospective observational study amongst HIV exposed and unexposed infants – birth to 9 months
Background: We sought to investigate infant feeding practices amongst HIV-positive and -negative mothers (0-9 months postpartum) and describe the association between infant feeding practices and HIV-free survival.Methods: Infant feeding data from a prospective observational cohort study conducted at three (of 18) purposively-selected routine South African PMTCT sites, 2002-2003, were analysed. Infant feeding data (previous 4 […]
Child dietary diversity and food (in)security as a potential correlate of child anthropometric indices in the context of urban food system in the cases of north-central Ethiopia
Objective: To investigate the relation of child dietary diversity and household food insecurity along with other socio-demographic with child anthropometric indices in north-central Ethiopia, an area with a high level of food insecurity and inadequate diet quality. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was used. Settings: The study was conducted in Dessie and Combolcha towns of […]
Trends and determinants of teenage childbearing in Ethiopia: Evidence from the 2000 to 2016 demographic and health surveys
Background: Teenage childbearing among adolescents aged 15 to 19 is a common sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issue among young people, particularly in developing countries. It is associated with higher maternal and neonatal complications. Almost half (47%) of the population in Ethiopia are young people under 15 years old. Therefore, a clear understanding of the […]
Effective practices of international volunteering for health: Perspectives from partner organizations
Background: The demand for international volunteer experiences to promote global health and nutrition is increasing and numerous studies have documented the experiences of the international volunteers who travel abroad; however, little is known about effective practices from the perspective of partner organizations. This study aims to understand how variables such as the skill-level of volunteers, […]
