Fathers’ involvement in perinatal healthcare in Australia: experiences and reflections of Ethiopian-Australian men and women

Background: Family-centred maternity care models include the expectation that fathers prepare for and attend the birth. In Australia over 20% of the population is from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. Public policies espouse culturally competent healthcare. Little is known about the experiences of perinatal health care of men from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) […]

“The role of the man is to look for food”: Lessons from men’s involvement in maternal and child health programmes in rural Central Malawi

Many studies purport that in low-income countries, women are often responsible for producing, preparing and purchasing food. Consequently, policies related to food and nutrition overemphasise the role of women, underestimating the potential for cooperation and complementarity between men and women. This focus on women does not account for socially constructed expectations of women that undermine […]

How ready is the system to deliver primary healthcare? Results of a primary health facility assessment in Enugu State, Nigeria

Primary health centres are an effective means of achieving access to primary healthcare (PHC) in low- and middle-income countries. We assessed service availability, service readiness and factors influencing service delivery at public PHC centres in Enugu State, Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 60 randomly selected public health centres in Enugu using the World […]

Lack of head sparing following third-trimester caloric restriction among Tanzanian Maasai

The reduction of food intake during pregnancy is part of many cultural and religious traditions around the world. The impact of such practices on fetal growth and development are poorly understood. Here, we examined the patterns of diet intake among Maasai pregnant women and assessed their effect on newborn morphometrics. We recruited 141 mother-infant pairs […]

Contribution of community-based newborn health promotion to reducing inequities in healthy newborn care practices and knowledge: Evidence of improvement from a three-district pilot program in Malawi

Background: Inequities in both health status and coverage of health services are considered important barriers to achieving Millennium Development Goal 4. Community-based health promotion is a strategy that is believed to reduce inequities in rural low-income settings. This paper examines the contributions of community-based programming to improving the equity of newborn health in three districts […]

Do family and maternal background matter? A multilevel approach to modelling mental health status of Australian youth using longitudinal data

Purpose Most previous research place great importance on the influence of family and maternal background on child and adolescents’ mental health. However, age of onset studies indicates that the majority of the mental health disease prevalence occurs during the youth years. This study investigates the relationship of family and maternal background, as well as individual […]

Factors Related to Underweight Prevalence among 33,776 Children Below 60 Months Old Living in Northern Geopolitical Zones, Nigeria (2008–2018)

The prevalence of underweight among children below 60 months old in Nigeria remains a significant public health challenge, especially in northern geopolitical zones (NGZ), ranging from 15% to 35%. This study investigates time-based trends in underweight prevalence and its related characteristics among NGZ children below 60 months old. Extracted NGZ representative dataset of 33,776 live […]

Association between maternal literacy and child vaccination in Ethiopia and southeastern India and the moderating role of health workers: a multilevel regression analysis of the Young Lives study

Background: Child vaccination coverage in low- and middle-income countries is still far from complete, mainly among marginalized people such as children with illiterate mothers. Objective: This study aims to examine the association between maternal literacy and immunization status of children in Ethiopia and southeastern India (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and test whether state-run health centers […]

Contribution of portable obstetric ultrasound service innovation in averting maternal and neonatal morbidities and mortalities at semi-urban health centers of Ethiopia: a retrospective facility-based study

Background: The maternal and neonatal mortalities in Ethiopia are high. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, innovations in ultrasound scanning and surveillance activities have been implemented at health centers for over 2 years. This study aims to estimate the contribution of obstetric ultrasound services on averted maternal and neonatal morbidities and mortalities in Ethiopia. Methods: […]

Father involvement, maternal depression and child nutritional outcomes in Soweto, South Africa

Father involvement in South Africa is low, despite evidence that it can improve maternal and child health and wellbeing. Within a larger randomised controlled trial, we assessed whether father involvement during and after pregnancy increased birth weight and exclusive breastfeeding through improved maternal mental health. At 6-week postnatal, mothers completed questionnaires on birth, feeding practices, […]