Animal source food social and behavior change communication intervention among girinka livestock transfer beneficiaries in rwanda: A cluster randomized evaluation
Animal source foods (ASFs), including cow’s milk, contain essential nutrients and contribute to a healthy diet, but frequency of intake is low among children in low- and middle-income countries. We hypothesized that an ASF social and behavior change communication (SBCC) intervention implemented by community health workers (CHWs) would increase child milk consumption and dietary diversity […]
Breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy among mothers with infant and young child in rural Ethiopia
Background Breastfeeding has several benefits for both mothers and their children. Despite strong evidence in support of the practice, its prevalence has remained low worldwide, particularly in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy among mothers with index infants and young children in the rural community of Southwest Ethiopia. […]
Anemia and Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Children Born to Mothers with HIV in Western Kenya
The objective of this study was to determine and compare anemia and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) rates in young Kenyan children who are HIV infected (HI), HIV exposed, uninfected (HEU), and HIV unexposed (HU). Questionnaires, anthropometrics, and blood samples were collected from HI, HEU, and HU aged 18 to 36 months. Descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact tests, […]
Trend and burden of neural tube defects among cohort of pregnant women in Ethiopia: Where are we in the prevention and what is the way forward?
Introduction Neural tube defect is one of the top five most serious birth defects in the world. In Ethiopia an accurate estimate of the trend and burden of neural tube defects is still unknown. There hasn’t been much research done on the prevalence and trend of neural tube defects in Eastern Ethiopia. To complement previous […]
MOSAIC (MOthers’ AdvocateS In the Community) for pregnant women and mothers of children under 5 with experience of intimate partner violence: A pilot randomized trial study protocol
Background Pregnancy and motherhood increase the risk for long-term exposure to physical, psychological and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV; sexual or physical violence by current or former partners). Pregnant women and mothers with children under 5 who have experienced IPV exhibit poor physical and mental health and obstetric outcomes. Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) […]
Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000-17: Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Background Across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), one in ten deaths in children younger than 5 years is attributable to diarrhoea. The substantial between-country variation in both diarrhoea incidence and mortality is attributable to interventions that protect children, prevent infection, and treat disease. Identifying subnational regions with the highest burden and mapping associated risk factors […]
Association of maternal characteristics with child feeding indicators and nutritional status of children under-two years in Rural Ghana
Background: Optimal nutrition during the first two years of a child’s life is critical for the reduction of morbidity and mortality. In Ghana, majority of children miss out on optimal nutrition and only few (13%) of children receive a Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD). Several studies have investigated the influence of community-level factors on infants and […]
Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on stunting and anaemia among HIV-exposed children in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Background: Children exposed to HIV have a high prevalence of stunting and anaemia. We aimed to test the effect of improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) on child linear growth and haemoglobin concentrations. Methods: We did a cluster randomised 2 × 2 factorial trial in two districts […]
Improving health literacy through group antenatal care: A prospective cohort study
Background: To examine whether exposure to group antenatal care increased women’s health literacy by improving their ability to interpret and utilize health messages compared to women who received standard, individual antenatal care in Ghana. Methods: We used a prospective cohort design. The setting was a busy urban district hospital in Kumasi, the second most populous […]
Perinatal depression and its impact on infant outcomes and maternal-nurse SMS communication in a cohort of Kenyan women
Background: Perinatal depression is broadly defined as depressive symptoms during pregnancy or within the 12 months following delivery, affecting approximately 20–25% of pregnant and postpartum women in low- and middle-income countries. The wide accessibility of mobile phones allows mobile health (mHealth) interventions to be considered a solution to identify perinatal depression and provide appropriate referrals […]
