What’s normal? Oligosaccharide concentrations and profiles in milk produced by healthy women vary geographically
Background: Human milk is a complex fluid comprised of myriad substances, with one of the most abundant substances being a group of complex carbohydrates referred to as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). There has been some evidence that HMO profiles differ in populations, but few studies have rigorously explored this variability. Objectives: We tested the hypothesis […]
Measuring health system resilience in a highly fragile nation during protracted conflict: South Sudan 2011-15
Health systems resilience (HSR) is defined as the ability of a health system to continue providing normal services in response to a crisis, making it a critical concept for analysis of health systems in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS). However, no consensus for this definition exists and even less about how to measure HSR. We […]
Effects of a community health worker delivered intervention on maternal depressive symptoms in rural Tanzania
Maternal depression affects one in four women in sub-Saharan Africa, yet evidence on effective and scalable interventions is limited. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of a community health worker (CHW) delivered home visit responsive stimulation, health and nutrition intervention, and conditional cash transfers (CCTs) for antenatal care and child growth monitoring attendance on […]
Effect of 12-month intervention with lipid-based nutrient supplement on the physical activity of Malawian toddlers: A randomised, controlled trial
Physical activity is beneficial for children’s well-being. The effect of dietary supplementation on children’s physical activity in food-insecure areas remains little studied. We examined the effects of a lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) on children’s objectively measured physical activity in a randomised, controlled, outcome-assessor-blinded trial. Mothers of the children received one capsule daily of Fe-folic acid […]
Maternal mental health priorities, help-seeking behaviors, and resources in post-conflict settings: A qualitative study in eastern Uganda
Background: Limited knowledge exists to inform the selection and introduction of locally relevant, feasible, and effective mental health interventions in diverse socio-cultural contexts and health systems. We examined stakeholders’ perspectives on mental health-related priorities, help-seeking behaviors, and existing resources to guide the development of a maternal mental health component for integration into non-specialized care in […]
Prevalence and risk factors of overweight and obesity among children aged 6-59 months in Cameroon: A multistage, stratified cluster sampling nationwide survey
Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children ( 2) and obesity (BMI for age > 3). Regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors of overweight/obesity. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 8% (1.7% for obesity […]
Food Insecurity and Maternal Diet Influence Human Milk Composition between the Infant’s Birth and 6 Months after Birth in Central-Africa
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, evidence is scarce on how the mother’s undernourishment status at delivery and maternal dietary factors influence human milk (HM) composition during the first 6 months of life in regions with high food insecurity. […]
What factors are associated with pre-pregnancy nutritional status? Baseline analysis of the KITE cohort: A prospective study in northern Ethiopia
Objective To assess a broad range of factors associated with pre-pregnancy nutritional status, a key step towards improving maternal and child health outcomes, in Ethiopia. Design A baseline data analysis of a population-based prospective study. Setting Kilite-Awlaelo Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, eastern zone of Tigray regional state, northern Ethiopia. Participants We used weight measurements […]
Investigating the early-life determinants of illness in Africa: The Drakenstein Child Health Study
Respiratory disease is the predominant cause of illness in children globally. We describe a unique multidisciplinary South African birth cohort, the Drakenstein Child Health Study (DCHS), to investigate the incidence, risk factors, aetiology and long-term impact of early lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) on child health. Pregnant women from a poor, peri-urban community with high […]
The association of household and child food insecurity with overweight/obesity in children and adolescents in an urban setting of Ethiopia
Background: Existing evidence on the association between food insecurity and childhood obesity is mixed. In addition, literature from developing countries in general and Ethiopia in particular on the nexus and impact of household and child food insecurity on childhood obesity in the context of urbanization remains limited. The objective of this study was to explore […]
