Prevalence of stunting and associated factors among public primary school pupils of Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia: School-based cross-sectional study
Background Stunting is a well-established child-health indicator of chronic malnutrition, which reliably gives a picture of the past nutritional history and the prevailing environmental and socioeconomic circumstances. Objective To investigate the prevalence of stunting and associated factors among public primary school children of the Bahir Dar city. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out from […]
Predictors for achieving adequate antenatal care visits during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study in rural Northwest Rwanda
Background: Inadequate antenatal care (ANC) in low-income countries has been identified as a risk factor for poor pregnancy outcome. While many countries, including Rwanda, have near universal ANC coverage, a significant proportion of pregnant women do not achieve the recommended regimen of four ANC visits. The present study aimed to explore the factors associated with […]
Shorter Height is Associated with Diabetes in Women but not in Men: Nationally Representative Evidence from Namibia
Objective: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that attained adult height, as an indicator of childhood nutrition, is associated with diabetes in adulthood in Namibia, a country where stunting is highly prevalent. Methods: Data from 1,898 women and 1,343 men aged 35 to 64 years included in the Namibia Demographic and Health Survey in […]
Effect of birthweight measurement quality improvement on low birthweight prevalence in rural Ethiopia
Background: Low birthweight (LBW) (< 2500 g) is a significant determinant of infant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In low-income settings, the quality of birthweight data suffers from measurement and recording errors, inconsistent data reporting systems, and missing data from non-facility births. This paper describes birthweight data quality and the prevalence of LBW before and after implementation […]
Integrating private health facilities in government-led health systems: a case study of the public–private mix approach in Ethiopia
Background: Private health care facilities working in partnership with the public health sector is one option to create sustainable health systems and ensure health and well-being for all in low-income countries. As the second-most populous country in Africa with a rapidly growing economy, demand for health services in Ethiopia is increasing and one-quarter of its […]
Exploring communities’ perceptions of the etiology of illnesses in newborns and young infants 0–59 days old in 4 counties in Kenya
Background Understanding communities’ beliefs about the causes of illnesses in sick young infants (SYIs) is key to strengthening interventions and improving newborn health outcomes. This study explored communities’ perception of the etiology of illnesses in SYIs 0–59 days old in four counties in Kenya. Methods We used an exploratory qualitative study design. Data were collected […]
Infant feeding knowledge, perceptions and practices among women with and without HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa: A survey in healthcare facilities
Background: South Africa has a history of low breastfeeding rates among women with and without Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In this study, we assessed infant feeding knowledge, perceptions and practices among pregnant and postpartum women with and without HIV, in the context of changes in infant feeding and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) […]
Promotion of early and exclusive breastfeeding in neonatal care units in rural Rwanda: a pre- and post-intervention study
Background: Early initiation of breastfeeding after birth and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months improves child survival, nutrition and health outcomes. However, only 42% of newborns worldwide are breastfed within the first hour of life. Small and sick newborns are at greater risk of not receiving breastmilk and often require additional support for feeding. […]
Postpartum depressive symptoms in the context of high social adversity and reproductive health threats: A population-based study
Background: Postpartum depression is an important but neglected public health issue in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to assess postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms and associated factors in a rural Ethiopian setting characterized by high social adversity and reproductive health threats. We hypothesized that infant gender preference would be associated with […]
Factors associated with female genital mutilation in Burkina Faso and its policy implications
Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) usually undertaken between the ages of 1-9 years and is widely practised in some part of Africa and by migrants from African countries in other parts of the world. Laws prohibit FGM in almost every country. FGM can cause immediate complications (pain, bleeding and infection) and delayed complications (sexual, obstetric, […]
