Adolescent childbearing trends and sub-national variations in Ethiopia: A pooled analysis of data from six surveys

Background: Ethiopia houses the second largest population of female adolescents in Africa. Adolescent childbearing can have detrimental effect to the health and wellbeing of women and their offspring. This study examined trends, sub-national variations and determinants of early childbearing (i.e. childbearing before age 20) in Ethiopia. Methods: Data from the 2000-2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health […]

Trends in inequality in the coverage of vitamin A supplementation among children 6–59 months of age over two decades in Ethiopia: Evidence from demographic and health surveys

Objectives: There is a dearth of evidence on inequalities in vitamin A supplementation in Ethiopia. The goal of this study was to assess the magnitude and overtime changes of inequalities in vitamin A supplementation among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia. Methods: We extracted data from four waves of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys […]

Effect of community-based nutritional education on dietary diversity and consumption of animal-source foods among rural preschool-aged children in the Ilu Abba Bor zone of southwest Ethiopia: Quasi-experimental study

Dietary diversity (DD) is a concern for poor people in developing countries, particularly in Africa. Most people’s diets consist primarily of monotonous carbohydrate staples, with little or no animal products and few fresh fruits and vegetables. The aim of this intervention was to see how nutrition education delivered by trained health professionals improved preschool-aged children’s […]

Developmental Disorder Probability Scores at 6–18 Years Old in Relation to In-Utero/Peripartum Antiretroviral Drug Exposure among Ugandan Children

(1) We examined the hypothesis that in utero/peripartum antiretroviral (IPA) exposure may affect the likelihood of developmental disorders—i.e., attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and functional impairment (FI). (2) Children and their primary caregivers were enrolled and followed for 12 months. The sample included 250 children perinatally HIV-infected (CPHIV), 250 children […]

Effectiveness of screening and treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition by community health workers in Simiyu region, Tanzania: a quasi-experimental pilot study

Health system constraints hamper treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in Tanzania. This non-inferiority quasi-experimental study in Bariadi (intervention) and Maswa (control) districts assessed the effectiveness, coverage, and cost-effectiveness of SAM treatment by community health workers (CHWs) compared with outpatient therapeutic care (OTC). We included 154 and 210 children aged 6–59 months with SAM […]

Socioecological predictors of breastfeeding practices in rural eastern Ethiopia

Background: Estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that over 800,000 global neonatal deaths each year are attributed to deviations from recommended best practices in infant feeding. Identifying factors promoting ideal breastfeeding practices may facilitate efforts to decrease neonatal and infant death rates and progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030. Though […]

Magnitude and factors associated with appropriate complementary feeding practice among mothers of children 6–23 months age in Shashemene town, Oromia- Ethiopia: Community based cross sectional study

Background Inadequate complementary feeding is a major cause of childhood malnutrition. Malnutrition caused by insufficient complementary feeding accounts for more than one-third of all under-five mortality whereas appropriate feeding practices are critical for improving nutritional status and ensuring child survival. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of appropriate complementary feeding […]

Duration, pattern of breastfeeding and postnatal transmission of HIV: Pooled analysis of individual data from west and south African cohorts

Background: Both breastfeeding pattern and duration are associated with postnatal HIV acquisition; their relative contribution has not been reliably quantified. Methodology and Principal Findings: Pooled data from 2 cohorts: in urban West Africa where breastfeeding cessation at 4 months was recommended but exclusive breastfeeding was rare (Ditrame Plus, DP); in rural South Africa where high […]

Effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene and improved complementary feeding on environmental enteric dysfunction in children in rural Zimbabwe: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

Background Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) may be an important modifiable cause of child stunting. We described the evolution of EED biomarkers from birth to 18 months in rural Zimbabwe and tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF), on EED. Methodology and […]

Impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on pneumonia in The Gambia: population-based surveillance and case-control studies

Background Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are used in many low-income countries but their impact on the incidence of pneumonia is unclear. The Gambia introduced PCV7 in August, 2009, and PCV13 in May, 2011. We aimed to measure the impact of the introduction of these vaccines on pneumonia incidence. Methods We did population-based surveillance and case-control […]