Underweight, overweight and obesity among reproductive Bangladeshi women: A nationwide survey
The double burden of malnutrition is becoming more prevalent among Bangladeshi women. Underweight, overweight, and obesity were examined among women aged 15–49 years using the 2017–2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). A dataset of 20,127 women aged 15–49 years with complete Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements were extracted and categorized as underweight, normal weight, […]
Is preterm birth associated with intimate partner violence and maternal malnutrition during pregnancy in Ethiopia? A systematic review and meta analysis
Background: Despite remarkable progress in the reduction of under-five mortality, preterm birth associated mortality and morbidity remains a major public health problem in Sub-saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, study findings on the association of preterm birth with intimate partner violence and maternal malnutrition have been inconsistent. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimates the pooled effect […]
Prevalence and factors associated with utilisation of postnatal care in Sierra Leone: a 2019 national survey
Background: Within Sub-Saharan Africa, some countries still report unacceptably high rates of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, despite improvements in the utilisation of maternity care services. Postnatal care (PNC) is one of the recommended packages in the continuum of maternity care aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. This study aimed to determine the […]
Prenatal fortified balanced energy-Protein supplementation and birth outcomes in rural Burkina Faso: A randomized controlled efficacy trial
Background APUrov: iPdilnegasbecaolannficremdtheantaelrlgheya-dpirnogtleeivnel(sBaErePr)epsruepspenletemdeconrtrseicstlay:promising intervention to improve birth outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); however, evidence is limited. We aimed to assess the efficacy of fortified BEP supplementation during pregnancy to improve birth outcomes, as compared to iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets, the standard of care. Methods and findings We conducted an individually randomized controlled efficacy […]
Nutrition Outcomes of Under-five Children of Smallholder Farm Households: Do Higher Commercialization Levels Lead to Better Nutritional Status?
The study investigated the nutritional status of under-five children of farm households. The study utilized primary data from 352 farm households with 140 under-five children. Household crop commercialization index (CCI) was used to estimate cassava farm household crop sale ratio and categorize the households into four commercialization levels while WHO Anthro software was employed to […]
Maternal iron-deficiency is associated with premature birth and higher birth weight despite routine antenatal iron supplementation in an urban South African setting: The NuPED prospective study
Background Recent studies are suggesting a U-shaped relationship between antenatal iron exposure and birth outcomes. Little is known about the iron status and associated birth outcomes of pregnant women in South Africa. Our aim was to assess iron status at early, mid- and late pregnancy, and to determine associations with gestational age and birth weight […]
I should have started earlier, but I was not feeling ill! Perceptions of Kalenjin women on antenatal care and its implications on initial access and differentials in patterns of antenatal care utilization in rural Uasin Gishu County Kenya
Aim The aim of this study was to explore how Kalenjin women in rural Uasing Gishu County in Kenya perceive antenatal care and how their perceptions impede or motivate earlier access and continuous use of antenatal care services. Methods A study was conducted among 188 pregnant and post-natal mothers seeking care in 23 rural public […]
Associations of childhood, maternal and household dietary patterns with childhood stunting in Ethiopia: Proposing an alternative and plausible dietary analysis method to dietary diversity scores
Background: Identifying dietary patterns that consider the overall eating habits, rather than focusing on individual foods or simple counts of consumed foods, better helps to understand the combined effects of dietary components. Therefore, this study aimed to use dietary patterns, as an alternative method to dietary diversity scores (DDSs), and investigate their associations with childhood […]
Nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive factors associated with mid-upper arm circumference as a measure of nutritional status in pregnant Ethiopian women: Implications for programming in the first 1000 days
Poor nutritional status in pregnancy expressed as low mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is associated with low birth weight. The study aims were to assess the nutritional status of pregnant Ethiopian women using MUAC and examine association with nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive factors, using baseline data of a prospective longitudinal observational birth cohort study conducted in three […]
Infant and young child feeding practices among adolescent mothers and associated factors in India
Adequate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) improve child survival and growth. Globally, about 18 million babies are born to mothers aged 18 years or less and have a higher likelihood of adverse birth outcomes in India due to insufficient knowledge of child growth. This paper examined factors associated with IYCF practices among adolescent Indian […]