Cervical dilatation over time is a poor predictor of severe adverse birth outcomes: a diagnostic accuracy study
Objective: To assess the accuracy of the World Health Organization (WHO) partograph alert line and other candidate predictors in the identification of women at risk of developing severe adverse birth outcomes. Design: A facility-based, multicentre, prospective cohort study. Setting: Thirteen maternity hospitals located in Nigeria and Uganda. Population: A total of 9995 women with spontaneous […]
Out-of-pocket payments, health care access and utilisation in south-eastern Nigeria: A gender perspective
Out-of-pocket (OOP) payments have severe consequences for health care access and utilisation and are especially catastrophic for the poor. Although women comprise the majority of the poor in Nigeria and globally, the implications of OOP payments for health care access from a gender perspective have received little attention. This study seeks to fill this gap […]
Neonatal Mortality and Education Related Inequality in Cesarean Births in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multi-Country Propensity Score Matching and Meta-Analysis
Background: Sub-Saharan African (SSA) newborns are ten times more likely to die in the first month than a neonate born in a high-income country. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between educational attainment and neonatal mortality (NM) among women with cesarean section (CS) deliveries in SSA countries. Methods: Using data from […]
Epidemiology of congenital anomalies of the central nervous system in children in Enugu, Nigeria: A retrospective study
Background: Congenital anomalies, including those of the central nervous system (CNS), are among the leading causes of morbidity, mortality, and fetal loss. Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of CNS congenital anomalies in children. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study of children managed with CNS anomalies was undertaken. Relevant clinical data of identified cases […]
Timing of first antenatal care contact, its associated factors and state-level analysis in Nigeria: a cross-sectional assessment of compliance with the WHO guidelines
OBJECTIVES: To assess the compliance of WHO guidelines on the timeliness of antenatal care (ANC) initiation in Nigeria and its associated factors and to provide subcountry analysis of disparities in the timing of the first ANC in Nigeria. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Nationally representative data of most recent pregnancies between 2013 and 2018 in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: […]
Contextual factors associated with health care service utilization for children with acute childhood illnesses in Nigeria
Objective To examine the independent contribution of individual, community and state-level factors to health care service utilization for children with acute childhood illnesses in Nigeria. Materials and methods The study was based on secondary analyses of cross-sectional population-based data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to […]
A mixed-methods study of maternal health care utilisation in six referral hospitals in four sub-Saharan African countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Introduction In sub-Saharan Africa, referral hospitals are important sources of key maternal health services, especially during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study prospectively assessed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health service utilisation in six large referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the […]
Determinants of postnatal depression in Sudanese women at 3 months postpartum: A cross-sectional study
Objectives: Maternal mental health is a neglected issue in Sudanese healthcare. The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with postnatal depression (PND) at 3 months postpartum in a sample of Sudanese women in Khartoum state. Setting: Recruitment was from two major public antenatal care (ANC) clinics in two maternity teaching hospitals […]
Acceptability of reminders for immunization appointments via mobile devices by mothers in Ilorin, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study
Objectives: Immunization coverage in Nigeria remains low despite the protection it confers. Reminders via mobile phones may be deployed as a means of improving vaccination coverage but requires the participation and cooperation of the caregiver. Therefore, we evaluated the acceptability of reminders for immunization appointment by mothers in Ilorin, Nigeria. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study […]
Association between household environmental conditions and nutritional status of women of childbearing age in Nigeria
Maternal undernutrition remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Yet, most interventional programmes are focused on infant and child nutrition outcomes and not on maternal nutrition-related outcomes. Evidence suggests that the integration of household environmental interventions into nutrition actions can make a difference in reducing the burden of maternal undernutrition. This study […]
