A mixed-methods study of factors influencing postpartum intrauterine device uptake after family planning counseling among women in Kigali, Rwanda
Introduction Rwanda has high unmet need for family planning (FP), especially in the postpartum period when women are advised to space pregnancies at least two years for improved maternal-child health. Despite interest in the copper intrauterine device (IUD), a highly cost-effective method, access and uptake remain low. This study aimed to determine factors associated with […]
Post cesarean section surgical site infection and associated factors among women who delivered in public hospitals in Harar city, Eastern Ethiopia: A hospital-based analytic cross-sectional study
Background Cesarean section (CS) is often complicated by surgical site infection (SSI) that may happen to a woman within 30 days after the operation. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of SSI and identify the factors associated with SSI. Methods A hospital-based analytic cross-sectional study was conducted based on the review of medical […]
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 […]
The influence of family physicians within the South African district health system: A cross-sectional study
PURPOSE Evidence of the influence of family physicians on health care is required to assist managers and policy makers with human resource planning in Africa. The international argument for family physicians derives mainly from research in high-income countries, so this study aimed to evaluate the influence of family physicians on the South African district health […]
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) […]
Identifying factors associated with the uptake of prevention of mother to child HIV transmission programme in Tigray region, Ethiopia: A multilevel modeling approach
Background: Prevention of mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) remains a challenge in low and middle-income countries. Determinants of utilization occur – and often interact – at both individual and community levels, but most studies do not address how determinants interact across levels. Multilevel models allow for the importance of both groups and individuals in […]
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 […]
Drivers of desire for more children among childbearing women in sub-Saharan Africa: implications for fertility control
Background: Despite the extensive research on fertility desires among women the world over, there is a relative dearth of literature on the desire for more children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study, therefore, examined the desire for more children and its predictors among childbearing women in SSA. Methods: We pooled data from 32 sub-Saharan African countries’ […]
Effect of community-based health insurance on healthcare-seeking behavior for childhood illnesses among rural mothers in Aneded district, east Gojjam zone, Amhara region, northwest Ethiopia
Background: Community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes have been implemented in developing countries to facilitate modern medical care access. However, studies conducted on the effect of CBHI on healthcare-seeking behavior (HSB) have been limited and revealed inconsistent results. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of CBHI on mothers’ HSB for common under-five childhood illnesses. […]
Experiences of frontline nurses with adverse medical events in a regional referral hospital in northern Ghana: A cross-sectional study
Background: Adverse medical events (AMEs) are threats to delivery of quality healthcare services, particularly in resource-poor settings such as Ghana. In sub-Saharan Africa, 30% of deaths are attributed to AMEs and a significant proportion of these events are not reported. This study explored personal experiences of nurses with AMEs and the constraints to reporting them. […]