Maternal factors associated with moderate and severe stunting in Ethiopian children: analysis of some environmental factors based on 2016 demographic health survey
Background: Stunting or chronic undernutrition is a significant public health problem in Ethiopia. In 2019, 37% of Ethiopian children under-5 were stunted. Stunting results from a complex interaction of individual, household and social (environmental) factors. Improving the mother’s overall care is the most important determinant in reducing the stunting levels in developing countries. We aimed […]
Adolescent pregnancy and linear growth of infants: A birth cohort study in rural Ethiopia
Background: Evidences indicate that the risk of linear growth faltering is higher among children born from young mothers. Although such findings have been documented in various studies, they mainly originate from cross-sectional data and demographic and health surveys which are not designed to capture the growth trajectories of the same group of children. This study […]
Factors associated with the awareness and practice of evidence-based obstetric care in an African setting
Objective: To identify the factors associated with important (≥50%) variation in awareness and practice of evidence-based obstetric interventions in an African setting where we have previously reported poor awareness and use of evidence-based reproductive interventions. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data from our Reproductive Health Interventions Study. Setting: North-west province, Cameroon, Africa. Population: Health workers including […]
Access to Workplace Supports is Positively Associated with Exclusive Breastfeeding among Formally Employed Mothers in Kenya
Background: Mothers in low-income settings who work in agricultural employment are challenged to meet breastfeeding (BF) recommendations. Recent legislation in Kenya mandates maternity leave and workplace supports, yet the relation of these benefits with BF practices is poorly understood. Objectives: We evaluated the associations with workplace-provided BF supports and BF practices among formally employed mothers […]
Dietary Diversity Among Pregnant Women in Gurage Zone, South Central Ethiopia: Assessment Based on Longitudinal Repeated Measurement
Purpose: Dietary diversity is a key proxy indicator of nutrient adequacy; however, limited studies have been done on it among pregnant women in Ethiopia. The study aimed to examine the prevalence of sub-optimal dietary diversity and its associated factors among pregnant women in Gurage zone, South Central Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: A mixed-method approach, a […]
Barriers, facilitators and priorities for implementation of WHO Maternal and perinatal health guidelines in four lower-income countries: A great network research activity
Background Health systems often fail to use evidence in clinical practice. In maternal and perinatal health, the majority of maternal, fetal and newborn mortality is preventable through implementing effective interventions. To meet this challenge, WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research partnered with the Knowledge Translation Program at St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH), University of Toronto, […]
Association between proximity to a health center and early childhood mortality in madagascar
Objective: To evaluate the association between proximity to a health center and early childhood mortality in Madagascar, and to assess the influence of household wealth, maternal educational attainment, and maternal health on the effects of distance. Methods: From birth records of subjects in the Demographic and Health Survey, we identified 12565 singleton births from January […]
Implementation research on community health workers’ provision of maternal and child health services in rural Liberia
Objective To assess changes in the use of essential maternal and child health services in Konobo, Liberia, after implementation of an enhanced community health worker (CHW) programme. Methods The Liberian Ministry of Health partnered with Last Mile Health, a nongovernmental organization, to implement a pilot CHW programme with enhanced recruitment, training, supervision and compensation. To […]
Maternal effects on offspring growth indicate post-weaning juvenile dependence in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus)
Background: In animals with altricial offspring, most growth occurs after birth and may be optimized by post-natal maternal care. Maternal effects on growth may be influenced by individual characteristics of the mothers, such as social status, individual investment strategies and the length of association with offspring. The prolonged juvenile dependence seen in humans is a […]
Inequities in the uptake of reproductive and maternal health services in the biggest regional state of Ethiopia: Too far from “leaving no one behind”
Background: Despite improvement in the coverage of most maternal, newborn, and child health services, inequality in the uptake of services still remains the challenge of health systems in most developing countries. This study was conducted to examine the degree of inequities and potential predictors of inequity in reproductive and maternal health services utilization in the […]
