The fear of social stigma experienced by men: a barrier to male involvement in antenatal care in Misungwi District, rural Tanzania
Background: Evidence has shown that male involvement is associated with improved maternal health outcomes. In rural Tanzania, men are the main decision makers and may determine women’s access to health services and ultimately their health outcomes. Despite efforts geared towards enhancing male participation in maternal health care, their involvement in antenatal care (ANC) remains low. […]
Improving the coverage of the PMTCT programme through a participatory quality improvement intervention in South Africa
Background: Despite several years of implementation, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes in many resource poor settings are failing to reach the majority of HIV positive women. We report on a data driven participatory quality improvement intervention implemented in a high HIV prevalence district in South Africa. Methods: A participatory quality improvement intervention was implemented […]
Trends and Determinants of Dietary Diversity in Children Aged 6-59 Months in Ethiopia: Analysis of 2005-2016 Demographic and Health Survey
Background: Dietary diversity may be associated with health and optimum growth in children. Objectives: In this study we analyzed the trends and determinants of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) among Ethiopian children aged 6 to 59 mo. Methods: Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) data of 3 consecutive years (2005, 2011, and 2016) were analyzed. A total […]
Being ready, willing and able: understanding the dynamics of family planning decision-making through community-based group discussions in the Northern Region, Ghana
Regional contraceptive use differentials are pronounced in Ghana, with the lowest levels occurring in the Northern Region. Community-based health services, intended to promote maternal and child health and family planning use, may have failed to address this problem. This paper presents an analysis of qualitative data on community perspectives on family planning “readiness,” “willingness,” and […]
Drivers of stunting reduction in Ethiopia: A country case study
Background: Chronic undernutrition in children continues to be a global public health concern. Ethiopia has documented a significant decline in the prevalence of childhood stunting, a measure of chronic undernutrition, over the last 20 y. Objectives: The aim of this research was to conduct a systematic assessment of the determinants that have driven child stunting […]
‘They are my future’: Childbearing desires and motivations among women with disabilities in Ghana-implications for reproductive healthcare
Background: Previous research has highlighted widespread public mis/perceptions that portray women with disabilities (WWDs) as asexual, less likely to marry, and often not interested in childbearing. However, evidence from high-income settings shows that many WWDs are sexually active and do have or want to have children. Notwithstanding this, very few studies have focused on understanding […]
Implementation of an international standardized set of outcome indicators in pregnancy and childbirth in Kenya: Utilizing mobile technology to collect patient-reported outcomes
Background Limited data exist on health outcomes during pregnancy and childbirth in low- and middleincome countries. This is a pilot of an innovative data collection tool using mobile technology to collect patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) selected from the International Consortium of Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) Pregnancy and Childbirth Standard Set in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods Pregnant […]
Postnatal depression among Sudanese women: Prevalence and validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal depression scale at 3 months postpartum
Purpose: Postnatal depression (PND) rates in low-resource countries have reached levels between 4.9% and 59%. Maternal mental health has not been researched in Sudan, and there are no existing statistics on prevalence or significant risk factors for PND. Consequently, no screening test has been validated to screen for PND at the primary health care level. […]
Approximation of the Cox survival regression model by MCMC Bayesian Hierarchical Poisson modelling of factors associated with childhood mortality in Nigeria
The need for more pragmatic approaches to achieve sustainable development goal on childhood mortality reduction necessitated this study. Simultaneous study of the influence of where the children live and the censoring nature of children survival data is scarce. We identified the compositional and contextual factors associated with under-five (U5M) and infant (INM) mortality in Nigeria […]
The impact of strike action by Ghana registered nurses and midwives on the access to and utilization of healthcare services
Background As the largest professional group, nurses and midwives play instrumental roles in healthcare delivery, supporting the smooth administration and operation of the health system. Consequently, the withdrawal of nursing and midwifery services via strike action has direct and indirect detrimental effects on access to healthcare. Objective The current study examined the impact of strike […]
