The effect of a multi-component intervention on disrespect and abuse during childbirth in Kenya
Background: Disrespect and abuse (D & A) during labor and delivery are important issues correlated with human rights, equity, and public health that also affect women’s decisions to deliver in facilities, which provide appropriate management of maternal and neonatal complications. Little is known about interventions aimed at lowering the frequency of disrespectful and abusive behaviors. […]
Using contraceptives to delay first birth: A qualitative study of individual, community and health provider perceptions in southern Tanzania
Background: Young adolescents and unmarried women in low and middle income countries face challenges in accessing family planning services. One factor likely to limit contraceptive use is the attitude and opinion of local stakeholders such as community leaders and health workers. Much of the existing evidence on this topic focuses on women who have already […]
Determinants of poor utilization of antenatal care services among recently delivered women in Rwanda; a population based study
Background: In Rwanda, a majority of pregnant women visit antenatal care (ANC) services, however not to the extent that is recommended. Association between socio-demographic or psychosocial factors and poor utilization of antenatal care services (≤2 visits during the course of pregnancy irrespective of the timing) among recently pregnant women in Rwanda were investigated. Methods: This […]
Effective coverage of primary care services in eight highmortality countries
Introduction Measurement of effective coverage (quality-corrected coverage) of essential health services is critical to monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal for health. We combine facility and household surveys from eight low-income and middleincome countries to examine effective coverage of maternal and child health services. Methods We developed indices of essential clinical actions for antenatal […]
Postpartum Green Star family planning decision aid for pregnant adolescents in Tanzania: a qualitative feasibility study
Background: The use of a decision aid in clinical settings has been beneficial. It informs and educates patients about the available treatment options that can help them reduce decision-making conflicts related to feeling uninformed compared with routine care. There is a scarcity of published data about using a decision aid during family planning counseling with […]
Utilization, Determinants, and Prospects of Electronic Medical Records in Ethiopia
Background. A lot of effort is being done in the electronic medical record (EMR) system. However, it has not been implemented and used at the expected scale for maximal effectiveness. There is limited evidence on the factors affecting the utilization of EMR in this particular context, which are critical for targeted strategies. Objective. To assess […]
“… I would have left that man long time ago but, …” exploring circumstances of and motivators for repeat adolescent birth in Eastern Uganda
Background: First birth before 18 years has declined in Uganda unlike repeat adolescent birth (=second or more births before age 20 years). We explored the circumstances of and motivators for repeat adolescent birth in Eastern Uganda. Methods: Between January and March 2020, we conducted a qualitative study involving 70 individual in-depth interviews with purposively selected […]
Mothers’ dietary practices in the amoron’i mania region Madagascar
Introduction: Madagascar has one of the highest prevalence’s of malnutrition worldwide. Dietary practice is an important element to consider in the fight against malnutrition. This study aims to describe mothers’ dietary patterns and dietary diversity and to identify characteristics associated with this dietary diversity. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried-out among 670 non-pregnant mothers […]
Income Level but Not Nutrition Knowledge Is Associated with Dietary Diversity of Rural Pregnant Women from Northern Ghana
Essential nutrients are necessary for reducing the risk of maternal mortality, prenatal mortality, and low-birthweight infants. Dietary diversity can play an important role in supplying essential nutrients to both the mother and the foetus. We evaluated nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and dietary diversity of pregnant women. In addition, we investigated the sociodemographic determinants of dietary diversity […]
Socioeconomic inequalities in the risk factors of noncommunicable diseases among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa: A multi-country analysis of survey data
Background: Understanding the socioeconomic discordance associated with the risk factors of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) can help direct effective interventions to end its persistent occurrence. We examined the prevalence of high blood pressure, overweight/obesity, alcohol consumption and tobacco use among women and compared across wealth quintiles in sub-Saharan Africa countries. Methods: This study included 454,080 women […]
