Women’s preferences for maternal healthcare services in bangladesh: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment
Despite substantial improvements in several maternal health indicators, childbearing and birthing remain a dangerous experience for many women in Bangladesh. This study assessed the relative importance of maternal healthcare service characteristics to Bangladeshi women when choosing a health facility to deliver their babies. The study used a mixed-methods approach. Qualitative methods (expert interviews, focus group […]
Menstrual hygiene practice and associated factors among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Menstrual hygiene has not received adequate attention in Sub-Saharan Africa, and there is a lack of regional representative data. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of good menstrual hygiene practices and associated factors among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: In this study, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and […]
Perceptions of COVID-19 Maternal Vaccination among Pregnant Women and Healthcare Workers and Factors That Influence Vaccine Acceptance: A Cross-Sectional Study in Barcelona, Spain
COVID-19 is associated with poor maternal and pregnancy outcomes. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended in Spain, yet vaccination rates in pregnancy are suboptimal. This study investigates the perceptions of pregnant women and healthcare workers (HCW) regarding COVID-19 vaccination. A web-based cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in 2021–2022 among 302 pregnant women and 309 HCWs in the […]
Individual and community-level factors associated with home birth: a mixed effects regression analysis of 2017–2018 Benin demographic and health survey
Background: Home birth is a common contributor to maternal and neonatal deaths particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We generally refer to home births as all births that occurred at the home setting. In Benin, home birth is phenomenal among some category of women. We therefore analysed individual and community-level factors influencing home birth […]
Supplementary feeding and infection control in pregnant adolescents—A secondary analysis of a randomized trial among malnourished women in Sierra Leone
Undernutrition during pregnancy in adolescence confers a high risk of maternal morbidity and adverse birth outcomes, particularly in low-resource settings. In a secondary analysis, we hypothesized that younger undernourished pregnant adolescents (20 years) from the intervention of supplementary food and anti-infective treatments. The original trial in Sierra Leone enrolled 236 younger adolescents (
A synthesis of clinical and health system bottlenecks to implementing new WHO postpartum hemorrhage recommendations: Secondary data analysis of the Kenya Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths 2014–2017
Objective: To describe maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in Kenya by secondary analysis of the Kenya Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (CEMD) database and clinical audit of a sample of those deaths, and to identify the perceived challenges to implementing country-specific PPH guidelines. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study using the Kenyan CEMD database and […]
Examining the distribution of benefits of a free Maternal and Child Health programme in Enugu State, Nigeria: a benefit incidence analysis
Objective: To determine the population groups that benefit from a Free Maternal and Child Health (FMCH) programme in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, so as to understand the equity effects of the programme. Method: A community-based survey was conducted in rural and urban local government areas (LGAs) to aid the benefit incidence analysis (BIA) of the […]
Integration of contraceptive services into anticoagulation management services improves access to long-acting reversible contraception
Objective: Integration of services is a promising way to improve access to contraception in sub-Saharan Africa, but few studies have evaluated this strategy to increase access to contraception among women requiring anticoagulation. Our objective was to evaluate a model of care integrating contraceptive counseling and provision within an anticoagulation management clinic in Eldoret, Kenya, to […]
Managing intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy challenges: An ethnographic study of two Ghanaian administrative regions
Background: Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is an important public health problem across sub-Saharan Africa. The package of measures for its control in Ghana in the last 20 years include regular use of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs), directly-observed administration (DOT) of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) and prompt and effective case management of MiP. […]
Health care providers’ perceptions of barriers to perinatal mental healthcare in South Africa
Background: Perinatal mental disorders are a leading contributor to morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and postpartum, and are highly treatable when identified early. However, many women, especially in low and middle-income countries, lack access to routine identification and treatment of mental illness in public health settings. The prevalence of perinatal depression and anxiety disorders, common […]
