Malaria parasitemia and CD4 T cell count, viral load, and adverse HIV outcomes among HIV-infected pregnant women in Tanzania
We examined the cross-sectional relationships between malaria parasitemia and CD4 T cell count and viral load among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women. We then followed women to investigate whether or not baseline parasitemia predicted CD4 T cell counts or viral loads > 90 days post-baseline or predicted time to HIV disease stage 3 or […]
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. […]
Adolescent and adult first time mothers’ health seeking practices during pregnancy and early motherhood in Wakiso district, central Uganda
Background: Maternal health services have a potentially critical role in the improvement of reproductive health. In order to get a better understanding of adolescent mothers’needs we compared health seeking practices of first time adolescent and adult mothers during pregnancy and early motherhood in Wakiso district, Uganda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between May […]
Is a woman’s first pregnancy outcome related to her years of schooling? An assessment of women’s adolescent pregnancy outcomes and subsequent educational attainment in Ghana
Background: Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing pose challenges to young women’s educational attainment. Studies show that while adolescent childbearing reduces educational attainment, not becoming pregnant and resorting to induced abortion when pregnant increases women’s educational levels. This study examined relationships between adolescents’ resolution of their first pregnancies and subsequent educational outcomes, for all women ages 20-49 […]
Factors associated with delivery outside a health facility: Cross-sectional study in rural Malawi
Objective: To identify factors associated with delivery outside a health facility in rural Malawi. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Balaka, Dedza, Mchinji and Ntcheu districts in Malawi in 2013 among women who had completed a pregnancy 12 months prior to the day of the survey. Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess factors associated […]
Health system, socio-cultural, economic, environmental and individual factors influencing bed net use in the prevention of malaria in pregnancy in two Ghanaian regions
Background: Improving maternal health remains a priority to the Ghanaian government. Consequently, it has implemented the World Health Organization recommendation of distributing free long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to pregnant women-one of the effective strategies to combating malaria in pregnancy. However, the burden of negative outcomes of malaria in pregnancy such as low birth weight and […]
Adherence to the recommended timing of focused antenatal care in the accra metropolitan area, Ghana
Introduction: the proportion of antenatal attendants in Ghana who had at least four antenatal visits increased from 78% in 2008 to 87% in 2014. However, it is not known whether these visits followed the recommended timing of focused antenatal clinic attendance in Ghana. We sought to assess the adherence to the clinic schedule and its […]
A multilevel analysis of factors associated with teenage pregnancy in ethiopia
Background: A significant number of girls in Ethiopia begin childbearing at an early age. Teenage pregnancy is the main contributor to maternal and child morbidity and mortality, and the vicious cycle of ill-health and poverty. However limited evidence exists about individual-and community-level factors affecting teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia. Methods: This study used data from the […]
Immune responses to oral poliovirus vaccine in HIV-exposed uninfected Zimbabwean infants
It remains uncertain whether HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants have impaired responses to oral vaccines. We performed a cross-sectional study of 6-month-old infants recruited at birth to the ZVITAMBO trial in Zimbabwe between 1997–2001, before introduction of prevention of mother-to-child transmission interventions. We measured poliovirus-specific IgA to type 1–3 polio strains by semi-quantitative capture ELISA in […]
