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Segundo E, Carrere-Molina J, Aragón M, Mallol-Parera R. Advancing geospatial preconception health research in primary care through medical informatics and artificial intelligence. Health Place 2024; 89:103337. [PMID: 39151214 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
Established life course approaches suggest that health status in adulthood can be influenced by events that occurred during the prenatal developmental period. Yet, interventions such as diet and lifestyle changes performed during pregnancy have had a small impact on both maternal and offspring health outcomes. Currently, there is a growing body of literature that highlights the importance of maternal health before conception (months or years before pregnancy occurs) for the future health of offspring. While some studies have explored factors such as maternal body composition, nutrition, and lifestyle in this area, location-based environmental and socioeconomic exposures before conception may also contribute to future offspring health. In this line, the study of a patient's geographic history presents a promising avenue. To foster research in this direction, the integration of geospatial health, medical informatics and artificial intelligence techniques offers great potential. Importantly, novel sources of big health data sets such as electronic health records registered at the primary care level provide a unique framework due to its inherent longitudinal nature. Nonetheless, a number of privacy, ethical, and technical challenges need to be overcome for this kind of longitudinal analysis to mature and succeed. In the long-term, we support the vision of incorporating a patient's geographic history into her clinical history to equip clinicians with useful contextual information to explore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Segundo
- Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 587, Barcelona, 08007, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Carrere-Molina
- Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 587, Barcelona, 08007, Catalonia, Spain
| | - María Aragón
- Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 587, Barcelona, 08007, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Roger Mallol-Parera
- Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 587, Barcelona, 08007, Catalonia, Spain
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Ogero M, Orwa J, Odhiambo R, Agoi F, Lusambili A, Obure J, Temmerman M, Luchters S, Ngugi A. Pentavalent vaccination in Kenya: coverage and geographical accessibility to health facilities using data from a community demographic and health surveillance system in Kilifi County. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:826. [PMID: 35468754 PMCID: PMC9040218 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12570-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is substantial evidence that immunization is one of the most significant and cost-effective pillars of preventive and promotive health interventions. Effective childhood immunization coverage is thus essential in stemming persistent childhood illnesses. The third dose of pentavalent vaccine for children is an important indicator for assessing performance of the immunisation programme because it mirrors the completeness of a child’s immunisation schedule. Spatial access to an immunizing health facility, especially in sub-Sahara African (SSA) countries, is a significant determinant of Pentavalent 3 vaccination coverage, as the vaccine is mainly administered during routine immunisation schedules at health facilities. Rural areas and densely populated informal settlements are most affected by poor access to healthcare services. We therefore sought to determine vaccination coverage of Pentavalent 3, estimate the travel time to health facilities offering immunisation services, and explore its effect on immunisation coverage in one of the predominantly rural counties on the coast of Kenya. Methods We used longitudinal survey data from the health demographic surveillance system implemented in Kaloleni and Rabai Sub-counties in Kenya. To compute the geographical accessibility, we used coordinates of health facilities offering immunisation services, information on land cover, digital elevation models, and road networks of the study area. We then fitted a hierarchical Bayesian multivariable model to explore the effect of travel time on pentavalent vaccine coverage adjusting for confounding factors identified a priori. Results Overall coverage of pentavalent vaccine was at 77.3%. The median travel time to a health facility was 41 min (IQR = 18–65) and a total of 1266 (28.5%) children lived more than one-hour of travel-time to a health facility. Geographical access to health facilities significantly affected pentavalent vaccination coverage, with travel times of more than one hour being significantly associated with reduced odds of vaccination (AOR = 0.84 (95% CI 0.74 – 0.94). Conclusion Increased travel time significantly affects immunization in this rural community. Improving road networks, establishing new health centres and/or stepping up health outreach activities that include vaccinations in hard-to-reach areas within the county could improve immunisation coverage. These data may be useful in guiding the local department of health on appropriate location of planned immunization centres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morris Ogero
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya. .,School of Mathematics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya. .,Health Services Unit, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - James Orwa
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rachael Odhiambo
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.,Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Felix Agoi
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Jerim Obure
- Centre of Excellence for Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Marleen Temmerman
- Centre of Excellence for Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.,International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stanley Luchters
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya.,International Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Anthony Ngugi
- Department of Population Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
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Ocholla IA, Agutu NO, Ouma PO, Gatungu D, Makokha FO, Gitaka J. Geographical accessibility in assessing bypassing behaviour for inpatient neonatal care, Bungoma County-Kenya. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2020; 20:287. [PMID: 32397969 PMCID: PMC7216545 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-020-02977-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonatal mortality rate in Kenya continues to be unacceptably high. In reducing newborn deaths, inequality in access to care and quality care have been identified as current barriers. Contributing to these barriers are the bypassing behaviour and geographical access which leads to delay in seeking newborn care. This study (i) measured geographical accessibility of inpatient newborn care, and (ii), characterized bypassing behaviour using the geographical accessibility of the inpatient newborn care seekers. METHODS Geographical accessibility to the inpatient newborn units was modelled based on travel time to the units across Bungoma County. Data was then collected from 8 inpatient newborn units and 395 mothers whose newborns were admitted in the units were interviewed. Their spatial residence locations were geo-referenced and were used against the modelled travel time to define bypassing behaviour. RESULTS Approximately 90% of the sick newborn population have access to nearest newborn units (< 2 h). However, 36% of the mothers bypassed their nearest inpatient newborn facility, with lack of diagnostic services (28%) and distrust of health personnel (37%) being the major determinants for bypassing. Approximately 75% of the care seekers preferred to use the higher tier facilities for both maternal and neonatal care in comparison to sub-county facilities which mostly were bypassed and remained underutilised. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that though majority of the population have access to care, sub-county inpatient newborn facilities have high risk of being bypassed. There is need to improve quality of care in maternal care, to reduce bypassing behaviour and improving neonatal outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A. Ocholla
- Department of Geomatics Engineering and Geospatial Information System, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nathan O. Agutu
- Department of Geomatics Engineering and Geospatial Information System, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Paul O. Ouma
- Department of Geomatics Engineering and Geospatial Information System, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Daniel Gatungu
- Research and Innovation Directorate, Mount Kenya University, P.O. Box 342-01000, Thika, Kenya
| | | | - Jesse Gitaka
- Research and Innovation Directorate, Mount Kenya University, P.O. Box 342-01000, Thika, Kenya
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