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Bell SO, Larson E, Bittle D, Moreau C, Omoluabi E, OlaOlorun FM, Akilimali P, Kibira SPS, Makumbi F, Guiella G, Mosso R, Gichangi P, Anglewicz P. Care-seeking for difficulties conceiving in sub-Saharan Africa: findings from population-based surveys in eight geographies. Hum Reprod 2024:deae084. [PMID: 38986015 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What is the nature of women's care-seeking for difficulties conceiving in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including the correlates of seeking biomedical infertility care at a health facility? SUMMARY ANSWER Care-seeking for difficulties getting pregnant was low, much of which involved traditional or religious sources of care, with evidence of sociodemographic disparities in receipt of biomedical care. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Nearly all research on infertility care-seeking patterns in SSA is limited to clinic-based studies among the minority of people in these settings who obtain facility-based services. In the absence of population-based data on infertility care-seeking, we are unable to determine the demand for services and disparities in the use of more effective biomedical sources of care. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We used cross-sectional, population-based data from the Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) female survey in eight geographies in SSA, including nationally representative data from Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, and Uganda and regionally representative data from two provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (Kinshasa and Kongo Central) and two states in Nigeria (Kano and Lagos). We employed a multi-stage cluster random sampling design with probability proportional to size selection of clusters within each geography to produce representative samples of women aged 15-49. Samples ranged from 1144 in Kano, Nigeria, to 9489 in Kenya. PMA collected these data between November 2021 and December 2022. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS We restricted the sample to women who had ever had sex, with analytic samples ranging from 854 in Kano to 8,059 in Kenya, then conducted descriptive and bivariable analyses to examine characteristics of those who sought care for difficulties getting pregnant. Among those who reported seeking care, we conducted bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses to determine factors associated with receipt of biomedical services from a health facility. All analyses were conducted separately by geography. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Our study found low levels of care-seeking for difficulties getting pregnant among sexually active women in eight geographies in SSA, ranging from 3.7% (Kenya) to 15.3% (Côte d'Ivoire). Of this, 51.8% (Burkina Faso) to 86.7% (Kinshasa) involved receipt of biomedical services in health facilities. While many factors were consistently associated with infertility care-seeking from any source across geographies, factors associated with receipt of biomedical care specifically were less pronounced. This may be a result of the highly limited sources of infertility services in SSA; thus, even privileged groups may struggle to obtain effective treatment for difficulties getting pregnant. However, we did observe disparities in biomedical care-seeking in our bivariable results in several geographies, with the wealthiest women, those with more education, and those residing in urban areas generally more likely to have sought biomedical care for difficulties getting pregnant. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Our data lacked details on the nature of the services received and outcomes, and we do not have information on reasons why women chose the sources they did. Small samples of women who sought care limited our power to detect significant differences in care-seeking by women's characteristics in several geographies. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Infertility and access to appropriate treatment are issues of reproductive health and human rights. While our results do not indicate to what extent use of non-biomedical sources of care is driven by preferences, cost, or lack of accessible services, it is clear from our results and existing literature that more needs to be done to ensure access to affordable, quality, cost-effective infertility services in SSA. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (INV009639) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K01HD107172). The funders were not involved in the study design, analyses, manuscript writing, or the decision to publish. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne O Bell
- Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth Larson
- Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dory Bittle
- Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caroline Moreau
- Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Soins Primaires et Prévention, CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, U1018, INSERM, Villejuif, France
| | - Elizabeth Omoluabi
- Statistics and Population Studies Department, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Funmilola M OlaOlorun
- Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Pierre Akilimali
- Patrick Kayembe Research Center, Kinshasa School of Public Health, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Simon P S Kibira
- Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Fredrick Makumbi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Georges Guiella
- Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Population, Joseph Ki-Zerbo University of Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Rosine Mosso
- Educational and Teaching Department, École Nationale de Statistiques et d'Economie Appliquee (ENSEA), Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
| | - Peter Gichangi
- Department of Environment and Health Sciences, Technical University of Mombasa, Mombasa, Kenya
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Philip Anglewicz
- Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Vigan AA, Dossou JP, Boyi C, Kanhonou L, Benova L, Delvaux T, Gryseels C. "To give life is a journey through the unknown": an ethnographic account of childbirth experiences and practices in Southern Benin. Sex Reprod Health Matters 2023; 31:2258478. [PMID: 37812453 PMCID: PMC10563624 DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2023.2258478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In Benin maternal mortality remains high at 397 deaths per 100,000 live births, despite 80% of births being attended by skilled birth attendants in health facilities. To identify childbirth practices that potentially contribute to this trend, an ethnographic study was conducted on the use of biomedical and alternative health services along the continuum of maternal care in Allada, Benin. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews (N = 83), informal interviews (N = 86), observations (N = 32) and group discussions (N = 3). Informants included biomedical, spiritual and alternative care providers and community members with a variety of socioeconomic and religious profiles. In Southern Benin alternative and spiritual care, inspired by the Vodoun, Christian or Muslim religions, is commonly used in addition to biomedical care. As childbirth is perceived as a "risky journey to the unknown", these care modalities aim to protect the mother and child from malevolent spirits, facilitate the birth and limit postpartum complications using herbal decoctions and spiritual rites and rituals. These practices are based on mystical interpretations of childbirth that result in the need for additional care during facility-based childbirth. Because such complementary care is not foreseen in health facilities, facility-based childbirth is initiated only at an advanced stage of labour or at the onset of a perceived immediate life-threatening complication for the mother or baby. Programmes and policies to reduce maternal mortality in Benin must seek synergies with alternative providers and practices and consider the complementary and integrated use of alternative and spiritual care practices that are not harmful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armelle Akouavi Vigan
- Research Assistant, Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et Démographie (CERRHUD), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Jean-Paul Dossou
- Senior Researcher and Director, Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et Démographie (CERRHUD), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Christelle Boyi
- Senior Researcher, Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et Démographie (CERRHUD), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Lydie Kanhonou
- Senior Researcher, Centre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et Démographie (CERRHUD), Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Lenka Benova
- Professor, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Thérèse Delvaux
- Senior Researcher, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Gryseels
- Senior Researcher, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
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Bobo FT, Asante A, Woldie M, Dawson A, Hayen A. Evaluating equity across the continuum of care for maternal health services: analysis of national health surveys from 25 sub-Saharan African countries. Int J Equity Health 2023; 22:239. [PMID: 37978385 PMCID: PMC10656898 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-02047-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ensuring access to the continuum of care for maternal, neonatal, and child health is an effective strategy for reducing maternal and child mortality. We investigated the extent of dropout, wealth-related inequalities, and drivers of inequality in the continuum of care for maternal health services in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS We analysed Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 2013 and 2019 across 25 sub-Saharan African countries. We defined the continuum of care for maternal health services as women who had received at least four ANC contacts (ANC 4 + contacts), skilled care at birth, and immediate postnatal care (PNC). We used concentration index to estimate wealth-related inequalities across the continuum of care. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of inequality in completing the continuum of care. RESULTS We included data on 196,717 women with the most recent live birth. About 87% of women reported having at least one ANC contact, but only 30% of women received the recommended care package that includes ANC 4 + contacts, skilled care at birth, and PNC. The proportion of women who had completed the continuum of care ranged from 6.5% in Chad to 69.5% in Sierra Leone. Nearly 9% of women reported not having contact with the health system during pregnancy or childbirth; this ranged from 0.1% in Burundi to 34% in Chad. Disadvantaged women were more likely to have no contact with health systems and less likely to have the recommended care package than women from wealthier households. Women with higher education levels, higher exposure to mass media (radio and TV), and higher household wealth status had higher odds of completing the continuum of care. CONCLUSIONS Persistent and increasing inequalities were observed along the continuum of care from pregnancy to the postnatal period, with socioeconomically disadvantaged women more likely to drop out of care. Improving access to and integration of services is required to improve maternal health. Initiatives and efforts to improve maternal health should prioritise and address the needs of communities and groups with low coverage of maternal health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firew Tekle Bobo
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Health Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
- Fenot Project, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Augustine Asante
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mirkuzie Woldie
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
- Fenot Project, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Health Systems and Health Economics, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Angela Dawson
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andrew Hayen
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Binyaruka P, Foss A, Alibrahim A, Mziray N, Cassidy R, Borghi J. Supply-side factors influencing demand for facility-based delivery in Tanzania: a multilevel analysis. HEALTH ECONOMICS REVIEW 2023; 13:52. [PMID: 37930445 PMCID: PMC10629065 DOI: 10.1186/s13561-023-00468-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving access to facility-based delivery care has the potential to reduce maternal and newborn deaths across settings. Yet, the access to a health facility for childbirth remains low especially in low-income settings. To inform evidence-based interventions, more evidence is needed especially accounting for demand- and supply-side factors influencing access to facility-based delivery care. We aimed to fill this knowledge gap using data from Tanzania. METHODS We used data from a cross-sectional survey (conducted in January 2012) of 150 health facilities, 1494 patients and 2846 households with women who had given births in the last 12 months before the survey across 11 districts in three regions in Tanzania. The main outcome was the place of delivery (giving birth in a health facility or otherwise), while explanatory variables were measured at the individual woman and facility level. Given the hierarchical structure of the data and variance in demand across facilities, we used a multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression to explore the determinants of facility-based delivery care. RESULTS Eighty-six percent of 2846 women gave birth in a health facility. Demand for facility-based delivery care was influenced more by demand-side factors (76%) than supply-side factors (24%). On demand-side factors, facility births were more common among women who were educated, Muslim, wealthier, with their first childbirth, and those who had at least four antenatal care visits. On supply-side factors, facility births were more common in facilities offering outreach services, longer consultation times and higher interpersonal quality. In contrast, facilities with longer average waiting times, longer travel times and higher chances of charging delivery fees had few facility births. CONCLUSIONS Policy responses should aim for strategies to improve demand like health education to raise awareness towards care seeking among less educated groups and those with higher parity, reduce financial barriers to access (including time costs to reach and access care), and policy interventions to enhance interpersonal quality in service provision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Binyaruka
- Department of Health System, Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, PO Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
| | - Anna Foss
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
| | - Abdullah Alibrahim
- College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Nicholaus Mziray
- Department of Health System, Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, PO Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Rachel Cassidy
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
- KPM Center for Public Management, University of Bern, Schanzeneckstrasse 1, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Josephine Borghi
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH, UK
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Gwacham-Anisiobi U, Boo YY, Oladimeji A, Kurinczuk JJ, Roberts N, Opondo C, Nair M. Types, reporting and acceptability of community-based interventions for stillbirth prevention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): a systematic review. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 62:102133. [PMID: 37593225 PMCID: PMC10430180 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Community-based interventions are increasingly being implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for stillbirth prevention, but the nature of these interventions, their reporting and acceptability are poorly assessed. In addition to understanding their effectiveness, complete reporting of the methods, results and intervention acceptability is essential as it could potentially reduce research waste from replication of inadequately implemented and unacceptable interventions. We conducted a systematic review to investigate these aspects of community-based interventions for preventing stillbirths in SSA. Methods In this systematic review, eight databases (MEDLINE(OvidSP), Embase (OvidSP), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Global Health, Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation index (Web of Science Core Collection), CINAHL (EBSCOhost) and Global Index Medicus) and four grey literature sources were searched from January 1, 2000 to July 7, 2023 for relevant quantitative and qualitative studies from SSA (PROSPERO-CRD42021296623). Following deduplication, abstract screening and full-text review, studies were included if the interventions were community-based with or without a health facility component. The main outcomes were types of community-based interventions, completeness of intervention reporting using the TIDier (Template for Intervention Description and replication) checklist, and themes related to intervention acceptability identified using a theoretical framework. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's tools. Findings Thirty-nine reports from thirty-four studies conducted in 18 SSA countries were eligible for inclusion. Four types of interventions were identified: nutritional, infection prevention, access to skilled childbirth attendants and health knowledge/behaviour of women. These interventions were implemented using nine strategies: mHealth (defined as the use of mobile and wireless technologies to support the achievement of health objectives), women's groups, community midwifery, home visits, mass media sensitisation, traditional birth attendant and community volunteer training, community mobilisation and transport vouchers. The completeness of reporting using the TIDier checklist varied across studies with a very low proportion of the included studies reporting the intervention intensity, dosing, tailoring and modification. The quality of the included studies were graded as poor (n = 6), fair (n = 14) and good (n = 18). Though interventions were acceptable, only 4 (out of 7) studies explored women's perceptions, mostly focusing on perceived intervention effects and how they felt, omitting key constructs like ethicality, opportunity cost and burden of participation. Interpretation Different community-based interventions have been tried and evaluated for stillbirth prevention in SSA. The reproducibility and implementation scale-up of these interventions may be limited by incomplete intervention descriptions in the published literature. To strengthen impact, it is crucial to holistically explore the acceptability of these interventions among women and their families. Funding Clarendon/Balliol/NDPH DPhil scholarship for UGA. MN is funded by a Medical Research Council Transition Support Award (MR/W029294/1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Uchenna Gwacham-Anisiobi
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yebeen Ysabelle Boo
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jennifer J. Kurinczuk
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nia Roberts
- Bodleian Health Care Libraries, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Charles Opondo
- London Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Manisha Nair
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Dickson KS, Boateng ENK, Adzrago D, Addo IY, Acquah E, Nyarko SH. Silent suffering: unveiling factors associated with women's inability to seek help for intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Reprod Health 2023; 20:110. [PMID: 37496013 PMCID: PMC10373244 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-023-01651-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence shows that intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs more frequently in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) than in other regions of the world. However, limited empirical studies exist on the help-seeking behaviour of women who had experienced IPV in SSA. This study aimed to examine the help-seeking behaviour of women who had experienced IPV in SSA and the factors associated with their inability to seek help after experiencing IPV. METHODS This is a quantitative study based on data from the latest demographic and health surveys (DHS) of 24 SSA countries. A sample of 53,446 women aged 15-49 years was included in the study. Associations between women's background characteristics and their help-seeking behaviour after experiencing IPV were examined using proportions and multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS Overall, 60.7% of the sample did not seek help after experiencing IPV. Women's inability to seek help for IPV was highest in Mali (80.4%) and lowest in Tanzania (43.1%). Women's level of education, wealth status, marital status, age, occupation, and country of residence had significant associations with 'not seeking help' for any type of IPV. Those who experienced generational violence (AOR = 1.26, CI = 1.19, 1.33) and those who justified wife-beating (AOR = 1.09, CI = 1.07, 1.15) had higher odds of not seeking help for any type of IPV compared to those who did not experience generational violence or did not justify wife beating. Women who experienced emotional violence (AOR = 0.53, CI = 0.51, 0.55) and physical violence (AOR = 0.74, CI = 0.70, 0.76) had lower odds of not seeking help for any type of IPV compared to their counterparts who did not experience these types of violence. CONCLUSION Women's inability to seek help for IPV is common in many SSA countries. This study shows that several socio-demographic factors, such as women's age, educational levels, wealth status, and marital status are associated with their inability to seek help for IPV. Additionally, women's justification of wife beating and experience of generational abuse are strongly associated with their inability to seek help for IPV. These factors need to be considered critically in IPV interventions in SSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwamena S Dickson
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Ebenezer N K Boateng
- Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
| | - David Adzrago
- Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Isaac Y Addo
- Centre for Social Research in Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Evelyn Acquah
- Centre for Health Policy and Implementation Research, Institute of Health Research, University of Health, and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Samuel H Nyarko
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Hailegebreal S, Haile F, Haile Y, Simegn AE, Enyew EB. Using geographically weighted regression analysis to assess predictors of home birth hot spots in Ethiopia. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286704. [PMID: 37279238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Annually, 30 million women in Africa become pregnant, with the majority of deliveries taking place at home without the assistance of skilled healthcare personnel. In Ethiopia the proportion of home birth is high with regional disparity. Also limited evidence on spatial regression and deriving predictors. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the predictors of home birth hot spots using geographically weighted regression in Ethiopia. METHODS This study used secondary data from the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey. First, Moran's I and Getis-OrdGi* statistics were used to examine the geographic variation in home births. Further, spatial regression was analyzed using ordinary least squares regression and geographically weighted regression to predict hotspot area of home delivery. RESULT According to this result, Somalia, Afar, and the SNNPR region were shown to be high risk locations for home births. Women from rural residence, women having no-education, poorest wealth index, Muslim religion follower, and women with no-ANC visit were predictors of home delivery hotspot locations. CONCLUSION The spatial regression revealed women from rural resident, women having no-education, women being in the household with a poorest wealth index, women with Muslim religion follower, and women having no-ANC visit were predictors of home delivery hotspot regions. Therefore, governmental and other stakeholders should remain the effort to decrease home childbirth through access to healthcare services especially for rural resident, strengthen the women for antenatal care visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Hailegebreal
- School of Public Health Department of Health Informatics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wachemo University, Hosaena, Ethiopia
| | - Firehiwot Haile
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
| | - Yosef Haile
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
| | | | - Ermias Bekele Enyew
- Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, Mettu University, Mettu, Ethiopia
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Zethof S, Christou A, Benova L, Beyuo TK, van Roosmalen J, van den Akker T. Out of sight, out of mind? Evidence from cross-sectional surveys on hidden caesarean sections among women with stillbirths in Ghana, 2007 and 2017. BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:bmjgh-2022-011591. [PMID: 37263671 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-011591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Caesarean section (CS) rates in women experiencing stillbirth have not been studied with nationally representative data. Two Ghana Maternal Health Surveys (GMHS) have captured pregnancy and mode of birth data for all women including those with stillbirths. We compared CS rates between women with live births and stillbirths, and identified socio-economic and pregnancy-related factors associated with CS in stillbirths. METHODS A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a pooled sample of 17 138 women who had given birth within 5 years preceding the 2007 and 2017 GMHS. CS rates were compared between women with stillbirths and very early neonatal deaths (SBVENDs) and women with live births who survived the first day. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions explored variables associated with CS. Effect modification of household's wealth and maternal educational level by birth outcome was assessed using multivariable logistic regression with interaction terms. RESULTS CS rate in women with SBVEND was 19.3% compared with 9.6% in women with live births who survived the first day (rate ratio 2.2; 95% CI 1.6 to 2.9). In multivariable analysis, attaining middle school compared with no formal education (adjusted OR, aOR 2.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 7.1), having had five or more births compared with nulliparity (aOR 3.7; 95% CI 1.3 to 10.7) and reporting prolonged or obstructed labour (aOR 3.3; 95% CI 1.3 to 8.3) were associated with CS in women with SBVEND. Higher household wealth and educational levels were associated with an increased risk of CS in both study groups, with no statistically significant difference in effect. CONCLUSION Disaggregating CS rates by birth outcome revealed a high rate among women with SBVEND, twice the overall rate compared with live births. Exclusion of these 'hidden' CSs from rate calculations may lead to underestimation of (inter)national CS rates and potentially conceals CS overuse or misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siem Zethof
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Aliki Christou
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Lenka Benova
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Titus Kofi Beyuo
- Department of Obstetrics, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Thomas van den Akker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Athena Institute, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Dotse-Gborgbortsi W, Tatem AJ, Matthews Z, Alegana VA, Ofosu A, Wright JA. Quality of maternal healthcare and travel time influence birthing service utilisation in Ghanaian health facilities: a geographical analysis of routine health data. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e066792. [PMID: 36657766 PMCID: PMC9853258 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate how the quality of maternal health services and travel times to health facilities affect birthing service utilisation in Eastern Region, Ghana. DESIGN The study is a cross-sectional spatial interaction analysis of birth service utilisation patterns. Routine birth data were spatially linked to quality care, service demand and travel time data. SETTING 131 Health facilities (public, private and faith-based) in 33 districts in Eastern Region, Ghana. PARTICIPANTS Women who gave birth in health facilities in the Eastern Region, Ghana in 2017. OUTCOME MEASURES The count of women giving birth, the quality of birthing care services and the geographic coverage of birthing care services. RESULTS As travel time from women's place of residence to the health facility increased up to two2 hours, the utilisation rate markedly decreased. Higher quality of maternal health services haves a larger, positive effect on utilisation rates than service proximity. The quality of maternal health services was higher in hospitals than in primary care facilities. Most women (88.6%) travelling via mechanised transport were within two2 hours of any birthing service. The majority (56.2%) of women were beyond the two2 -hour threshold of critical comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) services. Few CEmONC services were in urban centres, disadvantaging rural populations. CONCLUSIONS To increase birthing service utilisation in Ghana, higher quality health facilities should be located closer to women, particularly in rural areas. Beyond Ghana, routinely collected birth records could be used to understand the interaction of service proximity and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew J Tatem
- School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Zoe Matthews
- Department of Social Statistics and Demography, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Victor A Alegana
- Population Health Unit-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anthony Ofosu
- Headquarters, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
| | - Jim A Wright
- School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Seboka BT, Mamo TT, Mekonnen T. Identifying geographical inequalities of maternal care utilization in Ethiopia: a Spatio-temporal analysis from 2005 to 2019. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1455. [PMID: 36451235 PMCID: PMC9714149 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08850-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Inequalities in maternal care utilization pose a significant threat to maternal health programs. This study aimed to describe and explain the spatial variation in maternal care utilization among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Accordingly, this study focuses on identifying hotspots of underutilization and mapping maternal care utilization, as well as identifying predictors of spatial clustering in maternal care utilization. METHODS We evaluated three key indicators of maternal care utilization: pregnant women who received no antenatal care (ANC) service from a skilled provider, utilization of four or more ANC visits, and births attended in a health facility, based the Ethiopian National Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS5) to 2019. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to measure whether maternal care utilization was dispersed, clustered, or randomly distributed in the study area. Getis-Ord Gi statistics examined how Spatio-temporal variations differed through the study location and ordinary Kriging interpolation predicted maternal care utilization in the unsampled areas. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to identify predictors of geographic variation, and geographically weighted regression (GWR) examined the spatial variability relationships between maternal care utilization and selected predictors. RESULT A total of 26,702 pregnant women were included, maternal care utilization varies geographically across surveys. Overall, statistically significant low maternal care utilization hotspots were identified in the Somali region. Low hotspot areas were also identified in northern Ethiopia, stretching into the Amhara, Afar, and Beneshangul-Gumuz regions; and the southern part of Ethiopia and the Gambella region. Spatial regression analysis revealed that geographical variations in maternal care utilization indicators were commonly explained by the number of under-five children, the wealth index, and media access. In addition, the mother's educational status significantly explained pregnant women, received no ANC service and utilized ANC service four or more times. Whereas, the age of a mother at first birth was a spatial predictor of pregnant who received no ANC service from a skilled provider. CONCLUSION In Ethiopia, it is vital to plan to combat maternal care inequalities in a manner suitable for the district-specific variations. Predictors of geographical variation identified during spatial regression analysis can inform efforts to achieve geographical equity in maternal care utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binyam Tariku Seboka
- grid.472268.d0000 0004 1762 2666School of Public Health, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia
| | - Tizalegn Tesfaye Mamo
- grid.472268.d0000 0004 1762 2666School of Public Health, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia
| | - Tensae Mekonnen
- grid.1029.a0000 0000 9939 5719Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
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Factors Influencing the Utilization of Antenatal Services among Women of Childbearing Age in South Africa. WOMEN 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/women2030027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Access to quality care before, during, and after childbirth remains an effective means of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Therefore, the study identified factors influencing the utilization of prenatal care services among women of childbearing age in South Africa. This is a retrospective study based on secondary data from the South African Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted from 1998 to 2016. In South Africa, 21.0% of mothers had used ANC services. Higher odds of seeking prenatal care were found in women aged 35 years and older (cOR = 1.26, 95% CI; 1.08–1.47, p = 0.003), married or cohabiting (cOR = 1.13, 95% CI; 1.004–1.27) observed, p = 0.043), higher level of education (tertiary education: cOR = 0.55, p = 0.001), female residents in urban areas (cOR = 1.35, 95% CI; 1.20–1.52, p = 0.001), higher wealth index (cOR = 1.32, 95% CI; 1.15–1.51, p = 0.001), employed (cOR = 1.48, 95% CI; 1.29–1.70, p = 0.001) and media exposure (cOR = 1.27, 95% CI; 1.12–1.44), p = 0.001). The findings of this study provide insight into the need to make maternal health services more accessible, more widely used, and of a higher quality. This requires effective strategic policies that promote patronage to reduce maternal mortality and improve newborn outcomes in South Africa.
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Asefa A, Dossou JP, Hanson C, Hounsou CB, Namazzi G, Meja S, Mkoka DA, Agballa G, Babirye J, Semaan A, Annerstedt KS, Delvaux T, Marchal B, Van Belle S, Pleguezuelo VC, Benova L. Methodological reflections on health system oriented assessment of maternity care in 16 hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa: an embedded case study. Health Policy Plan 2022; 37:1257-1266. [PMID: 36087095 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czac078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Health Facility Assessments (HFAs) assessing facilities' readiness to provide services are well-established. However, HFA questionnaires are typically quantitative and lack depth to understand systems in which health facilities operate-crucial to designing context-oriented interventions. We report lessons from a multiple embedded case study exploring the experiences of HFA data collectors in implementing a novel HFA tool developed using systems thinking approach. We assessed 16 hospitals in four countries (Benin, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda) as part of a quality improvement implementation research. Our tool was organized in 17 sections and included dimensions of hospital governance, leadership, and financing; maternity care standards and procedures; ongoing quality improvement practices; interactions with communities; and mapping of the areas related to maternal care. Data for this study was collected using in-depth interviews with senior experts who conducted the HFA in the countries one to three months after completion of the HFAs. Data were analyzed using the inductive thematic analysis approach. Our HFA faced challenges in logistics (accessing key hospital-based respondents, high turnover of managerial staff, and difficulty accessing information considered sensitive in the context) and methodology (response bias, lack of data quality, and data entry into an electronic platform). Data elements of governance, leadership, and financing were the most affected. Opportunities and strategies adopted aimed at enhancing data collection (building on prior partnerships, understanding local and institutional bureaucracies) and enhancing data richness (identifying respondents with institutional memory, learning from experience, and conducting observations at various times). Moreover, HFA data collectors conducted abstraction of records and interviews in a flexible and adaptive way to enhance data quality. Lessons and new skills learned from our HFA could be used as inputs to respond to the growing need of integrating the systems thinking approach in HFA to improve contextual understanding of operations and structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anteneh Asefa
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Dossou
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Claudia Hanson
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Gertrude Namazzi
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Samuel Meja
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dickson Ally Mkoka
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gottfried Agballa
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Josephine Babirye
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Aline Semaan
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Therese Delvaux
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bruno Marchal
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sara Van Belle
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Lenka Benova
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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Acquah E, Nyarko SH, Boateng ENK, Dickson KS, Addo IY, Adzrago D. Spatial and multilevel analysis of unskilled birth attendance in Chad. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1561. [PMID: 35974406 PMCID: PMC9382725 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13972-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Unskilled birth attendance is a major public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Existing studies are hardly focused on the socio-demographic correlates and geospatial distribution of unskilled birth attendance in Chad (a country in SSA), although the country has consistently been identified as having one of the highest prevalence of maternal and neonatal deaths in the world. This study aimed to analyse the socio-demographic correlates and geospatial distribution of unskilled birth attendance in Chad. Methods The study is based on the latest Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data for Chad. A total of 10,745 women aged between 15 and 49 years were included in this study. A multilevel analysis based on logistic regression was conducted to estimate associations of respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics with unskilled birth attendance. Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping tools, including Getis-Ord Gi hotspot analysis tool and geographically weighted regression (GWR) tool, were used to explore areas in Chad with a high prevalence of unskilled birth attendance. Results The findings show that unskilled birth attendance was spatially clustered in four Chad departments: Mourtcha, Dar-Tama, Assoungha, and Kimiti, with educational level, occupation, birth desire, birth order, antenatal care, and community literacy identified as the spatial predictors of unskilled birth attendance. Higher educational attainment, higher wealth status, cohabitation, lowest birth order, access to media, not desiring more births, and higher antenatal care visits were associated with lower odds of unskilled birth attendance at the individual level. On the other hand, low community literacy level was associated with higher odds of unskilled birth attendance in Chad whereas the opposite was true for urban residency. Conclusions Unskilled birth attendance is spatially clustered in some parts of Chad, and it is associated with various disadvantaged individual and community level factors. When developing interventions for unskilled birth attendance in Chad, concerned international bodies, the Chad government, maternal health advocates, and private stakeholders should consider targeting the high-risk local areas identified in this study. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13972-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Acquah
- Centre for Health Policy and Implementation Research, Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Samuel H Nyarko
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ebenezer N K Boateng
- Department of Geography and Regional Planning, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | | | - Isaac Yeboah Addo
- Centre for Social Research in Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - David Adzrago
- Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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