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Dhaliwal BK, Weeks R, Huber J, Fofana A, Bobe M, Mbailamen AD, Legge G, Cisse G, Shet A. Introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in humanitarian and fragile contexts: Perspectives from stakeholders in four African countries. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2314828. [PMID: 38439691 PMCID: PMC10936592 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2314828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood pneumonia causes a significant burden of preventable child morbidity and mortality in Chad, Guinea, Somalia/Somaliland, and South Sudan. Leaders from these countries have committed to reducing this burden and are preparing to introduce the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) into their immunization programs. To support long-term sustainability for expected PCV introductions in settings afflicted by prolonged humanitarian crises this research explores national stakeholders' perspectives on contextual factors that may influence optimal vaccine implementation. This qualitative study used purposive sampling to identify and interview stakeholders involved in vaccine decision-making. Interview transcripts were analyzed through the framework method, an approach involving charting data into pre-populated matrices. Findings from interviews with 16 key informants from government, partner organizations, and international health agencies fit within the following four overarching themes: (1) population-level vulnerabilities to pneumonia, exacerbated by climatic risks and low levels of maternal education; (2) disease burden and the interest in enhancing surveillance to monitor vaccine impact and integrate disease control efforts; (3) policy processes, including formalizing vaccine decision-making; and (4) vaccine implementation preparation, including the conduct of robust communication campaigns, training, and cold chain upgrades. This research explores perspectives from leaders in these countries which are at pivotal moments in their journeys toward introducing PCV. Widespread commitment among leaders, in addition to financial support, will facilitate vaccine introduction. Further, fostering a shared understanding among partners about context-specific determinants of program success will help build tailored implementation strategies for each country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baldeep K. Dhaliwal
- International Vaccine Access Center, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rose Weeks
- International Vaccine Access Center, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jasmine Huber
- International Vaccine Access Center, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aminata Fofana
- International Vaccine Access Center, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mohamed Bobe
- Somalia/Somaliland Country Office, Save the Children, Mogadishu, Somalia
| | | | - George Legge
- Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), National Ministry of Health, Juba, Republic of South Sudan
- Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Conakry, Republic of Guinea
| | - Gassim Cisse
- Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Conakry, Republic of Guinea
| | - Anita Shet
- International Vaccine Access Center, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Tian G, Rojas NM, Norton JM, Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Montesdeoca J, Kerker BD. The associations between social support and mental health among Chinese immigrant pregnant and parenting women. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2024; 24:583. [PMID: 39243011 PMCID: PMC11380345 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06765-9] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While it is recognized that social support can alleviate mental health symptoms, this relationship is not well-understood among Chinese pregnant and parenting immigrants in the United States. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring the relationships between different types of social support and women's anxiety and depression, and examining how these associations vary with pregnancy status. METHODS Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Simplified Chinese or Mandarin between March-June 2021 among 526 women who were pregnant and/or parenting a child under five years. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety, Depression, and Social Support scales were used to measure anxiety, depression, and social support levels. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson's correlations were employed for analysis. Hierarchical regression was conducted to investigate the main and interaction effects of social support types and pregnancy status on mental health outcomes. RESULTS Compared to non-pregnant women, pregnant women reported higher mean scores for anxiety (non-pregnant: 55, pregnant: 59, p < 0.01) and depression (non-pregnant: 54, pregnant: 56, p = 0.02). Instrumental support displayed a significant main effect in relation to anxiety (β=-0.13, p = 0.01) and depression (β=-0.16, p < 0.01); emotional support exhibited a significant main effect solely on depression (β=-0.13, p = 0.01). Notably, the interaction effects between pregnancy status and both instrumental (β=-0.28, p = 0.01) and emotional support (β=-0.42, p < 0.01) were significant for anxiety. In contrast, informational support did not exhibit a significant impact on either anxiety or depression. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that tailoring support to the cultural context is crucial, especially for pregnant women in this Chinese immigrant community, with instrumental and emotional support being particularly beneficial in mitigating maternal anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Tian
- Center for Early Childhood Health and Development, Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Natalia M Rojas
- Center for Early Childhood Health and Development, Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer M Norton
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - R Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez
- Center for Early Childhood Health and Development, Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacqueline Montesdeoca
- Center for Early Childhood Health and Development, Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bonnie D Kerker
- Center for Early Childhood Health and Development, Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Mazumder T, Mohanty I, Ahmad D, Niyonsenga T. An explanation of the stagnant under-5 mortality rate in Bangladesh using multilevel, multivariable analysis of three Demographic and Health Surveys. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19823. [PMID: 39191813 PMCID: PMC11349969 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69924-0] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable success in the Millennium Development Goal era, Bangladesh experienced a sluggish reduction in the under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) between 2014 and 2017-18. Our study aimed to explain this stagnancy by examining the variation in the key predictor-specific mortality risks over time, using the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011, 2014 and 2017-18 data. We applied multilevel mixed effects logistic regression to examine the extent to which the under-5 mortality (U5M) risks were associated with the key sociodemographic and health service-specific predictors. We found that the rise in mortality risks attributable to maternal age 18 years or below, low maternal education, mother's overweight or obesity and the absence of a handwashing station within the household were the key contributors to the stagnant U5MR between 2014 and 2017-18. Poverty and low education aggravated the mortality risks. Besides, antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) did not impact U5M risks as significantly as expected. Compulsory use of ANC and PNC cards and strict monitoring of their use may improve the quality of these health services. Leveraging committees like the Upazila Hospital Management Committee can bring harmony to implementing policies and programmes in the sectors related to U5M.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tapas Mazumder
- Faculty of Health, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2617, Australia.
| | - Itismita Mohanty
- Faculty of Health, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Danish Ahmad
- Faculty of Health, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2617, Australia
- School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Theo Niyonsenga
- Faculty of Health, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, 2617, Australia
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Kim J, Eom YJ, Ko S, Subramanian SV, Kim R. Problems accessing health care and under-5 mortality: a pooled analysis of 50 low- and middle-income countries. J Public Health (Oxf) 2024; 46:315-325. [PMID: 38684342 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdae053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to health care remains suboptimal in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and continues to hinder survival in early childhood. We systematically assessed the association between problems accessing health care (PAHC) and under-five mortality (U5M). METHODS Child mortality data on 724 335 livebirths came from the latest Demographic and Health Surveys of 50 LMICs (2013-2021). Reasons for PAHC were classified into three domains: 'money needed for treatment' (economic), 'distance to health facility' (physical), 'getting permission' or 'not wanting to go alone' (socio-cultural). Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the association between PAHC (any and by each type) and U5M. RESULTS In our pooled sample, 47.3 children per 1000 livebirths died before age of 5, and 57.1% reported having experienced PAHC (ranging from 45.3% in Europe & Central Asia to 72.7% in Latin America & Caribbean). Children with any PAHC had higher odds of U5M (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.09), and this association was especially significant in sub-Saharan Africa. Of different domains of PAHC, socio-cultural PAHC was found to be most significant. CONCLUSIONS Access to health care in LMICs needs to be improved by expanding health care coverage, building health facilities, and focusing more on context-specific socio-cultural barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinseo Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Jung Eom
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Soohyeon Ko
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - S V Subramanian
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Rockli Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- Division of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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Avelino IC, Van-Dúnem J, Varandas L. Under-Five Mortality and Associated Risk Factors in Children Hospitalized at David Bernardino Pediatric Hospital (DBPH), Angola: A Hierarchical Approach. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:1062. [PMID: 39200671 PMCID: PMC11354039 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21081062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024]
Abstract
Reducing under-five mortality is a crucial indicator of overall development in a country. However, in Angola, understanding the factors contributing to hospital deaths in this vulnerable demographic remains incomplete despite improvements in healthcare infrastructure and public health policies. With one of the highest under-five mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, Angola faces significant challenges such as malaria, malnutrition, pneumonia, neonatal conditions, and intestinal infectious diseases, which are the leading causes of death among children. This study aimed to identify factors associated with hospital deaths among children aged 28 days to five years admitted to DBPH in Luanda between May 2022 and June 2023. Using a hospital-based case-control design, the study included 1020 children, among whom 340 experienced hospital deaths. Distal and intermediate determinants emerged as primary predictors of hospital mortality, showing significant associations with: mother without schooling (OR [95%CI] 4.3 [1.2-15.7], p < 0.027); frequent alcohol consumption during pregnancy (OR [95%CI] 3.8 [2.5-5.9], p < 0.001); hospital stay ≤24 h (OR [95%CI] 13.8 [6.2-30.8], p < 0.001); poor nutritional status (OR [95%CI] 2.1 [1.4-3.2], p < 0.001); short interbirth interval (OR [95%CI] 1.7 [1.1-2.5], p < 0.014); maternal age ≤19 years (OR [95%CI] 5.6 [3.0-10.8], p < 0.001); and maternal age ≥35 years (OR [95%CI] 2.1 [1.2-3.7], p < 0.006). These findings highlight the preventable nature of most under-five hospital deaths and underscore the urgent need to address social inequities and improve the quality of primary healthcare services to effectively reduce child mortality in Angola.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel C. Avelino
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal
- Clínica Multiperfil, Luanda 2177, Angola
| | | | - Luís Varandas
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal
- Nova Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal
- Departamento de Pediatria, Hospital Dona Estefânia, 1169-045 Lisboa, Portugal
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Santos JAT, Ayupe KMA, Camargos ACR, Medeiros NL, Gutierres Filho PJB. Moderating effect of social risk on the relationship between biological risk and child development. CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2024; 29:e18432022. [PMID: 39140550 DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232024298.18432022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Human development is influenced by the interaction between biological and social factors. This study aimed to verify the moderating effect of social risk on the relationship between biological risk and child development. Data were collected on 201 children, aged 6 to 72 months. The independent variable was measured by the biological risk index, and the moderator variable by the social risk index was assessed by the Denver II test. Linear regression, effect size, and analysis of moderation were used to verify the relationship between BRI and the child development (Denver II), and the moderating effect of the SRI. BRI was negatively associated with child development, the interaction between the BRI and SRI increased the explained variance in the Denver II result to 14%. The SRI was also a significant moderator of the Language and Gross Motor domains. This research evidence that social risk moderates the relationship between biological risk and child development, the more social risk factors, the stronger this relationship becomes. On the other hand, it can be said that some social factors favor child development, even in the presence of biological risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaina Araujo Teixeira Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade de Brasília. Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro. 70910-900 Brasília DF Brasil.
| | - Kênnea Martins Almeida Ayupe
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade de Brasília. Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro. 70910-900 Brasília DF Brasil.
| | - Ana Cristina Resende Camargos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Belo Horizonte MG Brasil
| | - Naguia Leticia Medeiros
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Belo Horizonte MG Brasil
| | - Paulo José Barbosa Gutierres Filho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade de Brasília. Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro. 70910-900 Brasília DF Brasil.
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Ahmed KY, Thapa S, Hassen TA, Tegegne TK, Dadi AF, Odo DB, Bizuayehu HM, Shifti DM, Belachew SA, Kibret GD, Ketema DB, Kassa ZY, Amsalu E, Bore MG, Seid A, Mesfin YM, Kibret KT, Huda MM, Mahmood S, Anyasodor AE, Ross AG. Population modifiable risk factors associated with neonatal mortality in 35 sub-Saharan Africa countries: analysis of data from demographic and health surveys. EClinicalMedicine 2024; 73:102682. [PMID: 39007064 PMCID: PMC11245992 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the highest burden of neonatal mortality in the world. Identifying the most critical modifiable risk factors is imperative for reducing neonatal mortality rates. This study is the first to calculate population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for modifiable risk factors of neonatal mortality in SSA. Methods We analysed the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys data sets from 35 SSA countries conducted between 2010 and 2022. Generalized linear latent and mixed models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). PAFs adjusted for communality were calculated using ORs and prevalence estimates for key modifiable risk factors. Subregional analyses were conducted to examine variations in modifiable risk factors for neonatal mortality across Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western SSA regions. Findings In this study, we included 255,891 live births in the five years before the survey. The highest PAFs of neonatal mortality among singleton children were attributed to delayed initiation of breastfeeding (>1 h after birth: PAF = 23.88%; 95% CI: 15.91, 24.86), uncleaned cooking fuel (PAF = 5.27%; 95% CI: 1.41, 8.73), mother's lacking formal education (PAF = 4.34%; 95% CI: 1.15, 6.31), mother's lacking tetanus vaccination (PAF = 3.54%; 95% CI: 1.55, 4.92), and infrequent antenatal care (ANC) visits (PAF = 2.45; 95% CI: 0.76, 3.63). Together, these five modifiable risk factors were associated with 39.49% (95% CI: 21.13, 48.44) of neonatal deaths among singleton children in SSA. Our subregional analyses revealed some variations in modifiable risk factors for neonatal mortality. Notably, delayed initiation of breastfeeding consistently contributed to the highest PAFs of neonatal mortality across all four regions of SSA: Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western SSA. Interpretation The PAF estimates in the present study indicate that a considerable proportion of neonatal deaths in SSA are preventable. We identified five modifiable risk factors that accounted for approximately 40% of neonatal deaths in SSA. The findings have policy implications. Funding None.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kedir Y. Ahmed
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
| | - Subash Thapa
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
| | - Tahir A. Hassen
- Center for Women’s Health Research, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Teketo Kassaw Tegegne
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Abel F. Dadi
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Australia
- Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Bogale Odo
- National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Habtamu Mellie Bizuayehu
- First Nations Cancer and Wellbeing (FNCW) Research Program, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Qld, Australia
| | | | - Sewunet Admasu Belachew
- First Nations Cancer and Wellbeing (FNCW) Research Program, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Qld, Australia
| | | | - Daniel Bekele Ketema
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia
| | - Zemenu Yohannes Kassa
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Erkihun Amsalu
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
- St. Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Meless G. Bore
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Science, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Abdulbasit Seid
- Australian Living Evidence Collaborations, School of Public Health and Prevention Medicine, Monash University, Australia
| | - Yonatan M. Mesfin
- SAEFVIC, Infection and Immunity, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kelemu Tilahun Kibret
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - M. Mamun Huda
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
| | - Shakeel Mahmood
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
| | | | - Allen G. Ross
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia
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Mkama ME, Koroma MM, Cheng X, Zhang J, Chen D, Kong L, Li B. Factors associated with under-five mortality in Rwanda: An analysis of the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2020. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 4:e0003358. [PMID: 38889177 PMCID: PMC11185456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Despite global and Rwandan progress in reducing under-five mortality, the risk of children dying before their fifth birthday persists, necessitating intensified research on determinants. Thus, this study analyzed the birth history data to shed light on the underlying causes of under-five mortality in Rwanda. The study is a secondary analysis of data sourced from the 2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) cross-sectional design. Using SPSS, the data was cleaned, recoded, and weighted, with descriptive and inferential statistics applied. The dependent variable was the child's living status, while independent variables included socio-demographic, media exposure status of mothers, child, and environmental factors. A total of 10267 under-five children of all interviewed mothers were included in the final analysis, of which 12.3% (1260) died. Maternal age (25-34 years: AOR = 1.514, 95% CI = 1.130-2.029, p = 0.005; 45+: AOR = 13.226, 95% CI = 9.253-18.905, p<0.001), occupational status (agricultural workers and other services), and three or more births within five years (AOR = 1.895, 95% CI = 1.433-2.508, p<0.001) significantly increase the risk of under-five mortality. Conversely, maternal education (primary: AOR = 0.821, p = 0.023; secondary: AOR = 0.533, p<0.001; higher: AOR = 0.365, p = 0.010) and higher wealth indexes (middle: AOR = 0.743, p = 0.001; rich: AOR = 0.612, p<0.001), as well as current breastfeeding (AOR = 0.524, 95% CI = 0.455-0.603, p-value <0.001), are associated with lower under-five mortality. Child sex significantly impacts under-five mortality (AOR = 0.873, 95% CI = 0.770-0.991, p = 0.035), favoring females over males. Conversely, multiple birth type children face higher under-five mortality (AOR = 3.541, 95% CI = 2.727-4.599, p<0.001) compared to singletons. Children in the northern (AOR = 1.478, 95% CI = 1.086-2.011, p = 0.013) and eastern (AOR = 1.470, 95% CI = 1.097-1.971, p = 0.010) regions are more susceptible to mortality compared to those in the central (Kigali) region. Additionally, under-five mortality is higher when using water from tanks and other sources (AOR = 2.240, 95% CI = 1.471-3.411, p<0.001) than piped water. This study identifies crucial factors linked to under-five mortality, underscoring the importance of prioritizing them in interventions to enhance Rwandan under-five survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mgole Eliud Mkama
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mark Momoh Koroma
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research), Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofen Cheng
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jindan Zhang
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Duo Chen
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lushi Kong
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bei Li
- School of Health Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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You W, Donnelly F. A cross-sectional study quantifies the independent contribution of nurses and midwives in child health outcomes. J Nurs Scholarsh 2024; 56:455-465. [PMID: 38108526 DOI: 10.1111/jnu.12951] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION As the largest profession within the healthcare industry, nursing and midwifery workforce (NMW) provides comprehensive healthcare to children and their families. This study quantified the independent role of NMW in reducing under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) worldwide. DESIGN A retrospective, observational and correlational study to examine the independent role of NMW in protecting against U5MR. METHODS Within 266 "countries", the cross-sectional correlations between NMW and U5MR were examined with scatter plots, Pearson's r, nonparametric, partial correlation and multiple regression. The affluence, education and urban advantages were considered as the potential competing factors for the NMW-U5MR relationship. The NMW-U5MR correlations in both developing and developed countries were explored and compared. RESULTS Bivariate correlations revealed that NMW negatively and significantly correlated to U5MR worldwide. When the contributing effects of economic affluence, urbanization and education were removed, the independent NMW role in reducing U5MR remained significant. NMW independently explained 9.36% U5MR variance. Multilinear regression selected NMW as a significant factor contributing an extra 3% of explanation to U5MR variance when NMW, affluence, education and urban advantage were incorporated as the predicting variables. NMW correlated with U5MR significantly more strongly in developing countries than in developed countries. CONCLUSION NMW, indexing nursing and midwifery service, was a significant factor for reducing U5MR worldwide. This beneficial effect explained 9.36% of U5MR variance which was independent of economic affluence, urbanization and education. The NMW may be a more significant risk factor for protecting children from dying under 5 years old in developing countries. As a strategic response to the advocacy of the United Nations to reduce child mortality, it is worthy for health authorities to consider a further extension of nurses and midwives' practice scope to enable communities to have more access to NMW healthcare services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng You
- Adelaide Nursing School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Heart and Lung, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Cardiology & Respiratory, Box Hill Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frank Donnelly
- Adelaide Nursing School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Zhang J, Li H, Wei B, He R, Zhu B, Zhang N, Mao Y. Association between maternal health service utilization and under-five mortality rate in China and its provinces, 1990-2017. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2024; 24:326. [PMID: 38671364 PMCID: PMC11055253 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06437-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal - 3.2 aims to eliminate all preventable under-five mortality rate (U5MR). In China, government have made efforts to provide maternal health services and reduce U5MR. Hence, we aimed to explore maternal health service utilization in relation to U5MR in China and its provinces in 1990-2017. METHODS We obtained data from Global Burden of Disease 2017, China Health Statistics Yearbook, China Statistical Yearbook, and Human Development Report China Special Edition. The trend of U5MR in each province of China from 1990 to 2017 was analyzed using Joinpoint Regression model. We measured the inequities in maternal health services using HEAT Plus, a health inequity measurement tool developed by the UN. The generalized estimating equation model was used to explore the association between maternal health service utilization (including prenatal screening, hospital delivery and postpartum visits) and U5MR. RESULTS First, in China, the U5MR per 1000 live births decreased from 50 in 1990 to 12 in 2017 and the average annual percentage change (AAPC) was - 5.2 (p < 0.05). Secondly, China had a high maternal health service utilization in 2017, with 96.5% for prenatal visits, 99.9% for hospital delivery, and 94% for postnatal visits. Inequity in maternal health services between provinces is declining, with hospital delivery rate showing the greatest decrease (SII, 14.01 to 1.87, 2010 to 2017). Third, an increase in the rate of hospital delivery rate can significantly reduce U5MR (OR 0.991, 95%CI 0.987 to 0.995). Postpartum visits rate with a one-year lag can reduce U5MR (OR 0.993, 95%CI 0.987 to 0.999). However, prenatal screening rate did not have a significant effect on U5MR. CONCLUSION The decline in U5MR in China was associated with hospital delivery and postpartum visits. The design and implementation of maternal health services may provide references to other low-income and middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingya Zhang
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi , 710049, China
| | - Haoran Li
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi , 710049, China
| | - Bincai Wei
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Rongxin He
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- School of Public Health and Emergency Management, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Ying Mao
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi , 710049, China.
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Mweemba C, Mutale W, Masiye F, Hangoma P. Why is there a gap in self-rated health among people with hypertension in Zambia? A decomposition of determinants and rural‒urban differences. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1025. [PMID: 38609942 PMCID: PMC11015612 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18429-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypertension affects over one billion people globally and is one of the leading causes of premature death. Low- and middle-income countries, especially the sub-Saharan Africa region, bear a disproportionately higher share of hypertension globally. Recent evidence shows a steady shift in the burden of hypertension from more affluent and urban populations towards poorer and rural communities. Our study examined inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) among people with hypertension and whether there is a rural‒urban gap in the health of these patients. We then quantified factors driving the health gap. We also examined how much HIV accounts for differences in self-rated health among hypertension patients due to the relationship between HIV, hypertension and health in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS We utilized the Zambia Household Health Expenditure and Utilization Survey for data on SRH and other demographic and socioeconomic controls. District HIV prevalence information was from the Zambia Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (ZAMPHIA) survey. We applied the Linear Probability Model to assess the association between self-rated health and independent variables as a preliminary step. We then used the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to identify self-rated health inequality between urban and rural patients and determine determinants of the health gap between the two groups. RESULTS Advanced age, lower education and low district HIV prevalence were significantly associated with poor health rating among hypertension patients. The decomposition analysis indicated that 45.5% of urban patients and 36.9% of rural patients reported good self-rated health, representing a statistically significant health gap of 8.6%. Most of the identified health gap can be attributed to endowment effects, with education (73.6%), district HIV prevalence (30.8%) and household expenditure (4.8%) being the most important determinants that explain the health gap. CONCLUSIONS Urban hypertension patients have better SRH than rural patients in Zambia. Education, district HIV prevalence and household expenditure were the most important determinants of the health gap between rural and urban hypertension patients. Policies aimed at promoting educational interventions, improving access to financial resources and strengthening hypertension health services, especially in rural areas, can significantly improve the health of rural patients, and potentially reduce health inequalities between the two regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Mweemba
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Ridgeway Campus, Lusaka, P.O. Box 50110, Zambia.
| | - Wilbroad Mutale
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Ridgeway Campus, Lusaka, P.O. Box 50110, Zambia
| | - Felix Masiye
- Department of Economics, School of Humanities and Social Science, Great East Road Campus, Lusaka, P.O Box 32379, Zambia
| | - Peter Hangoma
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Ridgeway Campus, Lusaka, P.O. Box 50110, Zambia
- Chr. Michelson Institute (CMI), Bergen, Norway
- Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting in Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Kallah-Dagadu G, Donkor F, Duah M, Yeboah H, Arku D, Lotsi A. Investigation of Factors Influencing Infant Mortality at Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ghana. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 2024:6610617. [PMID: 38628499 PMCID: PMC11019574 DOI: 10.1155/2024/6610617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Annually, 5.4 million children under five face mortality, with 2.5 million deaths in the first month, 1.6 million between one and eleven months, and 1.3 million aged one to four. Despite global strides, sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, grapples with persistent high child mortality. This study employs statistical methods to pinpoint factors driving under-five mortality in the Greater Accra Regional Hospital. Methods The data was acquired from Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Ghana, spanning January to December 2020. The data comprised all under-five deaths recorded in the hospital in 2020. The statistical tools employed were the chi-square test of association and the multinomial logistic regression model. Results In 2020, there were 238 cases of under-five mortality recorded in the hospital, with males constituting the majority (55%). About 85% of these cases occurred within the first month of birth, primarily attributed to respiratory distress, prematurity, and sepsis. Notably, meconium aspiration was the least common among grouped diagnoses. The test of association and multinomial logistic model emphasised the child's age, birth type, and weight at birth as significant factors influencing child mortality. Conversely, attributes like sex, marital status, and mother's age displayed no notable association with the diagnosis of death. Conclusion The study on child mortality at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital unveils key factors shaping child health outcomes, emphasising the role of age, birth type, and weight. While specific demographics show no significant association, identified predictors are vital for targeted interventions. Proposed strategies encompass education programs, improved care, birthing practices, and data-driven policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Foster Donkor
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Magdalene Duah
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Hillary Yeboah
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Dennis Arku
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Anani Lotsi
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Yemane GD, Tareke AA, Zakaria HF, Takele BA, Jemal SS. Time to death and its determinants of under-five children in rural Ethiopia by using shared frailty. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5647. [PMID: 38453982 PMCID: PMC10920639 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56063-9] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Under-five (U5M) is one of the most significant and sensitive measures of the community's health. Children who live in rural areas are more likely than those who live in urban areas to die before the age of five. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the Survival status of under-five mortality and its determinants in rural Ethiopia. The 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey was used in this study as a secondary source (EMDHS). A total of 4426 weighted under-five children were included in the study. To determine survival time and identify predictors of death among children under the age of five, the Cox's gamma shared frailty model and the Kaplan Meier model, respectively, were used. An adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) along with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were used to measure the size and direction of the association. The Study showed that in rural Ethiopia, 6.03% of children died before celebrating their first birthday. The median age of under-five mortality in rural Ethiopia was estimated to be 29 Months. The hazard of death among under-five children and those who had given birth to two children in the last five years was 4.99 times less likely to be at risk of dying than those who had given birth to one Child in the previous five years (AHR 4.99, 95% CI 2.97, 8.83). The Study Concluded that under-five mortality remained high in rural Ethiopia. In the final model, the Age of Mothers, Sex of Household, Breastfeeding, Types of Birth, Sex of Child, Educational Level of Mothers, Wealth Index, Child ever born, Marital Status, and Water Source were significant predictors of under-five mortality. Twins and children who are not breastfed should receive additional attention, along with improving water resources for households and mothers income.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getahun Dejene Yemane
- Department of Statistics, College of Natural and Computational Science, Mizan-Tepi University, Tepi, Ethiopia.
| | - Abiyu Abadi Tareke
- Zonal COVID-19/EPI Technical Assistant at West Gondar Zone Health Department, Amref Health Africa in Ethiopia, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Hamdi Fekredin Zakaria
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Bayley Adane Takele
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Sebwedin Surur Jemal
- Department of Statistics, College of Natural and Computational Science, Mizan-Tepi University, Tepi, Ethiopia
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14
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Mthethwa M, Mbeye NM, Effa E, Arikpo D, Blose N, Brand A, Chibuzor M, Chipojola R, Durao S, Esu E, Kallon II, Kunje G, Lakudzala S, Naude C, Leong TD, Lewin S, Mabetha D, McCaul M, Meremikwu M, Vandvik PO, Kredo T. Newborn and child health national and provincial clinical practice guidelines in South Africa, Nigeria and Malawi: a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:221. [PMID: 38374031 PMCID: PMC10877834 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10682-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low and middle-income countries remain disproportionately affected by high rates of child mortality. Clinical practice guidelines are essential clinical tools supporting implementation of effective, safe, and cost-effective healthcare. High-quality evidence-based guidelines play a key role in improving clinical management to impact child mortality. We aimed to identify and assess the quality of guidelines for newborn and child health published in South Africa, Nigeria and Malawi in the last 5 years (2017-2022). METHODS We searched relevant websites (June-July 2022), for publicly available national and subnational de novo or adapted guidelines, addressing newborn and child health in the three countries. Pairs of reviewers independently extracted information from eligible guidelines (scope, topic, target population and users, responsible developers, stakeholder consultation process, adaptation description, assessment of evidence certainty). We appraised guideline quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE II) instrument. RESULTS We identified 40-guidelines from the three countries. Of these, 8/40 reported being adopted from a parent guideline. More guidelines (n = 19) provided guidance on communicable diseases than on non-communicable diseases (n = 8). Guidelines were most often developed by national health ministries (n = 30) and professional societies (n = 14). Eighteen guidelines reported on stakeholder consultation; with Nigeria (10/11) and Malawi (3/6) faring better than South Africa (5/23) in reporting this activity. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) approach was used in 1/7 guidelines that reported assessing certainty of evidence. Overall guidelines scored well on two AGREE II domains: scope and purpose median (IQR) score 68% (IQR 47-83), and clarity of presentation 81% (67-94). Domains critical for ensuring credible guidance scored below 20%: rigour of development 11% (4-32) and editorial independence 6% (0-27). CONCLUSION National ministries and professional societies drive guideline activities in Malawi, Nigeria and South Arica. However, the methods and reporting do not adhere to global standards. We found low AGREE II scores for rigour of guideline development and editorial independence and limited use of GRADE or adaptation methods. This undermines the credibility of available guidelines to support evidence-informed care. Our findings highlight the importance of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships, capacity, and support for guideline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mashudu Mthethwa
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nyanyiwe Masingi Mbeye
- Evidence Informed Decision-Making Centre, Department of Community and Environmental Health, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Emmanuel Effa
- Cochrane Nigeria, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Dachi Arikpo
- Cochrane Nigeria, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Ntombifuthi Blose
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Amanda Brand
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Moriam Chibuzor
- Cochrane Nigeria, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Roselyn Chipojola
- Evidence Informed Decision-Making Centre, Department of Community and Environmental Health, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Solange Durao
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ekpereonne Esu
- Cochrane Nigeria, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Idriss Ibrahim Kallon
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gertrude Kunje
- Evidence Informed Decision-Making Centre, Department of Community and Environmental Health, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Suzgika Lakudzala
- Evidence Informed Decision-Making Centre, Department of Community and Environmental Health, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Celeste Naude
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Trudy D Leong
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Simon Lewin
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Health Sciences Ålesund, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Denny Mabetha
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michael McCaul
- Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Martin Meremikwu
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Per Olav Vandvik
- MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tamara Kredo
- Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
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15
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Ajike SO, Oloyede BL. Determinants of child survival practice among caregivers in internally displaced persons' camps in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Nigeria. Child Care Health Dev 2024; 50:e13201. [PMID: 37950536 DOI: 10.1111/cch.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Child survival remains a major public health challenge in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, especially Nigeria. The Boko Haram crisis, which has aggravated this, has led to the displacement of many people in the north-eastern region, including children under five. This study investigated the determinants of child survival practice among caregivers in internally displaced persons' (IDP) camps in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Nigeria. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional design was used to collect data on determinants of child survival practice from 312 caregivers in five purposively selected IDP camps in AMAC using the snowball sampling technique. Data were analysed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics at 5% level of significance. RESULTS The mean age of respondents was 29.6 ± 6.72 years. There was a significant (p < 0.05) relationship between the predisposing, reinforcing, enabling and environmental factors studied and child survival practice. Findings also indicated that all factors were significant (p < 0.05) predictors of child survival practice with the reinforcing factor being the major predictor (ß = 0.38; t = 6.08). CONCLUSION Attention needs to be paid to all factors, particularly the reinforcing factor of social support in order to promote optimal child survival practice among caregivers in AMAC IDP camps. Collaboration with social work professionals would be an added benefit to enhance social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saratu Omagbemi Ajike
- Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Busola Loveall Oloyede
- Department of Public Health, School of Public and Allied Health, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria
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Chivardi C, Zamudio Sosa A, Cavalcanti DM, Ordoñez JA, Diaz JF, Zuluaga D, Almeida C, Serván-Mori E, Hessel P, Moncayo AL, Rasella D. Understanding the social determinants of child mortality in Latin America over the last two decades: a machine learning approach. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20839. [PMID: 38012243 PMCID: PMC10682478 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47994-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The reduction of child mortality rates remains a significant global public health challenge, particularly in regions with high levels of inequality such as Latin America. We used machine learning (ML) algorithms to explore the relationship between social determinants and child under-5 mortality rates (U5MR) in Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico over two decades. We created a municipal-level cohort from 2000 to 2019 and trained a random forest model (RF) to estimate the relative importance of social determinants in predicting U5MR. We conducted a sensitivity analysis training two more ML models and presenting the mean square error, root mean square error, and median absolute deviation. Our findings indicate that poverty, illiteracy, and the Gini index were the most important variables for predicting U5MR according to the RF. Furthermore, non-linear relationships were found mainly for Gini index and U5MR. Our study suggests that long-term public policies to reduce U5MR in Latin America should focus on reducing poverty, illiteracy, and socioeconomic inequalities. This research provides important insights into the relationships between social determinants and child mortality rates in Latin America. The use of ML algorithms, combined with large longitudinal data, allowed us to evaluate the effects of social determinants on health more carefully than traditional models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Chivardi
- Centre for Health Economics (CHE), University of York, York, UK.
| | - Alejandro Zamudio Sosa
- School of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - José Alejandro Ordoñez
- Institute of Collective Health (ISC), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Juan Felipe Diaz
- Alberto Lleras Camargo School of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniela Zuluaga
- Alberto Lleras Camargo School of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Almeida
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Philipp Hessel
- Alberto Lleras Camargo School of Government, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ana L Moncayo
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Davide Rasella
- Institute of Collective Health (ISC), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
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Kruger HS, Visser M, Malan L, Zandberg L, Wicks M, Ricci C, Faber M. Anthropometric nutritional status of children (0-18 years) in South Africa 1997-2022: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Public Health Nutr 2023; 26:2226-2242. [PMID: 37800336 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980023001994] [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: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the available literature on the anthropometric nutritional status of South African infants and children, 0-18 years old and to report on trends of changes in nutritional status over the period 1997-2022. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING Review of the available literature on the anthropometric nutritional status of South African infants and children, 0-18 years old, over the period 1997-2022. PARTICIPANTS South African infants and children, 0-18 years old. RESULTS Only quantitative data from ninety-five publications that described the nutritional status in terms of anthropometry were included. Most recent studies applied the WHO 2006 and 2007 definitions for malnutrition among children 0-5 years old and 5-19 years old, respectively. Meta-analysis of all prevalence data shows the highest stunting prevalence of 25·1 % among infants and preschool children, compared to 11·3 % among primary school-age children and 9·6 % among adolescents. Furthermore, the overweight and obesity prevalence was similar among children younger than 6 years and adolescents (19 %), compared to 12·5 % among primary school-age children. In national surveys, adolescent overweight prevalence increased from 16·9 % in 2002 to 23·1 % in 2011. Meta-regression analysis shows a decrease in stunting among children 6-18 years old and an increase in combined overweight and obesity in the 10-19 years age group. CONCLUSION The double burden of malnutrition remains evident in South Africa with stunting and overweight/obesity the most prevalent forms of malnutrition among children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herculina Salome Kruger
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520South Africa
- Medical Research Council Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, North-West University, South Africa
| | - Marina Visser
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520South Africa
| | - Linda Malan
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520South Africa
| | - Lizelle Zandberg
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520South Africa
| | - Mariaan Wicks
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520South Africa
| | - Cristian Ricci
- Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Mieke Faber
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520South Africa
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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Zeng M, Niu L. Exploring spatiotemporal trends and impacts of health resources and services on under-5 mortality in West African countries, 2010-2019: a spatial data analysis. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1193319. [PMID: 37771822 PMCID: PMC10524609 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1193319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background West African countries experienced the highest under-5 mortality rate (U5MR), the lowest life expectancy, and the poorest economic development. This study aimed to explore the spatiotemporal trend of U5MR and spatial spillover effects of health resources and services to provide a basis for establishing health policies and international cooperative mechanisms in West Africa. Methods We retrieved data from the World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory, the United Nations Human Development Report, and the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Joinpoint regression analysis and Moran's I method were used to examine the temporal trend and spatial dependence of U5MR, respectively. Spatial regression analysis was used to examine the spatial spillover effects. Results The long-term downward trends in U5MR were divided into multiple segments by two or three change points in 2013, 2014, or 2015, and the annual percentage change after 2015 was higher than before 2015. Global Moran's I was positive, significantly indicating positive spatial autocorrelation, which increased from 0.2850 (p = 0.0210) to 0.3597 (p = 0.0080). Based on spatial regression analysis, human development index (HDI), physicians density, nurses and midwives density, health center density, percentage of infants lacking immunization for diphtheria and measles, and coverage rate of at least one antenatal visit had negative spatial spillover effects on U5MR. HDI had the strongest negative correlation (β = -0.0187 to -0.1054, p < 0.0001). Current health expenditure (CHE) per capita had positive spatial spillover effects on U5MR. Conclusion This study revealed the spatiotemporal trend of U5MR in West African countries and spatial spillover effects of health resources and services. Promoting economic development, increasing health human resources, health expenditure, vaccination rate, antenatal care coverage, and the proportion of health professionals attending births not only reduced the local U5MR but also exerted spatial spillover effects on adjacent countries. The West African Health Organization may consider regional spillover mechanisms to develop regional health policy and intervention cooperation mechanisms, which will contribute to achieving the sustainable development goal on U5MR, Africa Agenda 2063, and universal health coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lu Niu
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Santos IS, Costa CS, Hills AP, Ariff S, Wickramasinghe VP, Norris S, Murphy-Alford AJ, Slater C, Lucas N, Nyati LH, Kurpad AV, Ahuja KDK, Kuriyan R. Infant body composition at 6 and 24 months: what are the driving factors? Eur J Clin Nutr 2023:10.1038/s41430-023-01321-8. [PMID: 37563230 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-023-01321-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE Available evidence on infant body composition is limited. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with body composition at 6 and 24 months. SUBJECTS/METHODS Multicenter study with data from a 0 to 6-mo cohort (Australia, India and South Africa) and a 3 to 24-mo cohort (Brazil, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka). For the 0-6-mo cohort, body composition was assessed by air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) and for the 3-24-month cohort by the deuterium dilution (DD) technique. Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), FM index (FMI), and FFM index (FFMI) were calculated. Independent variables comprised the Gini index of the country, maternal and infant characteristics, and breastfeeding pattern at 3 months. For the 3-24-mo cohort, breastfeeding, and minimum dietary diversity (MDD) at 12 months were also included. Crude and adjusted analyses stratified by sex were conducted by multilevel modelling using mixed models. RESULTS At 6 months, every 1 kg increase in birth weight was associated with an increase of 0.716 kg in FFM and 0.582 kg/m2 in FFMI in girls, whereas in boys, the increase was of 0.277 kg in FFM. At 24 months, compared to those weaned before 12 months, girls still breastfed at 12 months presented a decrease of 0.225 kg in FM, 0.645 kg in FFM and 0.459 kg/m2 in FFMI, and in boys the decreases were of 0.467 kg in FM, 0.603 kg in FFM and 0.628 kg/m2 in FFMI. CONCLUSION Birth weight and breastfeeding are independent predictors of body composition in early life, irrespective of sex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Shane Norris
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Blanchard AK, Jacobs C, Musukuma M, Chooye O, Sikapande B, Michelo C, Boerma T, Wehrmeister FC. Going deeper with health equity measurement: how much more can surveys reveal about inequalities in health intervention coverage and mortality in Zambia? Int J Equity Health 2023; 22:109. [PMID: 37268969 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01901-x] [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: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although Zambia has achieved notable improvements in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), continued efforts to address gaps are essential to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Research to better uncover who is being most left behind with poor health outcomes is crucial. This study aimed to understand how much more demographic health surveys can reveal about Zambia's progress in reducing inequalities in under-five mortality rates and RMNCH intervention coverage. METHODS Using four nationally-representative Zambia Demographic Health Surveys (2001/2, 2007, 2013/14, 2018), we estimated under-five mortality rates (U5MR) and RMNCH composite coverage indices (CCI) comparing wealth quintiles, urban-rural residence and provinces. We further used multi-tier measures including wealth deciles and double disaggregation between wealth and region (urban residence, then provinces). These were summarised using slope indices of inequality, weighted mean differences from overall mean, Theil and concentration indices. RESULTS Inequalities in RMNCH coverage and under-five mortality narrowed between wealth groups, residence and provinces over time, but in different ways. Comparing measures of inequalities over time, disaggregation with multiple socio-economic and geographic stratifiers was often valuable and provided additional insights compared to conventional measures. Wealth quintiles were sufficient in revealing mortality inequalities compared to deciles, but comparing CCI by deciles provided more nuance by showing that the poorest 10% were left behind by 2018. Examining wealth in only urban areas helped reveal closing gaps in under-five mortality and CCI between the poorest and richest quintiles. Though challenged by lower precision, wealth gaps appeared to close in every province for both mortality and CCI. Still, inequalities remained higher in provinces with worse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Multi-tier equity measures provided similarly plausible and precise estimates as conventional measures for most comparisons, except mortality among some wealth deciles, and wealth tertiles by province. This suggests that related research could readily use these multi-tier measures to gain deeper insights on inequality patterns for both health coverage and impact indicators, given sufficient samples. Future household survey analyses using fit-for-purpose equity measures are needed to uncover intersecting inequalities and target efforts towards effective coverage that will leave no woman or child behind in Zambia and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea K Blanchard
- Institute for Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, R070-771 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg, R3E 0T6, Canada.
| | - Choolwe Jacobs
- School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Mwiche Musukuma
- School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Ovost Chooye
- Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Brivine Sikapande
- Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Ministry of Health, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Charles Michelo
- School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Ties Boerma
- Institute for Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, R070-771 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg, R3E 0T6, Canada
| | - Fernando C Wehrmeister
- Institute for Global Public Health, University of Manitoba, R070-771 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg, R3E 0T6, Canada
- International Center for Equity in Health, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
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Gaffan N, Kpozehouen A, Degbey C, Ahanhanzo YG, Paraïso MN. Effects of household access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services on under-five mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1136299. [PMID: 37181724 PMCID: PMC10173862 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest under-five mortality rate and is among the regions where people have the least access to adequate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services. The work aimed to investigate the effects of WASH conditions faced by children on under-five mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We carried out secondary analyses using the Demographic and Health Survey datasets of 30 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study population consisted of children born within 5 years preceding the selected surveys. The dependent variable was the child's status (1 = deceased versus 0 = alive) on the survey day. The individual WASH conditions in which children live were assessed in their immediate environment, i.e., at the level of their households of residence. The other explanatory variables were related to the child, mother, household, and environment. Following a description of the study variables, we identified the predictors of under-five mortality using a mixed logistic regression. Results The analyses involved 303,985 children. Overall, 6.36% (95% CI = 6.24-6.49) of children died before their fifth birthday. The percentage of children living in households with access to individual basic WASH services was 58.15% (95% CI = 57.51-58.78), 28.18% (95% CI = 27.74-28.63), and 17.06% (95% CI = 16.71-17.41), respectively. Children living in households using unimproved water facilities (aOR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.04-1.16) or surface water (aOR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.03-1.20) were more likely to die before five than those coming from households with basic water facilities. The risk of under-five mortality was 11% higher for children living in households with limited sanitation facilities (aOR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.04-1.18) than for those with basic sanitation services. We found no evidence to support a relationship between household access to hygiene services and under-five mortality. Conclusion Interventions to reduce under-five mortality should focus on strengthening access to basic water and sanitation services. Further studies are needed to investigate the contribution of access to basic hygiene services on under-five mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gaffan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Regional Institute of Public Health, University of Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, Benin
| | - Alphonse Kpozehouen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Regional Institute of Public Health, University of Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, Benin
| | - Cyriaque Degbey
- Department of Environmental Health, Regional Institute of Public Health, University of Abomey Calavi, Ouidah, Benin
- University Hospital Hygiene Clinic, National Hospital and University Centre Hubert Koutoukou Maga, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Yolaine Glele Ahanhanzo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Regional Institute of Public Health, University of Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, Benin
| | - Moussiliou Noël Paraïso
- Department of Health Promotion, Regional Institute of Public Health, University of Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, Benin
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Tesema GA, Worku MG, Alamneh TS, Teshale AB, Yeshaw Y, Alem AZ, Ayalew HG, Liyew AM, Tessema ZT. Estimating the impact of birth interval on under-five mortality in east african countries: a propensity score matching analysis. Arch Public Health 2023; 81:63. [PMID: 37085879 PMCID: PMC10120214 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-023-01092-5] [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: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Under-five mortality remains a global public health concern, particularly in East African countries. Short birth interval is highly associated with under-five mortality, and birth spacing has a significant effect on a child's likelihood of survival. The association between short birth intervals and under-five mortality was demonstrated by numerous observational studies. However, the effect of short birth intervals on under-five mortality has not been investigated yet. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of short birth intervals on under-five mortality in East Africa using Propensity Matched Analysis. METHODS A secondary data analysis was conducted based on the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data of 12 East African countries. A total weighted sample of 105,662 live births was considered for this study. A PSM analysis was carried out to evaluate the effect of short birth intervals on under-five mortality. Under-five mortality was the outcome variable, while the short birth interval was considered a treatment variable. To determine the Average Treatment Effect on the population (ATE), Average Treatment Effect on the treated (ATT), and Average Treatment Effect on the untreated (ATU), we performed PSM analysis with a logit-based model using the psmatch2 ate STATA function. The quality of matching was assessed statistically and graphically. The common support assumption was checked and fulfilled. We have employed Mantel-Haenszel bounds to examine whether the result would be free from hidden bias or not. RESULTS The prevalence of short birth intervals in East Africa was 44%. The under-five mortality rate among mothers who had optimal birth intervals was 39.9 (95% CI: 38.3, 41.5) per 1000 live births while it was 60.6 (95% CI: 58.5, 62.8) per 1000 live births among mothers who had a short birth intervals. Propensity score matching split births from mothers into treatment and control groups based on the preceding birth interval. In the PSM analysis, the ATT values in the treated and control groups were 6.09% and 3.97%, respectively, showed under-five mortality among births to mothers with short birth intervals was 2.17% higher than births to mothers who had an optimal birth interval. The ATU values in the intervention and control groups were 3.90% and 6.06%, respectively, indicating that for births from women who had an optimal birth interval, the chance of dying within five years would increase by 2.17% if they were born to mother with short birth interval. The final ATE estimate was 2.14% among the population. After matching, there was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the treated and control groups (p-value > 0.05), which indicates the quality of matching was good. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that enhancing mothers to have optimal birth spacing is likely to be an effective approach to reducing the incidence of under-five mortality. Our findings suggest that births to mothers with short birth intervals have an increased risk of death in the first five years of life than births to mothers who had an optimal birth interval. Therefore, public health programs should enhance interventions targeting improving birth spacing to reduce the incidence of under-five mortality in low-and middle-income countries like East African countries. Moreover, to achieve a significant reduction in the under-five mortality rate, interventions that encourage birth spacing should be considered. This will improve child survival and help in attaining Sustainable Development Goal targets in East African countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
| | - Misganaw Gebrie Worku
- Department of human anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfa Sewunet Alamneh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Yigizie Yeshaw
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
- Department of human physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Adugnaw Zeleke Alem
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Hiwotie Getaneh Ayalew
- Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, college of Medicine and health sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Alemneh Mekuriaw Liyew
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Zemenu Tadesse Tessema
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences and comprehensive specialized hospital, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Sociodemographic determinants of child mortality based on mothers' attitudes toward partner violence: Evidence from Bangladesh. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13848. [PMID: 36923848 PMCID: PMC10009682 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13848] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bangladesh, a lower-middle-income country in South Asia, has achieved a significant reduction in child mortality over the last three decades from 151 to 40 per 1000 live births. However, child mortality is still considered high, which may be attributed to a lack of awareness among mothers regarding the risk factors, particularly their perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV). To investigate the effect of demographic and socioeconomic factors of women on child mortality, this study extracted data from the cross-sectional survey of Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019. The data were analyzed using a Poisson regression model to assess women's perceptions and exposure to physical violence in the last three years preceding the survey and their impact on the risk of child mortality. The results indicated that approximately 26% of the participants justified domestic violence under certain circumstances. Moreover, the prevalence of child mortality was higher among those who thought that IPV is acceptable than among those who considered such violence to be unjustified. Among women who are strongly averse to partner violence, the risk of child mortality was significantly lower in those who had higher levels of education, higher household income, internet usage experience, first child at 20 years or later, frequent access to mass media, and one or two children ever born. Moreover, child mortality rates also varied across geographical areas, with children from Sylhet and Mymenshing being the most vulnerable. The data indicates women's intolerable attitudes toward partner violence not only improve their status but also increase the survival chances of their young children.
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Moradhvaj, Samir KC. Differential impact of maternal education on under-five mortality in rural and urban India. Health Place 2023; 80:102987. [PMID: 36801652 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.102987] [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: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
Under-five mortality rate (U5MR) differs by rural-urban place of residence and mother's education; however, the rural-urban gap in U5MR by mother's educational attainment is unclear in the existing literature. Using five rounds of the national family health surveys (NFHS I-V) conducted between 1992-93 and 2019-21 in India, this study estimated the main and interaction effects of rural-urban and maternal education on U5MR. The mixed effect Cox proportional hazard (MECPH) model was used to predict the risk of under-five mortality (U5M). The finding shows that unadjusted U5MR remained 50 per cent higher in rural areas than in urban areas across the surveys. Whereas, after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and maternal health care predictors of U5M, the MECPH regression results indicated that urban children had a higher risk of death than their rural counterparts in NFHS I-III. However, there are no significant rural-urban differences in the last two surveys (NFHS IV -V). In addition, increasing maternal education levels were associated with lower U5M in all surveys. Though, in recent years, primary education has had no significant effect. The U5M risk was additionally lower for urban children than rural children whose mothers had secondary and higher education by NFHS-III; however, this additional urban advantage was no longer significant in recent surveys. The higher impact of secondary education on U5MR in urban areas in the past may be attributed to poor socio-economic, healthcare conditions in rural areas. Overall, maternal education, particularly secondary education, remained a protective factor for U5M in both rural and urban areas, even after controlling for predictors. Therefore, there is a need to increase the focus on secondary education for girls for a further decline in U5M.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moradhvaj
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria; Vienna Institute of Demography of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/OAW, WU), Vienna, Austria.
| | - K C Samir
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria; Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital (IIASA, VID/OAW, WU), Vienna, Austria; Asian Demographic Research Institute (ADRI) at Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.
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25
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Jacobs C, Musukuma M, Sikapande B, Chooye O, Wehrmeister FC, Boerma T, Michelo C, Blanchard AK. How Zambia reduced inequalities in under-five mortality rates over the last two decades: a mixed-methods study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:170. [PMID: 36805693 PMCID: PMC9940360 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09086-3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zambia experienced a major decline in under-five mortality rates (U5MR), with one of the fastest declines in socio-economic disparities in sub-Saharan Africa in the last two decades. We aimed to understand the extent to which, and how, Zambia has reduced socio-economic inequalities in U5MR since 2000. METHODS Using nationally-representative data from Zambia Demographic Health Surveys (2001/2, 2007, 2013/14 and 2018), we examined trends and levels of inequalities in under-five mortality, intervention coverage, household water and sanitation, and fertility. This analysis was integrated with an in-depth review of key policy and program documents relevant to improving child survival in Zambia between 1990 and 2020. RESULTS The under-five mortality rate (U5MR) declined from 168 to 64 deaths per 1000 live births between 2001/2 and 2018 ZDHS rounds, particularly in the post-neonatal period. There were major reductions in U5MR inequalities between wealth, education and urban-rural residence groups. Yet reduced gaps between wealth groups in estimated absolute income or education levels did not simultaneously occur. Inequalities reduced markedly for coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), malaria and human immunodeficiency virus interventions, but less so for water or sanitation and fertility levels. Several policy and health systems drivers were identified for reducing RMNCH inequalities: policy commitment to equity in RMNCH; financing with a focus on disadvantaged groups; multisectoral partnerships and horizontal programming; expansion of infrastructure and human resources for health; and involvement of community stakeholders and service providers. CONCLUSION Zambia's major progress in reducing inequalities in child survival between the poorest and richest people appeared to be notably driven by government policies and programs that centrally valued equity, despite ongoing gaps in absolute income and education levels. Future work should focus on sustaining these gains, while targeting families that have been left behind to achieve the sustainable development goal targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Choolwe Jacobs
- School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Box 50110, Lusaka, Zambia.
| | - Mwiche Musukuma
- School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Box 50110, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | | | | | | | - Charles Michelo
- School of Public Health, University of Zambia, Box 50110, Lusaka, Zambia
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Atalell KA, Alene KA. Spatiotemporal distributions of under-five mortality in Ethiopia between 2000 and 2019. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001504. [PMID: 36972238 PMCID: PMC10042344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Under-five mortality declined in the last two decades in Ethiopia, but sub-national and local progress remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal distributions and ecological level factors of under-five mortality in Ethiopia. Data on under-five mortality were obtained from five different Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), conducted in 2000, 2005, 2011, 2016, and 2019. Environmental and healthcare access data were obtained from different publicly available sources. Bayesian geostatistical models were used to predict and visualize spatial risks for under-five mortality. The national under-five mortality rate in Ethiopia declined from 121 per 1000 live births in 2000 to 59 per 1000 live births in 2019. Spatial variation in under-five mortality was observed at regional and local levels with the highest rates reported in the Western, Eastern, and Central parts of Ethiopia. Spatial clustering of under-five mortality was significantly associated with population density, access to a water body, and climatic factors such as temperature. Under-five mortality rate declined over the past two decades and varied substantially at sub-national and local levels in Ethiopia. Increasing access to water and health care may help to reduce under-five mortality in high-risk areas. Therefore, interventions targeted to reduce under-five mortality should be strengthened in the areas that had a clustering of under-five mortality in Ethiopia by increasing access to quality health care access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendalem Asmare Atalell
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Kefyalew Addis Alene
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
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27
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Abdelhady M, Farag M. Understanding inequities in child mortality in Egypt: Socioeconomic and proximate factors. Glob Public Health 2023; 18:2276861. [PMID: 37970833 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2023.2276861] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
While there have been notable advancements in child health in Egypt, disparities in child mortality still exist. Understanding these disparities is crucial to addressing them. The objective of this study is to explore the factors linked to child mortality in Egypt, providing a comprehensive understanding of the disparities in child mortality rates. The study utilises cross-sectional data from Egypt's Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) in 2014 to examine child mortality. The dataset consists of 15,848 observations from mothers with children born within five years prior to the survey. The choice of explanatory variables was guided by the Mosely and Chen Framework and logistic multivariate regression was used to conduct the analyses. The study finds lower education, early childbearing, insufficient birth spacing, lack of breastfeeding, and absence of improved toilet facilities (proxy for living conditions) were all significantly linked to an increased likelihood of child loss. Additionally, poorer people in rural settings experienced the worst child mortality. The findings align with the World Health Organization's Conceptual Framework for Action on the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Recommended policy interventions include targeting women in rural areas, improving living conditions and removing financial/other barriers to accessing care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Abdelhady
- Department of Economics, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Market Analysis, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marwa Farag
- School of Public Administration and Development Economics (SPADE), Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Doha, Qatar
- School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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Daca CSL, Schumann B, Arnaldo C, San Sebastian M. Wealth inequalities in reproductive and child health preventive care in Mozambique: a decomposition analysis. Glob Health Action 2022; 15:2040150. [PMID: 35290171 PMCID: PMC8928807 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2022.2040150] [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] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Assessing the gap between rich and poor is important to monitor inequalities in health. Identifying the contribution to that gap can help policymakers to develop interventions towards decreasing that difference. Objective To quantify the wealth inequalities in health preventive measures (bed net use, vaccination, and contraceptive use) to determine the demographic and socioeconomic contribution factors to that inequality using a decomposition analysis. Methods Data from the 2015 Immunisation, Malaria and AIDs Indicators Survey were used. The total sample included 6946 women aged 15–49 years. Outcomes were use of insecticide-treated nets (ITN), child vaccination, and modern contraception use. Wealth Index was the exposure variable and age, marital status, place of residence, region, education, occupation, and household wealth index were the explanatory variables. Wealth inequalities were assessed using concentration indexes (Cindex). Wagstaff-decomposition analysis was conducted to assess the determinants of the wealth inequality. Results The Cindex was −0.081 for non-ITN, −0.189 for lack of vaccination coverage and −0.284 for non-contraceptive use, indicating a pro-poor inequality. The results revealed that 88.41% of wealth gap for ITN was explained by socioeconomic factors, with education and wealth playing the largest roles. Lack of full vaccination, socioeconomic factors made the largest contribution, through the wealth variable, whereas geographic factors came next. Finally, the lack of contraceptive use, socioeconomic factors were the main explanatory factors, but to a lesser degree than the other two outcomes, with wealth and education contributing most to explaining the gap. Conclusion There was a pro-poor inequality in reproductive and child preventive measures in Mozambique. The greater part of this inequality could be attributed to wealth, education, and residence in rural areas. Resources should be channeled into poor and non-educated rural communities to tackle these persistent inequities in preventive care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanvo S L Daca
- Department of Cooperation, Ministry of Health, Directorate of Planning and Cooperation, Maputo, Mozambique.,Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Barbara Schumann
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Seidu AA, Ahinkorah BO, Ameyaw EK, Budu E, Yaya S. Women empowerment indicators and uptake of child health services in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis using cross-sectional data from 26 countries. J Public Health (Oxf) 2022; 44:740-752. [PMID: 34059913 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sustainable development goal 3, target 2, seeks to reduce under-five mortality to as low as 25 deaths per 1000 live births by 2030. As such, seeking child health services has become a priority concern for all countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Evidence suggests that empowered women are more likely to seek child health services. Hence, this study examined the association between women empowerment indicators and uptake of child health services in SSA. METHODS The study used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 26 SSA countries, which were conducted between 2010 and 2019. Two different samples were considered in the study: a total of 12 961 children within the vaccination age of 12-23, and 9489 children under age 5 with diarrhoea symptoms in the last 2 weeks before the survey. Women empowerment indicators comprised disagreement with reasons to justify wife beating, decision-making power and knowledge level, while child health services constituted complete vaccination uptake and seeking diarrhoea treatment. Frequencies, percentages and multivariable, multilevel binary logistic regression models were employed. RESULTS The study shows that women with high decision-making power [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07, 1.35] had higher odds of seeking treatment for childhood diarrhoea compared to those with low decision-making power. It was also observed that among children aged 12-23 months [AOR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.43], mothers had higher odds of seeking diarrhoea treatment for them compared to those who were aged less than 12 months. Children whose mothers had medium decision-making power [AOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.19, 1.41] were more likely to seek complete immunization for their children compared to those with low decision-making power. Also, those with medium [AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.31] and high knowledge [AOR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.42] had higher odds of completing immunization for their children compared to those with low knowledge. Women with medium acceptance had lower odds [AOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.67, 0.83] of completing immunization for their children compared with those with low acceptance of wife beating. CONCLUSIONS This study has demonstrated a strong association between women empowerment indicators and the uptake of child health services. Therefore, efforts should be made to seek policy tools to empower women to help improve the well-being of women and the children they care for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Private Bail Box, UCC, Cape Coast, Ghana.,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services, James Cook University, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Edward Kwabena Ameyaw
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Eugene Budu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Private Bail Box, UCC, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5, Canada.,The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London W12 OBZ UK, UK
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Chilot D, Shitu K, Gela YY, Getnet M, Mulat B, Diress M, Belay DG. Factors associated with healthcare-seeking behavior for symptomatic acute respiratory infection among children in East Africa: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:662. [PMID: 36380283 PMCID: PMC9664707 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03680-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although there has been promising progress in the reduction of child mortality from ARI, the magnitude is high yet, especially in East Africa. Since mothers/guardians decide upon the type and frequency of healthcare services for children, their good healthcare-seeking behavior could prevent acute respiratory infections (ARI) related mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to investigate the pooled prevalence and factors associated with healthcare-seeking behavior of children younger than five years with ARI symptoms by using data from nationally representative surveys of East Africa. Methods We analyzed secondary data based on the eleven East African Demographic and Health Survey data. Both Individual and community level variables were considered for this study and a multilevel binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify associated factors of children’s healthcare-seeking behavior for ARI symptoms. STATA V.14 software was used to clean, recode and analyze the data. All variables with a p-value = 0.2 in the bi-variable analysis were considered for the multivariable multilevel analysis. Adjusted OR (AOR) with 95% CI was reported to reveal significantly associated factors in the multivariable multilevel analysis. Result The overall prevalence of healthcare-seeking behavior of under-five children for ARI symptoms was 64.4% in East Africa. In the multilevel analysis, the following characteristics were found to be the most important factors of children healthcare seeking behavior for ARI symptoms (P < 0.05): Rural residence [AOR = 0.51, 95% CI (0.37–0.65)], high community level media usage [AOR = 1.63, 95% CI (1.49–1.79)], high community level women education [AOR = 1.51, 95% CI (1.39–1.66)], primary education [AOR = 1.62, 95% CI (1.45–1.82)], secondary education and above [AOR = 1.99, 95% CI (1.71–2.32)], working mother [AOR = 1.33, 95% CI (1.20–1.48)], unmarried women [AOR = 1.15, 95% CI (1.04–1.27)], media access [AOR = 1.43, 95% CI (1.20–1.58)], richest [AOR = 1.39, 95% CI (1.29–1.51)], distance to health facility not a big problem [AOR = 1.11, 95% CI (1.02–1.21)], Place of delivery at health facilities [AOR = 1.77, 95% CI (1.60–1.95)], age of child 7–23 months [AOR = 1.59, 95% CI (1.39–1.82)], age of child 24–59 months [AOR = 1.24, 95% CI (1.09–1.41)] in comparison with children aged 0–6 months, family size > 10 [AOR = 1.53, 95% CI (1.22–1.92)]. Conclusions and recommendations The overall prevalence of children’s healthcare-seeking behavior for ARI symptoms was found relatively low in East Africa, ARI symptoms were determined by individual-level variables and community-level factors. Targeted interventions are needed to improve socioeconomic and health systems to overcome the problem of acute respiratory infection in children. Special attention is required to empower local health staff and health facilities to provide proper diagnosis and management of ARI cases in East Africa.
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Risk factors of mortality among children under age five in Awi Zone, northwest Ethiopia. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275659. [PMID: 36197924 PMCID: PMC9534439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, under-five mortality rates have dropped, but in Ethiopia, the under-five mortality rate is still high. In Amhara region, the death of children under the age of five is still a public health problem. This study assessed the risk factors of mortality among children under age five in Awi Zone. METHOD A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1, 2020, up to April 30, 2021. Data entry and analysis were conducted using SPSS version 26 and Stata version 16, respectively. A zero-inflated Poisson regression model was fitted to identify the risk factors of under-five mortality. RESULT Out of the 1,340 mothers in the Awi zone, 11.9% of women lost at least one child. Single births (IRR = 0.598, 95% CI: 0.395, 0.906), fathers whose level of education is secondary or above(IRR = 0.223, 95% CI: 0.064, 0.782), mothers who completed their secondary and above education level(IRR = 0.116, 95% CI: 0.014, 0.971), mothers who have birth interval greater than 24 months (IRR = 0.619,95% CI: 0.417, 0.917), 8 and above family size the households (IRR = 0.543, 95% CI: 0.302, 0.976), 31 and above mother age groups (IRR = 0.296, 95% CI: 0.093, 0.943), medium households of mothers (IRR = 0.540, 95% CI: 0.316, 0.920), working mothers (IRR = 1.691, 95% CI: 1.040, 2.748) and mothers who had not antenatal visits during pregnancy (IRR = 2.060, 95% CI: 1.259, 3.371) were significant factors of under-five mortality. CONCLUSION Mother's age group, preceding birth interval, family size, wealth index, duration of pregnancy, antenatal visits during pregnancy, types of birth, mother's education level, husband's education level, and place of delivery were significant factors of under-five mortality in Awi zone. So, Awi zone public health institute, Awi zone children's and youth office, and other relevant bodies should work to reduce under-five mortality by focusing on child mortality issues.
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Waruiru W, Oramisi V, Sila A, Onyango D, Waruru A, Mwangome MN, Young PW, Muuo S, Nyagah LM, Ollongo J, Ngugi C, Rutherford GW. All-cause and cause-specific mortality rates for Kisumu County: a comparison with Kenya, low-and middle-income countries. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1828. [PMID: 36167543 PMCID: PMC9516838 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14141-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the magnitude and causes of mortality at national and sub-national levels for countries is critical in facilitating evidence-based prioritization of public health response. We provide comparable cause of death data from Kisumu County, a high HIV and malaria-endemic county in Kenya, and compared them with Kenya and low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). METHODS We analyzed data from a mortuary-based study at two of the largest hospital mortuaries in Kisumu. Mortality data through 2019 for Kenya and all LMICs were downloaded from the Global Health Data Exchange. We provided age-standardized rates for comparisons of all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates, and distribution of deaths by demographics and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) classifications. RESULTS The all-cause age-standardized mortality rate (SMR) was significantly higher in Kisumu compared to Kenya and LMICs (1118 vs. 659 vs. 547 per 100,000 population, respectively). Among women, the all-cause SMR in Kisumu was almost twice that of Kenya and double the LMICs rate (1150 vs. 606 vs. 518 per 100,000 population respectively). Among men, the all-cause SMR in Kisumu was approximately one and a half times higher than in Kenya and nearly double that of LMICs (1089 vs. 713 vs. 574 per 100,000 population). In Kisumu and LMICs non-communicable diseases accounted for most (48.0 and 58.1% respectively) deaths, while in Kenya infectious diseases accounted for the majority (49.9%) of deaths. From age 10, mortality rates increased with age across all geographies. The age-specific mortality rate among those under 1 in Kisumu was nearly twice that of Kenya and LMICs (6058 vs. 3157 and 3485 per 100,000 population, respectively). Mortality from injuries among men was at least one and half times that of women in all geographies. CONCLUSION There is a notable difference in the patterns of mortality rates across the three geographical areas. The double burden of mortality from GBD Group I and Group II diseases with high infant mortality in Kisumu can guide prioritization of public health interventions in the county. This study demonstrates the importance of establishing reliable vital registry systems at sub-national levels as the mortality dynamics and trends are not homogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanjiru Waruiru
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San-Francisco, USA.
| | - Violet Oramisi
- Ministry of Health, National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Alex Sila
- United Nations Poulation Fund, Vientiane, Laos
| | | | - Anthony Waruru
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Global HIV & TB, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Mary N Mwangome
- Global Programs for Research and Training (GPRT), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter W Young
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Global HIV & TB, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sheru Muuo
- Global Programs for Research and Training (GPRT), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lilly M Nyagah
- Ministry of Health, Office of Director General, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - John Ollongo
- Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Catherine Ngugi
- Ministry of Health, National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - George W Rutherford
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San-Francisco, USA
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Saroj RK, Yadav PK, Singh R, Chilyabanyama O. Machine Learning Algorithms for understanding the determinants of under-five Mortality. BioData Min 2022; 15:20. [PMID: 36153553 PMCID: PMC9509654 DOI: 10.1186/s13040-022-00308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Under-five mortality is a matter of serious concern for child health as well as the social development of any country. The paper aimed to find the accuracy of machine learning models in predicting under-five mortality and identify the most significant factors associated with under-five mortality. METHOD The data was taken from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-IV) of Uttar Pradesh. First, we used multivariate logistic regression due to its capability for predicting the important factors, then we used machine learning techniques such as decision tree, random forest, Naïve Bayes, K- nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), neural network, and ridge classifier. Each model's accuracy was checked by a confusion matrix, accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, Cohen's Kappa, and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC). Information gain rank was used to find the important factors for under-five mortality. Data analysis was performed using, STATA-16.0, Python 3.3, and IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0 software. RESULT By applying the machine learning models, results showed that the neural network model was the best predictive model for under-five mortality when compared with other predictive models, with model accuracy of (95.29% to 95.96%), recall (71.51% to 81.03%), precision (36.64% to 51.83%), F1 score (50.46% to 62.68%), Cohen's Kappa value (0.48 to 0.60), AUROC range (93.51% to 96.22%) and precision-recall curve range (99.52% to 99.73%). The neural network was the most efficient model, but logistic regression also shows well for predicting under-five mortality with accuracy (94% to 95%)., AUROC range (93.4% to 94.8%), and precision-recall curve (99.5% to 99.6%). The number of living children, survival time, wealth index, child size at birth, birth in the last five years, the total number of children ever born, mother's education level, and birth order were identified as important factors influencing under-five mortality. CONCLUSION The neural network model was a better predictive model compared to other machine learning models in predicting under-five mortality, but logistic regression analysis also shows good results. These models may be helpful for the analysis of high-dimensional data for health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kumar Saroj
- Department of Community Medicine, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences-Sikkim Manipal University, Gangtok, Sikkim 737102 India
| | - Pawan Kumar Yadav
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, 400088 India
| | - Rajneesh Singh
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Banasthali Vidyapith, Vanasthali Rd, Aliyabad, Tonk, Rajasthan 304022 India
| | - Obvious.N. Chilyabanyama
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
- African Centre of Excellency in Data Science (ACEDS), University of Rwanda, KK 737 Street, Gikondo, Kigali, Rwanda
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Imo CK, De Wet-Billings N, Isiugo-Abanihe UC. The impact of maternal health insurance coverage and adequate healthcare services utilisation on the risk of under-five mortality in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study. Arch Public Health 2022; 80:206. [PMID: 36100949 PMCID: PMC9472384 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-022-00968-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the progress in reducing under-five mortality (U-5 M) in recent years, these deaths remain considerably high in Nigeria. This could be attributed to poor health policies including inequality of health insurance coverage and access to adequate healthcare services utilisations which has remained inimical to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). Therefore, this study examined the impact of maternal health insurance coverage and adequate healthcare services utilisation on the risk of U-5 M in Nigeria. Methods The data for the study were derived from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey and comprised a weighted sample of 127,545 birth histories of childbearing women. Descriptive and analytical analyses were carried out, including frequency tables and multivariate using Cox proportional regression. The results were presented as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Data were analyzed using Stata software version 15.1. Results The results showed that 14.3% of the sampled birth histories of the childbearing women were children who died before age 5. The results further showed that 97.7% of the children were of mothers who have health insurance and over one-half (56.5%) were children whose mothers had adequate healthcare services utilisation. The risk of under-five death was significantly lower among the children of mothers who were covered by health insurance (HR: 0.66, CI: 0.42–1.02) and those whose mothers utilised adequate healthcare services (HR: 0.78, CI: 0.68–0.90). A similar result was observed among children whose mothers reported that distance to the health facility was not a problem (HR: 0.81, CI: 0.72–0.86). Some mothers’ characteristics including educational attainment, wealth quintile and region of residence significantly influenced the risk of U-5 M. Conclusions The study established that maternal health insurance coverage and adequate healthcare services utilisation were found to be protective factors against the risk of U-5 M. Also, the revealed low health insurance coverage of mothers calls for more pragmatic policy and intervention programmes through health insurance to achieve SDGs targets of ending preventable deaths of children under 5 years of age and ensuring quality, as well as universal access to maternal and child healthcare services.
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Samadoulougou S, Negatou M, Ngawisiri C, Ridde V, Kirakoya-Samadoulougou F. Effect of the free healthcare policy on socioeconomic inequalities in care seeking for fever in children under five years in Burkina Faso: a population-based surveys analysis. Int J Equity Health 2022; 21:124. [PMID: 36050719 PMCID: PMC9438346 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-022-01732-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In 2016, Burkina Faso implemented a free healthcare policy as an initiative to remove user fees for women and under-5 children to improve access to healthcare. Socioeconomic inequalities create disparities in the use of health services which can be reduced by removing user fees. This study aimed to assess the effect of the free healthcare policy (FHCP) on the reduction of socioeconomic inequalities in the use of health services in Burkina Faso. Methods Data were obtained from three nationally representative population based surveys of 2958, 2617, and 1220 under-5 children with febrile illness in 2010, 2014, and 2017–18 respectively. Concentration curves were constructed for the periods before and after policy implementation to assess socioeconomic inequalities in healthcare seeking. In addition, Erreyger’s corrected concentration indices were computed to determine the magnitude of these inequalities. Results Prior to the implementation of the FHCP, inequalities in healthcare seeking for febrile illnesses in under-5 children favoured wealthier households [Erreyger’s concentration index = 0.196 (SE = 0.039, p = 0.039) and 0.178 (SE = 0.039, p < 0.001) in 2010 and 2014, respectively]. These inequalities decreased after policy implementation in 2017–18 [Concentration Index (CI) = 0.091, SE = 0.041; p = 0.026]. Furthermore, existing pro-rich disparities in healthcare seeking between regions before the implementation of the FHCP diminished after its implementation, with five regions having a high CI in 2010 (0.093–0.208), four regions in 2014, and no region in 2017 with such high CI. In 2017–18, pro-rich inequalities were observed in ten regions (CI:0.007–0.091),whereas in three regions (Plateau Central, Centre, and Cascades), the CI was negative indicating that healthcare seeking was in favour of poorest households. Conclusion This study demonstrated that socioeconomic inequalities for under-5 children with febrile illness seeking healthcare in Burkina Faso reduced considerably following the implementation of the free healthcare policy. To reinforce the reduction of these disparities, policymakers should maintain the policy and focus on tackling geographical, cultural, and social barriers, especially in regions where healthcare seeking still favours rich households. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12939-022-01732-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sekou Samadoulougou
- Centre for Research On Planning and Development (CRAD), Laval University, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada. .,Evaluation Platform On Obesity Prevention, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Quebec, G1V 4G5, Canada.
| | - Mariamawit Negatou
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie, Biostatistiques Et Recherche Clinique, École de Santé Publique, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - Calypse Ngawisiri
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie, Biostatistiques Et Recherche Clinique, École de Santé Publique, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgique
| | - Valery Ridde
- Institute for Research On Sustainable Development, CEPED, IRD-Université de Paris, ERL INSERM SAGESUD, Paris, France
| | - Fati Kirakoya-Samadoulougou
- Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie, Biostatistiques Et Recherche Clinique, École de Santé Publique, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgique
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Zakari A, Taghizadeh-Hesary F, Tawiah V, Alvarado R, Li G. The impact of environmental cleanliness and cultural factors on child health in Africa. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:59619-59632. [PMID: 35389169 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20016-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Africa is a region with abundant natural resources, but the child mortality rate is higher. Despite World Health Organization (WHO) support, the region remained the highest with the number of child mortality rate. Given this fact, this study examines the role of environmental degradation, clean water source, and sanitation facilities on child mortality and life expectancy/longevity in Africa. To achieve this objective, we employ pooled regression and system generalized method of moment (S-GMM) on 33 African countries between 2000 and 2014. We found that environmental degradation is positively related to child mortality and life expectancy or longevity. However, clean water sources and sanitation facilities help to reduce the child mortality rate and help to improve life expectancy. Also, we found cultural norms improve child mortality and life expectancy. Our results imply that African countries are benefitting from cultural values, clean water sources, and sanitation facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrasheed Zakari
- School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
- Alma Mater Europaea ECM, Maribor, Slovenia.
| | | | | | - Rafael Alvarado
- Esai Business School, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborombón, 091650, Ecuador
| | - Guo Li
- School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
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Assessing Individual- and Community-Level Variability in Predictors of Neonatal, Infant, and Under-Five Child Mortality in Ethiopia Using a Multilevel Modeling Approach. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:children9071071. [PMID: 35884055 PMCID: PMC9320923 DOI: 10.3390/children9071071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: In low-and middle-income countries, child mortality rates are basic indicators of a country’s socio-economic situation and quality of life. The Ethiopian government is currently working to reduce child mortality to accomplish its long-term development goals. Using data from the Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey, 2019, this study analyzed the determinants of child mortality in Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 4806 children were considered in the final analyses. Multivariate analysis was used to estimate the effects of the predictors simultaneously on each child mortality outcome. Results: The findings revealed that 31.6% of children died during the neonatal stage, 39.1% during the infant stage, and 48.5% during the under-five stage. Variation in child mortality was discovered between Ethiopian community clusters, with the result of heterogeneity between clusters on newborn mortality (χ2 = 202.4, p-value < 0.0001), (χ2 = 777.35, p-value < 0.0001), and (χ2 = 112.92, p-value < 0.0001). Children’s neonatal, infant, and under-five mortality intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC) were 0.35, 0.33, and 0.36, respectively, across communities. Conclusions: In Ethiopia, under-five mortality remains a serious public health issue, with wide variations and high rates among community clusters. Intervention measures focusing on lowering rates of household poverty, increasing education opportunities, and improving access to health care could assist in reducing child mortality in Ethiopia.
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Alnwisi SMM, Chai C, Acharya BK, Qian AM, Zhang S, Zhang Z, Vaughn MG, Xian H, Wang Q, Lin H. Empirical dynamic modeling of the association between ambient PM 2.5 and under-five mortality across 2851 counties in Mainland China, 1999-2012. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 237:113513. [PMID: 35453020 PMCID: PMC9061697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution has been associated with mortality from various diseases, however, its association with under-five mortality rate (U5MR) has remained largely unknown. METHODS Based on the U5MR data across 2851 counties in Mainland China from 1999 to 2012, we employed approximate Bayesian latent Gaussian models to assess the association between ambient PM2.5 and U5MR at the county level for the whole nation and sub-regions. GDP growth rate, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), temperature, and night-time light were included as covariates using a smoothing function. We further implemented an empirical dynamic model (EDM) to explore the potential causal relationship between PM2.5 and U5MR. RESULTS We observed a declining trend in U5MR in most counties throughout the study period. Spatial heterogeneity in U5MR was observed. Nationwide analysis suggested that each 10 µg/m3 increase in annual concentration of PM2.5 was associated with an increase of 1.2 (95% CI: 1.0 - 1.3) per 1000 live births in U5MR. Regional analyses showed that the strongest positive association was located in the Northeastern part of China [1.8 (95% CI: 1.4 - 2.1)]. The EDM showed a significant causal association between PM2.5 and U5MR, with an embedding dimension of 5 and 7, and nonlinear values θ of 4 and 6, respectively. CONCLUSION China exhibited a downward trend in U5MR from 1999 to 2012, with spatial heterogeneity observed across the country. Our analysis reveals a positive association between PM2.5 and U5MR, which may support a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameh M M Alnwisi
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengwei Chai
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, China
| | - Bipin Kumar Acharya
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aaron M Qian
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences Saint Louis University, 3700 Lindell Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Shiyu Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zilong Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Michael G Vaughn
- School of Social Work, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Tegeler Hall, 3550 Lindell Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO 63103, USA
| | - Hong Xian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Qinzhou Wang
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
| | - Hualiang Lin
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
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Ahinkorah BO, Budu E, Seidu AA, Agbaglo E, Adu C, Osei D, Banke-Thomas A, Yaya S. Socio-economic and proximate determinants of under-five mortality in Guinea. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267700. [PMID: 35511875 PMCID: PMC9070918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The death of children under-five years is one of the critical issues in public health and improving child survival continues to be a matter of urgent concern. In this paper, we assessed the proximate and socio-economics determinants of child mortality in Guinea. METHODS Using the 2018 Guinea Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), we extracted demographic and mortality data of 4,400 children under-five years. Both descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS Under-five mortality was 111 deaths per 1,000 live births in Guinea. The likelihood of death was higher among children born to mothers who belong to other religions compared to Christians (aOR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.10-7.41), smaller than average children compared to larger than average children (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.28-3.04) and those whose mothers had no postnatal check-up visits after delivery (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.13-2.63). Conversely, the odds of death in children with 2-3 birth rank & >2 years of birth interval compared to ≥4 birth rank and ≤2 years of birth interval were low (aOR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34-0.83). CONCLUSION We found that household/individual-level socioeconomic and proximate factors predict under-five mortality in Guinea. With just about a decade left to the 2030 deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), concerted efforts across all key stakeholders, including government and development partners, need to be geared towards implementing interventions that target these predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | | | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Department of Real Estate Management, Faculty of Built and Natural Environment, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana
- Centre for Gender and Advocacy, Takoradi Technical University, Takoradi, Ghana
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ebenezer Agbaglo
- Department of English, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Collins Adu
- Department of Health Promotion, Education and Disability, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Dorothy Osei
- Department of Health Promotion, Education and Disability, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas
- School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
- LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- The George Institute for Global Health, The University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Fagbamigbe AF, Adeniji FIP, Morakinyo OM. Factors contributing to household wealth inequality in under-five deaths in low- and middle-income countries: decomposition analysis. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:769. [PMID: 35428294 PMCID: PMC9013135 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12988-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The burden of under-5 deaths is disproportionately high among poor households relative to economically viable ones in developing countries. Despite this, the factors driving this inequality has not been well explored. This study decomposed the contributions of the factors associated with wealth inequalities in under-5 deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS We analysed data of 856,987 children from 66,495 neighbourhoods across 59 LMICs spanning recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2010-2018). Under-5 mortality was described as deaths among live births within 0 to 59 months of birth and it was treated as a dichotomous variable (dead or alive). The prevalence of under-five deaths was stratified using household wealth status. A Fairlie decomposition analysis was utilized to investigate the relative contribution of the factors associated with household wealth inequality in under-5 deaths at p<0.05. The WHO health equity assessment toolkit Plus was used to assess the differences (D) ratios (R), population attributable risk (PAR), and population attributable fraction (PAF) in household wealth inequalities across the countries. RESULTS The proportion of children from poor households was 45%. The prevalence of under-5 deaths in all samples was 51 per 1000 children, with 60 per 1000 and 44 per 1000 among children from poor and non-poor households (p<0.001). The prevalence of under-5 deaths was higher among children from poor households than those from non-poor households in all countries except in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Lesotho, Gambia and Sierra Leone, and in the Maldives. Thirty-four of the 59 countries showed significantly higher under-5 deaths in poor households than in non-poor households (pro-non-poor inequality) and no significant pro-poor inequality. Rural-urban contexts, maternal education, neighborhood socioeconomic status, sex of the child, toilet kinds, birth weight and preceding birth intervals, and sources of drinking water are the most significant drivers of pro-poor inequities in under-5 deaths in these countries. CONCLUSIONS Individual-level and neighbourhood-level factors were associated with a high prevalence of under-5 deaths among poor households in LMICs. Interventions in countries should focus on reducing the gap between the poor and the rich as well as improve the education and livelihood of disadvantaged people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Folashayo Ikenna Peter Adeniji
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oyewale Mayowa Morakinyo
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Tibebu NS, Emiru TD, Tiruneh CM, Nigat AB, Abate MW, Getu BD, Mekonnen AB. Potential determinant factors of under-five mortality in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:205. [PMID: 35418057 PMCID: PMC9008908 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03253-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Even though child mortality decreased greatly (44%, since 1990), children in developing countries are eight times more likely to die before they attain their five years birthday. When comparing under-five mortality around the world, the African including Ethiopia and Southeast Asian regions showed an uneven child death rate. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify the potential determinant factors of under-five mortality in the Amhara regional state of Ethiopia. METHODS Statistics from a national representative cross-sectional survey of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) of the year 2016 were used. Data was collected from the population of all under-five children in randomly selected enumeration areas of the Amhara region of Ethiopia. To investigate the relationship between the dependent variable (under-five mortality) and various independent factors, inferential statistics such as binary logistic regression and multiple logistic regressions were used. In multivariable analysis, statistically significant variables in binary logistic regression analysis, i.e. (p-value 0.250), were entered, and P-value 0.050 was considered significant at 95% CI. RESULTS The survey was included 977 children under the age of five and more than half of children in the family (68%) were ≤ 4. The findings showed that children whose mothers had no formal education were 2.59 times more likely to die than children whose mothers had formal education [AOR: 2.59(1.12-5.99)]. Similarly, children who did not receive breastfeeding from their mothers were 3.61 times more likely to die than children who received breastfeeding from their mothers [AOR: 3.61(1.83-6.19)]. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The number of children in the family, as well as the mother's educational status and current breastfeeding status, were all found to be important factors in under-five mortality in the study area. As a result, the potential determinants of under-five mortality should be addressed as part of a program targeted at lowering childhood mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigusie Selomon Tibebu
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
| | - Tigabu Desie Emiru
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Chalie Marew Tiruneh
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Adane Birhanu Nigat
- Department of Adult Health Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Moges Wubneh Abate
- Department of Adult Health Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Bisrat Dessie Getu
- Department of Nursing, Debre Tabor Health Sciences College, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Amsalu Belete Mekonnen
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
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Kaombe TM, Manda SOM. A novel outlier statistic in multivariate survival models and its application to identify unusual under-five mortality sub-districts in Malawi. J Appl Stat 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/02664763.2022.2043255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tsirizani M. Kaombe
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Samuel O. M. Manda
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
- Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Biostatistics Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
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Nasejje JB, Mbuvha R, Mwambi H. Use of a deep learning and random forest approach to track changes in the predictive nature of socioeconomic drivers of under-5 mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e049786. [PMID: 35177443 PMCID: PMC8860054 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We used machine learning algorithms to track how the ranks of importance and the survival outcome of four socioeconomic determinants (place of residence, mother's level of education, wealth index and sex of the child) of under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) in sub-Saharan Africa have evolved. SETTINGS This work consists of multiple cross-sectional studies. We analysed data from the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) collected from four countries; Uganda, Zimbabwe, Chad and Ghana, each randomly selected from the four subregions of sub-Saharan Africa. PARTICIPANTS Each country has multiple DHS datasets and a total of 11 datasets were selected for analysis. A total of n=85 688 children were drawn from the eleven datasets. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES The primary outcome variable is U5MR; the secondary outcomes were to obtain the ranks of importance of the four socioeconomic factors over time and to compare the two machine learning models, the random survival forest (RSF) and the deep survival neural network (DeepSurv) in predicting U5MR. RESULTS Mother's education level ranked first in five datasets. Wealth index ranked first in three, place of residence ranked first in two and sex of the child ranked last in most of the datasets. The four factors showed a favourable survival outcome over time, confirming that past interventions targeting these factors are yielding positive results. The DeepSurv model has a higher predictive performance with mean concordance indexes (between 67% and 80%), above 50% compared with the RSF model. CONCLUSIONS The study reveals that children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa have favourable survival outcomes associated with the four socioeconomic factors over time. It also shows that deep survival neural network models are efficient in predicting U5MR and should, therefore, be used in the big data era to draft evidence-based policies to achieve the third sustainable development goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine B Nasejje
- Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Rendani Mbuvha
- Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg-Braamfontein, South Africa
| | - Henry Mwambi
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
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Abate L, Getachew S. Survival time discrepancy among under-five-year children of rural parts of Ethiopia. J Res Health Sci 2022; 22:e00543. [PMID: 36511253 PMCID: PMC9315458 DOI: 10.34172/jrhs.2022.78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethiopia is ranked as the fifth of heavy under-five death burdened countries with the highest burden in its rural areas. This study aimed to identify the determinants of under-five deaths in rural parts of Ethiopia. STUDY DESIGN A population-based cross-sectional study. METHODS The data for this study was extracted from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. Descriptive analysis, non-parametric estimation, and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to examine the determinants of under-five mortality. RESULTS A total of 7301 under-five eligible children from rural areas were involved in this survey, and 6.5% of the cases were passed away before reaching their fifth birthday. Male children's death accounted for 59.7% of the death rate in the participants. An estimated median survival time was 31 months [95% CI: 30-32]. About 83% of children's death occurred among children delivered at home. Cox proportional hazard regression model revealed that gender, delivery-place, family-size, mother's education, number of children, contraceptive use, and source of drinking water had significant effects on survival time of under-five children. Under-five mortality was significantly fewer in female children (HR = 0.728; 95% CI: 0.606-0.875, P = 0.001), children delivered at health facilities (HR = 0.738; 95% CI: 0.572-0.951, P = 0.019), and those from secondary and above educated mothers (HR = 0.464; 95% CI: 0.301-0.714, P = 0.001), compared to the reference category. CONCLUSION Significant risk factors were associated with under-five mortality in rural areas. Delivering in health facilities, uses of contraceptives, mother's education, and improvement of infrastructures should be areas of concern to decrease under-five children's deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lema Abate
- Department of Statistics, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Ethiopia,Corresponding author: Lema Abate (MSc)
| | - Samuel Getachew
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Ethiopia
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Ahmed MAA, Musa IR, Mahgoub HM, Al-Nafeesah A, Al-Wutayd O, Adam I. Patterns, Outcomes and Predictors of Pediatric Medical Admissions at Gadarif Hospital in Eastern Sudan. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:764028. [PMID: 35155303 PMCID: PMC8829559 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.764028] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The reduction of childhood mortality is a reliable indicator of a national health system's progress and improvement. Sudan's population is still suffering from communicable diseases, with a considerably higher mortality rate among children. Efforts are therefore needed to reduce mortality and achieve the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. This study was conducted to determine the morbidity, mortality and outcomes of children admitted to Gadarif Hospital in eastern Sudan. METHOD A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical files of pediatric patients who were admitted to Gadarif Hospital between March 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020. RESULT A total of 740 medical files were reviewed. Most, 453 (61.2%) of the admissions were males. The median (interquartile range) age was 3.0 (8.0) years and 433 (58.8%) of the admissions were under 5 years of age. The median (interquartile range) of the length of hospital stay was 9.0 (12.0) days. Visceral leishmaniasis, malnutrition, severe malaria, sickle cell disease, acute watery diarrhea, severe anemia (regardless of its cause), septicemia and acute respiratory infection were the most common causes of admission. The mortality rate was 5.7%, and it was significantly higher in females than males [24/287 (8.4%) vs. 18/453 (4.0%), P = 0.01] and in children under 5 years [36/433 (8.3%) vs. 6/307 (2.0%), P < 0.001]. Malnutrition, visceral leishmaniasis, septicemia and meningitis/encephalitis were the main diseases causing death in the study population. The case fatality rate was not significantly different in malnutrition than in visceral leishmaniasis [9/93 (9.7%) vs. 7/178 (3.9%), P = 0.05]. CONCLUSION The main causes of morbidity and mortality for children admitted to Gadarif Pediatric Hospital were communicable diseases. The mortality rate was 5.7%. Females and children under 5 years were the most vulnerable groups for fatality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Imad R. Musa
- Department of Medicine, Royal Commission Hospital in Al Jubail Industrial City, Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Abdullah Al-Nafeesah
- Department of Pediatrics, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Osama Al-Wutayd
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ishag Adam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
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Morakinyo OM, Fagbamigbe AF, Adebowale AS. Decomposition of factors associated with housing material inequality in under-five deaths in low and middle-income countries. Arch Public Health 2022; 80:13. [PMID: 34983645 PMCID: PMC8729008 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-021-00768-0] [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: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Low-and Medium-Income Countries (LMIC) continue to record a high burden of under-five deaths (U5D). There is a gap in knowledge of the factors contributing to housing materials inequalities in U5D. This study examined the contributions of the individual- and neighbourhood-level factors to housing materials inequalities in influencing U5D in LMIC. Methods We pooled data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for 56 LMIC conducted between 2010 and 2018. In all, we analysed the data of 798,796 children living in 59,791 neighbourhoods. The outcome variable was U5D among live births within 0 to 59 months of birth. The main determinate variable was housing material types, categorised as unimproved housing materials (UHM) and improved housing materials (IHM) while the individual-level and neighbourhood-level factors are the independent variables. Data were analysed using the Fairlie decomposition analysis at α = 0.05. Results The overall U5D rate was 53 per 1000 children, 61 among children from houses built with UHM, and 41 among children from houses built with IHM (p < 0.001). This rate was higher among children from houses that were built with UHM in all countries except Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Maldives, Jordan, and Albania. None of these countries had significant pro-IHM inequality. The factors explaining housing inequalities in U5D include household wealth status, residence location, source of drinking water, media access, paternal employment, birth interval, and toilet type. Conclusions There are variations in individual- and neighbourhood-level factors driving housing materials inequalities as it influences U5D in LMIC. Interventions focusing on reducing the burden of U5D in households built with UHM are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oyewale Mayowa Morakinyo
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ayo Stephen Adebowale
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Bai R, Dong W, Liu J, Peng Q, Lyu J. Trends in Under-5 Mortality Rates and Their Associations with Socioeconomic Factors Among Countries Participating in the Belt and Road Initiative: A Panel Data Analysis. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:7763-7773. [PMID: 34785934 PMCID: PMC8579877 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s332926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provided a platform to promote trade and economic collaboration, with health promotion also being an important component. This study examined the burden of the under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) among BRI countries and studied the impact of socioeconomic development on the U5MR. Patients and Methods Data were collected from 137 BRI countries for the period 2000–2018. The temporal changes in the U5MR and the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) were used to assess the U5MR burden. A quantile fixed-effects model was used to access the associations between socioeconomic factors and the U5MR. Results The U5MR varied widely among the 137 analyzed countries in 2018, being highest in Somalia (121.5 per 1000) and lowest in Slovenia (2.1 per 1000). The decreasing trend in U5MR was largest in Montenegro (EAPC = –9.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = –10.2 to –9.0), while the increasing trend was largest in Dominica (EAPC = 6.0, 95% CI = 5.3 to 6.7). Countries with higher U5MRs in 2000 experienced more rapid decreases in the U5MR from 2000 to 2018. The influence of socioeconomic factors on U5MR was related to the distribution of U5MR. Conclusion The U5MR remains a major public-health issue in some BRI countries. Improving the economic situation will benefit child health in BRI countries in the long run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruhai Bai
- School of Public Affairs, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanyue Dong
- School of Health Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinli Liu
- Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiao Peng
- Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Lyu
- Department of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Barro A, Nana NG, Soubeiga D, Bationo N, Pafadnam Y, Pilabre H, Ngangue PA. Knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of religious leaders on modern contraceptive use in Burkina Faso: a qualitative study. Pan Afr Med J 2021; 39:216. [PMID: 34630828 PMCID: PMC8486931 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2021.39.216.27082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction in Burkina Faso, despite the strategies implemented to increase the use of contraceptives, the prevalence rate of modern contraceptives remains low. Religion is an important part of the socio-cultural fabric of many communities. Besides, religious leaders play an essential role in adopting and using contraceptive methods to support family health. The study objective was to explore the knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of religious leaders about modern contraceptives among women of childbearing age. Methods data were collected in September 2018 from twenty-one religious' leaders of the urban municipality of Dori. Study participants were selected based on reasoned sampling with maximum variation (sex, religion, age, residence and level of education). We conducted semi-structured individual interviews, non-participant observations and documentary review. Results religious leaders have a good knowledge of modern contraceptive methods, but they prefer traditional contraceptive methods and abstinence. They consider modern contraception as abortion and female sterilization and emphasize birth spacing. Furthermore, religious leaders lack training on contraception and have no real links and exchanges with sexual and reproductive health services. As a result, their assessment of the quality of these services is very mixed. Conclusion religious leaders play a crucial role in improving modern contraceptive methods in Burkina Faso. Close collaboration with family planning services should, at all times, be maintained. The implementation of training and educational activities for religious leaders could help raise modern contraceptive use in Burkina Faso.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abibata Barro
- Institut de Formation et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires en Sciences de la Santé et de l'Education, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Noufou Gustave Nana
- Institut de Formation et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires en Sciences de la Santé et de l'Education, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Dieudonné Soubeiga
- Institut de Formation et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires en Sciences de la Santé et de l'Education, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Nestor Bationo
- Institut de Formation et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires en Sciences de la Santé et de l'Education, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Yacouba Pafadnam
- Institut de Formation et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires en Sciences de la Santé et de l'Education, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Hermann Pilabre
- Institut de Formation et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires en Sciences de la Santé et de l'Education, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Patrice Alain Ngangue
- Institut de Formation et de Recherche Interdisciplinaires en Sciences de la Santé et de l'Education, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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Bocquier P, Ginsburg C, Menashe-Oren A, Compaoré Y, Collinson M. The Crucial Role of Mothers and Siblings in Child Survival: Evidence From 29 Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Demography 2021; 58:1687-1713. [PMID: 34499115 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-9429499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A considerable body of research has studied the effects of siblings on child mortality through birth intervals. This research has commonly focused on older siblings. We argue that birth intervals with younger siblings may have equal or stronger effects on child mortality, even during a mother's pregnancy. Moreover, we contend that birth interval effects need to be considered only when siblings are coresident. Using longitudinal data from 29 Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems across sub-Saharan Africa, covering more than 560,000 children, we examine the proximate role of siblings and mothers in child mortality. We find that a birth interval of 24 months or more is advantageous for both older and younger siblings. The effect of a younger sibling on child mortality is more pronounced than that of an older sibling and adds to the effect of an older sibling. Moreover, child mortality is particularly low during a mother's subsequent pregnancy, contrasting the shock resulting from a younger sibling's birth. Further, we find that a mother's or sibling's absence from the household results in a higher risk of mortality, and the death of either reduces child survival up to six months before the death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Bocquier
- Centre de Recherches en Démographie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Medical Research Council/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand (Education Campus), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Carren Ginsburg
- Medical Research Council/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand (Education Campus), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ashira Menashe-Oren
- Centre de Recherches en Démographie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yacouba Compaoré
- Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Population (ISSP), Université de Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Centre de Recherches en Démographie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Mark Collinson
- Medical Research Council/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt), School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand (Education Campus), Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Science and Innovation, South African Medical Research Council, South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN), SAMRC Durban Office, Durban, South Africa
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Ahinkorah BO. Under-5 mortality in sub-Saharan Africa: is maternal age at first childbirth below 20 years a risk factor? BMJ Open 2021; 11:e049337. [PMID: 34593494 PMCID: PMC8487196 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed at examining the association between young maternal age at first childbirth and under-5 mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). DESIGN AND SETTING This cross-sectional study pooled nationally-representative data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 30 countries in SSA from 2010 to 2019. PARTICIPANTS 116 379 mothers of children under 5. RESULTS The prevalence of adolescent childbirth and death in children under 5 in SSA were 57.36% (95% CI 53.73% to 60.99%) and 4.10% (95% CI 3.65% to 4.54%), respectively. Children born to mothers whose first childbirth occurred at <20 years were 11% more likely to die before the age of 5 compared with those whose mothers' first childbirth occurred at age ≥20 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.11; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.18). In terms of the covariates, the likelihood of under-5 mortality was higher among children born to single (aOR 1.54; 95% CI 1.41 to 1.67) and cohabiting mothers (aOR 1.10; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.21) compared with married mothers. Children born to mothers who were obese were more likely to die before the age of 5 compared with those born to mothers with normal body weight (aOR 1.17; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.26). The odds of under-5 mortality were higher among children whose weight at birth was <2500 g compared with those whose weight was ≥2500 g at birth (aOR 1.83; 95% CI 1.64 to 2.03). CONCLUSIONS The findings call for the need to enhance policies aimed at reducing under-5 mortality in SSA by reducing adolescent pregnancy and childbirth through family planning, comprehensive sexuality education, and the elimination of child marriage. Again, Since under-5 mortality among adolescent mothers is linked with their poor socio-economic status, there is the need for government and non-governmental organisations in SSA to introduce poverty alleviation programmes and improve access to both formal and informal education as a way of enhancing the socioeconomic status of adolescent mothers. Public health education, through continuous advocacy programmes should be done to encourage adolescent mothers to access antenatal care and health facility deliveries as a way of enhancing the survival status of their children. These interventions should be implemented, taking into consideration other characteristics of mothers such marital status and BMI and child's characteristics such as child's weight, which were found to be associated with high under-5 mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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