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Knauss S, Andriamiadana G, Leitheiser R, Rampanjato Z, Bärnighausen T, Emmrich JV. Effect of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Mobile Payments for Maternal Health: Regression Discontinuity Analysis. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2024; 10:e49205. [PMID: 39078698 PMCID: PMC11322714 DOI: 10.2196/49205] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the unprecedented popularity of digital financial services for contactless payments and government cash transfer programs to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic. The effect of the pandemic on the use of digital financial services for health in low- and middle-income countries, however, is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the effect of the first COVID-19 lockdown on the use of a mobile maternal health wallet, with a particular focus on delineating the age-dependent differential effects, and draw conclusions on the effect of lockdown measures on the use of digital health services. METHODS We analyzed 819,840 person-days of health wallet use data from 3416 women who used health care at 25 public sector primary care facilities and 4 hospitals in Antananarivo, Madagascar, between January 1 and August 27, 2020. We collected data on savings, payments, and voucher use at the point of care. To estimate the effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown in Madagascar, we used regression discontinuity analysis around the starting day of the first COVID-19 lockdown on March 23, 2020. We determined the bandwidth using a data-driven method for unbiased bandwidth selection and used modified Poisson regression for binary variables to estimate risk ratios as lockdown effect sizes. RESULTS We recorded 3719 saving events, 1572 payment events, and 3144 use events of electronic vouchers. The first COVID-19 lockdown in Madagascar reduced mobile money savings by 58.5% (P<.001), payments by 45.8% (P<.001), and voucher use by 49.6% (P<.001). Voucher use recovered to the extrapolated prelockdown counterfactual after 214 days, while savings and payments did not cross the extrapolated prelockdown counterfactual. The recovery duration after the lockdown differed by age group. Women aged >30 years recovered substantially faster, returning to prelockdown rates after 34, 226, and 77 days for savings, payments, and voucher use, respectively. Younger women aged <25 years did not return to baseline values. The results remained robust in sensitivity analyses using ±20 days of the optimal bandwidth. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 lockdown greatly reduced the use of mobile money in the health sector, affecting savings, payments, and voucher use. Savings were the most significantly reduced, implying that the lockdown affected women's expectations of future health care use. Declines in payments and voucher use indicated decreased actual health care use caused by the lockdown. These effects are crucial since many maternal and child health care services cannot be delayed, as the potential benefits will be lost or diminished. To mitigate the adverse impacts of lockdowns on maternal health service use, digital health services could be leveraged to provide access to telemedicine and enhance user communication with clear information on available health care access options and adherence to safety protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Knauss
- Global Digital Last Mile Health Research Lab, Charité Center for Global Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, Berlin, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gracia Andriamiadana
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Roxane Leitheiser
- Global Digital Last Mile Health Research Lab, Charité Center for Global Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Till Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Africa Health Research Institute, Mtubatuba, South Africa
| | - Julius Valentin Emmrich
- Global Digital Last Mile Health Research Lab, Charité Center for Global Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, Berlin, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Tiruneh MG, Fenta ET, Endeshaw D, Eshetu HB, Adal O, Tareke AA, Kebede N, Delie AM, Bogale EK, Anagaw TF. Six in ten female youths in low-income East African countries had problems in accessing health care: a multilevel analysis of recent demographic and health surveys from 2016-2021. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:533. [PMID: 38671487 PMCID: PMC11046753 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10934-z] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to health care services is a basic human right, and an individual's health and overall quality of life may suffer as a result of barriers to accessing health services. Access to comprehensive and quality health care is fundamental for promoting and maintaining health, preventing and treating diseases, and reducing premature deaths. However, only half of the African population has access to modern health services. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the health care access and associated factors among female youths in low-income East African countries. METHODS This study used secondary data from 2016 to 2021 demographic and health surveys of 7 low-income East African countries. A total weighted sample of 51,064 youths was included. A multilevel binary logistic regression was employed to identify the associated factors of access to health care since the data has a hierarchical structure. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) at a p-value less than 0.05 was used to measure the association of variables whereas Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), Median Odds Ratio (MOR), and proportional change in variance (PCV) were used to measure random effects. RESULT The overall magnitude of access to healthcare among female youths in low-income East African countries was 38.84% (95% CI: 38.41, 39.26). Youth's educational level, rich wealth status, media exposure, and community level education were the positive while higher youth's age and rural residence were the negative predictors of access to healthcare among female youths. Besides, living in different countries compared to Burundi was also an associated factor for accessing healthcare in low-income East African countries. CONCLUSION About six in ten female youths were not accessing health care in low-income East African countries. Therefore, to increase healthcare access, health managers and policymakers needed to develop strategies to improve the poor household wealth index, and redistribution of health services for rural residents. The decision-makers and program planners should also work on increasing access to education and media exposure for youths. Further research including health system and quality of service-related factors for accessing healthcare should also be considered by researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misganaw Guadie Tiruneh
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, P.O. Box: 196, Ethiopia.
| | - Eneyew Talie Fenta
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia
| | - Destaw Endeshaw
- Department of Adult Health Nursing, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Habitu Birhan Eshetu
- Department of Health Promotion and Health Behaviour, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Ousman Adal
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Abiyu Abadi Tareke
- Amref Health Africa in Ethiopia, SLL project COVID-19/EPI technical assistant at West Gondar Zonal Health Department, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Natnael Kebede
- Department of Health Promotion, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia
| | - Amare Mebrat Delie
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia
| | - Eyob Ketema Bogale
- Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Tadele Fentabel Anagaw
- Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
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Malik MA, Sinha R, Priya A, Rahman MHU. Barriers to healthcare utilization among married women in Afghanistan: the role of asset ownership and women's autonomy. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:613. [PMID: 38408956 PMCID: PMC10898116 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18091-y] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Women face multiple socio-economic, cultural, contextual, and perceived barriers in health service utilization. Moreover, poor autonomy and financial constraints act as crucial factors to their healthcare accessibility. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to study the association between health care utilization barriers and women empowerment, including asset ownership among currently married women in Afghanistan. Data of 28,661 currently married women from Afghanistan demographic health survey (2015) was used to carry out this study. Barriers to access healthcare were computed based on problems related to permission, money, distance, and companionship, whereas women empowerment and asset ownership were computed as potential covariates along with other socio-economic risk factors. Bivariate and logistic analysis was carried out to study the association and odds of explanatory variables. Our results confirm the significant and strong association between the barriers to access healthcare and various explanatory variables. Women having any decision-making autonomy are less likely to face any odds [(AOR = 0.56, p < 0.001), CI: 0.51-0.61] among the currently married women than those who don't have any decision-making authority. Similarly, women who justify their beating for some specific reasons face the greater difficulty of accessing health care [(AOR = 1.76, p < 0.001), CI: 1.61-1.93]. In terms of asset ownership, women having any asset ownership (land or household) are less likely to face any barriers in health services utilization given the lower odds [(AOR = 0.91, p < 0.001), CI: 0.90-0.98]. Accessing maternal health is a crucial policy challenge in Afghanistan. A substantial proportion of women face barriers related to approval, money, distance, and companionship while accessing the health services utilization in Afghanistan. Similarly, women empowerment and asset ownership are significantly associated with health service accessibility. This paper therefore suggests for some policy interventions to strengthen the healthcare needs of women and ensure healthcare accessibility by scaling down these potential barriers like poor autonomy, asset ownership and domestic violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manzoor Ahmad Malik
- Center for Applied Health Economics, Menzies Health Institute, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ratnesh Sinha
- Department of Community Medicine, Manipal Tata Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Angelin Priya
- Department of Community Medicine, Manipal Tata Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Mohammad Hifz Ur Rahman
- Department of Community Medicine, Manipal Tata Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
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Evans MV, Ihantamalala FA, Randriamihaja M, Aina AT, Bonds MH, Finnegan KE, Rakotonanahary RJL, Raza-Fanomezanjanahary M, Razafinjato B, Raobela O, Raholiarimanana SH, Randrianavalona TH, Garchitorena A. Applying a zero-corrected, gravity model estimator reduces bias due to heterogeneity in healthcare utilization in community-scale, passive surveillance datasets of endemic diseases. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21288. [PMID: 38042891 PMCID: PMC10693580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48390-0] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Data on population health are vital to evidence-based decision making but are rarely adequately localized or updated in continuous time. They also suffer from low ascertainment rates, particularly in rural areas where barriers to healthcare can cause infrequent touch points with the health system. Here, we demonstrate a novel statistical method to estimate the incidence of endemic diseases at the community level from passive surveillance data collected at primary health centers. The zero-corrected, gravity-model (ZERO-G) estimator explicitly models sampling intensity as a function of health facility characteristics and statistically accounts for extremely low rates of ascertainment. The result is a standardized, real-time estimate of disease incidence at a spatial resolution nearly ten times finer than typically reported by facility-based passive surveillance systems. We assessed the robustness of this method by applying it to a case study of field-collected malaria incidence rates from a rural health district in southeastern Madagascar. The ZERO-G estimator decreased geographic and financial bias in the dataset by over 90% and doubled the agreement rate between spatial patterns in malaria incidence and incidence estimates derived from prevalence surveys. The ZERO-G estimator is a promising method for adjusting passive surveillance data of common, endemic diseases, increasing the availability of continuously updated, high quality surveillance datasets at the community scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle V Evans
- MIVEGEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
- NGO Pivot, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar.
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Felana A Ihantamalala
- NGO Pivot, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mauricianot Randriamihaja
- MIVEGEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- NGO Pivot, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
| | | | - Matthew H Bonds
- NGO Pivot, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karen E Finnegan
- NGO Pivot, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rado J L Rakotonanahary
- NGO Pivot, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Oméga Raobela
- National Malaria Program, Ministry of Health, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | | | - Andres Garchitorena
- MIVEGEC, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- NGO Pivot, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Madagascar
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Fetene SM, Haile TG. Three fourths of women of reproductive age in emerging regions of Ethiopia are facing problems in accessing health care. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10656. [PMID: 37391577 PMCID: PMC10313650 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36223-z] [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: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Providing adequate and equal access health care is a key goal towards universal health coverage (UHC), but women continue to confront considerable inequities in accessing healthcare, particularly in the emerging regions of Ethiopia. Therefore, we identified the contributing factors to the problems in accessing health care among women of reproductive age in emerging regions of Ethiopia. Data from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey were used. A total of 4680 women in reproductive age were included in the final analysis and a multilevel mixed-effect binary logistic regression analysis was done to identify the contributing factors to the problems in accessing health care. In the final model, a p-value of less than 0.05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to declare statistically significant factors. We found that 71.0% (95% CI 69.64-72.24%) of women in reproductive age had problems in accessing health care. Unmarried women (AOR = 1.30 95% CI 1.06-1.59), uneducated (AOR = 2.21 95% CI 1.48-3.30) and attended primary school (AOR = 1.58 95% 1.07-2.32), rural resident (AOR = 2.16 95% CI 1.40-2.02), poor (AOR = 2.95 95% CI 2.25-3.86) and middle wealth status (AOR = 1.74 95% CI 1.27-2.40), women who gave two births (AOR = 1.29 95% CI: 1.02-1.64) and not working (AOR = 1.33 95% CI 1.06, - 1.68) and working in agriculture (AOR = 1.88 95% CI 1.35-2.61) were factors that contributed for the problems in accessing health care. A significant proportion of women of reproductive age in emerging regions of Ethiopia face challenges in accessing healthcare, which places the country far from achieving its UHC targets. This issue is particularly prominent among unmarried, poor and middle wealth status, uneducated, non-working, and rural women of reproductive age. The government should develop strategies to improve women's education, household wealth status, and occupational opportunities which would help to alleviate the barriers hindering healthcare access for women residing in emerging regions of Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samrawit Mihret Fetene
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, P. O. Box: 196, Gondar, Ethiopia.
| | - Tsegaye Gebremedhin Haile
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, P. O. Box: 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Zegeye B, Idriss-Wheeler D, Ahinkorah BO, Ameyaw EK, Seidu AA, Adjei NK, Yaya S. Association between women's household decision-making autonomy and health insurance enrollment in sub-saharan Africa. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:610. [PMID: 36997885 PMCID: PMC10064715 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Out of pocket payment for healthcare remains a barrier to accessing health care services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Women's decision-making autonomy may be a strategy for healthcare access and utilization in the region. There is a dearth of evidence on the link between women's decision-making autonomy and health insurance enrollment. We, therefore, investigated the association between married women's household decision making autonomy and health insurance enrollment in SSA. METHODS Demographic and Health Survey data of 29 countries in SSA conducted between 2010 and 2020 were analyzed. Both bivariate and multilevel logistic regression analyses were carried out to investigate the relationship between women's household decision-making autonomy and health insurance enrollment among married women. The results were presented as an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS The overall coverage of health insurance among married women was 21.3% (95% CI; 19.9-22.7%), with the highest and lowest coverage in Ghana (66.7%) and Burkina Faso (0.5%), respectively. The odds of health insurance enrollment was higher among women who had household decision-making autonomy (AOR = 1.33, 95% CI; 1.03-1.72) compared to women who had no household decision-making autonomy. Other covariates such as women's age, women's educational level, husband's educational level, wealth status, employment status, media exposure, and community socioeconomic status were found to be significantly associated with health insurance enrollment among married women. CONCLUSION Health insurance coverage is commonly low among married women in SSA. Women's household decision-making autonomy was found to be significantly associated with health insurance enrollment. Health-related policies to improve health insurance coverage should emphasize socioeconomic empowerment of married women in SSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betregiorgis Zegeye
- HaSET Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Shewarobit Field Office, Shewarobit, Ethiopia
| | - Dina Idriss-Wheeler
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | | | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Centre for Gender and Advocacy, Takoradi Technical University, P.O.Box 256, Takoradi, Ghana
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, QLD4811, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicholas Kofi Adjei
- Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sanni Yaya
- School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, K1N 6N5, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- The George Institute for Global Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Datta B, Pandey A, Tiwari A. Child Marriage and Problems Accessing Healthcare in Adulthood: Evidence from India. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10101994. [PMID: 36292439 PMCID: PMC9601764 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10101994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between child marriage and the access to or utilization of maternal and antenatal healthcare has been widely studied. However, little is known about child brides' access to healthcare for illnesses later in life. Using data on 496,283 married women aged 18 to 49 years from the India National Family and Health Survey 2015-2016, we developed an 11-point composite score (ranging from 0 to 10) outlining the extent of problems accessing healthcare, as follows: (i) no/little problem (score 0 to 2), (ii) some problems (score 3 to 6), and (iii) big problems (score 7 to 10). The differences between child brides and their peers married as adults were assessed by the relative risk ratios obtained from multinomial logistic regressions. The adjusted risk of having "some problems" and "big problems" accessing healthcare relative to "no/little problem" for child brides was found to be 1.22 (95% CI: 1.20-1.25) and 1.26 (95% CI: 1.22-1.29) times that of those married as adults, respectively. These findings highlight the disproportionate barriers to healthcare access faced by women married as children compared to women married as adults and the need for further research to inform policies regarding effective public health interventions to improve healthcare access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biplab Datta
- Institute of Public and Preventive Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Ajay Pandey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Ashwini Tiwari
- Institute of Public and Preventive Health, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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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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Factors associated with health insurance ownership among women of reproductive age: A multicountry study in sub-Saharan Africa. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264377. [PMID: 35413063 PMCID: PMC9004737 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264377] [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: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Promoting the coverage and ownership of health insurance constitutes a key strategy to achieving universal healthcare, thereby meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3.8) of safeguarding the vulnerable population from financial risk resulting from catastrophic health expenditures. In sub-Saharan Africa, accessing medical services is particularly challenging among women due to inadequate opportunities for socio-economic empowerment and meeting their unique healthcare needs. The present study aimed to explore the sociodemographic factors associated with health insurance ownership among women in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We extracted cross-sectional data on health insurance ownership and conceptually relevant sociodemographic variables on women aged 15–49 years from Demographic and Health Surveys on five selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa (n = 55,438), including Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Cameroon, Gabon and Kenya. Data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate regression analysis, and the associations were reported in terms of average marginal effects. Results Data revealed considerable cross-country variation in health insurance ownership: Gabon (57.9%), Kenya (6.1%), DR Congo (2.8%), Cameroon (1.1%), Burkina Faso (0.4%). In the multivariate regression analysis, women’s age, marital status, place of residency, educational level, household wealth status, employment, and media access were significant predictors of insurance ownership. The associations were generally similar across the five countries, with higher age, better educational level and wealth status showing a consistently positive relationship with insurance ownership. Conclusion Our findings revealed striking inequality in health insurance ownership among the studied countries, which should be given due attention to achieving universal healthcare-related goals. There also exist considerable sociodemographic disparities in health insurance ownership among women that should be addressed using context-specific programmatic interventions. Our findings revealed striking inequality in health insurance ownership among the studied countries, which should be given due attention to achieving universal healthcare-related goals. There also exist considerable sociodemographic disparities in health insurance ownership among women that should be addressed using context-specific programmatic interventions.
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Stieglitz LM, Bärnighausen T, Leyna GH, Kazonda P, Killewo J, Rohr JK, Kohler S. Patterns of comorbidity and multimorbidity among middle-aged and elderly women in peri-urban Tanzania. JOURNAL OF MULTIMORBIDITY AND COMORBIDITY 2022; 12:26335565221076254. [PMID: 35586032 PMCID: PMC9106316 DOI: 10.1177/26335565221076254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Multimorbidity poses an increasing challenge to health care systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. We studied the extent of multimorbidity and patterns of comorbidity among women aged 40 years or older in a peri-urban area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods We assessed 15 chronic conditions in 1528 women who participated in a cross-sectional survey that was conducted within the Dar es Salaam Urban Cohort Study (DUCS) from June 2017 to July 2018. Diagnoses of chronic conditions were based on body measurements, weight, blood testing, screening instruments, and self-report. Results The five most prevalent chronic conditions and most common comorbidities were hypertension (49.8%, 95% CI 47.2 to 52.3), obesity (39.9%, 95% CI 37.3 to 42.4), anemia (36.9%, 95% CI 33.3 to 40.5), signs of depression (32.5%, 95% CI 30.2 to 34.9), and diabetes (30.9%, 95% CI 27.6 to 34.2). The estimated prevalence of multimorbidity (2+ chronic conditions) was 73.8% (95% CI 71.2 to 76.3). Women aged 70 years or older were 4.1 (95% CI 1.5 to 10.9) times mores likely to be affected by multimorbidity and had 0.7 (95% CI 0.3 to 1.2) more chronic conditions than women aged 40 to 44 years. Worse childhood health, being widowed, not working, and higher food insecurity in the household were also associated with a higher multimorbidity risk and level. Conclusion A high prevalence of multimorbidity in the general population of middle-aged and elderly women suggests substantial need for multimorbidity care in Tanzania. Comorbidity patterns can guide multimorbidity screening and help identify health care and prevention needs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Till Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Germana H. Leyna
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Japhet Killewo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Julia K. Rohr
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stefan Kohler
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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11
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Tessema ZT, Worku MG, Tesema GA, Alamneh TS, Teshale AB, Yeshaw Y, Alem AZ, Ayalew HG, Liyew AM. Determinants of accessing healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed-effect analysis of recent Demographic and Health Surveys from 36 countries. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e054397. [PMID: 35105635 PMCID: PMC8804632 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the determinants of accessing healthcare among reproductive-age women in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). DESIGN, SETTING AND ANALYSIS Cross-sectional data were sourced from recent Demographic and Health Surveys in 36 SSA countries. We employed mixed-effect analysis to identify the determinants of accessing healthcare in SSA. OR and its 95% CI were reported for determinants associated with accessing healthcare. OUTCOME The outcome for this study was whether accessing healthcare was a 'big problem' or 'not a big problem'. Responses to these questions were categorised as a big problem and not a big problem. PARTICIPANTS A total weighted sample of 500 439 reproductive-age (15-49 years) women from each country's recent Demographic and Health Surveys from 2006 to 2018 were included in this study. RESULTS The pooled prevalence of healthcare access among reproductive-age women in SSA was 42.56% (95% CI 42.43% to 42.69%). The results of the mixed-effect analysis revealed that the determinants of accessing healthcare were urban residence (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.25, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.73), ability to read and write (AOR=1.15, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.28), primary education (AOR=1.08, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.12), secondary education and above (AOR=1.12, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.14), husband with primary education (AOR=1.06, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.1.12), husband with secondary education and above (AOR=1.22, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.27), middle wealth index (AOR=1.43, 95% CI 1.40 to 1.47), rich wealth index (AOR=2.19, 95% CI 2.13 to 2.24) and wanted pregnancy (AOR=1.27, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.29). CONCLUSION Healthcare access in SSA was found at 42.56%, which is very low even if Sustainable Development Goal 3.8 targeted universal health coverage for everyone so they can obtain the health services they need. The major determinants of healthcare access among reproductive-age women in SSA were urban residence, higher educational level, higher wealth index and wanted pregnancy. The findings of this study suggest and recommend strengthening and improving healthcare access for women who reside in the countryside, women with low level of education and women of low socioeconomic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zemenu Tadesse Tessema
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | | | - Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfa Sewunet Alamneh
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Yigizie Yeshaw
- Medical Physiology, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Adugnaw Zeleke Alem
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 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
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Ethiopia
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12
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Bassoum O, Sougou NM, Ba MF, Anne M, Bocoum M, Dieye A, Sokhna C, Tal-Dia A. Vaccination against tuberculosis, polio and hepatitis B at birth in Podor health district, Northern Senegal: cross-sectional study of vaccination coverage and its associated factors. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:110. [PMID: 35033057 PMCID: PMC8761353 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-12535-z] [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: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Senegal, studies focusing specifically on vaccination coverage with the Bacille de Calmette et Guérin (BCG) vaccine, the birth dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV zero dose) and the birth dose of hepatitis B (HepB-BD) vaccine are insufficient. This study aimed to highlight vaccination coverages with birth doses and factors associated with timely vaccination in Podor health district. METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out from June 19 to 22, 2020. The study population consisted of children aged 12 to 23 months of which 832 were included. A stratified two-stage cluster survey was carried out. The sources of data were home-based records (HBR), health facility registries (HFR) and parental recalls. Timely vaccination refers to any vaccination that has taken place within 24 h after birth. Descriptive analyzes, the chi-square test and logistic regression were performed. RESULTS The crude vaccination coverages with BCG, OPV zero dose and HepB-BD were 95.2%, 88.3% and 88.1%, respectively. Vaccination coverages within 24 h after birth were estimated at 13.9%, 30% and 42.1%, respectively. The factors associated with timely HepB-BD are delivery in a health facility (AOR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.02-2.40), access to television (AOR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.16-2.29), weighing (AOR = 3.92; 95% CI = 1.97-8.53) and hospitalization of the newborn immediately after birth (AOR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.28-0.62). CONCLUSION Timely administration of birth doses is a challenge in the Podor health district. The solutions would be improving geographic access to health facilities, involving community health workers, raising awareness and integrating health services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oumar Bassoum
- Service de Médecine Préventive Et de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie Et d'Odontologie (FMPO), Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal.
- Institut de Santé Et Développement, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal.
| | - Ndeye Mareme Sougou
- Service de Médecine Préventive Et de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie Et d'Odontologie (FMPO), Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal
- Institut de Santé Et Développement, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Mouhamadou Faly Ba
- Institut de Santé Et Développement, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Malick Anne
- Ministère de La Santé Et de L'Action Sociale, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Mamoudou Bocoum
- Ministère de La Santé Et de L'Action Sociale, Dakar, Sénégal
| | | | - Cheikh Sokhna
- Institut de Recherche Pour Le Développement, Campus UCAD/IRD de Hann, Dakar, Sénégal
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Anta Tal-Dia
- Service de Médecine Préventive Et de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie Et d'Odontologie (FMPO), Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Sénégal
- Institut de Santé Et Développement, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Sénégal
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Lee S, Adam AJ. Designing a Logic Model for Mobile Maternal Health e-Voucher Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Interpretive Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:295. [PMID: 35010561 PMCID: PMC8744962 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the increasing transition from paper vouchers to mobile e-vouchers for maternal health in low- and middle-income countries, few studies have reviewed key elements for program planning, implementation, and evaluation. To bridge this gap, this study conducted an interpretive review and developed a logic model for mobile maternal health e-voucher programs. Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched to retrieve relevant studies; 27 maternal health voucher programs from 84 studies were identified, and key elements for the logic model were retrieved and organized systematically. Some of the elements identified have the potential to be improved greatly by shifting to mobile e-vouchers, such as payment via mobile money or electronic claims processing and data entry for registration. The advantages of transitioning to mobile e-voucher identified from the logic model can be summarized as scalability, transparency, and flexibility. The present study contributes to the literature by providing insights into program planning, implementation, and evaluation for mobile maternal health e-voucher programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seohyun Lee
- Department of Global Public Administration, Mirae Campus, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Korea
| | - Abdul-jabiru Adam
- Department of Public Administration, Mirae Campus, Yonsei University Graduate School, Wonju 26493, Korea;
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14
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Ramadan M, Tappis H, Uribe MV, Brieger W. Access to primary healthcare Services in Conflict-Affected Fragile States: a subnational descriptive analysis of educational and wealth disparities in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Nigeria. Int J Equity Health 2021; 20:253. [PMID: 34895244 PMCID: PMC8665620 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-021-01595-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measuring and improving equitable access to care is a necessity to achieve universal health coverage. Pre-pandemic estimates showed that most conflict-affected and fragile situations were off-track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals on health and equity by 2030. Yet, there is a paucity of studies examining health inequalities in these settings. This study addresses the literature gap by applying a conflict intensity lens to the analysis of disparities in access to essential Primary Health Care (PHC) services in four conflict-affected fragile states: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Nigeria. METHODS For each studied country, disparities in geographic and financial access to care were compared across education and wealth strata in areas with differing levels of conflict intensity. The Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and the Uppsala Conflict Data Program were the main sources of information on access to PHC and conflict events, respectively. To define conflict intensity, household clusters were linked to conflict events within a 50-km distance. A cut-off of more than two conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population was used to differentiate medium or high intensity conflict from no or low intensity conflict. We utilized three measures to assess inequalities: an absolute difference, a concentration index, and a multivariate logistic regression coefficient. Each disparity measure was compared based on the intensity of conflict the year the DHS data was collected. RESULTS We found that PHC access varied across subnational regions in the four countries studied; with more prevalent financial than geographic barriers to care. The magnitude of both educational and wealth disparities in access to care was higher with geographic proximity to medium or high intensity conflict. A higher magnitude of wealth rather than educational disparities was also likely to be observed in the four studied contexts. Meanwhile, only Nigeria showed statistically significant interaction between conflict intensity and educational disparities in access to care. CONCLUSION Both educational and wealth disparities in access to PHC services can be exacerbated by geographic proximity to organized violence. This paper provides additional evidence that, despite limitations, household surveys can contribute to healthcare assessment in conflict-affected and fragile settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Ramadan
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Hannah Tappis
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Technical Leadership and Innovations Office, Jhpiego, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Manuela Villar Uribe
- Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank Group, Washington, DC, USA
| | - William Brieger
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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15
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Impact of COVID-19 on Tuberculosis Case Detection and Treatment Outcomes in Sierra Leone. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:tropicalmed6030154. [PMID: 34449755 PMCID: PMC8396336 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6030154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected tuberculosis (TB) care delivery in high burden countries. We therefore conducted a retrospective study to assess the impact of COVID-19 on TB case detection and treatment outcomes at the Chest Clinic at Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Overall, 2300 presumptive cases were tested during the first three quarters of 2020 (intra-COVID-19) versus 2636 in 2019 (baseline), representing a 12.7% decline. Testing declined by 25% in women, 20% in children and 81% in community-initiated referrals. Notwithstanding, laboratory-confirmed TB cases increased by 37.0% and treatment success rate was higher in 2020 (55.6% vs. 46.7%, p = 0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that age < 55 years (aOR 1.74, 95% CI (1.80, 2.56); p = 0.005), new diagnosis (aOR 1.69, 95% CI (1.16, 2.47); p = 0.007), pulmonary TB (aOR 3.17, 95% CI (1.67, 6.04); p < 0.001), HIV negative status (aOR 1.60, 95%CI (1.24, 2.06); p < 0.001) and self-administration of anti-TB drugs through monthly dispensing versus directly observed therapy (DOT) (aOR 1.56, 95% CI (1.21, 2.03); p = 0.001) independently predicted treatment success. These findings may have policy implications for DOTS in this setting and suggest that more resources are needed to reverse the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB program activities in Sierra Leone.
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16
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Prevalence and Socioeconomic Factors of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Among Women in Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Epidemiol Glob Health 2021; 11:397-404. [PMID: 34734380 PMCID: PMC8664325 DOI: 10.1007/s44197-021-00004-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The emerging burden of high blood pressure (HBP) and diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa will create new challenges to health systems in African countries. There is a scarcity of studies that have reported associations of diabetes and HBP with socioeconomic factors on women within the population. We assessed the prevalence and socioeconomic factors of diabetes and high blood pressure among women in Kenya. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey. Subjects were women aged 15–49 years. Self-reported status of HBP and diabetes was used to measure the prevalences. The association between educational and wealth index with HBP and diabetes was assessed by multivariable binary logistic regression. Results The prevalences of self-reported HBP and diabetes were 9.4% and 1.3%, respectively. Women with secondary [aOR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.15–2.02] and primary [aOR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.15–1.92] levels of education were more likely to report having HBP, compared to those with no formal education. However, there was no significant association between educational level and self-reported diabetes. In terms of wealth quintile, we found that women with higher wealth quintile were more likely to report having HBP and diabetes compared to those with poorest wealth quintile. Specifically, the highest odds of self-reported HBP was found among women with richest wealth quintile compared to those with poorest wealth quintile [aOR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.71–2.88]. Also, women with poorer wealth quintile were more likely to have self-reported diabetes compared to those with poorest wealth quintile [aOR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.08–2.38]. Conclusion The prevalence of HBP and diabetes was low among women in Kenya. Household wealth status was associated with HBP and diabetes. No causation can be inferred from the data; hence, longitudinal studies focusing on health-related behaviour associated with NCDs are recommended. Proper dissemination of health information regarding the risk factors for HBP and diabetes may prove to be beneficial for NCD prevention programmes.
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Ahinkorah BO, Hagan JE, Ameyaw EK, Seidu AA, Schack T. COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Front Glob Womens Health 2021; 2:686984. [PMID: 34816232 PMCID: PMC8594039 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.686984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pandemics such as COVID-19 have often resulted in international, national and sub-regional crises, with considerable inequities across many societies. With the already existing structural and socio-economic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa, the stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and shutdowns across the sub-regional states could worsen and have a tremendous impact on vulnerable groups. Numerous studies across a variety of contexts have well-documented gender, and cultures on varied health outcomes. However, these have not been contextualized in sub-Saharan Africa in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mini review discusses the ways by which COVID-19 has impacted the lives of girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa and the strategies that can help mitigate these challenges. The mini review specifically shares light on a wide array of dimensions where the inequities exist. These include the disproportionate areas affected by COVID-19; household inequities; educational inequalities; work/employment inequalities; disparities related to healthcare, sexual and reproductive health as well as housing inequities. Conclusively, the review accentuates the need for sub-Saharan African countries to adopt low-cost preventive measures such as discouraging mass gatherings (e.g., local community gatherings), and face masking with non-medical cloth like masks for the local populace as these are crucial in managing the spread of the virus among disproportionate women population. For localities with limited access to handwashing facilities, alternative strategies like alcohol-based hand rub solutions could be deployed. The complex interrelated disparities require a broad set of policy actions to lessen the current burden faced by many women in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- Faculty of Health, School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John Elvis Hagan
- Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Edward Kwabena Ameyaw
- Faculty of Health, School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- L & E Research Consult, Wa, Ghana
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Thomas Schack
- Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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18
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Zegeye B, El-Khatib Z, Ameyaw EK, Seidu AA, Ahinkorah BO, Keetile M, Yaya S. Breaking Barriers to Healthcare Access: A Multilevel Analysis of Individual- and Community-Level Factors Affecting Women's Access to Healthcare Services in Benin. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18020750. [PMID: 33477290 PMCID: PMC7830614 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Background: In low-income countries such as Benin, most people have poor access to healthcare services. There is scarcity of evidence about barriers to accessing healthcare services in Benin. Therefore, we examined the magnitude of the problem of access to healthcare services and its associated factors. Methods: We utilized data from the 2017–2018 Benin Demographic and Health Survey (n = 15,928). We examined the associations between the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of women using multilevel logistic regression. The outcome variable for the study was problem of access to healthcare service. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. Results: Overall, 60.4% of surveyed women had problems in accessing healthcare services. Partner’s education (AOR = 0.70; 95% CI; 0.55–0.89), economic status (AOR = 0.59; 95% CI; 0.47–0.73), marital status (AOR = 0.44; 95% CI; 0.39–0.51), and parity (AOR = 1.85; 95% CI; 1.45–2.35) were significant individual-level factors associated with problem of access to healthcare. Region (AOR = 5.24; 95% CI; 3.18–8.64) and community literacy level (AOR = 0.69; 95% CI; 0.51–0.94) were the main community-level risk factors. Conclusions: Enhancing husband education through adult education programs, economic empowerment of women, enhancing national education coverage, and providing priority for unmarried and multipara women need to be considered. Additionally, there is the need to ensure equity-based access to healthcare services across regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betregiorgis Zegeye
- HaSET Maternal and Child Health Research Program, Shewarobit Field Office, Shewarobit P.O. Box 127, Ethiopia;
| | - Ziad El-Khatib
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden;
- Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
- World Health Programme, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT), Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9L 2K1, Canada
| | - Edward Kwabena Ameyaw
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (E.K.A.); (B.O.A.)
| | - Abdul-Aziz Seidu
- Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, PMB 0494, Ghana;
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Bright Opoku Ahinkorah
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia; (E.K.A.); (B.O.A.)
| | - Mpho Keetile
- Department of Population Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Botswana, Private Bag UB 0022, Gaborone, Botswana;
| | - 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 0BZ, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-613-562-5800
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