1
|
Abdelmola AO, Mesawa RM, Hakami AM, Ageeli RF, Khawaji OA, Ageeli HM, Alabood ZM, Kariri HDH, Abdelwahab SI. Determinants of knowledge and perception about menopause among Saudi women: A cross-sectional study. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32935. [PMID: 38948045 PMCID: PMC11211883 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Healthcare professionals and educators closely monitor the occurrence of climacteric symptoms in women's primes. Knowledge and perception of menopause play a crucial role in improving quality of life. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions of menopause among Saudi women and identify its predictors. This study is the first of its kind in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. Methods Conducted in accordance with the STROBE guidelines, this cross-sectional study was carried out in the Jazan region from May 2022 to January 2023 and involved 480 Saudi women who provided consent. Data were collected through interviews using a validated questionnaire and random sampling. The questionnaire consisted of four parts: informed consent, demographics, 21 knowledge questions, and ten menopause perception questions. The validity of the content and the internal consistency were evaluated before data collection. Primary healthcare centers were randomly selected from four governorates with a proportional sample size to the population. Descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed using IBM-SPSS. Results Among the participants, 64 % were under 40 years old, 80 % had experienced menarche between the ages of 10 and 15, 48 % were employed, approximately half held a bachelor's degree, and they had a good family income. The mean knowledge score of the participants was 48.87 ± 11.72, with a minimum score of 27 and a maximum score of 78. In terms of knowledge categories, 56.3 % of the participants (N = 270) were classified as having low knowledge, while 43.8 % (N = 210) were classified as having high knowledge. Most of the participants had positive perceptions and agreed that menopause is a natural event in women's lives. There was a significant positive correlation between knowledge and perception (R = 0.219, P < 0.01). Variable findings were observed regarding the role of explanatory variables in women's knowledge of menopause between univariate and multivariate models. The results of the multivariate model showed that age (46-50 years, OR = 0.42), having children (OR = 1.09), residence (OR = 0.45-5.73) and family income categories (medium: OR = 3.98, good: OR = 3.78, and excellent: OR = 1.95) had a significant impact on knowledge, highlighting the correlation between demographic factors and knowledge. Conclusions Based on the study findings, we recommend implementing workplace and community-based activities to increase women's awareness of menopause and incorporating it as an integral part of counseling sessions for women in this age group. Therefore, the results of the study will be shared with the relevant authorities responsible for women's health, enabling them to effectively support and educate women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amani Osman Abdelmola
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rufaydah Mohammad Mesawa
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alia'a Mohammed Hakami
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Razan Faiez Ageeli
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ola Abdo Khawaji
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Halimah Mohammed Ageeli
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zainab Mohammed Alabood
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alhassan N. Health care and contraceptive decision-making autonomy and use of female sterilisation among married women in Malawi. Front Glob Womens Health 2024; 5:1264190. [PMID: 38895643 PMCID: PMC11183528 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2024.1264190] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Female sterilisation is the most common contraceptive method used globally. The use of female sterilisation is disproportionately low in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) at just 1%. Nonetheless, the prevalence of sterilisation among married women in Malawi is quite high at about 11%. While a few recent studies in SSA have examined the relationship between women's decision-making autonomy and use of long-acting contraceptives, very few have investigated whether different dimensions of decision-making autonomy predict the use of female sterilisation differently. The objective of this study was therefore to examine the relationship between health care and contraceptive decision-making autonomy and the use of female sterilisation in Malawi. Data and methods The study relied on secondary data from the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. The sample comprised 9,164 married women in Malawi that were using a modern contraceptive. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between health care and contraceptive decision-making autonomy and the use of female sterilisation, controlling for key socio-demographic characteristics. Results The study revealed that the percentage of married women that made health care and contraceptive decisions independently was quite low. The main finding of this study was that contraceptive decision-making autonomy increased the relative likelihood of using female sterilisation while health care autonomy was associated with a lower likelihood of being sterilized. The socio- demographic characteristics that significantly predicted the use of female sterilisation included age, place of residence, household wealth and the number of children a woman had. Conclusion This study demonstrates that health care and contraceptive decision making have different effects on the use of female sterilisation among married women in Malawi. Specifically, women with autonomy in health care decision making had a relatively lower likelihood of using female sterilisation while those with contraceptive decision-making autonomy had a higher likelihood of using female sterilisation. This suggests that intervention aimed at increasing the uptake of female sterilisation in Malawi need to focus on empowering women in the contraceptive decision-making domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nurudeen Alhassan
- Population Dynamics and Demographic Dividend Thematic Area, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), Lilongwe, Malawi
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Finkle C, Bai Y, Chandra-Mouli V, O'Keefe S, Tetui M, Fischer S, Lokko K, Mwaikambo L, Ohkubo S. The Challenge Initiative: Lessons on Rapid Scale-Up of Family Planning and Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Services. GLOBAL HEALTH, SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2024; 12:e2400153. [PMID: 38772721 PMCID: PMC11111109 DOI: 10.9745/ghsp-d-24-00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The articles in this supplement showcase The Challenge Initiative’s strategies and insights for sustainably scaling evidence-based family planning and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health interventions and emphasize the need for multipronged interventions that address the complex web of factors influencing adolescents’ and youth’s access to contraceptive services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yacine Bai
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli
- Formerly of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Moses Tetui
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Kitchener, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Kojo Lokko
- William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lisa Mwaikambo
- Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Saori Ohkubo
- Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Marphatia A, Busert-Sebela L, Manandhar DS, Reid A, Cortina-Borja M, Saville N, Dahal M, Puri M, Wells JCK. Generational trends in the transition to womanhood in lowland rural Nepal: Changes in the meaning of early marriage. Am J Hum Biol 2024:e24088. [PMID: 38687248 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In South Asia, studies show secular trends toward slightly later women's marriage and first reproduction. However, data on related biological and social events, such as menarche and age of coresidence with husband, are often missing from these analyses. We assessed generational trends in key life events marking the transition to womanhood in rural lowland Nepal. METHODS We used data on 110 co-resident mother-in-law (MIL) and daughter-in-law (DIL) dyads. We used paired t-tests and chi-squared tests to evaluate generational trends in women's education, and mean age at menarche, marriage, cohabitation with husband, and first reproduction of MIL and DIL dyads. We examined norms held by MILs and DILs on a daughter's life opportunities. RESULTS On average, MIL was 29 years older than DIL (60 years vs. 31 years). Both groups experienced menarche at average age 13.8 years. MIL was married at average 12.4 years, before menarche, and cohabitated with husbands at average 14.8 years. DIL was simultaneously married and cohabitated with husbands after menarche, at average 15 years. DIL was marginally more educated than MIL but had their first child on average 0.8 years earlier (95% CI -1.4, -0.1). MIL and DIL held similar norms on daughters' education and marriage. CONCLUSION While social norms remain similar, the meaning of "early marriage" and use of menarche in marriage decisions has changed in rural lowland Nepal. Compared to DIL, MIL who was married earlier transitioned to womanhood more gradually. However, DIL was still married young, and had an accelerated trajectory to childbearing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Marphatia
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - L Busert-Sebela
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - D S Manandhar
- Mother and Infant Research Activities, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - A Reid
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Cortina-Borja
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - N Saville
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - M Dahal
- Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - M Puri
- Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - J C K Wells
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Misunas C, Soler-Hampejsek E, Kangwana B, Haberland NA. Do adolescent girls' education and friendships have independent effects on early pregnancy? Results of a mediation analysis from a longitudinal cohort study in Nairobi, Kenya. SSM Popul Health 2024; 25:101618. [PMID: 38426033 PMCID: PMC10901828 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Few studies have examined whether the effect of education on pregnancy and childbearing is due to the academic skills acquired or the social environment that schooling provides. This paper explores whether adolescent girls' learning skills, school enrollment, grade attainment, and friendships affect risk of pregnancy, and whether friendships mediate the relationship between education and pregnancy. Methods We draw on three waves of longitudinal data on adolescent girls aged 11-15 in Kibera, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya between years 2015-2019. We use fixed effects regression models to estimate effects of girls' learning skills, school attendance, grade attainment, and friendships on their probability of experiencing a pregnancy. We conduct mediation analyses to assess whether friendships mediate the relationship between education and pregnancy. Results By round one (2015), 0.1 % of girls reported having experienced a pregnancy; by round three (2019), 6.3 %. Even after adjusting for friendships, we find that attending school decreases probability of pregnancy by nine percentage points; an additional year of schooling decreases probability of pregnancy by three percentage points; and a one standard deviation increase in numeracy decreases probability of pregnancy by one percentage point. Having any male friends who do not attend school increases girls' probability of experiencing a pregnancy by four percentage points; this association remains after adjusting for girls' education. However, out-of-school girls are far more likely to report out-of-school male friends. We find no evidence that other types of friendships affect girls' probability of becoming pregnant. Conclusion We find significant protective effects of school attendance, higher grade attainment and numeracy skills on girls' pregnancy, and that having close friendships with out-of-school males increases girls' probability of pregnancy. We did not find evidence of meaningful mediation, suggesting that the protective effects of school attendance and learning remain regardless of any risk they may face from their friendships.
Collapse
|
6
|
Singh P, Singh KK. Trends, patterns and predictors of high-risk fertility behaviour among Indian women: evidence from National Family Health Survey. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:626. [PMID: 38413929 PMCID: PMC10900591 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18046-3] [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: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have demonstrated that high-risk fertility behaviour (HRFB), which includes maternal age below 18 or above 34 years, short birth intervals (less than 24 months), and high parity (birth order above 4), is associated with adverse maternal and child health outcomes. There is a substantial research gap in the domain of high-risk fertility behaviour in the Indian context. Therefore, this study is designed to investigate the current trends and patterns in the prevalence of high-risk births among Indian women, with a primary focus on identifying contributing factors associated with this prevalence. METHODS The study utilized data from the nationally representative National Family Health Survey (NFHS), which has been conducted in five rounds since 1992-93. Data from all rounds were used to assess the overall trend. However, data from the most recent round of NFHS, conducted during 2019-21, were employed to evaluate current levels and patterns of HRFB prevalence and to identify socio-economic and demographic predictors of HRFB using binomial and multinomial logistic regression models. RESULTS The prevalence of HRFB has exhibited a consistent decreasing pattern from 1992 to 93 to 2019-21 in India. However, 29.56% of married women continue to experience high-risk births with notably higher rates in several states (e.g., 49.85% in Meghalaya and 46.41% in Bihar). Furthermore, socio-demographic factors like wealth index, educational level, social group, religion, mass media exposure, family size, age at marriage, type and region of residence, and reproductive factors like birth intention, place and type of delivery, ANC visits and current contraceptive use were identified as significant predictors of high-risk births among women in India. CONCLUSION Despite a 20.4 percentage point decline in HRFB prevalence over the past three decades, a significant proportion of women in specific regions and demographic subgroups continue to experience high-risk births. Therefore, the present study recommends interventions aimed at preventing high-risk births among women in India, with particular emphasis on states with high HRFB prevalence and women from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Singh
- Department of Statistics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Kaushalendra Kumar Singh
- Department of Statistics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Shen H, Zhao H, Wang B, Jiang Y. Women's status, empowerment, and utilization of skilled delivery services in Papua New Guinea: an empirical analysis based on structural equation modeling. Front Public Health 2024; 11:1192966. [PMID: 38269389 PMCID: PMC10807043 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1192966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Skilled birth attendants (SBA) facilitate identifying and overcoming labor problems and saving lives. With one of the highest maternal death rates in the Asia-Pacific area, SBA utilization during childbirth among Papua New Guinea (PNG) women remains low. Women's status and empowerment are important factors in maternal and child health services and critical to maternal and child health development. This study is intended to apply structural equation modeling based on data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to evaluate the causal relationship between women's status, empowerment, and SBA utilization in PNG and the mechanisms of their influence. Methods This study employed data from the 2016-2018 Papua New Guinea Demographic Health Survey (PNG DHS), which recruited 18,175 women aged 15-49 years. A multi-stage sample and a structured questionnaire were used to collect information on maternal health, women's empowerment, and related topics. STATA 17.0 was used to describe the data, while MPLUS 8.2 was employed for structural equation modeling and pathway analysis. Results The two empowerment dimensions of household decision-making (standardized path coefficient, β = 0.049, p < 0.05) and access to health services (β = 0.069, p < 0.01) were positively associated with SBA utilization, while the association between attitudes toward partner violence and SBA utilization was not statistically significant. In addition, mediation analysis revealed that education indirectly influenced SBA utilization through access to health services (β = 0.011, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.022). Conclusion The findings confirmed the direct and indirect effects of women's status and empowerment on SBA utilization in PNG. Therefore, a call for further evidence-based interventions in PNG and possibly Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) is needed to improve women's educational attainment, household decision-making, and access to health services to enhance maternal and newborn health and well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Shen
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hang Zhao
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Baoqin Wang
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pru M, Brown CM, Singh RS. Cost of mate choice: Changing patterns of global age disparity in marriage and their consequences to women's health including maternal mortality and menopause. WOMEN'S HEALTH (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 20:17455057241264687. [PMID: 39066558 PMCID: PMC11282549 DOI: 10.1177/17455057241264687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Consistent across cultures and throughout time is the male preference for younger females. Given its prevalence, the mate choice theory proposes that age-disparate relationships may have contributed to the evolution of maternal mortality and menopause. OBJECTIVES The objective is to document evidence for age disparity in marriage from past and present populations and evaluate their relevance to maternal mortality and menopause. DESIGN Cross-sectional data were collected from various regions and time points, ranging from the Roman era to the current decade. METHODS To analyze both the age disparity in marriage and age at marriage, data were collected from Ancestry.ca for Quebec, Massachusetts, India, South Africa, and England and Wales. Additional data were taken from the United Nations as a more recent and comprehensive source. To analyze the relationships between age disparity in marriage and different social factors, data on gross domestic product, maternal mortality rates, fertility, primary school enrollment, child marriage rates, and percentage of women in the total labor force were collected from the World Health Organization, World Bank, and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. RESULTS The results showed that males were significantly older than females at first marriage in all populations and time frames sampled, supporting the assumption underlying the mate choice theory. Maternal mortality rates were strongly associated with age-disparate relationships, increasing by 275 per 100,000 live births for each additional year in the age disparity. CONCLUSION The results from this study provide support for the assumption underlying the mate choice theory of maternal mortality and menopause.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mindy Pru
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - C Michelle Brown
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Rama S Singh
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Miller FA, Dulal S, Rai A, Gram L, Harris-Fry H, Saville NM. "Can't live willingly": A thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence exploring how early marriage and early pregnancy affect experiences of pregnancy in South Asia. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002279. [PMID: 37871001 PMCID: PMC10593245 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
In South Asia, early marriage has been associated with a range of adverse outcomes during pregnancy and infancy. This may partly be explained by early marriage leading to a younger maternal age, however it remains unclear which other factors are involved. This review aimed to synthesise the qualitative evidence on experiences of pregnancy following early marriage or early pregnancy in South Asia, to inform our understanding of the mechanisms between early marriage and adverse pregnancy outcomes. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Global Index Medicus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and grey literature on 29/11/2022 to identify papers on experiences of pregnancy among those who married or became pregnant early in South Asia (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022304336, funded by an MRC doctoral training grant). Seventy-nine papers from six countries were included after screening. We appraised study quality using an adapted version of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool for qualitative research. Reporting of reflexivity and theoretical underpinnings was poor. We synthesised findings thematically, presenting themes alongside illustrative quotes. We categorised poor pregnancy experiences into: care-seeking challenges, mental health difficulties, and poor nutritional status. We identified eight inter-connected themes: restrictive social hierarchies within households, earning social position, disrupted education, social isolation, increased likelihood of and vulnerability to abuse, shaming of pregnant women, normalisation of risk among younger women, and burdensome workloads. Socioeconomic position and caste/ethnic group also intersected with early marriage to shape experiences during pregnancy. While we found differences between regions, the heterogeneity of the included studies limits our ability to draw conclusions across regions. Pregnancy experiences are largely determined by social hierarchies and the quality of relationships within and outside of the household. These factors limit the potential for individual factors, such as education and empowerment, to improve experiences of pregnancy for girls married early.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faith A. Miller
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophiya Dulal
- School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anjana Rai
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lu Gram
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Harris-Fry
- Department of Population Health, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Naomi M. Saville
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Haider MM, Kamal N, Khan S, Rahman MM, Dewan MN, Sarkar SS, Shafiq SS, Alam N. Trends in women's height and the effect of early childbearing on height retardation: An analysis of the height of Bangladeshi women born between 1974 and 1998. J Glob Health 2023; 13:07006. [PMID: 37766652 PMCID: PMC10534193 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.07006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Depending on race, ethnicity, and region, genetic variants determine human height by 65% to 80%, while the remaining variance of 20% to 35% is influenced by nutrition and other individual or environmental exposures in the early years of life. An improvement in nutrition and health in the early years in a population underprivileged in health and nutrition will likely increase the group's average height. Due to outstanding improvements in these areas in recent decades, we hypothesised that the average height of Bangladeshi women has increased. Moreover, because pregnancy at an early age affects women's health and nutrition, we hypothesised that women who began childbearing early would experience growth retardation compared to women who had pregnancies at a later age. Methods We used data from five national surveys conducted between 2004 and 2018 that collected height data from ever-married women aged 15-49 years. We analysed the height of women aged 20-29 years (born between 1974 and 1998) and examined the mean height by birth years, age at first birth (AFB), economic status, religion and region. We conducted multiple linear regression models, controlling for the differential effects of the socio-demographic characteristics on women's height over time and by AFB. Results The average height of women born between 1974 and 1998 significantly increased by 0.03 cm annually, with fluctuations between 150.3 and 151.6 cm. We also found an association between age at childbearing and height in adulthood - women who began childbearing before age 17 were approximately one centimetre shorter in adulthood than those who began childbearing at a later age. Conclusions We found evidence of an increasing trend in women's height in Bangladesh and an inhibiting effect of early teenage childbearing on attaining the potential growth of women. The findings call for further studies to investigate early childbearing and its consequences on women's and their children's growth in diverse settings, considering socio-cultural customs influencing early marriage and childbearing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Shusmita Khan
- Data for Impact, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sabit Saad Shafiq
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Nurul Alam
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kim T. The impact of working hours on pregnancy intention in childbearing-age women in Korea, the country with the world's lowest fertility rate. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288697. [PMID: 37467184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess factors affecting pregnancy intention among women of reproductive age in Korea. We analyzed data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a population-based survey that included 22,731 women aged 15-49. As age was associated with birth year and was found to be a confounding factor in the analysis of participants' characteristics, we used propensity score matching to assess the characteristics of pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women of the same age and birth year. We also employed the XGBoost machine learning model to identify the most important factors related to pregnancy intentions. Our feature importance analysis showed that weekly working hours were the most significant factor affecting pregnancy intentions. Additionally, we performed cluster analysis and logistic regression models to determine optimal weekly working hours. Cluster analysis identified participants into three distinct groups based on their characteristics, indicating that the group with an average of 34.4±12.9 hours per week had the highest likelihood of becoming pregnant. Logistic regression was used to analyze the odds of pregnancy for every 5-hour increase in weekly working hours. The results of logistic regression indicated that women who worked between 35-45 hours per week had higher odds of pregnancy, with significant odds ratios of 2.009 (95% confidence interval: 1.581-2.547, p < .001) for 40-45 hours per week and 1.450 (95% confidence interval: 1.001-2.040, p < .05) for 35-40 hours per week, compared to women working other hours. In Korea, the standard workweek is typically 40 hours; however, Koreans often work considerably longer hours, with the second-highest number of working hours among OECD countries in 2022. This study suggests that strict monitoring of working hours and expansion of telecommuting for childbearing-age women are important factors in increasing the fertility rate in Korea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taewook Kim
- Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Study, Seoul Government Complex, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Asmamaw DB, Belachew TB, Negash WD. Multilevel analysis of early resumption of sexual intercourse among postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from Demographic and Health Survey Data. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:733. [PMID: 37085836 PMCID: PMC10120166 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15687-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resuming sexual activity early after childbirth can cause reproductive health problems such as unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and short birth intervals, especially if contraception is not used. However, it is uncommon for healthcare providers to discuss postpartum sexual practices during prenatal and postnatal care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess early resumption of sexual intercourse and associated factors among postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS Secondary data analysis from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys data from the period of 2014 to 2019/2020 of 23 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were used. A total weighted sample of 118,371 women who gave birth in the three years before the surveys were used. We analyzed the data using Stata version 14. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with early resumption of sexual intercourse. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 in the multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model were declared significant factors associated with the outcome variables. RESULTS The magnitude of early resumption of sexual intercourse among postpartum women was 67.97% (95% CI: 67.60, 68.34). Urban resident (AOR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.83, 2.06), women with primary education 1.11 (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.31) and secondary education and above level 1.17 (AOR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.29), husbands with primary education 1.32 (AOR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.27, 1.38) and secondary education and above level 1.15 (AOR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.25), family planning use (AOR = 95%; CI: 1.77, 1.91), fertility intention wanted then 1.24 (AOR = 1.24; 95%; CI: 1.19, 1.32) and wanted later 1.27 (AOR = 1.27; 95%; CI: 1.22, 1.46), religion (AOR = 2.08; 95%CI: 1.97, 2.17), and place of delivery (AOR = 1.51; 95%CI = 1.36, 1.65) were significantly associated with early resumption of sexual intercourse. CONCLUSION The study revealed that more than two-thirds of the women had resumed sexual intercourse early after childbirth. Hence, the concerned bodies should strengthen the integration of postpartum education on sexual resumption with maternal, neonatal, and child health care services to reduce the early resumption of sexual intercourse. In addition, healthcare providers providing counseling on the resumption of postpartum sexual intercourse should focus on these factors to ensure a more effective outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Desale Bihonegn Asmamaw
- Department of Reproductive Health, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, P.O.Box: 196, Gondar, Ethiopia.
| | - Tadele Biresaw Belachew
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Wubshet Debebe Negash
- Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Singh M, Shekhar C, Gupta J. Transition in the ages at key reproductive events and its determinants in India: evidence from NFHS 1992-93 to 2019-21. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:145. [PMID: 36991456 PMCID: PMC10061699 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02271-w] [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: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Reproductive health events have changed fertility and family planning needs, depicting the changing life patterns of women and the population to which they belong. Understanding the pattern at which these events occur helps in understanding the fertility pattern, family formation and the idea about health essential needs for women. This paper attempts to see the variation in reproductive events (first cohabitation, first sex and first birth) over three decades and also to see potential contributing factors among the reproductive age group of women using secondary data from Data Source: All rounds of the National Family Health Survey (1992-93 to 2019-2021) have been utilized. METHODS AND RESULTS Cox Proportional Hazard Model illustrates that all regions have initiated their first birth later than women who belong to the east region similar pattern has been obtained for first cohabitation and first sex except for the central region. Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) depicts the increasing pattern in the predicted mean age at first cohabitation, sex and birth for all demographic characteristics; the highest increment was found in SC women, Uneducated women and Muslim women. Kaplan Meier Curve demonstrates that women with no education, primary or secondary education are shifting towards higher educated women. Most importantly, the results of the multivariate decomposition analysis (MDA) revealed that education played the largest contribution among the compositional factors in the overall increase in mean ages at key reproductive events. CONCLUSIONS Though reproductive health has long been essential in women's lives, they are still very confined to specific domains. Over time the government has formulated several proper legislative measures relating to various domains of reproductive events. However, given that the large size and heterogeneity in social and cultural norms result in changing ideas and choices regarding the initiation of reproductive events, national policy formulation needs to be improved or amended.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mayank Singh
- Department of fertility & Social Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, 400088, India
| | - Chander Shekhar
- Department of fertility & Social Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, 400088, India
| | - Jagriti Gupta
- Department of fertility & Social Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, 400088, India.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
The role of education in child and adolescent marriage in rural lowland Nepal. J Biosoc Sci 2023; 55:275-291. [PMID: 35361308 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932022000074] [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: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Marriage during childhood and adolescence adversely affects maternal and child health and well-being, making it a critical global health issue. Analysis of factors associated with women marrying ≥18 years has limited utility in societies where the norm is to marry substantially earlier. This paper investigated how much education Nepali women needed to delay marriage across the range of ages from 15 to ≥18 years. Data on 6,406 women aged 23-30 years were analysed from the Low Birth Weight South Asia Trial on the early-marrying and low-educated Maithili-speaking Madhesi population in Terai, Nepal. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the associations of women's education with marrying aged ≥15, ≥16, ≥17 and ≥18 years. Cox proportional hazards regression models quantified the hazard of marrying. Models adjusted for caste affiliation. Women married at median age of 15 years and three-quarters were uneducated. Women's primary and lower-secondary education were weakly associated with delaying marriage, whether the cut-off to define early marriage was 15, 16, 17 or 18 years, with stronger associations for secondary education. Caste associations were weak. Overall, models explained relatively little of the variance in the likelihood of marriage at different ages. The joint effects of lower-secondary and higher caste affiliation and of secondary/higher education and mid and higher caste affiliation reduced the hazard of marrying. In early-marrying and low-educated societies, changing caste-based norms are unlikely to delay women's marriage. Research on broader risk factors and norms that are more relevant for delaying marriage in these contexts is needed. Gradual increases in women's median marriage age and increased secondary education may, over time, reduce child and adolescent marriage.
Collapse
|
15
|
Fang PJ, Kuo PH, Chen WL, Kao TW, Wu LW, Yang HF, Peng TC. Prevalence of Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics among Young Asian Adults over 5 Years of Follow-Up. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15030645. [PMID: 36771352 PMCID: PMC9920953 DOI: 10.3390/nu15030645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics play an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, there is a lack of cohort studies on CVH metrics among young Asian adults. The aims of this study were to describe early changes in CVH among young Asian adults and to investigate the association between CVH metrics and sociodemographic variables. METHODS A total of 10,000 young adults (aged 21-30 years) were recruited between 2000 and 2016. There were two CVH measurements taken from these participants over the study period. One measurement was taken at the beginning, and the other was taken five years later. Subgroup analysis of the changes in CVH metrics was divided by education level and marital status. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 26.8 years. The initial prevalence of ideal CVH metrics was 52.3% and 86.8% and decreased to 43.8% and 81.2% after five years for males and females, respectively. In the subgroup analysis, males with less than a university education had a smaller ideal CVH metric decrease (6.2%) than males with more than a university education (8.9%), while females with more than a university education had a smaller ideal CVH metric decrease (5.4%) than females with less than a university education (7.3%). Married males had a smaller ideal CVH metric decrease (6.1%) than single males (9.1%), while single females had a smaller ideal CVH metric decrease (5.3%) than married females (6.2%). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of ideal CVH metrics among young adults gradually decreased as age increased. Higher educational attainment and unmarried status were associated with a greater prevalence of ideal CVH metrics regardless of sex, but early CVH changes differed by sex, education level, and marital status. The prevalence of CVH changes found early among young adults can be used to monitor CVH changes quickly. Effective health promotion programs are needed to maintain CVH metrics among young adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pu-Jun Fang
- Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Division of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Hsuan Kuo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
- Faculty of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Liang Chen
- Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Tung-Wei Kao
- Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Li-Wei Wu
- Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Fang Yang
- Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Tao-Chun Peng
- Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lai T, Huang Y, Xiong J. Changes in behavior patterns or demographic structure? Re-estimating the impact of higher education on the average age of the first marriage. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1085293. [PMID: 36777210 PMCID: PMC9911652 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1085293] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
During the last few decades, China implemented college enrollment expansion to accelerate the process of urbanization. However, most existing papers blaming that receiving higher education may delay people choosing to enter the age of first marriage, which in turn results in the age of the population. In this paper, we argued that the previous papers confused the total impact of higher education on the average age of the first marriage with the influence on individual's behavior change, and thus led to overestimating the delayed effect of higher education on the age choosing behavior of first marriage. The present paper re-estimated the impact of higher education on the average age of the first marriage in China with both extensive and intensive margins using the duration model and qualified the pure effect on the behavior patterns change after removing macroeconomic factors. The results show that: (1) changes in either the demographic structure or behavior patterns due to higher education explain 63.41% or 36.59%, respectively, of the average marriage age delay; (2) the macro factors would delay the age of first marriage; (3) after controlling for demographic structure and macro factors, 3 years or more of higher education would only delay the choosing behavior of entering the first marriage by 0.84 years. Thus, we concluded that higher education does not completely squeeze the time of marriage, and the expansion of college enrollment could improve social and economic benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ting Lai
- China Center for Special Economic Zone Research, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yiheng Huang
- China Center for Special Economic Zone Research, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jinwu Xiong
- Business School, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Jinwu Xiong,
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Dejene T, Gurmu E. Exploring reproductive trajectories of youths of Oromia, Ethiopia: A life course approach. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279773. [PMID: 36584070 PMCID: PMC9803128 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the context of continuous cultural, social, and economic changes happening around the globe, the predictable patterns of the life course of the past observed over successive birth cohorts will not remain stable across generations. In this study, three reproductive role indicators-first sexual encounter, first marriage, and first birth-for three synthetic birth cohorts were used to identify and characterize the reproductive trajectories of youths. In our analysis, for the sake of comparison with global literature, we considered youths to be between ages 15 and 24. The analysis was conducted using data extracted from the 2005, 2011, and 2016 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey for Oromia National Regional State. Three synthetic birth cohorts of youths of birth years between 1975 and 1989 were constructed for the analysis. A sequence analysis based on dynamic hamming distance with partition around medoids technique was employed to extract the typologies of reproductive trajectories of youths. In addition, discrepancy analysis and a sequence regression tree analysis were employed to characterize the identified typologies of trajectories. Data management was done using STATA 14 and all analyses were carried out using R software. The study identified four different typologies of reproductive trajectories among the youth. The sex of respondents was the primary discriminating factor of the typologies of reproductive trajectories. The findings support the notion of changing norms in reproductive behavior among the less educated youth irrespective of sex. The discriminating power of education was stronger for female youth in urban areas than rural females. It implies that the postponement of reproductive role assumption was stronger among educated female youths residing in urban than their rural counterparts. Normative reproductive practices such as early marriage and adolescent fertility are still common practices that require efforts of communities and local government bodies to ameliorate these practices. Results of the study indicate that less educated youth should be targeted in programs that aim at improving youth empowerment (i.e., training and employment opportunities) as well as their sexual and reproductive health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tariku Dejene
- Center for Population Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- * E-mail:
| | - Eshetu Gurmu
- Center for Population Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Wells JCK, Cole TJ, Cortina-Borja M, Sear R, Leon DA, Marphatia AA, Murray J, Wehrmeister FC, Oliveira PD, Gonçalves H, Oliveira IO, Menezes AMB. Life history trade-offs associated with exposure to low maternal capital are different in sons compared to daughters: Evidence from a prospective Brazilian birth cohort. Front Public Health 2022; 10:914965. [PMID: 36203666 PMCID: PMC9532015 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.914965] [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: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental exposures in early life explain variability in many physiological and behavioural traits in adulthood. Recently, we showed that exposure to a composite marker of low maternal capital explained the clustering of adverse behavioural and physical traits in adult daughters in a Brazilian birth cohort. These associations were strongly mediated by whether or not the daughter had reproduced by the age of 18 years. Using evolutionary life history theory, we attributed these associations to trade-offs between competing outcomes, whereby daughters exposed to low maternal capital prioritised investment in reproduction and defence over maintenance and growth. However, little is known about such trade-offs in sons. Methods We investigated 2,024 mother-son dyads from the same birth cohort. We combined data on maternal height, body mass index, income, and education into a composite "maternal capital" index. Son outcomes included reproductive status at the age of 18 years, growth trajectory, adult anthropometry, body composition, cardio-metabolic risk, educational attainment, work status, and risky behaviour (smoking, violent crime). We tested whether sons' early reproduction and exposure to low maternal capital were associated with adverse outcomes and whether this accounted for the clustering of adverse outcomes within individuals. Results Sons reproducing early were shorter, less educated, and more likely to be earning a salary and showing risky behaviour compared to those not reproducing, but did not differ in foetal growth. Low maternal capital was associated with a greater likelihood of sons' reproducing early, leaving school, and smoking. High maternal capital was positively associated with sons' birth weight, adult size, and staying in school. However, the greater adiposity of high-capital sons was associated with an unhealthier cardio-metabolic profile. Conclusion Exposure to low maternal investment is associated with trade-offs between life history functions, helping to explain the clustering of adverse outcomes in sons. The patterns indicated future discounting, with reduced maternal investment associated with early reproduction but less investment in growth, education, or healthy behaviour. However, we also found differences compared to our analyses of daughters, with fewer physical costs associated with early reproduction. Exposure to intergenerational "cycles of disadvantage" has different effects on sons vs. daughters, hence interventions may have sex-specific consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. K. Wells
- Policy, Population and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Jonathan C. K. Wells
| | - Tim J. Cole
- Policy, Population and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Cortina-Borja
- Policy, Population and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Sear
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - David A. Leon
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom,Department of Community Medicine, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Akanksha A. Marphatia
- Policy, Population and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom,Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Murray
- Federal University of Pelotas – Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Pelotas, Brazil
| | | | - Paula D. Oliveira
- Federal University of Pelotas – Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Helen Gonçalves
- Federal University of Pelotas – Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Isabel O. Oliveira
- Federal University of Pelotas – Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Pelotas, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria B. Menezes
- Federal University of Pelotas – Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Pelotas, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Wells JCK, Marphatia AA, Cortina‐Borja M, Manandhar DS, Reid AM, Saville NM. Associations of maternal age at marriage and pregnancy with infant undernutrition: Evidence from first‐time mothers in rural lowland Nepal. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9539981 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Maternal factors shape the risk of infant undernutrition, however the contributions of age at marriage versus age at pregnancy are rarely disentangled. We explore these issues in a population from lowland rural Nepal, where median ages at marriage and first pregnancy are 15 and 17 years respectively and marriage almost always precedes pregnancy. Methods We analyzed data on first‐time mothers (n = 3002) from a cluster‐randomized trial (2012–2015). Exposures were ages at marriage and pregnancy, categorized into groups. Outcomes were z‐scores for weight (WAZ), length (LAZ), head circumference (HCAZ), and weight‐for‐length (WLZ), and prevalence of wasting and stunting, for neonates (<8 days) and infants (6–12 months). Mixed linear and logistic regression models tested associations of marriage and pregnancy ages with outcomes, adjusting for parental education, household assets, caste, landholding, seasonality, child sex, intervention arm, randomization strata and cluster. Results For neonates, pregnancy <18 years predicted lower LAZ, and <19 years predicted lower WAZ and HCAZ. Results were largely null for marriage age, however early pregnancy and marriage at 10–13 years independently predicted neonatal stunting. For infants, earlier pregnancy was associated with lower LAZ and HCAZ, with a trend to lower WAZ for marriage 10–13 years. Early pregnancy, but not early marriage, predicted infant stunting. Conclusions Early marriage and pregnancy were associated with poorer growth, mainly in terms of LAZ and HCAZ. Associations were stronger for neonatal than infant outcomes, suggesting pregnancy is more susceptible to these stresses. Early marriage and pregnancy may index different social and biological factors predicting child undernutrition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. K. Wells
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health London UK
| | | | - Mario Cortina‐Borja
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health London UK
| | | | - Alice M. Reid
- Department of Geography University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Wells JCK. An Evolutionary Model of “Sexual Conflict” Over Women's Age at Marriage: Implications for Child Mortality and Undernutrition. Front Public Health 2022; 10:653433. [PMID: 35784199 PMCID: PMC9247288 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.653433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundEarly women's marriage is associated with adverse outcomes for mothers and their offspring, including reduced human capital and increased child undernutrition and mortality. Despite preventive efforts, it remains common in many populations and is often favored by cultural norms. A key question is why it remains common, given such penalties. Using an evolutionary perspective, a simple mathematical model was developed to explore women's optimal marriage age under different circumstances, if the sole aim were to maximize maternal or paternal lifetime reproductive fitness (surviving offspring).MethodsThe model was based on several assumptions, supported by empirical evidence, regarding relationships between women's marital age and parental and offspring outcomes. It assumes that later marriage promotes women's autonomy, enhancing control over fertility and childcare, but increases paternity uncertainty. Given these assumptions, optimal marriage ages for maximizing maternal and paternal fitness were calculated. The basic model was then used to simulate environmental changes or public health interventions, including shifts in child mortality, suppression of women's autonomy, or promoting women's contraception or education.ResultsIn the basic model, paternal fitness is maximized at lower women's marriage age than is maternal fitness, with the paternal optimum worsening child undernutrition and mortality. A family planning intervention delays marriage age and reduces child mortality and undernutrition, at a cost to paternal but not maternal fitness. Reductions in child mortality favor earlier marriage but increase child undernutrition, whereas ecological shocks that increase child mortality favor later marriage but reduce fitness of both parents. An education intervention favors later marriage and reduces child mortality and undernutrition, but at a cost to paternal fitness. Efforts to suppress maternal autonomy substantially increase fitness of both parents, but only if other members of the household provide compensatory childcare.ConclusionEarly women's marriage maximizes paternal fitness despite relatively high child mortality and undernutrition, by increasing fertility and reducing paternity uncertainty. This tension between the sexes over the optimal marriage age is sensitive to ecological stresses or interventions. Education interventions seem most likely to improve maternal and child outcomes, but may be resisted by males and their kin as they may reduce paternal fitness.
Collapse
|
21
|
Mazariegos M, Varghese JS, Kroker-Lobos MF, DiGirolamo AM, Ramirez-Zea M, Ramakrishnan U, Stein AD. Age at childbirth and change in BMI across the life-course: evidence from the INCAP Longitudinal Study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:151. [PMID: 35209869 PMCID: PMC8876405 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-04485-6] [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: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parity has been associated with both short- and long-term weight gain in women. However, it is not clear if timing of parity across the reproductive age has different associations with BMI. Methods To prospectively assess the association between age at childbirth and maternal change in BMI, we analyzed data from the ongoing INCAP Longitudinal Study, which started in 1969 in four villages in Guatemala. Cohort women (n=778) provided information on reproductive history and anthropometric measures were measured in 1988-89 (adolescence, 15 to 25y), 2002-04 (early adulthood, 26 to 36y) and 2015-17 (mid adulthood, 37 to 55y). We evaluated the associations of number of live births in the period preceding each study wave (1969-77 to 1988-89, 1988-89 to 2002-04 and 2002-04 to 2015-17) with BMI change in the same period using multivariable linear regression models. Results Number of live births between 1988 and 89 and 2002-04 was positively associated with increased BMI, while there was not an association between number of live births and BMI in the other intervals. Women who had one, two, or three or more children between 1988 and 89 and 2002-04 had 0.90 (kg/m2, 95% CI: -0.55, 2.35), 2.39 (kg/m2, 95% CI: 1.09, 3.70) and 2.54 (kg/m2, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.82) higher BMI, respectively, than women who did not give birth in the same period. Conclusions Our findings suggest that women who had three or more children during early adulthood gained more weight compared to women who had no children in the same period. In contrast, women who had children earlier or later in their reproductive lives did not gain additional weight compared to those who did not have children during that period. Childbirth may have different associations with BMI based on the mother’s age. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-022-04485-6.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Mazariegos
- INCAP Research Center for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (CIIPEC), Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), 6 Avenida 6-25 zona 11, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Jithin Sam Varghese
- Nutrition and Health Sciences Doctoral Program, Laney Graduate School, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE #7007, GA, 30322, Atlanta, USA
| | - Maria F Kroker-Lobos
- INCAP Research Center for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (CIIPEC), Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), 6 Avenida 6-25 zona 11, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Ann M DiGirolamo
- Georgia Health Policy Center, Georgia State University, 33 Gilmer Street SE, GA, 30303, Atlanta, USA
| | - Manuel Ramirez-Zea
- INCAP Research Center for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (CIIPEC), Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), 6 Avenida 6-25 zona 11, Guatemala City, Guatemala
| | - Usha Ramakrishnan
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE #7007, GA, 30322, Atlanta, USA
| | - Aryeh D Stein
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd NE #7007, GA, 30322, Atlanta, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Marphatia AA, Saville NS, Manandhar DS, Cortina-Borja M, Reid AM, Wells JCK. Girls start life on an uneven playing field. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:339-351. [PMID: 35990287 PMCID: PMC9384836 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac029] [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: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Evolutionary research on the sex ratio at birth (SRB) has focused on explaining variability within and between populations, and whether parental fitness is maximized by producing daughters or sons. We tested predictors of SRB in a low-income setting, to understand whether girls differ from boys in their likelihood of being born into families with the capacity to invest in them, which has implications for their future health and fitness. Methodology We used data from a cluster randomized control trial from lowland rural Nepal (16 115 mother-child dyads). We applied principal component analysis to extract two composite indices reflecting maternal socio-economic and reproductive (parity, age) capital. We fitted mixed-effects logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios of having a girl in association with these individual factors and indices. Results The SRB was 112. Compared to the global reference SRB (105), there were seven missing girls per 100 boys. Uneducated, early-marrying, poorer and shorter mothers were more likely to give birth to girls. Analysing composite maternal indices, lower socio-economic and reproductive capital were independently associated with a greater likelihood of having a girl. Conclusions and implications In this population, girls start life facing composite disadvantages, being more likely than boys to be born to mothers with lower socio-economic status and reproductive capital. Both physiological and behavioural mechanisms may contribute to these epidemiological associations. Differential early exposure by sex to maternal factors may underpin intergenerational cycles of gender inequality, mediated by developmental trajectory, education and socio-economic status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha A Marphatia
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Naomi S Saville
- Institute for Global Health, University College London , London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | | | - Mario Cortina-Borja
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Alice M Reid
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
| | - Jonathan C K Wells
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London WC1N 1EH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wells JCK, Marphatia AA, Manandhar DS, Cortina-Borja M, Reid AM, Saville NS. Associations of age at marriage and first pregnancy with maternal nutritional status in Nepal. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:325-338. [PMID: 35935708 PMCID: PMC9346504 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives Women’s nutritional status is important for their health and reproductive fitness. In a population where early marriage is common, we investigated how women’s nutritional status is associated with their age at marriage (marking a geographical transfer between households), and at first pregnancy. Methodology We used data from a cluster-randomized control trial from lowland Nepal (n = 4071). Outcomes including body mass index (BMI) were measured in early pregnancy and trial endpoint, after delivery. We fitted mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models to estimate associations of age at marriage and age at pregnancy with outcomes, and with odds of chronic energy deficiency (CED, BMI <18.5 kg/m2), at both timepoints. Results BMI in early pregnancy averaged 20.9 kg/m2, with CED prevalence of 12.5%. In 750 women measured twice, BMI declined 1.2 (95% confidence interval 1.1, 1.3) kg/m2 between early pregnancy and endpoint, when CED prevalence was 35.5%. Early pregnancy was associated in dose-response manner with poorer nutritional status. Early marriage was independently associated with poorer nutritional status among those pregnant ≤15 years, but with better nutritional status among those pregnant ≥19 years. Conclusions and implications The primary determinant of nutritional status was age at pregnancy, but this association also varied by marriage age. Our results suggest that natal households may marry their daughters earlier if food insecure, but that their nutritional status can improve in the marital household if pregnancy is delayed. Marriage age therefore determines which household funds adolescent weight gain, with implications for Darwinian fitness of the members of both households.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C K Wells
- Corresponding author. Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK. Tel: +44 207 905 2104; E-mail:
| | | | | | - Mario Cortina-Borja
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Alice M Reid
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK
| | - Naomi S Saville
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Samad N, Das P, Dilshad S, Al Banna H, Rabbani G, Sodunke TE, Hardcastle TC, Haq A, Afroz KA, Ahmad R, Haque M. Women's empowerment and fertility preferences of married women: analysis of demographic and health survey’2016 in Timor-Leste. AIMS Public Health 2022; 9:237-261. [PMID: 35634022 PMCID: PMC9114782 DOI: 10.3934/publichealth.2022017] [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: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A recently independent state, Timor-Leste, is progressing towards socioeconomic development, prioritizing women empowerment while its increased fertility rate (4.1) could hinder the growth due to an uncontrolled population. Currently, limited evidence shows that indicators of women's empowerment are associated with fertility preferences and rates. The objective of this study was to assess the association between women empowerment and fertility preferences of married women aged 15 to 49 years in Timor-Leste using nationally representative survey data. The study was conducted using the data of the latest Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016. The study included 4040 rural residents and 1810 urban residents of Timor-Leste. Multinomial logistic regression has been performed to assess the strength of association between the exposures indicating women's empowerment and outcome (fertility preference). After adjusting the selected covariates, the findings showed that exposures that indicate women empowerment in DHS, namely, the employment status of women, house and land ownership, ownership of the mobile phone, and independent bank account status, contraceptive use, and the attitude of women towards negotiating sexual relations are significantly associated with fertility preferences. The study shows higher the level of education, the less likely were the women to want more children, and unemployed women were with a higher number of children. Our study also found that the attitude of violence of spouses significantly influenced women's reproductive choice. However, employment had no significant correlation with decision-making opportunities and contraceptive selection due to a lack of substantial data. Also, no meaningful data was available regarding decision-making and fertility preferences. Our findings suggest that women's empowerment governs decision-making in fertility preferences, causing a decline in the fertility rate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nandeeta Samad
- Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Pranta Das
- Department of Statistics, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Segufta Dilshad
- Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Hasan Al Banna
- Institute of Social Welfare and Research, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Golam Rabbani
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Ahsanul Haq
- Gonoshasthaya-RNA Molecular Diagnostic & Research Center, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh
| | - Khandaker Anika Afroz
- Deputy Manager (Former), Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation, CEP, BRAC, Bangladesh
| | - Rahnuma Ahmad
- Department of Physiology, Medical College for Women and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mainul Haque
- Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sugai Besi, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- * Correspondence: ,
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Marphatia AA, Saville NM, Manandhar DS, Cortina-Borja M, Wells JCK, Reid AM. Quantifying the association of natal household wealth with women's early marriage in Nepal. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12324. [PMID: 35003910 PMCID: PMC8684741 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women's early marriage (<18 years) is a critical global health issue affecting 650 million women worldwide. It is associated with a range of adverse maternal physical and mental health outcomes, including early childbearing, child undernutrition and morbidity. Poverty is widely asserted to be the key risk factor driving early marriage. However, most studies do not measure wealth in the natal household, but instead, use marital household wealth as a proxy for natal wealth. Further research is required to understand the key drivers of early marriage. METHODS We investigated whether natal household poverty was associated with marrying early, independently of women's lower educational attainment and broader markers of household disadvantage. Data on natal household wealth (material asset score) for 2,432 women aged 18-39 years was used from the cluster-randomized Low Birth Weight South Asia Trial in lowland rural Nepal. Different early marriage definitions (<15, <16, <17 and <18 years) were used because most of our population marries below the conventional 18-year cut-off. Logistic mixed-effects models were fitted to estimate the probabilities, derived from adjusted Odds Ratios, of (a) marrying at different early ages for the full sample and for the uneducated women, and (b) being uneducated in the first place. RESULTS Women married at median age 15 years (interquartile range 3), and only 18% married ≥18 years. Two-thirds of the women were entirely uneducated. We found that, rather than poverty, women's lower education was the primary factor associated with early marriage, regardless of how 'early' is defined. Neither poverty nor other markers of household disadvantage were associated with early marriage at any age in the uneducated women. However, poverty was associated with women being uneducated. CONCLUSION When assets are measured in the natal household in this population, there is no support for the conventional hypothesis that household poverty is associated with daughters' early marriage, but it is associated with not going to school. We propose that improving access to free education would both reduce early marriage and have broader benefits for maternal and child health and gender equality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha A. Marphatia
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Naomi M. Saville
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mario Cortina-Borja
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C. K. Wells
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alice M. Reid
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Miller FA, Marphatia AA, Wells JC, Cortina-Borja M, Manandhar DS, Saville NM. Associations between early marriage and preterm delivery: Evidence from lowland Nepal. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 34:e23709. [PMID: 34862821 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Preterm delivery (<37 weeks gestation) is the largest cause of child mortality worldwide. Marriage and pregnancy during adolescence have been associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery. We investigate independent associations of age at marriage and age at first pregnancy with preterm delivery in a cohort of women from rural lowland Nepal. METHODS We analyzed data from 17 974 women in the Low Birth Weight South Asia Trial. Logistic regression models tested associations of age at marriage and age at first pregnancy with preterm delivery, for primigravida (n = 6 243) and multigravida (n = 11 731) women. Models were adjusted for maternal education, maternal caste, and household asset score. RESULTS Ninety percent of participants had married at <18 years and 58% had their first pregnancy at <18 years. 20% of participants delivered preterm. Primigravida participants married at ≤14 years had higher odds of preterm delivery than those married ≥18 years, when adjusting for study design (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.45, 95% CI: 1.15-1.83), confounders (aOR 1.28: 1.01-1.62) and confounders + age at pregnancy (aOR 1.29: 1.00-1.68). Associations were insignificant for multigravida women. No significant associations were observed between age at first pregnancy and preterm delivery. DISCUSSION In this population, early marriage, rather than pregnancy, is a risk factor for preterm delivery. We hypothesize that psychological stress, a driver of preterm delivery which is increased among those marrying young, rather than physiological immaturity, drives this association. Further research into the psychological consequences of child marriage in Nepal is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faith A Miller
- Institute for Global Health (IGH), University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - Akanksha A Marphatia
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - Jonathan C Wells
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - Mario Cortina-Borja
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | | | - Naomi M Saville
- Institute for Global Health (IGH), University College London (UCL), London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Madjdian DS, Cunningham K, Bras H, Koelen M, Vaandrager L, Adhikari RP, Talsma EF. Unravelling adolescent girls' aspirations in Nepal: Status and associations with individual-, household-, and community-level characteristics. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258416. [PMID: 34767580 PMCID: PMC8589221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescents' aspirations have potential to influence their present and future well-being. Limited knowledge exists on adolescent girls' aspirations and their determinants, particularly in low-income contexts. METHODS AND FINDINGS Using cross-sectional data, collected in 2018 in Nepal, within the Suaahara II Adolescent Panel Survey, (n = 840), adolescent girls' aspirations in several domains-education, occupation, marriage, fertility, health, and nutrition-were described. Regression models were estimated to explore associations between individual, household and community characteristics and these aspirations for all adolescents and separately for younger (10-14 years) and older (15-19 years) girls. Age, school attendance, and self-efficacy, as well as household wealth, caste/ethnicity, size, and agro-ecological zone of residence were significantly associated with aspirations, although effect sizes and significance varied by aspiration domain and age group. CONCLUSIONS Findings underscore the curtailing effect of poverty on aspirations and the dynamic nature of aspirations. Initiatives to foster girls' aspirations must address both individual and contextual factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dónya S. Madjdian
- Health & Society, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kenda Cunningham
- Helen Keller International, New York, NY, United States of America
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hilde Bras
- Economic and Social History, Department of History, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Koelen
- Health & Society, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lenneke Vaandrager
- Health & Society, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Elise F. Talsma
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Akoth C, Oguta JO, Gatimu SM. Prevalence and factors associated with covert contraceptive use in Kenya: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1316. [PMID: 34225673 PMCID: PMC8256600 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11375-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Family planning (FP) is a key intervention for preventing unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal death. Involvement of both women and their partners promotes contraceptive acceptance, uptake and continuation, couple communication and gender-equitable attitude. Partner involvement is a key strategy for addressing about 17.5% of the unmet needs in FP in Kenya. This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with covert contraceptive use (CCU) in Kenya. Methods We used data from the sixth and seventh rounds of the performance monitoring for accountability surveys. We defined CCU as “the use of contraceptives without a partner’s knowledge”. We used frequencies and percentages to describe the sample characteristics and the prevalence of CCU and assessed the associated factors using bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions. Results The prevalence of CCU was 12.2% (95% CI: 10.4–14.2%); highest among uneducated (22.3%) poorest (18.2%) and 35–49 years-old (12.8%) women. Injectables (53.3%) and implants (34.6%) were the commonest methods among women who practice CCU. In the bivariate analysis, Siaya county, rural residence, education, wealth, and age at sexual debut were associated with CCU. On adjusting for covariates, the odds of CCU were increased among uneducated women (aOR 3.79, 95% CI 1.73–8.31), women with primary education (aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.06–3.29) and those from the poorest (aOR 2.67, 95% CI 1.61–4.45), poorer (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.05–3.04), and middle (aOR 2.40, 95% CI 1.52–3.78) household wealth quintiles and were reduced among those with 2–3 (aOR 0.49, 95% CI 0.33–0.72) and ≥ 4 children (aOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.40–0.96). Age at sexual debut (aOR 0.94, 95% CI 0.89–0.99) reduced the odds of CCU. Conclusion About one in 10 married women in Kenya use contraceptives covertly, with injectables and implants being the preferred methods. Our study highlights a gap in partner involvement in FP and calls for efforts to strengthen their involvement to increase contraceptive use in Kenya while acknowledging women’s right to make independent choices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Akoth
- Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Godah MW, Beydoun Z, Abdul-Khalek RA, Safieddine B, Khamis AM, Abdulrahim S. Maternal Education and Low Birth Weight in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Matern Child Health J 2021; 25:1305-1315. [PMID: 33945084 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-021-03133-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW), remain the leading causes of child morbidity and mortality in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the strength and consistency of the association between maternal education and LBW in LMICs. METHODS We conducted an electronic search of studies published between 2000 and 2014 in four databases using three MeSH keywords - birth outcomes including LBW; individual-level socioeconomic measures including maternal education; and a list of LMICs. The methodological quality of each eligible study was evaluated following the GRADE approach. A total of 26 studies were entered into meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed to account for heterogeneity in the measurement of exposure and country development level. FINDINGS The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant pooled estimate (OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.61-0.74) indicating that maternal education is protective against LBW in LMICs. Heterogeneity was found high in subgroup analyses in studies from lower-middle income countries and in those measuring maternal education in academic classes, but drops considerably in studies from low-income countries and those measuring it in number of years of schooling. The quality of the overall body of evidence is moderate due to high observed heterogeneity in some subgroup analyses and the presence of studies with high risk of bias. INTERPRETATION Higher maternal education associates with a moderate but statistically significant decrease in the risk of delivering a LBW infant in LMICs. Enhancing girls' and women's access to education operates through a number of pathways to improve birth outcomes and reduce LBW in LMICs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad W Godah
- Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Zahraa Beydoun
- Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rima A Abdul-Khalek
- Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
- School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | - Assem M Khamis
- Clinical Research Institute, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sawsan Abdulrahim
- Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Scott S, Nguyen PH, Neupane S, Pramanik P, Nanda P, Bhutta ZA, Afsana K, Menon P. Early marriage and early childbearing in South Asia: trends, inequalities, and drivers from 2005 to 2018. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2021; 1491:60-73. [PMID: 33258141 PMCID: PMC8247060 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Early marriage (EM) and early childbearing (ECB) have far-reaching consequences. This study describes the prevalence, trends, inequalities, and drivers of EM and ECB in South Asia using eight rounds of Demographic and Health Survey data across 13 years. We report the percentage of ever-married women aged 20-24 years (n = 105,150) married before 18 years (EM) and with a live birth before 20 years (ECB). Relative trends were examined using average annual rate of reduction (AARR). Inequalities were examined by geography, marital household wealth, residence, and education. Sociodemographic drivers of changes for EM were assessed using regression decomposition analyses. We find that EM/ECB are still common in Bangladesh (69%/69%), Nepal (52%/51%), India (41%/39%), and Pakistan (37%/38%), with large subnational variation in most countries. EM has declined fastest in India (AARR of -3.8%/year), Pakistan (-2.8%/year), and Bangladesh (-1.5%/year), but EM elimination by 2030 will not occur at these rates. Equity analyses show that poor, uneducated women in rural areas are disproportionately burdened. Regression decomposition analysis shows that improvements in wealth and education explained 44% (India) to 96% (Nepal) of the actual EM reduction. Investments across multiple sectors are required to understand and address EM and ECB, which are pervasive social determinants of maternal and child wellbeing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Scott
- International Food Policy Research InstituteWashingtonDC
- International Food Policy Research InstituteDelhiIndia
| | | | | | | | - Priya Nanda
- Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationNew DelhiIndia
| | | | | | - Purnima Menon
- International Food Policy Research InstituteWashingtonDC
- International Food Policy Research InstituteDelhiIndia
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Luo D, Yan X, Xu R, Zhang J, Shi X, Ma J, Song Y, Patton GC, Sawyer SM. Chinese trends in adolescent marriage and fertility between 1990 and 2015: a systematic synthesis of national and subnational population data. LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH 2020; 8:e954-e964. [DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30130-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|