J Biosoc Sci [JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
The experiences of familial mental illness stigma among individuals living with mental illnesses.
Adu J, Oudshoorn A, Anderson K … +2 more , Marshall CA, Stuart H
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Sep · PMID 38628151 · Publisher ↗
Persons with mental illnesses may experience stigma from their immediate family members in addition to other forms of stigma. Using semi-structured interviews, we investigated experiences of familial mental illness stigm...
Persons with mental illnesses may experience stigma from their immediate family members in addition to other forms of stigma. Using semi-structured interviews, we investigated experiences of familial mental illness stigma among 15 people diagnosed with mental illnesses in a mid-sized city in Canada. We identified five themes that speak to participants' experiences of familial mental illness stigma and ways to reduce it. The themes include the following: diagnosis as a 'double-edged sword,' potential familial isolation, familial stigma as societal stigma localized, stories of acceptance, and confronting potential familial mental illness stigma. Participants' narratives indicate that familial mental illness stigma is rooted in the broader social or public stigma, which sees its way into familial relations as well. This stigma takes various forms, including relationship bias or unfair treatment, breakdown in romantic relationships, loss of status, verbal and emotional abuse, exclusion from decision-making, and alienation within their immediate and extended families. Familial mental illness stigma experiences negatively impact participant's psychological well-being and personal empowerment. However, participants also shared ways that family members create supportive environments or actively confront or prevent stigma. Overall, this study has contributed to knowledge on mental illness stigma, particularly familial mental illness stigma from the perspective of participants living with a mental illness in a high-income country. Suggestions for future research include a focus on strategies to prevent ongoing familial mental illness stigma and large-scale studies to explore familial mental illness stigma to understand why families might perpetrate stigma.
Nutritional status of schoolchildren before and after confinement by COVID-19 (2019-2021) in Jujuy, Argentina.
Bustamante MJ, Solis JM, Tabera CM … +3 more , Maraz N, Gutiérrez GBDR, Dipierri JE
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Jul · PMID 38618941 · Publisher ↗
An increase in the prevalence of obesity due to lockdown and confinement linked to COVID-19 is observed. Variations in the nutritional status of schoolchildren from Jujuy are analyzed in relation to confinement due to CO...
An increase in the prevalence of obesity due to lockdown and confinement linked to COVID-19 is observed. Variations in the nutritional status of schoolchildren from Jujuy are analyzed in relation to confinement due to COVID-19 (2019-2021) and its relationship with socio-demographic variables and the school environment. This is an observational, descriptive study. Data from 56,695 schoolchildren aged 6-18 years old is analyzed based on two temporary cuts (2019 pre-confinement and 2021 post-confinement). The nutritional status of schoolchildren (underweight, overweight, and obese) was established using the IOTF (International Obesity Task Force) criterion. The prevalence of each nutritional phenotype was estimated by sex and age group, considering the following independent variables: setting (rural/urban), school management system (public/private), geographic altitude, and percentage of households with unmet basic needs (UBN) in the place where they attend school. Multiple proportions contrast was performed using Fisher's test, a transition matrix ws produced and a statistical model of proportional odds was fitted. It was observed that between 2019 and 2021, the prevalence of underweight decreased and the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased significantly. In 2021, 67% of schoolchildren maintained the same nutritional category that they had in 2019, 21% gained weight and 12% lost weight. The model explains about 52% of the total variability observed. The factors that are significantly correlated in the model are school cycle, age, geographic altitude, school setting, and % of households with UBN. The results indicate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shift to the right in the distribution of the nutritional status categories of the schoolchildren population in Jujuy, with a decrease in the prevalence of underweight and an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity with variations related to age, school location, geographic altitude, and socioeconomic characteristics of the households in the place where the children attended school.
Biocultural and social determinants of ill health and early mortality in a New Mexican paediatric autopsy sample.
O'Donnell L, Green JJ, Hill EC … +1 more , O'Donnell MJ
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Jul · PMID 38618934 · Publisher ↗
RESULTS: Hispanic children have higher odds of growth stunting than non-Hispanic White children. Native American children die younger and have higher odds of respiratory diseases and porous lesions than Hispanic and non-...
RESULTS: Hispanic children have higher odds of growth stunting than non-Hispanic White children. Native American children die younger and have higher odds of respiratory diseases and porous lesions than Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites. Rural/urban location does not significantly impact age at death, but housing type does. Individuals who lived in trailers/mobile homes had earlier ages at death. When intersections between housing type and housing location are considered, children who were poor and from impoverished areas lived longer than those who were poor from relatively well-off areas. CONCLUSIONS: Children's health is shaped by factors outside their control. The children included in this study embodied experiences of social and ELS and did not survive to adulthood. They provide the most sobering example of the harm that social factors (structural racism/discrimination, socioeconomic, and political structures) can inflict.
The socio-colonial history of Surinamese surnames applied to a validated surname list to identify ancestry in health research.
Brewster LM, Ishwardat A, Damsteegt T … +1 more , van Montfrans GA
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Jul · PMID 38572603 · Publisher ↗
Around half of the population of Suriname, who are mainly of African and South Asian descent, migrated to the Netherlands at the end of the previous century, where they face higher perinatal and maternal mortality and up...
Around half of the population of Suriname, who are mainly of African and South Asian descent, migrated to the Netherlands at the end of the previous century, where they face higher perinatal and maternal mortality and up to 5 years lower life expectancy than European-Dutch. Analyses by ancestry are needed to address these inequalities, but the law prohibits registration by ancestry. Therefore, a list of Surinamese surnames was compiled and validated to identify the largest groups, African-Surinamese or South Asian-Surinamese ancestry in health research. A complete database of Surinamese surnames was provided by the National Population Registry of Suriname. Surname recognition by researchers of Surinamese ancestry was used. Disagreement was resolved using historical registers and through discussion. The list was further validated against contemporary lists of Surinamese surnames with self-defined ancestry, obtained during population and clinical studies in Suriname and the Netherlands. All 71,529 Surinamese surnames were encoded, as African-Surinamese (34%), South Asian-Surinamese (18%), Brazilian or other Iberian (17%), Indonesian-Surinamese (13%), Chinese-Surinamese (5%), First Nation (2%), and other (10%). Compared to self-defined ancestry, South Asian-Surinamese surname coding had 100% sensitivity, 99.8% specificity, and 99.9% accuracy. For African-Surinamese, who may have Dutch surnames, these values depended on geocoding. With a known Surinamese origin, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were, respectively, 97.3%, 100%, and 98.6%, but without this information, there was interference of African-Surinamese with European-Dutch surnames in the Dutch validation sample. In conclusion, the Surinamese Surname List has a high accuracy in identifying persons of Surinamese ancestry. This quick, inexpensive, and nonintrusive method, which is unaffected by response bias, might be a valuable tool in public health research to help address the profound health disparities by ancestry.
Uncertainties beyond preparedness: COVID-19 vaccination in Senegal.
Desclaux A, Sow K, Sams K
J Biosoc Sci · 2026 Mar · PMID 38572543 · Publisher ↗
Vaccination is one of the most recognised strategies in public health for preventing the spread of epidemics, and the availability of a vaccine is often expected by health actors to be a 'game-changer'. However, the COVI...
Vaccination is one of the most recognised strategies in public health for preventing the spread of epidemics, and the availability of a vaccine is often expected by health actors to be a 'game-changer'. However, the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine in Senegal was not the magic bullet that the international community expected. A very low vaccination coverage rate (less than 10% by April 2023) was observed in this country, once considered a model in West Africa for its epidemic response. Beyond the population's alleged hesitancy to be vaccinated, was a lack of preparedness to blame? Previous analyses show that outbreak preparation limited to standard interventions is not sufficient in the face of the social, cultural, and political configurations of each epidemic context and that uncertainty limits response capacity. This paper examines the social life of the COVID-19 vaccine to identify the forms and contextual dimensions of uncertainty related to immunisation in Senegal. The authors explore how vaccination was implemented and compare experiences with the preparedness process, to offer insight on uncertainties. Using Stirling's theoretical model that defines various expressions of incertitude, the authors identify four nexuses at various stages of the social life of COVID-19 vaccine in Senegal: (1) material uncertainty related to vaccine availability, (2) ambiguity of the population about the purpose of vaccination and the risks of the disease, (3) uncertainty related to side effects, and (4) uncertainty about vaccination strategies shared by scientific and health authorities. These uncertainties were only partly considered in the preparedness process, for they are related to systemic structural dimensions and reflect the impact of global/regional powers on the local level. The findings of this research are relevant not only to support better communication around vaccines in Senegal but also more generally to the prevention of emerging epidemics shaped by human behaviours.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is not an independent risk factor for breech presentation among singleton term births in Vienna, Austria.
Bartsch L, Hämmerle M, Putschögl S … +2 more , Hartmann B, Kirchengast S
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Sep · PMID 38533532 · Publisher ↗
Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are still discussed critically, as there is no consensus on whether these treatments could be the...
Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are still discussed critically, as there is no consensus on whether these treatments could be the cause of risk factors for obstetric problems such as breech presentation. The aim of this study was to test the association between ART and breech presentation among 11920 singleton term births taking place in Vienna from 2010 to 2020. In this single-centre medical record-based study, data concerning the conception mode (spontaneous versus IVF or ICSI), child presentation, birth mode, newborn sex and size as well as age, height, weight, and reproductive history of the mother were included. Three hundred twenty-six newborns (2.7%) were conceived by IVF or ICSI, and 527 newborns (4.4%) were delivered in breech presentation. Breech presentation occurred in 7.6% of IVF/ICSI children but only in 4.3% of spontaneously conceived children ( = 0.019). ART increased the crude risk of breech presentation significantly (OR = 1.67; 95% CI 1.71 - 2.38). After adjusting for maternal age, height, number of previous births, smoking, and newborn sex, however, ART had no longer a significant impact on the risk of breech presentation. In contrast, breech presentation was significantly associated with higher maternal age as well as a lower number of previous births, but not with ART. This study shows that the adverse outcomes of IVF and ICSI pregnancies may not be due to the ART treatment alone but might also be due to the mostly higher age and lower parity of the mothers using ART.
Machine learning models for prediction of double and triple burdens of non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.
Al-Zubayer MA, Alam K, Shanto HH … +3 more , Maniruzzaman M, Majumder UK, Ahammed B
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 May · PMID 38505939 · Publisher ↗
Increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has become the leading cause of death and disability in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the prevalence of and risk factors for double and tripl...
Increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has become the leading cause of death and disability in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the prevalence of and risk factors for double and triple burden of NCDs (DBNCDs and TBNCDs), considering diabetes, hypertension, and overweight and obesity as well as establish a machine learning approach for predicting DBNCDs and TBNCDs. A total of 12,151 respondents from the 2017 to 2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were included in this analysis, where 10%, 27.4%, and 24.3% of respondents had diabetes, hypertension, and overweight and obesity, respectively. Chi-square test and multilevel logistic regression (LR) analysis were applied to select factors associated with DBNCDs and TBNCDs. Furthermore, six classifiers including decision tree (DT), LR, naïve Bayes (NB), k-nearest neighbour (KNN), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) with three cross-validation protocols (K2, K5, and K10) were adopted to predict the status of DBNCDs and TBNCDs. The classification accuracy (ACC) and area under the curve (AUC) were computed for each protocol and repeated 10 times to make them more robust, and then the average ACC and AUC were computed. The prevalence of DBNCDs and TBNCDs was 14.3% and 2.3%, respectively. The findings of this study revealed that DBNCDs and TBNCDs were significantly influenced by age, sex, marital status, wealth index, education and geographic region. Compared to other classifiers, the RF-based classifier provides the highest ACC and AUC for both DBNCDs (ACC = 81.06% and AUC = 0.93) and TBNCDs (ACC = 88.61% and AUC = 0.97) for the K10 protocol. A combination of considered two-step factor selections and RF-based classifier can better predict the burden of NCDs. The findings of this study suggested that decision-makers might adopt suitable decisions to control and prevent the burden of NCDs using RF classifiers.
Does epidemiological evidence support the success story of Uganda's response to COVID-19?
Laing N, Mylan S, Parker M
J Biosoc Sci · 2026 Mar · PMID 38462976 · Full text
Uganda has received praise for its success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This opinion piece uses publically available data from Johns Hopkins University to suggest that it is far from clear whether the Public He...
Uganda has received praise for its success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This opinion piece uses publically available data from Johns Hopkins University to suggest that it is far from clear whether the Public Health and Social Measures (PHSM) introduced in Uganda influenced the course of the first outbreak. In addition, the analysis of data from the second and third waves in Uganda suggest that government action had little or no effect on these outbreaks. The dominant narrative of successful PHSM, therefore, needs to be reconsidered, and alternative explanations for the low rates of COVID-19-related mortality in the country need to be further understood.
Latina paradox in Spain? Arrival-cohort effects on the birthweight of newborns of Latina mothers.
Dello Iacono C, Requena M, Stanek M
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 May · PMID 38419424 · Publisher ↗
This study analyses the arrival-cohort effects on the newborn birthweight of Latina women residing in Spain. First, it has been tested whether women of Latin American origin in Spain have an advantage in terms of birth o...
This study analyses the arrival-cohort effects on the newborn birthweight of Latina women residing in Spain. First, it has been tested whether women of Latin American origin in Spain have an advantage in terms of birth outcomes, a pattern previously documented in the United States and referred to as the 'Latin American paradox'. Second, it has been examined whether this health advantage of Latina mothers varies by arrival cohort.A novel database provided by the Spanish National Statistics Office that links the 2011 Census with Natural Movement of the Population records from January 2011 to December 2015 has been used. Poisson regression models were applied to test for differences in the incidence rates of low birthweight (LBW) and high birthweight (HBW) among children of Latina and native mothers, controlling for various demographic, socio-economic, and birth characteristics.Two distinct arrival-cohort effects on perinatal health were observed. On one hand, first-generation Latina women were found to be at a lower risk of giving birth to LBW infants; however, they experienced a higher incidence of HBW during the study period. Second, Latina women of 1.5 generation, likely stressed by increased exposure to the receiving country, exhibited adverse birthweight results.
Social inequities in food deserts and food swamps in a northeastern Brazilian capital.
Lima da Silva JM, Oliveira JS, Casagrande Borges D … +3 more , Honório OS, Mendes LL, Canuto R
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 May · PMID 38415307 · Publisher ↗
This study identified food deserts and swamps, investigating their associations with socioeconomic and demographic conditions. This ecological study was conducted using data from urban census tracts in the city of Recife...
This study identified food deserts and swamps, investigating their associations with socioeconomic and demographic conditions. This ecological study was conducted using data from urban census tracts in the city of Recife, which were considered the unit of analysis. Information on food retail was obtained from government sources in 2019. Census tracts below the 25th percentile in the density of healthy food retail (i.e., those that predominantly sell natural or minimally processed foods, mixed businesses, and super- and hypermarkets) were classified as food deserts. Census tracts above the 25th percentile in the density of unhealthy food retail (i.e., those selling primarily ultra-processed foods) were considered food swamps. The socioeconomic and demographic conditions of the census tracts were evaluated using variables from the 2010 census (per capita income, average income, race, literacy of the head of household, and the availability of essential services) and the Health Vulnerability Index. Census tracts considered food deserts (28.5%) were more vulnerable, characterized by lower income and access to essential services, more illiterate residents and more minorities (Black/Indigenous/mixed race). Food swamps (73.47%) were more prevalent in less vulnerable neighbourhoods characterized by higher percentages of literate residents and Whites, greater purchasing power, and better basic sanitation. The characteristics of Recife's food deserts and swamps demonstrate social inequalities in the food environment. Public facilities could play a vital role in promoting healthy eating within food deserts. Additionally, future implementation of taxes on ultra-processed foods and the provision of tax subsidies to natural or minimally processed food sellers might contribute to fostering healthier dietary choices.
Utilisation of public healthcare services by an indigenous group: a mixed-method study among Santals of West Bengal, India.
Mozumdar A, Das BM, Kundu Chowdhury T … +1 more , Roy SK
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 May · PMID 38385266 · Publisher ↗
A barrier to meeting the goal of universal health coverage in India is the inequality in utilisation of health services between indigenous and non-indigenous people. This study aimed to explore the determinants of utilis...
A barrier to meeting the goal of universal health coverage in India is the inequality in utilisation of health services between indigenous and non-indigenous people. This study aimed to explore the determinants of utilisation, or non-utilisation, of public healthcare services among the Santals, an indigenous community living in West Bengal, India. The study holistically explored the utilisation of public healthcare facilities using a framework that conceptualised service coverage to be dependent on a set of determinants - viz. the nature and severity of the ailment, availability, accessibility (geographical and financial), and acceptability of the healthcare options and decision-making around these further depends on background characteristics of the individual or their family/household. This cross-sectional study adopts ethnographic approach for detailed insight into the issue and interviewed 422 adult members of Santals living in both rural (Bankura) and urban (Howrah) areas of West Bengal for demographic, socio-economic characteristics and healthcare utilisation behaviour using pre-tested data collection schedule. The findings revealed that utilisation of the public healthcare facilities was low, especially in urban areas. Residence in urban areas, being female, having higher education, engaging in salaried occupation and having availability of private allopathic and homoeopathic doctors in the locality had higher odds of not utilising public healthcare services. Issues like misbehaviour from the health personnel, unavailability of medicine, poor quality of care, and high patient load were reported as the major reasons for non-utilisation of public health services. The finding highlights the importance of improving the availability and quality of care of healthcare services for marginalised populations because these communities live in geographically isolated places and have low affordability of private healthcare. The health programme needs to address these issues to improve the utilisation and reduce the inequality in healthcare utilisation, which would be beneficial for all segments of Indian population.
The fertility timing gap: the intended and real timing of childbirth.
Slabá J, Kocourková J, Šťastná A
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 May · PMID 38356439 · Publisher ↗
The fertility gap, which indicates the difference between the planned and actual number of children born, can be explained by the shift in parenthood to older ages and is associated with the non-attainment of one's inten...
The fertility gap, which indicates the difference between the planned and actual number of children born, can be explained by the shift in parenthood to older ages and is associated with the non-attainment of one's intended reproductive plans. This paper focuses on the gap in the timing of entry into parenthood, i.e. between the planned and actual age at the birth of the first child. The study is based on data from the Women 2016 survey which re-interviewed women of fertile age from the second wave of the Czech Generations & Gender Survey conducted in 2008. At the population level, the fertility timing gap differs across generations. While for Czech women born between 1966 and 1971 the planned age exceeded the actual observed age by one year, the realisation of fertility occurred two years later than planned for the youngest generation (1983-1990) included in the study. At the individual level, the later-than-planned realisation of fertility was found to be related primarily to partner-related factors.
Impact of financial assistance on stunting: Syrian refugee children under 5 in Türkiye.
Ay Kesgin M, Saraç M, Grede N … +2 more , Çavlin Bircan A, Koç İ
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Jul · PMID 38356431 · Publisher ↗
Despite the global decrease over the last two decades, stunting, also called 'chronic malnutrition', remains a public health issue affecting almost 150 million children under the age of 5 years globally. Defined by heigh...
Despite the global decrease over the last two decades, stunting, also called 'chronic malnutrition', remains a public health issue affecting almost 150 million children under the age of 5 years globally. Defined by height-for-age, stunting is the consequence of poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. Programmes and policies target undernutrition globally, and humanitarian and development actors invest great efforts to prevent stunting. This study uses multivariate analysis to examine the impact of financial assistance on the reduction of stunting in a refugee context, focusing on Syrian refugee children under the age of 5 years in Türkiye. Using a unique dataset, the 2018 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey Syrian Migrant Sample (2018 TDHS-SR), the findings indicate that financial assistance significantly reduces the incidence of stunting among refugee children under the control of economic, mother and children, environmental, health-related and nutritional and breastfeeding characteristics. However, having household members generate income is found to be another stronger predictor to reduce stunting. The paper also argues that the nutritional well-being of refugee children might improve if forced migration occurs towards a stable host country/region. In addition, adaptation over time also seems to have a positive influence.
Social determinants of chronic diseases reporting among slum dwellers in Egypt.
Abdel-Rahman S, Khater E, Abdel Fattah MN … +1 more , Hussein WA
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 May · PMID 38347812 · Publisher ↗
The high prevalence of chronic diseases in urban slums poses increasing challenges to future social and economic development for these disadvantaged areas. Assessing the health status of slum residents offers guidance fo...
The high prevalence of chronic diseases in urban slums poses increasing challenges to future social and economic development for these disadvantaged areas. Assessing the health status of slum residents offers guidance for formulating appropriate policies and interventions to improve slum residents' health outcomes. This research aimed to identify the social determinants of chronic diseases reporting among slum dwellers in Egypt. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to December 2021 in three slum areas in Giza governorate, Egypt, including 3,500 individuals. We constructed an asset index and a welfare index to measure the economic status and living conditions of slum residents, respectively. We used these indices, along with demographic and socio-economic factors, as independent variables in the analysis. We modeled factors associated with health status using a two-level mixed logistic model to control the effects of slum areas and the potential correlation between household members. The study contributed significantly to a better understanding of the context in which slum dwellers live and the interlinkages among poor living conditions, low economic status, and health outcomes. The results showed a high rate of self-reported chronic diseases among adults aged 18 and older, reaching more than 22%, while it did not exceed 2.0% among children in the slum areas. Therefore, measuring the determinants of chronic diseases was limited to adults. The sample size was 2530 adults after excluding 970 children. The prevalence of chronic diseases among adults ranged between 16.3% in Zenin and 22.6% in Bein El Sarayat. Our findings indicated that low socio-economic status was significantly associated with reporting chronic diseases. Future policies should be dedicated to improving living conditions and providing necessary healthcare services for these vulnerable areas.
Consanguinity in northwest Pakistan: evidence of temporal decline.
Malik S, Bibi A, Farid R … +3 more , Khan S, Awan J, Rehman AU
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 May · PMID 38314634 · Publisher ↗
Pakistan has a high burden of hereditary and congenital anomalies and their incidence rate almost doubles against the background of parental consanguinity. Consanguineous unions (CU) are customary in Pakistan and deeply...
Pakistan has a high burden of hereditary and congenital anomalies and their incidence rate almost doubles against the background of parental consanguinity. Consanguineous unions (CU) are customary in Pakistan and deeply rooted socio-cultural norms favour CU. This study aimed to elucidate the determinants and temporal change in CU in four northwestern populations of Pakistan. In a cross-sectional study, data on marital union types, bio-demographic factors, and paternal consanguinity were collected from 6,323 ever-married individuals in four districts of northwest Pakistan: Haripur, Muzaffarabad, Mansehra, and Shangla. We used descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The CU were calculated to be 55%, and inbreeding coefficient F (ICF) was estimated to be 0.029. Eight factors, including district, rural origin, age of husband, occupational group of husband, literacy of husband, parental consanguinity, exchange marriage, and extended family type, were found to be significant predictors of consanguinity in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. The rate of consanguinity decreased significantly in the younger age categories of individuals. The rate of CU was seen to be declining over time and in marriages that started 'before 1980' and 'after 2010', respectively, and there was a decline in ICF from 0.030 to 0.027. These analyses also showed that the literacy rate improved, the average age at marriage increased, and the frequency of exchange marriages decreased over time. This study employs a sizable first-hand dataset to demonstrate a lowering CU rate in northwest Pakistan. It is anticipated that the burden of inherited and congenital anomalies may likely to diminish in the study populations along with the fall in ICF.
The practice of polygyny on the utilisation of reproductive health services among married women in Ghana.
Kumbeni MT, Alem JN, Ziba FA … +2 more , Afaya A, Apanga PA
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Jul · PMID 38173346 · Publisher ↗
While the practice of polygyny is common in Ghana, little is known about its impact on the use of reproductive health services. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between polygynous marriage and the uti...
While the practice of polygyny is common in Ghana, little is known about its impact on the use of reproductive health services. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between polygynous marriage and the utilisation of skilled antenatal care (ANC), assisted skilled birth, and modern contraceptive services among married women in Ghana. Secondary data from the 2017 Ghana Maternal Health Survey were used for this study. The study included a weighted sample of 9,098 married women aged 15-49 years. We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess the association between polygyny and each outcome variables. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the dose-response relationship between polygyny and each outcome variable. The prevalence of eight or more ANC contacts, assisted skilled births, and use of modern contraception were 47.0%, 81.4%, and 25.4%, respectively. The prevalence of women in polygynous marriages was 15.3%. Compared to monogynous marriage, polygynous marriage was associated with 19% lower odds of having eight plus ANC contacts (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69, 0.96), 25% lower odds of having assisted skilled birth (aOR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63, 0.89), and 19% lower odds of modern contraceptive utilisation (aOR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.99). Interventions on reproductive health may need to prioritise women in polygynous marriages in order to improve the utilisation of skilled ANC, assisted skilled birth, and modern contraceptive services.
'Vaccines are for children only'? Some institutional roots of popular scepticism about vaccines for COVID-19 in Sierra Leone.
Mokuwa EY
J Biosoc Sci · 2026 Mar · PMID 38116731 · Publisher ↗
Vaccines for COVID-19 began to be available in Africa from mid-2021. This paper reports on local reactions to the possibility of vaccination in one West African country, Sierra Leone. We show that the history of institut...
Vaccines for COVID-19 began to be available in Africa from mid-2021. This paper reports on local reactions to the possibility of vaccination in one West African country, Sierra Leone. We show that the history of institutionalisation of vaccine is highly relevant to understanding these reactions. Given lack of testing for the disease, medical authorities could not be sure whether there was a hidden epidemic. In addition, many people associate vaccination with care of children under 5 years, and not adults, and an emphasis on vaccinating the old at first seemed strange and worrying. This paper examines evidence from ethnographic studies in two rural areas selected for varying exposure to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), supplemented by some interviews in two provincial urban centres, Bo and Kenema. We describe local ideas about vaccination () and body marking with leaf medicine (). We asked about attitudes to the idea of COVID-19 vaccination both before and after vaccines were available. A number of reasons were given for scepticism and hesitation. These included lack of experience with vaccines for adults and lack of experience of COVID-19 as a severe disease. Medical evidence suggests the vaccination protects against serious illness, but local people had their own views about control of infection, based both recent experience (notably EVD) and the history and institutionalisation of vaccination and public health measures in Sierra Leone more broadly.
Disentangling the link between social determinants of health and child survival in Nigeria during the Sustainable Development Goals era: a hierarchical path analysis of time-to-event outcome.
Adeyinka DA, Muhajarine N
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Mar · PMID 38095080 · Publisher ↗
While social determinants of health have been perennially linked to child survival in resource-limited countries, the precise and tested pathways to effect are not clearly understood. The objective of this study was ther...
While social determinants of health have been perennially linked to child survival in resource-limited countries, the precise and tested pathways to effect are not clearly understood. The objective of this study was therefore to identify the critical pathways as posited a priori in a model through which social factors (at maternal, household, and community levels) determine neonatal, infant, and under-five mortalities in Nigeria. Using a novel analytic approach (hierarchical path modelling for predicting accelerated failure time) to estimate (in)direct and total effects of social determinants of child survival, we analysed 30,960 live births (weighted data for representativeness), obtained from the 2016/2017 Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. There were three outcome variables: time until occurrence of neonatal, infant, and under-five mortalities. The independent variables were layered factors related to child, maternal, household and community. Geographical region, rurality of residence, infrastructural development, maternal education, contraceptive use, marital status, and maternal age at birth were found to operate more indirectly on neonatal, infant, and under-five survival. Child survival is due to direct effects of child's sex (female), gestational type (singleton), birth spacing (children whose mothers delivered at least two years apart), and maternal age at delivery (20-34 years). According to the path coefficients, the indirect effects of geographical regions are the most influential determinants of child survival, accounting for 30% (neonatal), 37.1% (infant) and 39.9% (under-five) of the total effects. This study offers comprehensive set of factors, and linked pathways, at the maternal, household, and community levels that are associated with child survival in Nigeria. To accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal targets for child survival and reduce geographical inequities, stakeholders should implement more impactful policies that promote maternal education, contraceptive use and improve living conditions of women (especially in rural areas of northern Nigeria). Future research should focus on identifying the most effective interventions for addressing these social determinants of child survival in Nigeria.
Income or educational attainment: which is more effective in the fight against overweight? Evidence from Spain and Andalusia.
Guarnido-Rueda A, Amate-Fortes I, Oliver-Márquez FJ … +1 more , Martínez-Navarro D
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Mar · PMID 38044837 · Publisher ↗
Considered the epidemic of the 21st century by the WHO, obesity is a global problem that is on the rise and will continue to increase in the coming years. Spain and Andalusia, in particular, are no exception to this path...
Considered the epidemic of the 21st century by the WHO, obesity is a global problem that is on the rise and will continue to increase in the coming years. Spain and Andalusia, in particular, are no exception to this pathology, which has tripled since the 1970s, representing a public health challenge. The aim of this study is to analyse the socioeconomic determinants of this pathology, with special emphasis on answering the question of what has a greater influence on overweight, education level, or income. For this purpose, we have used the European Survey of Health in Spain (ESHS-2020), a microdata base, with a total of 22,072 valid individual observations (of which 2,820 belong to the Andalusian population). Results we obtain in our estimations of qualitative response models reveal that, although both income and educational attainment could be effective in the fight against overweight, the social gradient of this health problem is greater with respect to educational attainment. Additionally, there are many other variables and other factors related to the individual's overweight (mental health, subjective state of health, oral health, among others) which are much less explored and which must be considered in health policies to combat this disease.
Slim north, fat south: explaining regional differences in abnormal weights in Nigeria.
Alabi TA, Badru OA
J Biosoc Sci · 2024 Mar · PMID 38031718 · Publisher ↗
Weight abnormalities (underweight, overweight, and obesity) can cause life-threatening ailments. This study investigates disparities in the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity between northern and southern...
Weight abnormalities (underweight, overweight, and obesity) can cause life-threatening ailments. This study investigates disparities in the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity between northern and southern Nigeria and their associated factors. Using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the study analysed a sample of 12,333 women with complete records of body mass index. The study found that southern women had lower odds of being underweight than women in the north, but the reverse was the case for overweight and obesity. The prevalence of underweight was 11.6%, and it varies from 6.9% in the southern state of Enugu to 31.6% in the northern state of Jigawa. The national prevalence of overweight was 17.9%, ranging from 6.7% in Jigawa State of the northern region to 39.9% in Lagos State of the south. Similarly, the prevalence of obesity in the north was 6.1% compared to 14.4% in the south, with Anambra State of the southern region recording the highest figure of 35.5% compared to 2.1% in the Yobe State of the northern region. In all, the rate of abnormal weight was significantly higher in the south than in the north. However, the type of weight abnormality varies between the two regions. Religion, education, use of contraceptives, and wealth were associated with the three forms of abnormal weights. However, while religion was significantly associated with obesity in the north, the association was not significant in the south. This study found that wealth and education have dissimilar influences on overnutrition. While the odds of being overweight and obese increase with wealth, being educated up to a secondary level significantly reduces the odds in Nigeria and across the two regions.
About
- Frequency
- Sun
- Papers found
- 200
- RSS feed
- Subscribe