Determinants of postnatal care non-utilization among women in Nigeria.

Although, there are several programs in place in Nigeria to ensure maternal and child health, maternal and neonatal mortality rates remain high with maternal mortality rates being 560/100,000 and neonatal mortality rates at 40/1,000 live births. While there are many studies on the utilization of maternal health services such as antenatal care and skilled delivery at birth, studies on postnatal care are rare. While efficient utilisation of postnatal care services has been proven to reduce morbidity and mortality among mothers and their newborns, the uptake of this service is low in Nigeria. Thus, identification of the factors that are associated with non-utilization of postnatal care services could shed light on what needs to be done to improve the uptake of the services in Nigeria and assist the country in achieving the MDG4 and MDG 5 targets of bringing down the levels of child and maternal mortality. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the factors associated with the non-utilization of postnatal care among mothers in Nigeria. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional data from 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) were used in this study. For analysis, the postnatal care uptake for 28,647 children born in the five years preceding the survey was considered. The dependent variable was a composite variable derived from a list of questions on postnatal care. Mothers who received postnatal care were coded as (0) while mothers who did not receive postnatal care were coded as (1). Child’s characteristics and mother's characteristics were used as the explanatory variables. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the patterns of postnatal care nonutilization by selected characteristics of mothers and children in the country. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with postnatal care non-utilization in Nigeria at bivariate and multivariate levels. Results: Results showed that 96% of the mothers of the 28,647 children did not utilize postnatal care services in the period examined. About 50% of the study population between 25-34 years did not utilize postnatal care and 46% of the women who did not utilize postnatal care had no education. Results from multivariate logistic regression show that accessibility, antenatal care use, birth size, education, place of delivery and region are significantly associated with the non-utilization of postnatal care services. Women who received antenatal care had lower odds (OR=0.23, 95% CI=1.09-1.87) of not utilizing postnatal care services. Also mothers of children who were smaller than average at birth had higher odds (OR=1.43, 95% CI=1.09- 1.87) of not utilizing postnatal care services. Conclusions: This study revealed the low uptake of postnatal care service in Nigeria. To increase mothers’ utilization of postnatal care services and improve maternal and child health in Nigeria, interventions should be targeted at mothers who deliver children that have low birth weight and great attention should be given to the women outside the South West region especially the Northern region of the country. In addition, it is crucial that steps should be taken on educating women. This would have a significant influence on their perceptions about the use of postnatal care services in Nigeria

Gendered Conflict in the Human Family

Sexual conflict is a thriving area of animal behaviour research. Yet, parallel research in the evolutionary human sciences remains underdeveloped and has become mired by controversy. In this special collection, we aim to invigorate the study of fitness-relevant conflicts between women and men, advocating for three synergistic research priorities. First, we argue that a commitment to diversity is required to innovate the field, achieve ethical research practice, and foster fruitful dialogue with neighbouring social sciences. Accordingly, we have prioritized issues of diversity as editors, aiming to stimulate new connections and perspectives. Second, we call for greater recognition that human sex/gender roles and accompanying conflict behaviours are both subject to natural selection and culturally determined. This motivates our shift in terminology from sexual to gendered conflict when addressing human behaviour; countering stubborn tendencies to essentialize differences between women and men, and directing attention to the role of cultural practices, normative sanctions and social learning in structuring conflict battlegrounds. Finally, we draw attention to contemporary policy concerns, including the wellbeing consequences of marriage practices and the gendered implications of market integration. Focus on these themes, combined with attendance to the dangers of ethnocentrism, promises to inform culturally-sensitive interventions promoting gender equality worldwide

Resilience to depression: the role of benevolent childhood experiences in a South African sample

BackgroundStudies elsewhere show that benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) have protective mental health value. However, this protective value has never been investigated in an African context. Given the need to better understand what might support mental health resilience among African young people, this study explores the relationship between BCEs and depressive symptoms among a South African sample of young adults living in a community dependent on the economically volatile oil and gas industry.MethodsA sample of young adults in an oil and gas community in South Africa (N = 313, mean age 20.3 years, SD = 1.83, range from 18 to 26; majority Black African) completed self-report questionnaires to assess BCEs and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II). The analysis controlled for socio-demographics and experience of family adversity. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine the association of BCEs with depressive symptoms using STATA 17.ResultsThe majority (86.4% of the sample) reported all 10 BCEs. Of the 10 BCEs, having at least one good friend was the most reported (94%) compared to 75% of the sample reporting having a predictable home routine, such as regular meals and a regular bedtime. The unadjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that having at least one good friend, comforting beliefs, and being comfortable with self were associated with lower odds of moderate depression. The adjusted results showed no association between BCEs and the depression of young adults in this sample.ConclusionIn this South African sample, our results do not show protective associations between BCEs and depression. This could be as a result of the homogeneity in our sample. It is also possible that the BCEs explored could not counteract the effect of chronic risk factors in the lives of the young people in this study context. Further research is needed to understand this complexity

Using Cellphones To Deliver Health Services To Teens A Sub-Saharan Africa Review

Opening paragraph: Adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa have the highest rate of unplanned pregnancies. Almost half (46%) of these unintended pregnancies among adolescents end in abortion

Decade of research into the acceptability of interventions aimed at improving adolescent and youth health and social outcomes in Africa: a systematic review and evidence map

Objective Interventions aimed at improving adolescent health and social outcomes are more likely to be successful if the young people they target find them acceptable. However, no standard definitions or indicators exist to assess acceptability. Acceptability research with adolescents in low-and- middle- income countries (LMICs) is still limited and no known reviews systhesise the evidence from Africa. This paper maps and qualitatively synthesises the scope, characteristics and findings of these studies, including definitions of acceptability, methods used, the type and objectives of interventions assessed, and overall findings on adolescent acceptability. Design We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies assessing intervention acceptability with young adults (aged 10–24) in Africa, published between January 2010 and June 2020

Amplifying youth voices: young people’s recommendations for policy and practice to enhance vaccine acceptability

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for increased vaccine availability and uptake, with vaccine hesitancy posing a significant barrier, particularly among young adults. Evidence from various countries highlight high levels of hesitancy among young people, necessitating targeted interventions. Engaging young adults as key stakeholders in shaping public health strategies is crucial, as their perspectives can enhance vaccine acceptance. This study aimed to assess the overall acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine among young people and to explore the factors influencing their willingness or reluctance to be vaccinated now and in the future. Methods: This study used qualitative data from 165 young adults in Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia, to explore their suggestions for policies and strategies aimed at enhancing the acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccination among their age group. Data collection involved focus groups and interviews that explored participants’ perceptions and recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccination acceptability. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Thematic analysis identified several factors influencing vaccine acceptability among young people and suggested recommendations to improve it. The themes included developing targeted communication strategies for accurate vaccine information, offering alternative vaccination methods, promoting vaccine education in schools, and using trusted public figures to share accurate information. Conclusions: Persistent dissatisfaction with vaccine information dissemination underscores the need for more targeted communication strategies among young adults. Recommendations include developing non-injection vaccine options, incorporating vaccine education into school curricula and community programs, and leveraging influential public figures to build credibility. These insights are valuable for designing future programs to enhance vaccine acceptance among adolescents

Putting Children First: New Frontiers in the Fight Against Child Poverty in Africa

Despite important strides in the fight against poverty in the past two decades, child poverty remains widespread and persistent, particularly in Africa. Poverty in all its dimensions is detrimental for early childhood development and often results in unreversed damage to the lives of girls and boys, locking children and families into intergenerational poverty. This edited volume contributes to the policy initiatives aiming to reduce child poverty and academic understanding of child poverty and its solutions by bringing together applied research from across the continent. With the Sustainable Development Goals having opened up an important space for the fight against child poverty, not least by broadening its conceptualization to be multidimensional, this collection aims to push the frontiers by challenging existing narratives and exploring alternative understandings of the complexities and dynamics underpinning child poverty. Furthermore, it examines policy options that work to address this critical challenge.Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) at the University of Bergen.publishedVersio