Predictors of Poor Pregnancy Outcomes Among Pregnant Women in Island Maternity, Nigeria

Pregnancy outcomes have improved tremendously in developed countries. Notwithstanding, it is still a huge challenge in developing countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015 in Nigeria, about 145 women died daily from pregnancy-related causes. Similarly, nearly 2,300 children under 5 years were lost in the same year. Nigeria consistently underperformed in some of the critical pregnancy indicators such as maternal and neonatal mortality, second worst only to India in the world. Studies on poor pregnancy outcomes are scarce in Nigeria. The purpose of this quantitative, retrospective cross-sectional study was to use local evidence to ascertain the risk factors that predict poor pregnancy outcomes for women of childbearing age (15-49 years old) in Nigeria. The theoretical framework for this study was the social cognitive theory. Secondary data from 400 pregnant women from Island Maternity Hospital, Nigeria, was used for this study. Five central research questions were analyzed through univariate and multiple logistic regressions. The results indicated moderate to strong statistically significant associations between outcomes of last pregnancy, gestational age at delivery, mode of delivery, and the timing of antenatal care booking with maternal mortality, neonatal mortality, and low birth weight, even after controlling for other covariates. Findings from this study may foster positive social change by further enhancing the understanding of poor pregnancy outcomes, especially in Nigeria. It will help public health practitioners, policymakers, community leaders and other stakeholders to design strategies and interventions that will take advantage of cultural and religious norms and educational status of women of childbearing age in promoting reproductive health in Nigeria

Predictors of Poor Pregnancy Outcomes Among Pregnant Women in Island Maternity, Nigeria

Pregnancy outcomes have improved tremendously in developed countries. Notwithstanding, it is still a huge challenge in developing countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015 in Nigeria, about 145 women died daily from pregnancy-related causes. Similarly, nearly 2,300 children under 5 years were lost in the same year. Nigeria consistently underperformed in some of the critical pregnancy indicators such as maternal and neonatal mortality, second worst only to India in the world. Studies on poor pregnancy outcomes are scarce in Nigeria. The purpose of this quantitative, retrospective cross-sectional study was to use local evidence to ascertain the risk factors that predict poor pregnancy outcomes for women of childbearing age (15-49 years old) in Nigeria. The theoretical framework for this study was the social cognitive theory. Secondary data from 400 pregnant women from Island Maternity Hospital, Nigeria, was used for this study. Five central research questions were analyzed through univariate and multiple logistic regressions. The results indicated moderate to strong statistically significant associations between outcomes of last pregnancy, gestational age at delivery, mode of delivery, and the timing of antenatal care booking with maternal mortality, neonatal mortality, and low birth weight, even after controlling for other covariates. Findings from this study may foster positive social change by further enhancing the understanding of poor pregnancy outcomes, especially in Nigeria. It will help public health practitioners, policymakers, community leaders and other stakeholders to design strategies and interventions that will take advantage of cultural and religious norms and educational status of women of childbearing age in promoting reproductive health in Nigeria

The effect of school performance upon marriage and long-term reproductive success in 10,000 Swedish males and females born 1915–1929

Humans are an exceptionally intelligent species, and the selective pressures which may have shaped these advanced cognitive powers are therefore of interest. This study investigates the fitness consequences of pre-reproductive school performance in a Swedish population-based cohort of 5244 males and 4863 females born 1915-1929. School performance was measured at around age 10 using three variables: mean school marks, being promoted/held back in school, and recognised learning difficulties. Our primary outcomes were probability of ever marrying, total number of children and total number of grandchildren. In males (but not females), poorer school performance predicted fewer children and grandchildren. This was primarily mediated via probability of marriage; mortality and fertility within marriage were not important mediating pathways. The effect of school performance upon marriage in males was independent of early-life social and biological characteristics, including birth weight for gestational age, preterm birth, family composition, and family socioeconomic position. The effect of school performance upon the probability of marriage in males was, however, largely mediated by adult socioeconomic position. This suggests that in general sexual selection for cognitive abilities per se did not play a major role in either males or females in this cohort. Adult socioeconomic position did not, however, fully explain the marriage disadvantage in males or (at marginal significance) females with particularly poor school performance. We conclude that school performance can affect long-term reproductive success. In this population, however, the effect is confined to males and is largely mediated by the increased probability of marriage which comes with their greater socioeconomic success. © 2010 Elsevier Inc

Developing a child health model : a prospective study of maternal health beliefs and utilization of preventive infant health care services

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among expectant mothers' health beliefs, utilization of preventive health care services, and infant health status. The participants were 75 expectant mothers recruited in their third trimester of pregnancy from public and private health care provider sites. Group 1 mothers had health insurance and received prenatal care through a private obstetric clinic. Group 2 mothers received public aid and obtained prenatal services through their county health department. A Maternal Health Belief Questionnaire (MHBQ) was developed for the purposes of this study. The MHBQ assessed the mother's perceptions about: (a) the perceived vulnerability of her unborn child to health threats experienced in infancy, (b) the perceived severity of each of these health threats, (c) the perceived effectiveness of preventive prenatal and infant health care services, (d) the perceived barriers to her seeking preventive health care for her child, and (e) the perceived locus of control with regard to the health of her unborn child

Predicting parental sensitivity: contextual stress exposure across preconception to parenthood

This thesis investigated the influence of concurrent and historical stress on parental sensitivity to infants. Parental sensitivity was found to be mostly resilient to a history of stress but when living with stress, parents were often less responsive to infant needs. Findings support the relevance of interventions and support for enhancing parental sensitivity in contexts of pressure