Spatial distribution and factors associated with low birth weight in Ethiopia using data from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2016: spatial and multilevel analysis

Objective This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution, individual and community-level factors associated with low birth weight in Ethiopia.Method Secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data. A total of 2110 neonates were included in this study. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was conducted to assess the spatial clustering of LBW. Besides, the spatial scan statistics and ordinary kriging interpolation were done to detect the local level clusters and to assess predicted risk areas, respectively. Furthermore, a multilevel logistic regression model was fitted to determine individual and community-level factors associated with LBW. Finally, most likely clusters with log-likelihood ratio (LLR), relative risk and p value from spatial scan statistics and adjusted OR (AOR) with 95% CI for multilevel logistic regression model were reported.Results LBW was spatially clustered in Ethiopia. Primary (LLR=11.57; p=0.002) clusters were detected in the Amhara region. Neonates within this spatial window had a 2.66 times higher risk of being LBW babies as compared with those outside the window. Besides, secondary (LLR=11.4; p=0.003; LLR=10.14, p=0.0075) clusters were identified at southwest Oromia, north Oromia, south Afar and southeast Amhara regions. Neonates who were born from severely anaemic (AOR=1.40, 95% CI (1.03 to 2.15)), and uneducated (AOR=1.90, 95% CI (1.23 to 2.93)) mothers, those who were born before 37 weeks of gestation (AOR=5.97, 95% CI (3.26 to 10.95)) and women (AOR=1.41, 95% CI (1.05 to 1.89)), had significantly higher odds of being LBW babies.Conclusion The high-risk areas of LBW were detected in Afar, Amhara and Oromia regions. Therefore, targeting the policy interventions in those hotspot areas and focusing on the improvement of maternal education, strengthening anaemia control programmes and elimination of modifiable causes of prematurity could be vital for reducing the LBW disparity in Ethiopia

Comparative effectiveness of interventions for preventing tuberculosis: systematic review and network meta-analysis of interventional studiesResearch in context

Summary: Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of death globally. Several preventive measures are employed to prevent TB, yet there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the most effective interventions for reducing TB incidence. Methods: A systematic search was undertaken across five relevant databases including PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to February 22, 2023. Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted to compare the effectiveness of preventive interventions including preventive therapy, nutritional intervention, targeted screening, and vaccination in reducing TB incidence. Subgroup analysis was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of TB preventive treatments. Findings: Overall 82 articles were included in the NMA. Preventive therapy (OR = 0.44, 95% CrI 0.36–0.52), BCG vaccination (OR = 0.62, 95% CrI 0.39–0.98) and TB candidate vaccines (OR = 0.67, 95% CrI 0.46–0.98) were more effective than placebo or no intervention. When all active interventions were considered, preventive therapy ranked as the best intervention. Of the preventive treatments, isoniazid (OR = 0.46, 95% CrI 0.35–0.55), isoniazid plus rifampicin (OR = 0.56, 95% CrI 0.32–0.97), isoniazid plus rifapentine (OR = 0.49, 95% CrI 0.29–0.83), isoniazid plus ethambutol (OR = 0.39, 95% CrI 0.15–0.99), isoniazid plus streptomycin (OR = 0.12, 95% CrI 0.02–0.55), rifampicin (OR = 0.41, 95% CrI 0.18–0.92), and rifampicin plus pyrazinamide (OR = 0.51, 95% CrI 0.29–0.87) surpassed placebo/none. Interpretation: Our study suggested that when all available preventive interventions are considered, preventive therapy is likely the most effective intervention. Within TB preventive treatments, isoniazid plus streptomycin is likely ranked at the top. This comparative study provides important information for policymakers and stakeholders, enabling them to make informed decisions on preventive strategies, whilst considering local resources and capacity constraints. Funding: Curtin University strategic scholarship and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, through an Emerging Leadership Investigator grant

Spatiotemporal patterns of anemia among lactating mothers in Ethiopia using data from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (2005, 2011 and 2016).

IntroductionMaternal anemia is a worldwide public health problem especially in developing countries including Ethiopia. The burden of anemia among lactating mothers in Ethiopia was higher than those who were neither pregnant nor breastfeeding. To date, there is limited evidence on spatiotemporal patterns of anemia among lactating mothers in the country. Exploring the spatial patterns of maternal anemia is vital to design and monitor effective intervention programs. Therefore this study aimed to explore spatiotemporal patterns of anemia among lactating mothers in Ethiopia over the past one and half-decades.MethodsA total of 11,989 lactating mothers were included from the three consecutive Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys(2005, 2011, and 2016). The trend of anemia over the three surveys was showed. Furthermore, spatial autocorrelation analysis, cluster and outlier analysis, hotspot analysis, spatial interpolation, and spatial scan statistics were carried out to identify geographically risk areas of anemia among lactating mothers in Ethiopia. Finally, the most anemia risk areas were detected consistently by different spatial analytic methods in each survey.ResultsAnemia during lactation had an increasing trend from 2011 to 2016 in all regions of Ethiopia. It was also spatially clustered over three survey periods (Moran's I: 0.102-0.256, PConclusionAnemia during lactation was spatially clustered in Ethiopia. High-risk areas were detected in the eastern part of Ethiopia prominently in the Afar and Somali regions. Therefore, public health intervention activities designed in a targeted approach to impact high-risk populations in those hot spot areas wound be helpful to reduce anemia in Ethiopia

Knowledge about mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS, its prevention and associated factors among reproductive-age women in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from 33 countries recent Demographic and Health Surveys.

BackgroundIn sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) 90 percent of babies acquired HIV/AIDS from infected mothers. Maternal knowledge about mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS and its prevention is a cornerstone for elimination of MTCT of HIV/AIDS. Despite this, there is limited evidence about knowledge about MTCT of HIV/AIDS and its prevention and associated factors in SSA. Therefore, this study aimed to assess knowledge of MTCT of HIV/AIDS, its prevention (PMTCT) and, associated factors among reproductive-age women in sub-Saharan Africa.ObjectiveTo assess Knowledge about mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS and its prevention and associated factors among reproductive-age women in Sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsThe recent SSA countries' Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), which were conducted from 2008/09 to 2018/19, was our data source. We appended 33 countries' DHS data for our analysis. For our study, a total weighted sample of 350,888 reproductive-age women was used. Due to the hierarchical nature of the DHS data, we conducted a multilevel analysis. Finally, the adjusted odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval was reported, and variables with p-value≤0.05 were considered as significant predictors of knowledge of MTCT of HIV/AIDS and its prevention.ResultsIn this study, 56.21% (95% CI: 56.05-56.38) of respondents had correct knowledge about MTCT of HIV/AIDS and its prevention among reproductive-age women in SSA. In the multilevel logistic regression analysis: being in the older age group, better education level, being from a rich household, having mass media exposure, having parity of one and above were associated with higher odds of knowledge about MTCT of HIV/AIDS and its prevention. However, being perceiving distance from the health facility as a big problem was associated with lower odds of knowledge about MTCT of HIV/AIDS and its prevention.ConclusionKnowledge about MTCT of HIV/AIDS and its prevention among reproductive-age women in SSA was low. Therefore, it is better to consider the high-risk groups during the intervention to increase awareness about this essential public health issue and to tackle its devastating outcome

Individual and community level factors associated with use of iodized salt in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analysis of demographic health surveys.

IntroductionIodine deficiency disorder a common problem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It affects not only the health of the affected individual but also the economic development of the country. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is a scarcity in literature about the associated factors of iodized salt utilization in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to identify both individual and community level determinants of iodized salt utilization in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsThis study used the appended datasets of the most recent demographic and health survey from 31 sub-Saharan countries. A total weighted sample of 391,463 households was included in the study. Both bivariable and multivariable multilevel logistic regression were done to determine the associated factors of iodized salt utilization in SSA. P value ≤ 0.05 was used to declare statistically significant variables.ResultsThose households with primary (AOR  =  1.53, 95% CI  =  1.50-1.57), secondary (AOR  = 1.81, 95% CI  =  1.76-1.86) and higher education level (AOR  =  2.28, 95% CI  =  2.17-2.40) had higher odds of iodized salt utilization. Households with middle (AOR  =  1.05, 95% CI  =  1.02-1.08), richer (AOR  = 1.13, 95% CI  =  1.09-1.17) and richest wealth index (AOR  =  1.23, 95% CI  =  1.18-1.28) also had an increased chance of using iodized salt. Households from high community media exposure (AOR  =  2.07, 95% CI  =  1.71-2.51), high community education level (AOR  =  3.78, 95% CI  =  3.14-4.56), and low community poverty level (AOR = 1.29, CI  =  1.07-1.56) had higher odds of using salt containing iodine.ConclusionBoth individual and community level factors were found to be associated with use of salt containing iodine in sub-Saharan Africa. Education level, media exposure, community poverty level, wealth index, community education, and community media exposure were found to be associated with use of salt containing iodine in SSA. Therefore, to improve the use of iodized salt in the region, there is a need to increase access to media sources and develop the socioeconomic status of the community

Multivariable associations between socio-demographic factors and intimate partner violence in East Africa.

Multivariable associations between socio-demographic factors and intimate partner violence in East Africa.</p

Estimating the impact of birth interval on under-five mortality in east african countries: a propensity score matching analysis

Abstract Background Under-five mortality remains a global public health concern, particularly in East African countries. Short birth interval is highly associated with under-five mortality, and birth spacing has a significant effect on a child’s likelihood of survival. The association between short birth intervals and under-five mortality was demonstrated by numerous observational studies. However, the effect of short birth intervals on under-five mortality has not been investigated yet. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of short birth intervals on under-five mortality in East Africa using Propensity Matched Analysis. Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted based on the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data of 12 East African countries. A total weighted sample of 105,662 live births was considered for this study. A PSM analysis was carried out to evaluate the effect of short birth intervals on under-five mortality. Under-five mortality was the outcome variable, while the short birth interval was considered a treatment variable. To determine the Average Treatment Effect on the population (ATE), Average Treatment Effect on the treated (ATT), and Average Treatment Effect on the untreated (ATU), we performed PSM analysis with a logit-based model using the psmatch2 ate STATA function. The quality of matching was assessed statistically and graphically. The common support assumption was checked and fulfilled. We have employed Mantel-Haenszel bounds to examine whether the result would be free from hidden bias or not. Results The prevalence of short birth intervals in East Africa was 44%. The under-five mortality rate among mothers who had optimal birth intervals was 39.9 (95% CI: 38.3, 41.5) per 1000 live births while it was 60.6 (95% CI: 58.5, 62.8) per 1000 live births among mothers who had a short birth intervals. Propensity score matching split births from mothers into treatment and control groups based on the preceding birth interval. In the PSM analysis, the ATT values in the treated and control groups were 6.09% and 3.97%, respectively, showed under-five mortality among births to mothers with short birth intervals was 2.17% higher than births to mothers who had an optimal birth interval. The ATU values in the intervention and control groups were 3.90% and 6.06%, respectively, indicating that for births from women who had an optimal birth interval, the chance of dying within five years would increase by 2.17% if they were born to mother with short birth interval. The final ATE estimate was 2.14% among the population. After matching, there was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the treated and control groups (p-value > 0.05), which indicates the quality of matching was good. Conclusions We conclude that enhancing mothers to have optimal birth spacing is likely to be an effective approach to reducing the incidence of under-five mortality. Our findings suggest that births to mothers with short birth intervals have an increased risk of death in the first five years of life than births to mothers who had an optimal birth interval. Therefore, public health programs should enhance interventions targeting improving birth spacing to reduce the incidence of under-five mortality in low-and middle-income countries like East African countries. Moreover, to achieve a significant reduction in the under-five mortality rate, interventions that encourage birth spacing should be considered. This will improve child survival and help in attaining Sustainable Development Goal targets in East African countries

Individual & household/community level characteristics of respondents.

Individual & household/community level characteristics of respondents.</p

Double burden of malnutrition and its associated factors among women in low and middle income countries: findings from 52 nationally representative data

Abstract Background Double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is an emerging global public health problem. The United Nations member states adopted eradicating all forms of malnutrition as an integral component of the global agenda. However, there is evidence of a high burden of undernutrition among women and rising rates of overweight and obesity, especially in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of underweight, overweight, and obesity among women of reproductive age in LMICs. Methods Data for the study were drawn from a recent 52 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in LMICS. We included a sample of 1,099,187 women of reproductive age. A multilevel multinomial logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with DBM. Adjusted relative risk ratio (RRR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was reported to show an association. Results The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in LMICs among women of reproductive age was 15.2% (95% CI: 15.1–15.3), 19.0% (95% CI: 18.9- 19.1), and 9.1% (95% CI: 9.0–9.2), respectively. This study found that women aged 24–34 years, aged ≥ 35 years, with primary, secondary, and above educational level, from wealthy households, using modern contraceptives, exposed to media (radio and television), and with high parity (more than one birth) were more likely to have overweight and obesity and less likely to have underweight. Moreover, the risk of having obesity (RRR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.58–0.60 and overweight (RRR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.77–0.79) were lower among rural women, while the risk of being underweight was (RRR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.11–1.15) higher among rural women compared to urban women. Conclusion The prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity was high among women of reproductive age in LMICs. Underweight, overweight, and obesity are influenced by sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral-related factors. This study shows that, in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2, a multifaceted intervention approach should be considered to prevent both forms of malnutrition in women of reproductive age. This can be achieved by raising awareness and promoting healthy behaviors such as healthy eating and physical activity, especially among educated women, women from wealthy households, and women exposed to the media