Couples’ Socio-Economic Characteristics: Determinants of Children’s Nutritional Status in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria

The aim of the study is to examine the socio-economic characteristics of couples as they affect the nutritional status of children ≤5 years of age in Akure South Local Government area of Ondo State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 200 couples whose last two children were not more than 5 years of age at the time of the interview. The mean age of the fathers was found to be 39years while that of the mothers was found to be 32years; more than half of the fathers (53.5%) had up to a tertiary education, whereas about half of the mothers (47.5%) had up to secondary education. The result of the bivariate analysis revealed a significant relationship between fathers’ income and children’s nutritional status (p<0.05); so also a significant relationship was found between mothers’ age and children’s nutritional status. Further analysis using the logistic regression coupled with the forward stepwise regression further found fathers’ income as the best predictor of children’s nutritional status, while mothers’ age at first marriage was found to be the best predictor of children’s nutritional status

Correlates of Safe Disposal of Children’s Stool in Nigeria: Evidence from 2018 Demographic and Health Survey

Unsafe Stool disposal has been linked to high under-five morbidity and mortality in many low and middle-income countries. This paper focuses on examining the prevalence of safe disposal of stools in Nigeria and the factors affecting such behaviour. The most-recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018 (NDHS) Child’s dataset was used for the analysis in this study. Sample size of 7,834 children under age five was analysed. Percentages and frequencies, chi-square test of association, and binary logistic regression were employed for the statistical analysis. Findings show that a little above half of the women respondents reported safe disposal of stool of their under-five children in the study area (53%). Specifically, the odds of having stool safely disposed increased by 133 percent for children whose household wealth index falls within the richer category (adjusted Odd Ratio (aOR): 2.33; p&lt;0.001), reduced by 17 percent for children whose mothers are working (aOR: 0.83; p&lt;0.05), increased for children whose mothers are residing only in North-East and North-West (p&lt;0.001), increased by 19 percent for children whose mothers were exposed to media exposure to mass media (aOR: 1.19; p&lt;0.05), reduced by 24 percent for women whose children are of first birth order (aOR: 0.76; p&lt;0.05), reduced by 31 percent for women whose children are of small size at birth (aOR: 0.69; p&lt;0.001), increased by 66 percent for women who reported that distance to facility was not a problem (aOR: 1.66; p&lt;0.001), reduced by 19 percent for women who delivered their children at an health centre (aOR: 0.81; p&lt;0.05), and increased by 114 percent for women who used improved toilet facility (aOR: 2.14; p&lt;0.001). This study concludes that a combination of socioeconomic, maternal, child’s and environmental factors are the correlates of safe disposal of stool among women with under-five children in Nigeria. It should therefore be prioritised for interventions aimed at reducing high under-five morbidity and mortality in Nigeria

Use of standard verbal autopsies to improve the mortality data capacity of civil registration and vital statistics systems in low- and middle-income countries: Analysis of key issues

Background: Multidimensional issues confront the use of standard verbal autopsies (SVAs), such as the WHO's verbal autopsy standards and the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium's gold standard verbal autopsy, to improve the mortality data performance of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Objective: This paper attempts an inclusive analysis of these issues and their implications for policies intending to integrate routine SVAs into CRVS systems to enhance mortality data coverage in LMICs. Methods: Issues were identified from the verbal autopsy and CRVS literature, official documents, and the authors' field experiences with the Nigerian CRVS system. These were analysed using a problem (key issues) analysis methodology. Results: Two classes of issues were shown to impinge on the use of SVAs within CRVS systems. One class is generic to SVAs (technical complexity, cost, and standardization issues) and to CRVS systems (contextual, resource, and infrastructural limitations) in LMICs. The other is related to the incompatibility of SVA and CRVS system functions, operations, instruments, and data. Conclusions: The results indicate a need for alternative solutions to the mortality data challenges of CRVS systems in LMICs that are more pragmatic than SVAs, especially in the short and medium term. Such alternatives must involve less complex data procedures and costs and must be adapted to CRVS system functions, operations, and socioeconomic contexts in LMICs. Contribution: The paper contributes to the discourse on the use of SVAs to improve the mortality data capacity of CRVS systems in LMICs

Trends, Determinants and Health Risks of Adolescent Fatherhood in Sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND: This study examined the trends, determinants and health risks of adolescent fatherhood in three selected African countries where adolescent-girl pregnancy/motherhood are decried but with permissive male sexual latitude.METHODS: Adolescent male data were extracted from the malerecodedatasets of Demographic Health Survey (2000-2014) for Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zambia. The surveys were grouped into 3-Waves: (2000-2004); (2005-2008) and (2011-2014). The study employed descriptive and binary logistics that tested the log-odds of adolescent fatherhood with respect to selected sexual behaviour indices, and individual and shared demographic variables.RESULTS: The results revealed that the number of lifetimesexual-partners among the boys is ≥2. The likelihood of adolescent fatherhood is positively associated with increasing age at first cohabitation and multiple sexual partnerships (≥2) having OR=1.673 and OR=1.769 in 2005/2008 and 2011/2014 respectively. Adolescents who had attained tertiary education, and engaged in professional and skilled jobs were 0.313, 0.213 and 0.403 times (respectively) less likely to have ever-fathered a child. The positive association between rural place of residence and adolescent fatherhood in the past shifted to urban residents in 2011/2014.CONCLUSION: The study concludes that early sexual activities and cohabitation are common among male adolescents among the countries of study. The authors recommend discouragement of boy-girl cohabitation, increasing access to higher education and job opportunities in order to stem boy-fatherhood incidence in the study locations and, by extension, other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.KEYWORDS: Adolescent fatherhood, sexual behaviour, trends, determinants, health risks, lifetime-sexual-partner

TRENDS, DRIVERS AND HEALTH RISKS OF ADOLESCENT FATHERHOOD IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

The study examined the trends, determinants and health risks of adolescent fatherhood in countries where adolescent-girl pregnancy/motherhood are decried but with permissive male sexual latitude. Male-recode datasets of Demographic Health Survey (2000-2014) for Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zambia were used. The surveys were grouped into 3-Waves: Wave 1 (2000 and 2004); Wave 2 (2005 to 2009) and waves 3 (2010 to 2014). Ethiopia data consisted of 2000, 2005 and 2011 datasets; Nigeria‘s datasets included 2003, 2008 and 2013 while Zambia set of data featured 2002, 2007 and 2014. Wave-1 consists of 2000, 2002 and 2003 datasets; Wave-2 has 2005, 2007 and 2008 datasets while 2011, 2013 and 2014 data were used for Wave- 3. These files in each wave were grouped together and then combined into a single file. All data were weighted to ensure representation and analyses were split by countries and by waves to show the trends across .the years and for different countries. The study employed univariate, bivariate analysis and binary logistics that tested the log-odds of adolescent fatherhood with respect to selected sexual behaviour indices, individual and shared demographic variables. The results, among others, indicated that more than one out of every five adolescents has had two or more sexual partners. The likelihood of adolescent fatherhood is inversely related to condom use, but positively associated with increasing age at first cohabitation and higher number of multiple sexual partnerships (≥ 2) at odd-ratio of 1.673 and 1.769 in 2005/2009 and 2010/2014, respectively. Adolescents that have attained primary and tertiary education, and who are professionals and skilled labourers were 0.379, 0.313, 0.213 and 0.403 times (respectively) less likely to father a child as adolescent. The positive association between rural place of residence and adolescent fatherhood in the past shifted to urban residents in 2010/2014. The study concludes that enlightenment on the use of condom and testing for STIs/HIV and AIDS should be intensified. Increasing access to higher formal education including job opportunities is crucial to interventions towards boys’ vulnerability to fatherhood. The authors recommend support from policy-takers, governments and other stakeholders towards male adolescent access to higher education, skills acquisition, and campaigns against boys and girls cohabitations in the study locations and by extension sub-Saharan Africa in general

Trends, Determinants and Health Risks of Adolescent Fatherhood in Sub-Saharan Africa

BACKGROUND: This study examined the trends, determinants and health risks of adolescent fatherhood in three selected African countries where adolescent-girl pregnancy/motherhood are decried but with permissive male sexual latitude. METHODS: Adolescent male data were extracted from the malerecode datasets of Demographic Health Survey (2000-2014) for Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zambia. The surveys were grouped into 3- Waves: (2000-2004); (2005-2008) and (2011-2014). The study employed descriptive and binary logistics that tested the log-odds of adolescent fatherhood with respect to selected sexual behaviour indices, and individual and shared demographic variables. RESULTS: The results revealed that the number of lifetimesexual-partners among the boys is ≥2. The likelihood of adolescent fatherhood is positively associated with increasing age at first cohabitation and multiple sexual partnerships (≥2) having OR=1.673 and OR=1.769 in 2005/2008 and 2011/2014 respectively. Adolescents who had attained tertiary education, and engaged in professional and skilled jobs were 0.313, 0.213 and 0.403 times (respectively) less likely to have ever-fathered a child. The positive association between rural place of residence and adolescent fatherhood in the past shifted to urban residents in 2011/2014. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that early sexual activities and cohabitation are common among male adolescents among the countries of study. The authors recommend discouragement of boy-girl cohabitation, increasing access to higher education and job opportunities in order to stem boy-fatherhood incidence in the study locations and, by extension, other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Emmanuel O. Amoo , Angie Igbinoba2 , David Imhonopi3 , Olufunmilayo O. Banjo4 , Chukwuedozie K. Ajaero5 , Joshua O. Akinyemi6 , David Igbokwe7 , Lukman B. Solanke

HIV and adolescents' educational attainment in South Africa: Disentangling the effect of infection in children and household members

BACKGROUND. Many empirical studies have assessed the effect of adults' HIV infection on their livelihood. However, the effect of children's HIV status on their educational outcomes during adolescence has not been adequately investigated. OBJECTIVES. The study aims to evaluate the effect of household members' HIV infection and that of children on their educational outcomes (school enrolment and progression) during adolescence. METHODS. Waves 1 to 4 of the South African National Income Dynamics Study panel data collected between 2008 and 2015 were used. Analytical samples contained data for 8 835 adolescents aged 10-19 years. Analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics, logistic and linear regression as well as Oaxaca and Ransom decomposition methods. RESULTS. Of the study sample, 7 176 were currently in school and 636 were not. HIV infection had no effect on adolescent school enrolment. Adolescent HIV infection significantly reduced their school progress index by about 8.41. The explanatory variables explained 18% of the adolescents' school progress gap associated with HIV infection. The unexplained gap might have been attributable to stigmatisation and/or unobserved morbidity associated with adolescents' HIV infection. CONCLUSION. Adolescent HIV infection affects their school progression. Education support should be targeted directly at HIV-infected children instead of targeting families with infected parents only

Assessing the choice of sources of information on sexual and reproductive health issues among adolescents

Background: Access to the right information from credible sources on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues is germane to smooth and healthy transition from childhood to adulthood among adolescents with or without disabilities. Despite the large amount of research focused on adolescents aged 15-19 years, adolescents with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairment have received little attention. This study aims to assess the sources of information on SRH issues among adolescents with visually impairment (AVI) and adolescents without visual impairments (AWVI). Methods: A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 394 AVI and AWVI in-school adolescents aged 15-19 years from two government boarding schools in Owo local government area of Ondo state, Nigeria. Quantitative Data were collected using the Open Data Kit (ODK). Data analyses were done using descriptive and Binary Logistics regression. Results: The available sources of information on SRH issues among in-school adolescents include school teachers, parents, siblings and other family members among others. Of all the available sources of information, the most important and the most preferred sources of information were school teachers, parents, siblings and other family members. However, the AVI preferred to receive more information on puberty and Sexual and Reproductive (SR) system from their most important sources (school teachers and parents); while the AWVI preferred getting more information on puberty from parents and more information on SR system from school teachers. While most of the AVI preferred to receive more information on boy/girlfriend relationship from school teachers and parents, majority of the AWVI preferred to receive more of such information from their parents. Significant difference exists only in the most preferred source of information on boy/girlfriend relationship between the AVI and AWVI (p&amp;lt;0.05). Furthermore, results from the binary Logistics regression showed that, AWVI were significantly less likely to have received information on SRH issues from their preferred sources than their AVI counterparts (OR:0.460; CI:0.273-0.777). Female adolescents were significantly more likely to have received information from their preferred sources than their male counterparts (OR:1.592; CI:1.016-2.496). Also, adolescents having mothers aged 40-49 were more than twice as likely as those whose mothers were younger to have received information from their preferred sources (OR:2.220; CI:1.150-4.286). Conclusion: Making information on SRH issues available and accessible to adolescents generally and those with visual impairment in particular in formats that take their disabilities into account, will go a long way to ensuring their smooth and healthy transition to adulthood.,The data was collected using Open Data Kit (ODK) among in-school adolescents, aged 15-19. Data were colected from two schools - school for students with visual impairment and school for students without visual impairment. Data cleaning has been done, but the data has not been altered from the original form,Although the manuscript developed from the dataset made use of information for adolescents aged 15-19, the data contains information for adolescents (especially for those with visual impairment) above age 19. The data is not from a clinical trial, but from interviews from in-school adolescents in government boarding schools in a state in Nigeria,</span

Changes in women’s status and fertility behaviour in Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA): a decomposition analysis

Very little is known about the contribution of changes in women’s status to fertility trends in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using a linear decomposition technique, this study assessed changes in women’s status and the influence on fertility levels. Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data for 2-time periods with a minimum of 10 years interval for seven SSA countries constitute the data for this study. Results showed improved women’s status across the countries with increased proportion of women involved in decision making as well as women who do not justify wife beating. The decomposition models showed that, changes in fertility were due to changes in women’s status as well as changes in the background characteristics. The first model showed that the explained changes in fertility largely resulted from women’s perception of gender role attitudes compared to women’s involvement in household decision making. The second model also showed similar results. The study concludes that, women’s status is changing across SSA and that these changes tend to explain some of the changes in fertility across the countries. Other demographic and socio-economic characteristics also contribute substantially to fertility changes.Keywords: changing women’s status, decomposition, fertility behaviour, sub-Saharan Afric