Body dissatisfaction, perceptions of competence and lesson content in physical education

BACKGROUND Significant proportions of young people experience body dissatisfaction, which has implications for psychological and physical well-being. Little is known about how factors within physical education support or hinder the development of body satisfaction. Lesson content and perceived competence may be important variables for the experience of body dissatisfaction, yet these have been underexplored in physical education. The aim of this cross sectional study is to identify the relationships between body dissatisfaction and perceptions of competence, and to explore whether body dissatisfaction depends on lesson content. METHODS A paper and pencil questionnaire was completed by 446 (210 males, 236 females) 13-14-year-old pupils from 37 physical education classes. The questionnaire assessed body dissatisfaction and perceived competence in physical education. Lesson content was also recorded. Twenty-nine of the classes were engaged in team activities, for example, ball games. Eight classes were engaged in individual activities, for example, fitness. RESULTS Multilevel analysis identified a significant negative association between body dissatisfaction and perceptions of competence in physical education. Lesson content did not significantly predict variations in body dissatisfaction scores. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that teachers should focus on enhancing pupils’ perceptions of competence in physical education in order to support the development of body satisfaction

Assessing quality of care and outcomes for women and their Infants in Nigeria after pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDPs) are the leading cause of maternal mortality in Nigeria—now killing more women than postpartum hemorrhage. Various factors, including lack of capacity among lower-level health-care providers to detect, manage, and refer complications, have been indicated as reasons for most of these deaths. A landscape analysis of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (PE/E) in Nigeria identified a lack of further information after delivery about the women who experienced HDPs. In this study, the Ending Eclampsia project recruited women with HDPs around the time of childbirth, and prospectively followed them for up to one year postpartum. The study evaluated the care these women received during the first six to eight weeks after delivery, for both themselves and their infants. Health statuses were assessed, and any patterns of morbidity were identified in the year after these deliveries. The magnitude of the gaps in care during the postnatal period, for both the women and their infants, is evaluated in this report, along with an examination of the pattern of morbidities and mortalities in this cohort of women during the year of monitoring

Landscape analysis of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia in Nigeria

The Population Council’s Ending Eclampsia project, with support from USAID, seeks to expand access to proven, underutilized interventions and commodities for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (PE/E) and to strengthen global partnerships. The Council conducted a landscape analysis on PE/E in Nigeria in 2015. Its main objectives were to understand the level of programmatic and policy support for PE/E prevention and treatment; to analyze gaps in providers’ competence to prevent, detect, and manage PE/E; to determine capacity at primary health facilities to manage PE/E; to assess community awareness, beliefs, and experiences around PE/E; to understand the research conducted on PE/E in the last 15 years; and to determine priority areas for research and programmatic interventions. This landscape report provides highlights of the landscape analysis in Nigeria and suggests priority areas for intervention