Marriage Markets and Single Motherhood in South Africa

This paper studies the effects of local marriage markets on South African women’s marital decisions. The analysis is motivated by the low proportion of married among African mothers since 48% are never married. This means that the children of all these never married mothers have no access to their fathers' resources. The low sex ratio of 92 men to 100 women among Africans aged 20-40 makes us believe that shortage of marriageable men may explain marriage patterns. Economic theory predicts less attractive marital outcomes for women when the sex ratio is low. We analyze this hypothesis using the 2001 Census of South Africa. An ordered probit model is fitted with the different marital type ranked from less desirable (never married) to more attractive (married civil). The estimation results suggest that both the quantity and quality of marriageable men matter in the marital choice of women who have at least one child. Exposing African women to the White woman’s marriage market and the achievement of educational levels similar to those of Whites increase their probability of marriage by 8%, implying that only 44% of African women are expected to marry even given good marital opportunities and improved levels of education

Impact of child mortality and fertility preferences on fertility status in rural Ethiopia

Objectives: To determine the effects of child mortality and fertility preference on fertility status in rural Ethiopia. Design: Case-referent where the cases were women with number of children ever born alive was less than five and controls were women with number of children ever born alive greater or equal to five. Setting: Butajira rural health project study base which is a field epidemiologic laboratory found 35 Kms south of the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa run by the Department of Community Health of Tikur Anbessa Medical Faculty. Main outcome measures: Fertility status measured by number of children ever born alive; death of a child or an infant is a predictor. Subjects: A total of 219 women with number of children ever born alive less than five and 899 women with number of children ever born alive greater or equal to five were included in the study. Results: Child mortality affected number of children ever born alive significantly (OR= 7.39, 95% CI: 4.62, 9.08). As the number of children died increased proportionally, there is a proportional increase in the risk of higher fertility (X2 for trend 4.92, d.f =4, p-value 0.02). Number of children desired before marriage, desire for more children and sex preference were not associated with increased fertility in this study. Of all the socio-demographic and reproductive variables, later age at first marriage and first birth showed lower number of children ever born alive with (OR= 1.82, 95 % CI: 1.24, 2.83) and (OR= 3.08, 95 % Cl: 2.03, 4.68) respectively. Breast-feeding duration of more than six months showed association with less number of children ever born alive (OR= 1.92, 95% CI: 1.30,2.80). Conclusion: The study finding implies high fertility status is strongly associated with child death and hence measures that curb child mortality are believed to decrease fertility status besides promoting child survival. East African Medical Journal Vol.81(6) 2004: 300-30

Burden of visceral leishmaniasis in villages of eastern gedaref state, Sudan: an exhaustive cross-sectional survey.

Since December 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières has diagnosed and treated patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Tabarak Allah Hospital, eastern Gedaref State, one of the main endemic foci of VL in Sudan. A survey was conducted to estimate the VL incidence in villages around Tabarak Allah

Crash Frequency Analysis of Left-side Merging and Diverging Areas on Urban Freeway Segments: A Case Study of I-75 through Downtown Dayton, Ohio

This paper analyzes the effect of left- and right-side merging and diverging areas and other variables such as light condition, roadway pavement condition, drivers’ age and presence of construction work zones on the occurrence frequency of crashes. A 6.5-mile (10.5-km) section of I-75 that passes through downtown Dayton, Ohio was considered. The area of interest has a high traffic volume and consists of different geometric design challenges including closely spaced merging and diverging ramps. A four-year record of crash data (2005–2008) and a statistical modeling technique that assumes a negative binomial distribution on generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to develop separate models for merging and diverging areas. The model results show that left-side merging and diverging areas are critical elements in crash frequency in the vicinity of ramps on freeways. In addition, pavement condition, light condition, and work zones were found to be significant predictors of crash frequency. Specifically, the results indicate that crashes are about 7.88 times more likely to occur on merging areas located on the left side of the freeway lanes compared to those on the right. For diverging areas, about 2.26 times more crashes are likely to occur near diverging areas on the left compared to those diverging on the right side of the freeway. In addition, adverse pavement conditions (such as wet pavement, snow, and ice), adverse light conditions (such as darkness and glare), and presence of work zone were found to be significant variables in the occurrence of crashes. Highlights: We analyze the effect of left-side merging and diverging areas on crash frequency. A case study uses a 6.5-mile (10.5-km) section of I-75 in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Left-side merging and diverging areas are critical in crash frequency on freeways. Crashes are more likely to occur near merging areas on the left side of the freeway. Crashes are more likely to occur near diverging areas on the left side of the freeway

Exploring Factors Contributing to Injury Severity at Freeway Merging and Diverging Locations in Ohio

Identifying factors that affect crash injury severity and understanding how these factors affect injury severity is critical in planning and implementing highway safety improvement programs. Factors such as driver-related, traffic-related, environment-related and geometric design-related were considered when developing statistical models to predict the effects of these factors on the severity of injuries sustained from motor vehicle crashes at merging and diverging locations. Police-reported crash data at selected freeway merging and diverging areas in the state of Ohio were used for the development of the models. A generalized ordinal logit model also known as partial proportional odds model was applied to identify significant factors increasing the likelihood of one of the five KABCO scale of injury severity: no injuries, possible/invisible injuries, non-incapacitating injuries, incapacitating injuries, or fatal injuries. The results of this study show that semi-truck related crashes, higher number of lanes on freeways, higher number of lanes on ramps, speeding related crashes, and alcohol related crashes tend to increase the likelihood of sustaining severe injuries at freeway merging locations. In addition, females and older persons are more likely to sustain severe injuries especially at freeway merge locations. Alcohol related crashes, speeding related crashes, angle-type collisions, and lane-ramp configuration type D significantly increase the likelihood of severe injury crashes at diverging areas. Poor lighting condition tends to increase non-incapacitating injuries at diverging areas only. Moreover, adverse weather condition increases the likelihood of no-injury and fatal injuries at merging areas only and adverse road conditions tend to increase a range of injury severity levels from possible/invisible injuries to incapacitating injuries at merging areas only. Highlights Semi-truck, lanes on freeways and ramps, speeding, angle collisions, and alcohol increase severe injuries at merging areas. Females and older persons sustain severe injuries at freeway merge locations. Alcohol, speeding, angle collisions, and lane-ramp type D increase severe injuries at diverging areas. Adverse weather condition increases no-injury and fatal injuries at merging areas only. Adverse road condition tends to increase a range of non-fatal injury levels at merging areas only

Burden of disease attributable to suboptimal diet, metabolic risks, and low physical activity in Ethiopia and comparison with Eastern sub-Saharan African countries, 1990-2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

Background: Twelve of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are related to malnutrition (both under- and overnutrition), other behavioral, and metabolic risk factors. However, comparative evidence on the impact of behavioral and metabolic risk factors on disease burden is limited in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Ethiopia. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study, we assessed mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to child and maternal undernutrition (CMU), dietary risks, metabolic risks and low physical activity for Ethiopia. The results were compared with 14 other Eastern SSA countries. Methods: Databases from GBD 2015, that consist of data from 1990 to 2015, were used. A comparative risk assessment approach was utilized to estimate the burden of disease attributable to CMU, dietary risks, metabolic risks and low physical activity. Exposure levels of the risk factors were estimated using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) and Bayesian meta-regression models. Results: In 2015, there were 58,783 [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 43,653-76,020] or 8.9% [95% UI: 6.1-12.5] estimated all-cause deaths attributable to CMU, 66,269 [95% UI: 39,367-106,512] or 9.7% [95% UI: 7.4-12.3] to dietary risks, 105,057 [95% UI: 66,167-157,071] or 15.4% [95% UI: 12.8-17.6] to metabolic risks and 5808 [95% UI: 3449-9359] or 0.9% [95% UI: 0.6-1.1]to low physical activity in Ethiopia. While the age-adjusted proportion of all-cause mortality attributable to CMU decreased significantly between 1990 and 2015, it increased from 10.8% [95% UI: 8.8-13.3] to 14.5% [95% UI: 11.7-18.0] for dietary risks and from 17.0% [95% UI: 15.4-18.7] to 24.2% [95% UI: 22.2-26.1] for metabolic risks. In 2015, Ethiopia ranked among the top four countries (of 15 Eastern SSA countries) in terms of mortality and DALYs based on the age-standardized proportion of disease attributable to dietary risks and metabolic risks. Conclusions: In Ethiopia, while there was a decline in mortality and DALYs attributable to CMU over the last two and half decades, the burden attributable to dietary and metabolic risks have increased during the same period. Lifestyle and metabolic risks of NCDs require more attention by the primary health care system of in the country

Food environment around schools and adolescent consumption of unhealthy foods in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Adolescent diets may be influenced by the retail food environment around schools. However, international research to examine associations between the proximity of retail food outlets to schools and diet provides equivocal support for an association. This study aims to understand the school food environment and drivers for adolescents' consumption of unhealthy foods in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Mixed-methods research was conducted, 1200 adolescents (10-14 years) from randomly selected government schools were surveyed, along with vendors within 5-min' walk of the schools and focus group discussions (FGDs) with adolescent groups. Mixed-effect logistic regression investigated the relationship between the number of vendors around the schools and the consumption of selected unhealthy foods. Thematic analysis was used to summarize findings from the FGDs. Consumption of sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages (S-SSB) and deep-fried foods (DFF) at least once a week was reported by 78.6% and 54.3% of the adolescents, respectively. Although all schools were surrounded by food vendors selling DFF and S-SSB, consumption was not associated with the number of vendors available around the school. However, adolescents' awareness and perception of healthy food, and their concerns about the safety of foods in the market, influenced their dietary choices and behaviours. Lack of financial resources to purchase food as desired also played a role in their selection of food and eating habits. Reported unhealthy food consumption is high among adolescents in Addis Ababa. Thus, further research is warranted to come up with school-based interventions that promote access and healthy food choices among adolescents

Technology generation to dissemination:lessons learned from the tef improvement project

Indigenous crops also known as orphan crops are key contributors to food security, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable with the current trend of population growth and climate change. They have the major advantage that they fit well into the general socio-economic and ecological context of developing world agriculture. However, most indigenous crops did not benefit from the Green Revolution, which dramatically increased the yield of major crops such as wheat and rice. Here, we describe the Tef Improvement Project, which employs both conventional- and molecular-breeding techniques to improve tef\u2014an orphan crop important to the food security in the Horn of Africa, a region of the world with recurring devastating famines. We have established an efficient pipeline to bring improved tef lines from the laboratory to the farmers of Ethiopia. Of critical importance to the long-term success of this project is the cooperation among participants in Ethiopia and Switzerland, including donors, policy makers, research institutions, and farmers. Together, European and African scientists have developed a pipeline using breeding and genomic tools to improve the orphan crop tef and bring new cultivars to the farmers in Ethiopia. We highlight a new variety, Tesfa, developed in this pipeline and possessing a novel and desirable combination of traits. Tesfa\u2019s recent approval for release illustrates the success of the project and marks a milestone as it is the first variety (of many in the pipeline) to be released

Contemporary data on musculoskeletal manifestations of chikungunya infection and association with osteoporosis: a narrative review

The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus transmitted to humans mainly through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. It has recently resurfaced in various parts of the world, triggering widespread outbreaks. CHIKV infection results in chikungunya fever (CHIKF), a temporary febrile illness typically enduring for 7-10 days. Symptoms include rash, fatigue, severe polyarthralgia affecting the hands and feet, and myalgia. Chronic CHIKF, lasting more than 3 months, affects over 40% of those infected, leading to arthritic changes such as bone erosion, enthesopathies, periostitis, and persistent joint pain. We conducted a narrative review to discuss the musculoskeletal manifestations of CHIKV infection as well as its effects on bone health and to explore current data linking CHIKV infection with osteoporosis. We performed a comprehensive literature search including peer-reviewed publications. Patients with chronic infection develop an incapacitating arthritis that may persist for months to years and thereby impose a burden on the population in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALY). A recent increase in outbreaks may be related to virus evolution, globalization/international travel, and climate change, thus potentially turning CHIKV into a major global health threat. Several studies have elucidated the impact of CHIKV infection on bone health and its correlation with arthritic changes. Various cellular and molecular factors contribute to bone erosion during chikungunya virus infection. In CHIKV infection and other arthritogenic alphavirus infections, inflammatory processes marked by the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and interleukin-1 (IL-1), along with an elevated receptor activator of NF-kB ligand/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/OPG) ratio, promote the formation of osteoclasts from monocytic precursors. Consequently, this leads to increased bone resorption and bone pathologies. The literature on osteoporosis and Chikungunya fever is a promising area of research with implications for clinical practice and scientific understanding. Further research in this field has the potential to improve outcomes for individuals affected by these conditions and expand our knowledge of the relationship between viral infections and bone health

Agronomic and Economic Evaluation of Wheat-Chickpea Double Cropping on the Vertisol of Takusa, North Western Ethiopia

Takusa district in north Gondar zone has a high potential for double cropping per one growing season. Farmers in the area, however, do not practice double cropping so far, a reflection of lack of research outputs that addressed its feasibility. The objective of this study was, therefore, formulated around the need to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of double cropping in the area using wheat-chickpea. Experiments were established at Takusa district during the 2015 main cropping season. The trials were laid down in factorial arrangement of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Three bread wheat varieties (Senkegna, Tay and Dinknesh) and two chickpea varieties (Habru and Natoli) were used. The combined data showed that, wheat variety Dinknesh took the shortest days to mature (81 days) compared to Senkegna and Tay (97 days each) varieties. The highest thousand seed weight and grain yield was observed on variety Denknesh and has significance difference at P<0.05 with the other two varieties. Sole planting of Natoli (2926 kg/ha) and Habru (2103kg/ha) chickpea varieties gave relatively higher yield when compared with their respective double cropping combination. The Marginal rate of return (MRR) result showed that double cropping Natoli chickpea variety with Denekinesh wheat variety had 104% MRR. The land equivalent ration demonstrated double cropping rewards to a maximum of 1.99, implying the yield and benefit maximization per unit area per season. The highest grain yield in the double cropping system was obtained with Dinknesh wheat variety (2709kg/ha) double cropped with Natoli chickpea variety (2562 Kg/ha) and this combination could be recommended for similar agroecologies