Articles

Factors influencing the uptake of intermittent preventive treatment among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis

Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) of malaria in pregnancy is a full therapeutic course of antimalarial sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) medicine given to pregnant women in their second trimester at routine...

Authors: Eugene Kofuor Maafo Darteh, Kwamena Sekyi Dickson, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Bernard Afriyie Owusu, Joshua Okyere, Tarif Salihu, Vincent Bio Bediako, Eugene Budu, Wonder Agbemavi, Jane Odurowaah Edjah and Abdul-Aziz Seidu

Using the QI Maturity Tool – Modified Ontario Version to assess the state of QI maturity in Ontario’s public health units

Implementation of quality improvement (QI) practices varies considerably among public health units (PHUs) in Ontario. With the emphasis on continuous quality improvement (CQI) in the revised Ontario Public Hea...

Authors: Madelyn P. Law, Alex Berry, Nicole Clarke, Graham Hay, Caitlin Muhl, Kelly Pilato, Danielle Hunter and Anna Larson

The global hepatitis delta virus (HDV) epidemic: what gaps to address in order to mount a public health response?

Co-infection between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) causes the severest chronic hepatitis and is associated with a high risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Global...

Authors: Tomoyuki Hayashi, Yumie Takeshita, Yvan J.-F. Hutin, Hande Harmanci, Philippa Easterbrook, Sarah Hess, Judith van Holten, Ena Oghenekaro Oru, Shuichi Kaneko, Cihan Yurdaydin and Marc Bulterys

Does descending health resources reform impact patient low-level hospital selection behavior? Evidence from Zhejiang, China

Since 2013, China launched descending resources reform, which is a new attempt to correct unbalanced allocation of health resources through human capital spillovers and brand implantation from high-level hospi...

Authors: Zesheng SUN, Shuhong WANG, Hongjun ZHAO, Xu ZHOU, Ludan ZHANG and Jiongping SHI

Predictors of physical activity among women in Bojnourd, north east of Iran: Pender’s health promotion model

This study examined how socio-demographic characteristics constructs derived from the health promotion model (HPM) influence the level of physical activity (PA) women in Bojnourd, North East of Iran.

Authors: Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly Sany, Mohammad Vahedian Shahroodi, Zahra Hosseini Khaboshan, Arezoo Orooji, Habibollah Esmaeily, Alireza Jafari and Mohammad Tajfard

Determinants of uptake of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria with sulfadoxine pyrimethamine in pregnancy: a cross-sectional analytical study in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana

Ghana malaria control programme recommends the uptake of five doses of sulfadoxine pyrimethamine (SP) during pregnancy following the review of the World Health Organization recommendations in 2012. The uptake ...

Authors: Francis Anto, Christabel Ayepah, Elizabeth Awini and Langbong Bimi

Determinants of smokeless tobacco use and prevalence among Sudanese adolescents

Smokeless tobacco is a part of social and cultural life in Sudan. The affordability and availability of this kind of tobacco make it a fundamental issue in adolescents. The aim of this study is to investigate ...

Authors: Mohammed Othman, Nik Daliana Nik Farid, Nasrin Aghamohammadi and Mahmoud Danaee

Oral self-care behavior and its influencing factors in a sample of school children from Central Iran

Oral health is an important part of public health and crucial to health promotion and enhancing the quality of life. This research examined childhood oral self-care behavior and their related factors using ext...

Authors: Iraj Zareban, Mahmood Karimy, Marzieh Araban and Daniel Delaney

National Nutrition Communication Campaign in Indonesia: a cross-sectional study of factors associated with exposure

Reducing childhood stunting continues to be a priority in Indonesia. In 2015, the National Nutrition Communication Campaign (NNCC) implemented mass media and interpersonal communication (IPC) interventions to ...

Authors: Leiema Hunt, Abigail Norton, Chantel Daines, Evie Friedbaum, Danica Topham, Ryan Moffat, Scott Torres, Mary Linehan, Hafiza Jusril, Cougar Hall, Benjamin Crookston and Josh West

“I don’t know if we’ll ever live in harmony”: a mixed-methods exploration of the unmet needs of Syrian adolescent girls in protracted displacement in Lebanon

The current crisis in Syria has led to unprecedented displacement, with neighbouring Lebanon now hosting more than 1.5 million conflict-affected migrants from Syria. In many situations of displacement, adolesc...

Authors: Colleen M. Davison, Hayley Watt, Saja Michael and Susan A. Bartels

Protocol for an evaluation of the Designing Communities to Support Healthy Living in Aging Residents Study

In collaboration with building developers, the Housing for Health team is contributing to the design of community-based congregate living facilities to support healthy living in older adults. There may also be...

Authors: Jodie A. Stearns, Hui Ren, John C. Spence, Hayford Avedzi and Karen K. Lee

Factors affecting the initiation and continuation of maternal health service utilization among women who delivered in the past one year in Enemay district, East Gojjam, Ethiopia

Maternity continuum of care is the continuity of maternal healthcare services that a woman uses, which includes antenatal care (ANC 4+), skilled birth attendant (SBA), and postnatal care (PNC) within 48 h of d...

Authors: Anguach Shitie and Zelalem Nigussie Azene

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers/caregivers on infant and young child feeding in Assosa Woreda, Assosa Zone, Benshangul Gumuz Region, Western Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Through the health extension package, Ethiopia had practiced infant and young child feeding. However, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practice has been poor. Hence, in this study, the knowledge, attitude...

Authors: Dawit Getachew Assefa, Tigist Tekle Woldesenbet, Wondowsen Molla, Eden Dagnachew Zeleke and Timsel Girma Simie

Effects of dietary and health factors on nutritional status of children in pastoral settings in Borana, southern Ethiopia, August–October 2015

Childhood undernourishment is a major public health problem globally, and being responsible for higher mortalities in children and enormous health costs in sub-Saharan Africa. However, scarcity of data on the ...

Authors: Bekele Megersa, Abebe Haile and Uriel Kitron

Use of artificial intelligence for public health surveillance: a case study to develop a machine Learning-algorithm to estimate the incidence of diabetes mellitus in France

The use of machine learning techniques is increasing in healthcare which allows to estimate and predict health outcomes from large administrative data sets more efficiently. The main objective of this study wa...

Authors: Romana Haneef, Sofiane Kab, Rok Hrzic, Sonsoles Fuentes, Sandrine Fosse-Edorh, Emmanuel Cosson and Anne Gallay

Prevalence and predictors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in east Africa: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies published from 2005 to 2020

The epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the general population in east Africa is not well documented. In this meta-analysis, we examined 37 full published research articles to synthesise up-to-date data...

Authors: Hussein Mukasa Kafeero, Dorothy Ndagire, Ponsiano Ocama, Ali Kudamba, Abdul Walusansa and Hakim Sendagire

Seroprevalence of coxsackievirus A16 antibody among people of various age groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Coxsackie virus group A type 16 (CoxA16) is the main pathogen and usually an alternative to or joins in prevalence with enterovirus 71 (EV71) causing hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). The objective of this ...

Authors: Peng Li, Yan Chen, An Tang, Fan Gao and Jian-Bo Yan

A cross-sectional survey of a public, evidence-based multimodal program for cognitive health in older adults

In recent decades, the proportion of older adults in the population has continued to rise, and with it, the need for intervention programs to maintain cognitive functions into old age. Multiple lifestyle facto...

Authors: Barbara Studer-Luethi, Maria Brasser, Simon Lusti and Rahel Schaerli

On the timing of interventions to preserve hospital capacity: lessons to be learned from the Belgian SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020

Using publicly available data on the number of new hospitalisations we use a newly developed statistical model to produce a phase portrait to monitor the epidemic allowing for assessing whether or not interven...

Authors: Christel Faes, Niel Hens and Marius Gilbert

Payment mechanism for institutional births in Nepal

Since the Millennium Development Goal era, there have been several efforts to increase institutional births using demand side financing. Since 2005, Government of Nepal has implemented Maternity Incentive Sche...

Authors: Ashish KC, Mats Målqvist, Amit Bhandari, Rejina Gurung, Omkar Basnet and Avinash K Sunny

Exposure to interparental violence and justification of intimate partner violence among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa

Justification of intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the critical factors that account for the high prevalence of IPV among women. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to interpare...

Authors: Richard Gyan Aboagye, Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Bernard Yeboah-Asiamah Asare, Prince Peprah, Isaac Yeboah Addo and Bright Opoku Ahinkorah

Long-acting reversible contraception utilization and associated factors among women in extended postpartum period in southern Ethiopia

Postpartum long-acting reversible contraceptive is important to prevent unintended and closed spaced pregnancy following the first 12 months of childbirth. Few data were available on postpartum long-acting rev...

Authors: Yibeltal Mesfin and Abraham Wallelign

Understanding the mechanisms generating outcomes in a Danish peer support intervention for socially vulnerable people with type 2-diabetes: a realist evaluation

Despite an increasing use and positive effects of peer support interventions, little is known about how the outcomes are produced. Thus, it is essential not only to measure outcomes, but also to identify the m...

Authors: Stine Dandanell Garn, Charlotte Glümer, Sarah Fredsted Villadsen, Gritt Marie Hviid Malling and Ulla Christensen

A mixed-methods study exploring adherence to the referral of severely sick children in primary health care in Southern Ethiopia

We have shown that Ethiopian primary healthcare providers refer only half of the severely sick children who, according to guidelines, should get an urgent referral. Frequently parents of referred ill children ...

Authors: Habtamu Beyene, Dejene Hailu, Henok Tadele, Lars Åke Persson and Della Berhanu

Magnitude and associated factors of caesarean section deliveries among women who gave birth in Southwest Ethiopia: institutional-based cross-sectional study

Caesarean section is a life-saving comprehensive obstetric procedure of women and newborn performed during childbirth-related complications and should be universally accessible for all pregnant mothers globall...

Authors: Ayenew Mose and Haimanot Abebe

Socio-economic inequalities in the chronic diseases management among Chinese adults aged 45 years and above: a cross sectional study

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become a priority public health issue. The aim of this study was to examine whether socio-economic inequalities exist in chronic disease management among Chinese adults, a...

Authors: Jing Guo, Jiasen Li, Kehui Huang, Ning Huang and Xing Lin Feng

A pooled prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in South Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) remains a global public health problem. South Africa is estimated to have the highest recorded prevalence of FASD. However, no study has systematically evaluated the avai...

Authors: Babatope O. Adebiyi and Ferdinand C. Mukumbang

Cervical cancer screening using HPV tests on self-samples: attitudes and preferences of women participating in the VALHUDES study

Interventions to reach women who do not participate regularly in screening may reduce the risk of cervical cancer. Self-collection of a vaginal specimen has been shown to increase participation. The relative c...

Authors: Hélène De Pauw, Gilbert Donders, Steven Weyers, Philippe De Sutter, Jean Doyen, Wiebren A. A. Tjalma, Davy Vanden Broeck, Eliana Peeters, Severien Van Keer, Alex Vorsters and Marc Arbyn

Assessing parents’ awareness about children’s “first thousand days of life”: a descriptive and analytical study

Many adulthood illnesses are rooted in childhood, especially in the “first thousand days of life”. Despite parents’ role in children’s development, no study has examined parental awareness concerning this peri...

Authors: Fatemeh Bagheri, Nouzar Nakhaee, Yones Jahani and Reza Khajouei

Substance use and HIV stage at entry into care among people with HIV

Information regarding the impact of substance use on the timing of entry into HIV care is lacking. Better understanding of this relationship can help guide approaches and policies to improve HIV testing and li...

Authors: Canada Parrish, Bridget M. Whitney, Robin M. Nance, Nancy Puttkammer, Paul Fishman, Katerina Christopoulos, Julia Fleming, Sonya Heath, William Christopher Mathews, Geetanjali Chander, Richard D. Moore, Sonia Napravnik, Allison Webel, Joseph Delaney, Heidi M. Crane and Mari M. Kitahata

Correction to: Spatial distribution and determinants of iron supplementation among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a spatial and multilevel analysis

Authors: Chilot Desta Agegnehu, Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema, Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale, Adugnaw Zeleke Alem, Yigizie Yeshaw, Sewnet Adem Kebede and Alemneh Mekuriaw Liyew

Maternal age at first childbirth and under-five morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa: analysis of cross-sectional data of 32 countries

The prevalence of childhood morbidity remains high in low-and middle-income countries, including sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In this study, the association between maternal age at first childbirth and under-five...

Authors: Bright Opoku Ahinkorah

Optimal strategies for COVID-19 prevention from global evidence achieved through social distancing, stay at home, travel restriction and lockdown: a systematic review

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global public health agenda with high level of pandemicity. There is no effective treatment, but prevention strategies can alter the pandemic. However, the effectiveness of ...

Authors: Tadele Girum, Kifle Lentiro, Mulugeta Geremew, Biru Migora, Sisay Shewamare and Mulugeta Shegaze Shimbre

Breast self-examination practice among women in Africa: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

In resource limited countries breast self-examination has been recommended as the most appropriate method for early detection of breast cancer. Available studies conducted on breast self-examination practice i...

Authors: Wubareg Seifu and Liyew Mekonen

Disability and COVID-19: ensuring no one is left behind

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Agenda calls for targeted attention to the needs and rights of the most vulnerable populations to ensure a life of dignity and human security for all. In this paper,...

Authors: Alarcos Cieza, Kaloyan Kamenov, Ola Abu Al Ghaib, Alessandra Aresu, Somnath Chatterji, Facundo Chavez, Jarrod Clyne, Nathalie Drew, Michelle Funk, Andrea Guzman, Eleonora Guzzi, Chapal Khasnabis, Bente Mikkelsen, Ren Minghui, Gopal Mitra, Priyanka Narahari…

Correction to: Rapid establishment of a national surveillance of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Belgium

Authors: Nina Van Goethem, Aline Vilain, Chloé Wyndham-Thomas, Jessika Deblonde, Nathalie Bossuyt, Tinne Lernout, Javiera Rebolledo Gonzalez, Sophie Quoilin, Vincent Melis and Dominique Van Beckhoven

Availability and use of personal protective equipment and satisfaction of healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are at the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 and are at an increased risk of becoming infected with coronavirus. Risk of infection can be minimized by use of proper person...

Authors: Wakgari Deressa, Alemayehu Worku, Workeabeba Abebe, Muluken Gizaw and Wondwossen Amogne

A cross-sectional study on the impact of the prevention and control response of the COVID-19 pandemic on minor’s orthopedic trauma in Shanghai

The Chinese government has taken strong prevention and control measures against the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic is far from over, it has been effectively controlled in China. The outbreak of COVID...

Authors: Chuang Qian, Yiming Zheng, Junrong Meng, Hao Li and Dahui Wang

Citizens, doctors, politicians - who´s an expert in times of COVID-19? A survey in Austria and Germany

This study aimed to explore which measures and risk factors for a COVID − 19 infection are considered most important in the general population, health experts and policymakers and to assess the level of agreem...

Authors: Dagmar Schaffler-Schaden, Juergen Herfert, James O´Brien, Tim Johansson, Alexander Seymer, Stephan Ludwig, Thomas Stöggl, Juergen Osterbrink, Maria Flamm and Antje van der Zee-Neuen

Spatial distribution and determinants of iron supplementation among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a spatial and multilevel analysis

Maternal anemia continues as a global public health concern particularly in developing countries including Ethiopia. It is associated with an increased risk of maternal death, obstetric complications, preterm ...

Authors: Chilot Desta Agegnehu, Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema, Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale, Adugnaw Zeleke Alem, Yigizie Yeshaw, Sewnet Adem Kebede and Alemneh Mekuriaw Liyew

“… I would have left that man long time ago but, …” exploring circumstances of and motivators for repeat adolescent birth in Eastern Uganda

First birth before 18 years has declined in Uganda unlike repeat adolescent birth (=second or more births before age 20 years). We explored the circumstances of and motivators for repeat adolescent birth in Easte...

Authors: Dinah Amongin, Frank Kaharuza, Claudia Hanson, Annettee Nakimuli, Susan Mutesi, Lenka Benova and Lynn Atuyambe

Health professional’s job satisfaction and its determinants in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Health professional’s job satisfaction is directly related to patient satisfaction and quality of care. Without satisfied health professionals the health system is not functional, and the national and global h...

Authors: Bekahegn Girma, Jemberu Nigussie, Alemayehu Molla and Moges Mareg

Abortion care in a pandemic: an analysis of the number and social profile of people requesting and receiving abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown (March 16 to June 14, 2020) in Flanders, Belgium

The COVID-19 pandemic and the national COVID-19 measures might have increased potential barriers to abortion care and created new ones, especially for vulnerable groups. This study documents the impact of the ...

Authors: Leen De Kort, Jonas Wood, Edwin Wouters and Sarah Van de Velde

Self-harm prevalence and associated factors among street children in Mashhad, North East of Iran

Self-harm is intentional harmful behavior in the context of emotional distress. Street children are boys and girls under eighteen who are forced to work or live on the streets. These children are exposed to vi...

Authors: Lida Jarahi, Maliheh Dadgarmoghaddam, Atiyeh Naderi and AmirAli Moodi Ghalibaf

Burden of non-communicable diseases in Cyprus, 1990–2017: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for over 90% of all deaths in the Cypriot population, in 2018. However, a detailed and comprehensive overview of the impact of NCDs on population health of Cyprus ove...

Authors: Periklis Charalampous, Elena Pallari, Stefanos Tyrovolas, Nicos Middleton, Mary Economou, Brecht Devleesschauwer and Juanita A. Haagsma

Pregnancy complications, substance abuse, and prenatal care predict birthweight in adolescent mothers

Reduced birthweight is associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes later in life. Children of adolescent mothers are at higher risk for reduced birthweight. The current study aimed to identify ...

Authors: Miriam Hacker, Christine Firk, Kerstin Konrad, Kerstin Paschke, Joseph Neulen, Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann and Brigitte Dahmen

Women’s knowledge and attitude towards cervical cancer preventive measures and associated factors In South Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, North Central Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in Ethiopia, often due to late disease diagnosis. Early prevention of cancer has been shown to be the most effective measure against th...

Authors: Yilkal Tafere, Tezera Jemere, Tsion Desalegn and Addisu Melak

“I was eating more fruits and veggies than I have in years”: a mixed methods evaluation of a fresh food prescription intervention

Food insecurity is associated with poor nutritional health outcomes. Prescribing fresh fruits and vegetables in healthcare settings may be an opportunity to link patients with community supports to promote hea...

Authors: Cole Heasley, Becca Clayton, Jade Muileboom, Anna Schwanke, Sujani Rathnayake, Abby Richter and Matthew Little

Understanding the complexities of antibiotic prescribing behaviour in acute hospitals: a systematic review and meta-ethnography

Antimicrobial resistance poses a serious global public health threat. Hospital misuse of antibiotics has contributed to this problem and evidence-based interventions are urgently needed to change inappropriate...

Authors: Gosha Wojcik, Nicola Ring, Corrienne McCulloch, Diane S. Willis, Brian Williams and Kalliopi Kydonaki

Observed magnitude and trends in socioeconomic and geographic area inequalities in obesity prevalence among non-pregnant women in Chad: evidence from three waves of Chad demographic and health surveys

While the prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, the growing rates of overweight and obesity in developing countries are disquieting. Obesity is widely recognized as a risk factor for non-communicable ...

Authors: Gebretsadik Shibre, Betregiorgis Zegeye, Gashaw Garedew Woldeamanuiel, Wassie Negash, Gorems Lemma and Mitku Mamo Taderegew