Is water carriage associated with the water carrier’s health? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

IntroductionThe work of carrying water falls mainly on women and children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and rural areas. While concerns have been raised, how water carriage is associated with health of the water carrier is not clear. The aim of this review is to summarise evidence on whether, and how, water carriage is associated with the water carrier’s health.MethodsA systematic review of literature was conducted, searching Embase; Medline; Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index; Web of Science Arts and Humanities Citation Index; International Initiative for Impact Evaluation website; WHO Virtual Health Sciences Library and WHO African index medicus, from inception to 8 November 2017.ResultsForty-two studies were included. Their ability to demonstrate cause and effect relationships was limited by study design and fair or poor methodological quality. Overall, the studies suggest that water carriage is associated with negative aspects of the water carriers’ health. There is moderate quantitative and strong qualitative evidence that water carriage is associated with pain, fatigue, perinatal health problems and violence against vulnerable people, and inconclusive evidence of an association with stress or self-reported mental health and general health status.ConclusionIn many circumstances, water carriage is a potential barrier to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 target ‘universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all’ and SDG 3 ‘ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’. Efforts should focus on providing water on premises, and where this is not possible, providing water close to home and reducing risk of gender-based violence.

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Gender-based violence among female youths in educational institutions of Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Systematic Reviews ◽

10.1186/s13643-019-0969-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Addisu Shunu Beyene ◽

Catherine Chojenta ◽

Hirbo Shore Roba ◽

Alemu Sufa Melka ◽

Deborah Loxton

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Educational Institutions ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Gender Based

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Assessing Impacts of Indicators of Child Wealth Index in Africa: A Study of Four Regions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Commonwealth Youth and Development ◽

10.25159/2663-6549/4620 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Choja Oduaran ◽

Christopher Godwin Udomboso

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Wealth Index ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Housing Conditions ◽

Research Attention ◽

Western Africa ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Positive Correlations

Recently, the well-being of children in developing countries has attracted much research attention. However, literature is sparse on the effects of family well-being on the child. This study assesses indicators of the Child Wealth Index in Africa, in four out of five regions of the continent of Africa, based on countries with the highest and lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The regions include Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa. Data were obtained from the latest Demographic and Health Survey of each country, where each respondent family was categorised into either “poor,” “middle” or “rich.” Multinomial logistic regression was utilised to study the effects of the indicators used in this study, on child well-being. Results show that the majority of countries have more children in the poor category, especially in rural areas. Furthermore, there are negative correlations between Child Wealth Index and residence, and positive correlations between Child Wealth Index and housing conditions with access to electricity. Indicators of the Child Wealth Index include highest education, place of residence, housing conditions, toilet facility, and access to electricity and appliances. It is inferred that many countries in Africa have a low Wealth Index despite their high GDP. Therefore, African governments need to improve the living standards of their people.

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South-to-South and Donor-driven Diffusion in Sub-Saharan Africa

Participatory Budgeting in Global Perspective ◽

10.1093/oso/9780192897756.003.0007 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 158-180

Author(s):

Brian Wampler ◽

Stephanie McNulty ◽

Michael Touchton

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Local Governments ◽

Local Governance ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Small Scale ◽

Development Projects ◽

Marginalized Communities ◽

New Development ◽

Sub Saharan

Governments in sub-Saharan Africa began to adopt PB in the early 2000s. The World Bank, USAID, DFID, and other international organization led the push to expand PB. By 2019, the region included more than nine hundred programs. PB’s diffusion across sub-Saharan Africa has led to its transformation in scale, rules, and impact. Most PB programs in sub-Saharan Africa focus on building accountability and allowing participants to select small-scale development projects. These programs are located both in major cities (Maputo, Nairobi) as well as in poor, rural areas across the region. These programs are intended to improve local governance, but the involvement of international donors means that local governments must address their concerns as well as those of participants. The programs also emphasize placing new development projects in poor, marginalized communities, thus retaining potential for improving well-being. This chapter documents these trends by focusing on PB in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda.

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The psychosocial well-being of orphans in Southern Africa: the perception of orphans and teachers

The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa ◽

10.4102/td.v6i2.262 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M W De Witt ◽

A C Lessing

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Life World ◽

Personal Experiences ◽

Research Findings ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Developing Settings

The escalation in numbers of orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa has become a human catastrophe. If governments do not deal with this phenomenon as a priority it might spiral beyond control. Very few studies have been done to investigate the psychosocial impact of orphanhood on children and communities in developing countries. Very little is known about the life world of orphans in developing countries and even less is known about factors in these children’s lives which can affect their mental health. The researchers decided to undertake research in three areas in Southern Africa to investigate the psychosocial well-being of orphans and to compare the findings with existing research findings. A survey was done in three rural areas to determine the perceptions of orphans regarding their own personal experiences and emotional feelings which may reflect on psychosocial well-being, as well as the perceptions of teachers working with these orphans. Except for depression, the findings with regard to most of the psychosocial aspects were in accordance with the literature. The most important findings were that bereavement practices and approaches fit for developed communities might be of little value in developing settings. We are, however, more than aware that orphans from developed counties or even urban settings might differ from those of developing or deep rural areas.Keywords: Orphans; psychosocial well-being; bereavement; poverty; stigmatisation

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Mental health and well-being of older adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052810 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. e052810

Author(s):

Patrick Nzivo Mwangala ◽

Adam Mabrouk ◽

Ryan Wagner ◽

Charles R J C Newton ◽

Amina A Abubakar

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Current Evidence ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Living With Hiv

ObjectiveIn this systematic review, we aimed to summarise the empirical evidence on common mental disorders (CMDs), cognitive impairment, frailty and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people living with HIV aged ≥50 years (PLWH50 +) residing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Specifically, we document the prevalence and correlates of these outcomes.Design, data sources and eligibility criteriaThe following online databases were systematically searched: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase and Scopus up to January 2021. English-language publications on depression, anxiety, cognitive function, frailty and quality of life among PLWH50+ residing in SSA were included.Data extraction and synthesisWe extracted information, including study characteristics and main findings. These were tabulated, and a narrative synthesis approach was adopted, given the substantial heterogeneity among included studies.ResultsA total of 50 studies from fifteen SSA countries met the inclusion criteria. About two-thirds of these studies emanated from Ethiopia, Uganda and South Africa. Studies regarding depression predominated (n=26), followed by cognitive impairment (n=13). Overall, PLWH50+ exhibited varying prevalence of depression (6%–59%), cognitive impairments (4%–61%) and frailty (3%–15%). The correlates of CMDs, cognitive impairment, frailty and HRQoL were rarely investigated, but those reported were sociodemographic variables, many of which were inconsistent.ConclusionsThis review documented an increasing number of published studies on HIV and ageing from SSA. However, the current evidence on the mental and well-being outcomes in PLWH50+ is inadequate to characterise the public health dimension of these impairments in SSA, because of heterogeneous findings, few well-designed studies and substantial methodological limitations in many of the available studies. Future work should have sufficiently large samples of PLWH50+, engage appropriate comparison groups, harmonise the measurement of these outcomes using a standardised methodology to generate more robust prevalence estimates and confirm predictors.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020145791.

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Modelling latrine diffusion in Benin: towards a community typology of demand for improved sanitation in developing countries

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2009.111 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 166-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Marion W. Jenkins ◽

Sandy Cairncross

Keyword(s):

Cluster Analysis ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Well Being ◽

Scaling Up ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Demand Characteristics ◽

Improved Sanitation ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Low Coverage ◽

Infrastructure Services

Latrine diffusion patterns across 502 villages in Benin, West Africa, were analysed to explore factors driving initial and increasing levels of household adoption in low-coverage rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Variables explaining adoption related to population density, size, infrastructure/services, non-agricultural occupations, road and urban proximity, and the nearby latrine adoption rate, capturing differences in the physical and social environment, lifestyles and latrine exposure involved in stimulating status/prestige and well-being reasons for latrine adoption. Contagion was most important in explaining adoption initiation. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct village typologies of demand for latrines which provide a framework for tailoring promotional interventions to better match the different sanitation demand characteristics of communities in scaling-up sanitation development and promotion programmes.

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Perspectives of adolescent and young adults on poverty-related stressors: a qualitative study in Ghana, Malawi and Tanzania

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027047 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. e027047 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Brian J Hall ◽

Melissa R Garabiles ◽

Jacobus de Hoop ◽

Audrey Pereira ◽

Leah Prencipe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Future Research ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Related Stress ◽

Gender Based ◽

Coping Behaviours

ObjectivesTo define key stressors experienced and coping behaviours within poor agrarian communities in sub-Saharan Africa.DesignDescriptive qualitative study incorporating inductive thematic analysis.Participants81 participants purposely sampled, stratified by age (adolescents and young adults) and sexSettingThe study was conducted in villages in Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania.ResultsStressors were thematically grouped into those directly related to poverty and the lack of basic necessities (eg, food insecurity), and additional stressors (eg, drought) that worsen poverty-related stress. Impacts on functioning, health and well-being and key coping behaviours, both positive and negative, were identified. The findings together inform a more nuanced view of stress within these contexts.ConclusionAlthough participants were asked to provide general reflections about stress in their community, the salience of poverty-related stressors was ubiquitously reflected in respondents’ responses. Poverty-related stressors affect development, well-being and gender-based violence. Future research should focus on interventions to alleviate poverty-related stress to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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Prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa: A multi-country analysis

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0246308 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0246308

Author(s):

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽

Melissa Kang ◽

Lin Perry ◽

Fiona Brooks ◽

Andrew Hayen

Keyword(s):

Adolescent Pregnancy ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

Relationship Education ◽

African Countries ◽

Sub Saharan

Introduction In low-and middle-income countries, pregnancy-related complications are major causes of death for young women. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We undertook a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 32 sub-Saharan African countries between 2010 and 2018. We calculated the prevalence of first adolescent (aged 15 to 19 years) pregnancy in each country and examined associations between individual and contextual level factors and first adolescent pregnancy. Results Among all adolescents, Congo experienced the highest prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy (44.3%) and Rwanda the lowest (7.2%). However, among adolescents who had ever had sex, the prevalence ranged from 36.5% in Rwanda to 75.6% in Chad. The odds of first adolescent pregnancy was higher with increasing age, working, being married/cohabiting, having primary education only, early sexual initiation, knowledge of contraceptives, no unmet need for contraception and poorest wealth quintile. By contrast, adolescents who lived in rural areas and in the West African sub-region had lower odds of first adolescent pregnancy. Conclusion The prevalence of adolescent pregnancy in sub-Saharan African countries is high. Understanding the predictors of first adolescent pregnancy can facilitate the development of effective social policies such as family planning and comprehensive sex and relationship education in sub-Saharan Africa and can help ensure healthy lives and promotion of well-being for adolescents and their families and communities.

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