scholarly journals Malnutrition and morbidity trends in Somalia between 2007 and 2016: results from 291 cross-sectional surveys

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e033148
Author(s):  
Rocio Martin-Canavate ◽  
Estefania Custodio ◽  
Abukar Yusuf ◽  
Daniel Molla ◽  
Dominique Fasbender ◽  
...  

BackgroundMore than two decades of conflict and natural disasters in Somalia have resulted in one of the longest running humanitarian crises in the world. Nutrition data have been collected over the years despite challenges to inform programmatic action. This paper explores malnutrition and morbidity trends in Somalia during the last decade, disaggregated by geographical zone and livelihood system.MethodsWe used data from 291 cross-sectional surveys conducted in children aged 6–59 months between 2007 and 2016 in Somalia. Wasting, morbidity and stunting prevalences over time were analysed by geographic area, livelihood system and season. Logistic regressions were used to test trends.ResultsThe wasting trends show a striking peak in 2011, more marked in southern and central Somalia and coinciding with the famine declaration. The trend declines slightly thereafter although not consistently across all zones and livelihoods, and it raises again in 2016 especially among internally displaced persons (IDPs). Stunting declined for all groups and in all zones but with more consistent patterns in northern Somalia.Morbidity also showed a declining trend, although with multiple peaks depicting disease outbreaks.Pastoralist showed the lowest stunting estimates overall, while agrarian populations showed the lowest prevalence of wasting and morbidity. IDPs were the most affected by all outcomes. Seasonality affected the three outcomes differently by livelihood system. Stunting rates increased after the 2011 famine for all age groups within children under 5 years.ConclusionsDespite the continuous complex situation in Somalia, there has been a sustained decline in stunting and morbidity in the last decade. Wasting trends have remained at very high levels especially in north-east and the south zones of Somalia. The findings support the importance of performing trend analyses disaggregated by zone and livelihood groups within countries to better identify priorities for programme intervention.

2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. K. MUNGREIPHY ◽  
SATWANTI KAPOOR

SummaryThe prevalence of overweight/obesity is increasing worldwide. Although countries like India are typically thought of as having a high prevalence of undernutrition, significant proportions of overweight/obese now co-exist with the undernourished. This study aims to find the prevalence of overweight/obesity, and its association with socioeconomic change, among Tangkhul women in India. The cross-sectional study was carried out among 346 Tangkhul women aged 20–70 years, who were divided into five 10-year age groups. Mean BMI was found to be lowest among the youngest age group, and it increased with age until the age of 59 and then declined. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was found to be 27.1%, as assessed from the Asian cut-off point. Although the prevalence of obesity (2.0%) was low when compared with Indian non-tribal female populations, the prevalence of overweight (25.1%) was not far behind. Overweight and obesity were found to be associated with age, marital status, physical activity level, lifestyle and improvement in socioeconomic status, especially occupation and income. When compared with urban non-tribal Indian females, who have a higher socioeconomic status, the prevalence of overweight/obesity among Tangkhul females is lower, indicating its association with socioeconomic status. Tangkhul Naga is a population where the majority are believed to be thin traditionally owing to the difficult hilly terrain and their physically active lifestyle. With urbanization and economic development, nutritional transition, improved socioeconomic status and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle have been observed, which have contributed to the increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity among Tangkhul Naga women.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
C N Nwoga ◽  
S J Dakwak ◽  
T M Agbir ◽  
M D Audu ◽  
S G Goar ◽  
...  

A common factor in the development of mental disorders, including depression, is exposure to trauma. Boko Haram crisis has ravaged the North East part of Nigeria and has left indelible traumatic effect on the inhabitants especially the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who fled their homes for survival. Previous studies reported high rates of depression and disability among IDPs. We set out to investigate the prevalence of depression, disability and correlates among the IDPs in two selected camps in Yobe state. We carried out a cross sectional study among 422 adult IDPs selected through a systematic sampling method. One hundred and ninety two (45.5%) were males. The mean age of the subjects was 39.4±18.50 years with range of 18-80 years. Of the 422 IDPs, 166(39.3%) had probable depression and 76(18.0%) had definite depression. Factors significantly associated with diagnosis of depression were; age (p=0.028), marital status (p=0.001), living condition (p=0.001), general health (p=0.001) and WHODAS 2.0 scores (p=0.001). Logistic regression revealed that age <20years (OR=8.4;p=0.001), being an IDP in the camp irrespective of the living condition (OR=3.6;p=0.001), being single/unmarried (OR=10.0;p=0.048) and comorbid PTSD predicted diagnosis of depression. Having a disability score in the severe range (OR=5.7;p=0.001) strongly correlated with having depression in the study. There is a high rate of depression among IDPs in North-east, Nigeria. Having a diagnosis of depression correlated well with the severity of disability in study. We recommend regular psychiatric services as part of routine medical services to IDPs as health cannot be complete without mental health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Victoria Westley-Wise ◽  
Luise Lago ◽  
Judy Mullan ◽  
Franca Facci ◽  
Rebekah Zingel ◽  
...  

Objective The aim of this study was to assess 15-year trends in unplanned readmissions in an Australian regional health service. Methods Drawing on data held in the Illawarra Health Information Platform (IHIP), this longitudinal retrospective study of adults admitted to hospital between 2001–02 and 2015–16 assessed rates of unplanned all-cause readmissions within 30 days (‘early’) and 1–6 months (‘late’) following discharge. Rates were compared over time and between patient groups. Results Age-adjusted early readmission rates declined over the 15 years by an average of 1.3% per annum, whereas late readmission rates increased by an average of 0.6% per annum. Together, there was an overall decline in readmission rates. The entire decline in early readmission rates and a reversal of the increasing trend in late readmission rates occurred since 2010–11. Similar trends occurred across age groups, but were most pronounced among those aged ≥75 years. Conclusions The decline in readmissions since 2010–11 suggests that the region has achieved improvements in discharge planning and in continuity between hospitals and community-based care. These improvements have occurred across broad patient groups. The longitudinal and linked data held in the IHIP provides a unique opportunity to examine patterns of service utilisation at a regional level. What is known about the topic? Published reports of longitudinal trends in readmissions are typically limited by short study periods and narrow criteria used to define study populations and readmissions. Australian longitudinal data suggest rates of early readmission have remained relatively unchanged in recent years, despite the focus on readmission rates as a metric to assess the quality and continuity of care. What does this paper add? This unique longitudinal study reports on long-term readmission trends over 15 years to hospitals within a single geographic area, with trends reported for both early (30-day) and late (1- to 6-month) readmissions by age group and major diagnostic categories. The findings reflect more complex patterns than are typically reported in cross-sectional and more limited longitudinal studies. What are the implications for practitioners? The results suggest improvements at a regional level that may be associated with care during the initial hospitalisation and discharge (reflected particularly in early readmissions) and in the community (reflected particularly in late readmissions). Future investigations will explore specific patient groups and the effects of specific initiatives, services and models of care to better predict those at risk of readmission and to inform translation locally and further afield. The relationship between readmissions and the use of ambulatory services (primary care, emergency department and out-patient) also warrants further investigation.


IKONOMIKA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-192
Author(s):  
Adam Muhammad Abubakar (Yobe State University, Damaturu) ◽  
Nuraddeen Mohammed Lawa (Yobe State University, Damaturu)

The Northeast region of Nigeria has been experiencing the devastating impact of Boko Haram insurgencysince 2009, which triggeredhumanitarian crisis and destruction of infrastructure,such as schools, hospitals, roads, bridges as well as homes and farmlands, leading to many becoming internally displaced persons and refugees. Both governmental and non-governmental organizations have been mostly providing relief services and materials, whilst only few Federal Government agencies and State Governmentsare providing reconstruction and rehabilitation due to insufficient sources of funds(Olaseni, 2012).The emergence of Sukuk to Nigerian Capital Market is a new development that provides alternative funding avenue for both State and Federal Governments to finance projects and infrastructure development for nation building (Alaro, 2020).It is against this backdrop that this study aims to reviewthe approaches of financing rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes in the Northeast and examines how the potentials ofSukuk financing could properly be utilized to complement the infrastructural deficit in the region. Thus, the research is an exploratory qualitative research that sourced cross sectional primary data collected through the use of structured questionnaire. Multistage purposive sampling method was employed in selecting the respondents for the study across the study area. Thematic Analysis was employed as the method of data analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and interpret the results of the thematic analyses of the data obtained.Keywords: North-East, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Sukuk Financing


2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Vittorio Caprara ◽  
Mariagiovanna Caprara ◽  
Patrizia Steca

Three cross-sectional studies examined stability and change in personality over the course of life by measuring the relations linking age to personality traits, self-efficacy beliefs, values, and well-being in large samples of Italian male and female participants. In each study, relations between personality and age were examined across several age groups ranging from young adulthood to old age. In each study, personality constructs were first examined in terms of mean group differences accrued by age and gender and then in terms of their correlations with age across gender and age groups. Furthermore, personality-age correlations were also calculated, controlling for the demographic effects accrued by marital status, education, and health. Findings strongly indicated that personality functioning does not necessarily decline in the later years of life, and that decline is more pronounced in males than it is in females across several personality dimensions ranging from personality traits, such as emotional stability, to self-efficacy beliefs, such as efficacy in dealing with negative affect. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for personality theory and social policy.


2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heide Glaesmer ◽  
Gesine Grande ◽  
Elmar Braehler ◽  
Marcus Roth

The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) is the most commonly used measure for life satisfaction. Although there are numerous studies confirming factorial validity, most studies on dimensionality are based on small samples. A controversial debate continues on the factorial invariance across different subgroups. The present study aimed to test psychometric properties, factorial structure, factorial invariance across age and gender, and to deliver population-based norms for the German general population from a large cross-sectional sample of 2519 subjects. Confirmatory factor analyses supported that the scale is one-factorial, even though indications of inhomogeneity of the scale have been detected. Both findings show invariance across the seven age groups and both genders. As indicators of the convergent validity, a positive correlation with social support and negative correlation with depressiveness was shown. Population-based norms are provided to support the application in the context of individual diagnostics.


1970 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-77
Author(s):  
Rukshana Ahmed ◽  
Shamim Ara

Pathological changes in the prostate gland occur commonly with advancing age including inflammation, atrophy, hyperplasia and carcinoma and a change in volume is also evident. Estimation of volume of prostate may be useful in a variety of clinical settings. A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed to see the changes in volume of the prostate with advancing age and done in the Department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from August 2006 to June 2007. The study was performed on 70 post-mortem human prostates collected from the unclaimed dead bodies that were under examination in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. The samples were divided into three age groups; group A (10-20 years), group B (21-40 years) and group C (41-70 years). Volume of the sample was measured by using the ellipsoid formula. The mean ± SD volume of prostate was 7.68 ± 3.64 cm3 in group A, 10.61 ± 3.99 cm3 in group B and 15.40 ± 6.31 cm3 in group C. Mean difference in volume between group A and group C, group B and group C were statistically significant (p<0.001). Statistically significant positive correlation was found between age and volume of prostate (r = + 0.579, p < 0.001). Key Words: Prostate; volume; Bangladeshi. DOI: 10.3329/imcj.v4i2.6501Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2010; 4(2): 74-77


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Md Zulfekar Ali ◽  
Mohammad Moktader Moula ◽  
Zafar Ahmed Bhuiyan ◽  
Muhammad Tariq Javed

AbstractChicken astroviruses (CAstV) are enteric viruses of poultry causing gastroenteritis, malabsorption, gout and white chick disease commonly known as runting-stunting syndrome (RSS). It can affect the wide range of poultry birds, especially chicken, turkey and duck worldwide. To our best knowledge there is no published report on presence of antibodies against CAstV in Bangladesh. Therefore, the study aimed to detect the presence of CAstV antibodies in broilers and sonali chickens (a cross-bread) in Bangladesh through a cross-sectional survey. A total of 454 blood samples from 66 flocks of broiler (n=343) and sonali chickens (n=111) of different ages were obtained during 2017 from four districts. The birds were healthy but were not vaccinated against CAstV. The samples were tested for specific antibodies against CAstV Group B by using commercially available ELISA kit. Overall, 16.74% (76/454) samples and 34.84% (23/66) flocks were positive for CAstV antibodies. The seroprevalence of CAstV was significantly (p=0.001) higher in sonali chickens (36.96%) than broiler (10.20%), while it was significantly higher (p=0.001) in birds of Bogura district (36.94%) than the other three districts. Regarding the age groups, seroprevalence was insignificantly (p=0.192) higher in sonali chicken before laying age (45%) than during laying age (27.45%). Regarding the seasons, CAstV infection was prevalent significantly (p=0.001) higher in winter season. Thus, the present study indicated the presence of CAstV in poultry in Bangladesh, so further studies are required to find out the magnitude of the problem in the country.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Subash Bhattarai ◽  
Merina Gyawali

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is inflammatory process of pancreas presenting with acute abdominal pain.The majority of patients have mild disease. Some patients develop local and systemic complications with increased morbidity and mortality. This study was undertaken to describe the clinical profile and outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.   Methods:  A cross-sectional hospital based study comprising of 62 consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis were enrolled between Jan 2019 to August 2020. Clinical profile at admission, complications and clinical outcomes including mortality were studied. Patients were classified into mild, moderately severe and severe acute pancreatitis based on revised Atlanta classification and modified CT severity index.  Data entry was done in Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences version 20. Results: The mean age of study subjects was 44±10.87 years with 43 (56%) males and 19 (44%) females (M:F=2.1:1). The commonest etiology of pancreatitis was alcohol (53.2%) followed by biliary pancreatitis (37.1%)  The most common presentation was abdominal pain (100%). The most common complication was pancreatic necrosis (21%) followed by acute kidney injury (19.4%) and pleural effusion (17.3%). Majority( 72.6%) was mild and 17.7% had severe acute pancreatitis. Mortality was seen in 6.5% patients. Mortality was observed in patients with persistent complications, organ failure, low serum calcium and high modified CT severity index.   Conclusions: Alcohol and gallstones were the two main etiologies of acute pancreatitis and were common in males, and in middle age groups. Majority presented with mild severity. Mortality was observed in some patients with severe acute pancreatitis.   Keywords: alcohol; biliary; CT severity index; mortality; outcome; pancreatitis          


2014 ◽  
pp. 90-93
Author(s):  
Van Tuan Nguyen ◽  
Tam Vo ◽  
Bui Bao Hoang

Elevated serum Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) levels have been linked to tissue fibrosis including chronic kidney disease. Objectives: (1) Investigate serum TGF-beta1 levels in healthy adult people and (2) Examined the relation between serum TGF-beta1 level and gender, age, body mass index (BMI). Method: A cross-sectional study. TGF-beta1 were quantified by ELISA. Results: Levels of serum TGF-beta1 in healthy people were 13,45 ± 7,17 ng/mL mL (0,59 - 33,10 ng/mL). There are no difference of serum TGF-beta1 levels between men and women, between the age groups (<40 years, 40 to < 60 years and ≥ 60 years), between BMI groups < 23 and BMI group ≥ 23. Key words: TGF-beta1, healthy people


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