A cross-sectional study of the income sources of primary care health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract Background Suboptimal child nutrition remains the main factor underlying child undernutrition in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of minimum acceptable diet and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months old. Methods Community-based cross-sectional study including 742 mothers with children aged 6–23 months old was conducted in 2 Health Zones of South Kivu, Eastern DRC. WHO indicators of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) regarding complementary feeding practices were used. Logistic regression analysis was used to quantify the association between sociodemographic indicators and adequate minimum acceptable diet for both univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Overall, 33% of infants had minimum acceptable diet. After controlling for a wide range of covariates, residence urban area (AOR 2.39; 95% CI 1.43, 3.85), attendance postnatal care (AOR 1.68; 95% CI 1.12, 2.97), education status of mother (AOR 1.83; 95% CI 1.20, 2.77) and household socioeconomic status (AOR 1.72; 95% CI 1.14, 2.59) were factors positively associated with minimum acceptable diet. Conclusion Actions targeting these factors are expected to improve infant feeding practices in South Kivu.

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Competency of health workers in detecting and managing gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia during antenatal check-ups in primary care health facilities in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046638 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. e046638

Author(s):

Sk Masum Billah ◽

Abdullah Nurus Salam Khan ◽

S M Rokonuzzaman ◽

Nafisa Lira Huq ◽

Marufa Aziz Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Workers ◽

Gestational Hypertension ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

P Value ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hypertensive Disorders ◽

Care Facilities

Study objectiveTo evaluate the competency of trained health workers in detecting and managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy during routine antenatal check-ups (ANCs) at primary care facilities in Bangladesh.Study design and settingsCross-sectional study; conducted in 26 primary care facilities.Outcome measuresAccurate diagnosis of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.MethodIn total 1560 ANC consultations provided by primary health workers, known as Family Welfare Visitors (FWVs), were observed using a structured checklist between October 2017 and February 2018. All consultations were reassessed by study physicians for validation.ResultOf the ‘true’ cases of gestational hypertension (n=32), pre-eclampsia (n=29) and severe pre-eclampsia (n=16), only 3%, 7% and 25%, respectively, were correctly diagnosed by FWVs. Per cent agreement for the diagnosed cases of any hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was 9% and kappa statistics was 0.50 (p value 0.0125). For identification of any hypertensive disorders by FWVs, sensitivity and positive predictive values were 14% and 50%, respectively. There was a moderate positive correlation between the blood pressure measurements taken by FWVs and study physicians. Only 27% of those who had ‘some protein’ in urine were correctly identified by FWVs. Women diagnosed with any of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by FWVs were more likely to be counselled on at least one danger sign of pre-eclampsia (severe headache, blurring of vision and upper abdominal pain) than those without any such diagnosis (41% vs 19%, p value 0.008). All four cases of severe pre-eclampsia diagnosed by FWVs were given a loading dose of intramuscular magnesium sulphate and three among them were referred to a higher facility.ConclusionThe FWVs should be appropriately trained on risk assessment of pregnant women with particular emphasis on accurately assessing the diagnostic criteria of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and its management.

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Is maternal education a social vaccine for childhood malaria infection? A cross-sectional study from war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo

Pathogens and Global Health ◽

10.1080/20477724.2017.1288971 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 111 (2) ◽

pp. 98-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Cary Ma ◽

Kasereka Masumbuko Claude ◽

Zacharie Tsongo Kibendelwa ◽

Hannah Brooks ◽

Xiaonan Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Malaria Infection ◽

Maternal Education ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Childhood Malaria

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Prenatal care counseling and delivery method among women with multiple Cesareans: A cross-sectional study from Democratic Republic of Congo

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0238985 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. e0238985

Author(s):

Raha Maroyi ◽

Nyakio Ngeleza ◽

Laura Keyser ◽

Katenga Bosunga ◽

Denis Mukwege

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Prenatal Care ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Delivery Method ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Factors Associated

Prenatal care (PNC) and counseling about delivery method is an important strategy to prevent delivery complications among women with multiple prior Cesarean sections (CS). In low income countries, an elective CS is recommended for this population. This cross-sectional study examined factors associated with counseling about delivery method and its influence on the likelihood of an elective CS delivery. A total of 422 women with ≥2 prior CS who delivered across five hospitals in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were interviewed about PNC and counseling. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression were completed to ascertain factors associated with counseling. Only 33.6% delivered via planned CS; 60.7% required an emergency CS. One-quarter completed four PNC visits; 64.5% received counseling. Number of PNC visits and number of prior CS were significant predictors of receipt of counseling. Women who received ≥2 PNC visits were 2.2 times more likely to have received counseling (p = 0.000). Among women who received counseling, 38.6% had a planned CS compared with 24.7% in the non-counseled group. Counseling was associated with mode of delivery; emergency CS and vaginal delivery were more frequent among women who did not receive counseling (p = 0.008). These findings highlight the importance of counseling during PNC visits. This study also highlights the poor coverage and quality of counseling in this high-risk population and the need for improvements in PNC. Less than 40% of counseled women followed provider recommendations for a planned delivery via CS. The majority labored at home and later delivered emergently. The significant number of women who trial labor without medical supervision despite their high-risk status sheds light on the influence of patient perceptions about CS and acceptance of medical intervention during birth.

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IS PEACEKEEPER’S STRESS SYNDROME REAL? A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF SOLDIERS AT UN MISSION

Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal ◽

10.51253/pafmj.v71i2.6110 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 663-66

Author(s):

Nazia Mustafa ◽

Fahad Haleem ◽

Hina Iqbal ◽

Najm Us Saqib Khan ◽

Omair Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Marital Status ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Present Sample ◽

Stress Syndrome ◽

Years Of Service

Objective: To study the Peacekeeping Stress syndrome and see its relationship with various demographic variables (age, years of service and marital status). Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Study was carried out on Pakistani Peacekeepers who were deployed in Democratic Republic of Congo in Jun 2019. Methodology: About 536 Pakistani male peacekeepers with mean age of 33 years, deployed in Democratic Republic of Congo were taken as study sample. By group testing method, all participants were assessed through Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Urdu version and demographic form consisted of age, marital status, education, years of service and rank. Results: Results revealed that DASS-21 has good reliability (α=0.71) for the present sample and prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among Pakistani peacekeepers was low (2.9%, 4% and 4% respectively). Further to it, there was significant negative correlation of depression and stress with the age and years of service whereas relationship of anxiety with these variables (age and years of service) was non-significant. There were significant mean differences between the married and unmarried peacekeepers on Anxiety and Stress and non-significant on depression. Conclusion: Present study provided useful information regarding the mental health of peacekeepers and highlighted the fact that Pakistani peacekeepers are resilient enough to handle the challenges of international environment.

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