scholarly journals Socioeconomic determinants of cumulative fertility in Ghana

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252519
Author(s):  
Samuel H. Nyarko
Keyword(s):  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Socioeconomic Disparities ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Cumulative Fertility ◽  
Sub Saharan

The pace of decline in fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa appears to have slowed or stalled in the last few decades. This study examines the socioeconomic associated with cumulative fertility in Ghana. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate determinants of cumulative fertility using data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys of 2003, 2008, and 2014. The composition of children ever born by women did not change considerably over the study periods. Socioeconomic disparities in educational attainment, household wealth, employment, and employer status are significantly associated with cumulative fertility risks in Ghana. The current age of women, age at sexual debut, and marital status, among others, are also linked to cumulative fertility levels. Place and region of residence are also linked to fertility in Ghana. Cumulative fertility levels in Ghana are underscored by considerable socioeconomic disparities among women of reproductive age. Fertility regulation policies should hinge on improving the socio-economic wellbeing of women in Ghana.

scholarly journals Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa: who is left behind?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e002231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dessalegn Y Melesse ◽  
Martin K Mutua ◽  
Allysha Choudhury ◽  
Yohannes D Wado ◽  
Cheikh M Faye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Rural Residence ◽  
Modern Contraceptives ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Sub Saharan

Adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) continues to be a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa where child marriage, adolescent childbearing, HIV transmission and low coverage of modern contraceptives are common in many countries. The evidence is still limited on inequalities in ASRH by gender, education, urban–rural residence and household wealth for many critical areas of sexual initiation, fertility, marriage, HIV, condom use and use of modern contraceptives for family planning. We conducted a review of published literature, a synthesis of national representative Demographic and Health Surveys data for 33 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and analyses of recent trends of 10 countries with surveys in around 2004, 2010 and 2015. Our analysis demonstrates major inequalities and uneven progress in many key ASRH indicators within sub-Saharan Africa. Gender gaps are large with little evidence of change in gaps in age at sexual debut and first marriage, resulting in adolescent girls remaining particularly vulnerable to poor sexual health outcomes. There are also major and persistent inequalities in ASRH indicators by education, urban–rural residence and economic status of the household which need to be addressed to make progress towards the goal of equity as part of the sustainable development goals and universal health coverage. These persistent inequalities suggest the need for multisectoral approaches, which address the structural issues underlying poor ASRH, such as education, poverty, gender-based violence and lack of economic opportunity.

scholarly journals Profiling Household Double and Triple Burden of Malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa: Prevalence and Influencing Household Factors

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Aaron K. Christian ◽  
Fidelia A. A. Dake
Keyword(s):  
Household Head ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Wealth Status ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Objective: Undernutrition and anaemia - the commonest micronutrient deficiency, continue to remain prevalent and persistent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) alongside a rising prevalence of overweight and obesity. However, there has been little research on the co-existence of all three conditions in the same household in recent years. This study examines the co-existence and correlates of the different conditions of household burden of malnutrition in the same household across SSA. Setting: The study involved twenty-three countries across SSA who conducted demographic and health surveys between 2008 and 2017. Participants: The analytical sample includes 145,020 households with valid data on the nutritional status of women and children pairs (i.e. women of reproductive age; 15-49 years and children under-five years). Design: Logistic regression analyses were used to determine household correlates of household burden of malnutrition. Results: Anaemia was the most common form of household burden of malnutrition, affecting about 7 out of 10 households. Double and Triple burden of malnutrition though less common, was also found to be present in 8 and 5 percent of the households respectively. The age of the household head, location of the household, access to improved toilet facilities and household wealth status were found to be associated with various conditions of household burden of malnutrition. Conclusions: The findings of this study reveal that, both double and triple burden of malnutrition is of public health concern in SSA, thus nutrition and health interventions in SSA must not be skewed towards addressing undernutrition only, but also address overweight/obesity and anaemia.

scholarly journals Decomposing the rural–urban gap in factors associated with childhood immunisation in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from surveys in 23 countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e003773
Author(s):  
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw ◽  
Yusuf Olushola Kareem ◽  
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽  
Abdul-Aziz Seidu ◽  
Sanni Yaya
Keyword(s):  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Childhood Immunisation ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Full Immunisation ◽  
Sub Saharan

BackgroundAbout 31 million children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) suffer from immunisation preventable diseases yearly and more than half a million children die because of lack of access to immunisation. Immunisation coverage has stagnated at 72% in SSA over the past 6 years. Due to evidence that full immunisation of children may be determined by place of residence, this study aimed at investigating the rural–urban differential in full childhood immunisation in SSA.MethodsThe data used for this study consisted of 26 241 children pooled from 23 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2010 and 2018 in SSA. We performed a Poisson regression analysis with robust Standard Errors (SEs) to determine the factors associated with full immunisation status for rural and urban children. Likewise, a multivariate decomposition analysis for non-linear response model was used to examine the contribution of the covariates to the observed rural and urban differential in full childhood immunisation. All analyses were performed using Stata software V.15.0 and associations with a p<0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsMore than half of children in urban settings were fully immunised (52.8%) while 59.3% of rural residents were not fully immunised. In all, 76.5% of rural–urban variation in full immunisation was attributable to differences in child and maternal characteristics. Household wealth was an important component contributing to the rural–urban gap. Specifically, richest wealth status substantially accounted for immunisation disparity (35.7%). First and sixth birth orders contributed 7.3% and 14.9%, respectively, towards the disparity while 7.9% of the disparity was attributable to distance to health facility.ConclusionThis study has emphasised the rural–urban disparity in childhood immunisation, with children in the urban settings more likely to complete immunisation. Subregional, national and community-level interventions to obviate this disparity should target children in rural settings, those from poor households and women who have difficulties in accessing healthcare facilities due to distance.

scholarly journals Correlates of the double burden of malnutrition among women: an analysis of cross sectional survey data from sub-Saharan Africa

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e029545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dickson Abanimi Amugsi ◽  
Zacharie Tsala Dimbuene ◽  
Catherine Kyobutungi
Keyword(s):  
Household Wealth ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Double Burden ◽  
Double Burden Of Malnutrition ◽  
Sub Saharan

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlates of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) among women in five sub-Saharan African countries.DesignSecondary analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). The outcome variable was body mass index (BMI), a measure of DBM. The BMI was classified into underweight (BMI <18.50 kg/m2), normal weight (18.50–24.99 kg/m2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2) and obesity (≥30.0 kg/m2).SettingsGhana, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).SubjectsWomen aged 15–49 years (n=64698).ResultsCompared with normal weight women, number of years of formal education was associated with the likelihood of being overweight and obese in Ghana, Mozambique and Nigeria, while associated with the likelihood of being underweight in Kenya and Nigeria. Older age was associated with the likelihood of being underweight, overweight and obese in all countries. Positive associations were also observed between living in better-off households and overweight and obesity, while a negative association was observed for underweight. Breastfeeding was associated with less likelihood of underweight in DRC and Nigeria, obesity in DRC and Ghana, overweight in Kenya and overweight and obesity in Mozambique and Nigeria relative to normal weight.ConclusionsOur analysis reveals that in all the countries, women who are breastfeeding are less likely to be underweight, overweight and obese. Education, age and household wealth index tend to associate with a higher likelihood of DBM among women. Interventions to address DBM should take into account the variations in the effects of these correlates.

scholarly journals Sociodemographic Inequalities in Health Insurance Ownership among Women in Selected Francophone Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yiting Wang ◽  
Xuhui Wang ◽  
Lu Ji ◽  
Rui Huang
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Universal Healthcare ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
Sub Saharan

In sub-Saharan Africa, improving equitable access to healthcare remains a major challenge for public health systems. Health policymakers encourage the adoption of health insurance schemes to promote universal healthcare. Nonetheless, progress towards this goal remains suboptimal due to inequalities health insurance ownership especially among women. In this study, we aimed to explore the sociodemographic factors contributing to health insurance ownership among women in selected francophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. This study is based on cross-sectional data obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys on five countries including Benin ( n = 13,407 ), Madagascar ( n = 12,448 ), Mali ( n = 10,326 ), Niger ( n = 12,558 ), and Togo ( n = 6,979 ). The explanatory factors included participant age, marital status, type of residency, education, household wealth quantile, employment stats, and access to electronic media. Associations between health insurance ownership and the explanatory factors were analyzed using multivariate regression analysis, and effect sizes were reported in terms in average marginal effects (AMEs). Results. The highest percentage of insurance ownership was observed for Togo (3.31%), followed by Madagascar (2.23%) and Mali (2.2%). After stratifying by place of residency, the percentages were found to be significantly lower in the rural areas for all countries, with the most noticeable difference observed for Niger (7.73% in urban vs. 0.54% in rural women). Higher levels of education and wealth quantile were positively associated with insurance ownership in all five countries. In the pooled sample, women in the higher education category had higher likelihood of having an insurance: Benin ( AME = 1.18 ; 95% CI = 1.10 , 1.27), Madagascar ( AME = 1.10 ; 95% CI = 1.05 , 1.15), Mali ( AME = 1.14 ; 95% CI = 1.04 , 1.24), Niger ( AME = 1.13 ; 95% CI = 1.07 , 1.21), and Togo ( AME = 1.17 ; 95% CI = 1.09 , 1.26). Regarding wealth status, women from the households in the highest wealth quantile had 4% higher likelihood of having insurance in Benin and Mali and 6% higher likelihood in Madagascar and Togo. Conclusions. Percentage of women who reported having health insurance was noticeably low in all five countries. As indicated by the multivariate analyses, the actual situation is likely to be even worse due to significant socioeconomic inequalities in the distribution of women having an insurance plan. Increasing women’s access to healthcare is an urgent priority for population health promotion in these countries, and therefore, addressing the entrenched sociodemographic disparities should be given urgent policy attention in an effort to strengthen universal healthcare-related goals.

Circumcision Status and Time to Sexual Debut Among Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Six Demographic and Health Surveys

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 2514-2528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Kangmennaang ◽  
Lydia Osei ◽  
Paul Mkandawire ◽  
Isaac Luginaah
Keyword(s):  
Health Surveys ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Sub Saharan

TIMING OF SEXUAL DEBUT AMONG UNMARRIED YOUTHS AGED 15–24 YEARS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Amo-Adjei ◽  
Derek Anamaale Tuoyire
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Female Headed Households ◽  
The Impact

SummaryThis study aimed to contribute to the evidence on the timing of sexual debut in young people in sub-Saharan African countries. Data were extracted from 34 nationally representative surveys conducted in the region between 2006 and 2014. The study sample comprised unmarried women (n=167,932) and men (n=76,900) aged 15–24 years. Descriptive techniques and Cox proportional regression models were used to estimate the timing of sexual debut, and Kaplan–Meier hazard curves were used to describe the patterns of sexual debut in each country by sex. For the countries studied, sexual debut for both women and men occurred between the ages of 15 and 18 years, with median ages of 16 for women and 17 for men. Overall, education and household wealth provided significant protection against early sexual debut among women, but the reverse was found among men for wealth. Women in rural areas, in female-headed households and in Central, South and West Africa reported higher hazards of early commencement of sexual activity than their counterparts in urban, male-headed households and East Africa. However, the impact of these variables on male sexual debut did not follow a consistent pattern. Varied timing, as well as country-specific risk factors associated with sexual debut for young women and men across sub-Saharan Africa, were identified. Sexual health programmes and interventions for young people may require different approaches for young women and men.

Association between type of contraceptive use and haemoglobin status among women of reproductive age in 24 sub-Saharan Africa countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samson Gebremedhin ◽  
Anteneh Asefa
Keyword(s):  
Contraceptive Use ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Hormonal Contraceptives ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Barrier Methods ◽  
Oral Contraceptive Pills ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Sub Saharan

BackgroundLittle is known whether contraceptive methods differentially modify women’s risk of anaemia or not. We compared the haemoglobin status of women currently using different fertility regulation methods in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where anaemia is a major concern.MethodsWe conducted the study based on the secondary data of 24 nationally representative demographic and health surveys carried out recently in SSA. The data of 105 532 women were included in the analysis. In the original surveys, respondents were selected using multistage sampling techniques and haemoglobin was determined using the HemoCue analyser. The association between method of contraception and anaemia status was determined via a mixed-effects logistic regression model adjusted for potential confounders. The outputs are presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI.ResultsThe mean (±SD deviation) haemoglobin was 12.3 (±1.7) g/dl and 36.7% of the women had anaemia. Current use of modern contraceptives, as compared with non-use, was associated with a 25% reduction (AOR=0.75 (95% CI: 0.73 to 0.78)) in the odds of anaemia. Comparison among individual modern methods showed, as compared with current barrier methods users, use of injectables (AOR=0.62 (95% CI: 0.57 to 0.67)), oral contraceptive pills (OCP) (AOR=0.62 (95% CI: 0.57 to 0.66)) and implants (AOR=0.63 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.70)) were significantly associated with reduced odds of anaemia. With reference to women with less than 12 months of use, the odds were significantly reduced by about a quarter among women with more than 12 months of OCP or injectables use.ConclusionThe use of hormonal contraceptives is associated with lower odds of anaemia.

Non-iodized salt consumption among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa: a population-based study

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (15) ◽  
pp. 2759-2769
Author(s):  
Djibril M Ba ◽  
Paddy Ssentongo ◽  
Duanping Liao ◽  
Ping Du ◽  
Kristen H Kjerulff
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Iodized Salt ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Women Of Reproductive Age ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression ◽  
Sub Saharan

AbstractObjective:To identify countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) that have not yet achieved at least 90 % universal salt iodization and factors associated with the consumption of non-iodized salt among women of reproductive age.Design:A cross-sectional study using data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). The presence of iodine in household salt (iodized or non-iodized), which was tested during the survey process, was the study outcome. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine independent factors associated with the consumption of non-iodized salt among women of reproductive age.Setting:There were eleven countries in SSA that participated in the DHS since 2015 and measured the presence of iodine in household salt.Participants:Women (n 108 318) aged 15–49 years.Results:Countries with the highest rate of non-iodized salt were Senegal (29·5 %) followed by Tanzania (21·3 %), Ethiopia (14·0 %), Malawi (11·6 %) and Angola (10·8 %). The rate of non-iodized salt was less than 1 % in Rwanda (0·3 %), Uganda (0·5 %) and Burundi (0·8 %). Stepwise multivariable logistic regression showed that women were more likely to be using non-iodized salt (adjusted OR; 95 % CI) if they were poor (1·62; 1·48, 1·78), pregnant (1·16; 1·04, 1·29), aged 15–24 years (v. older: 1·14; 1·04, 1·24) and were not literate (1·14; 1·06, 1·23).Conclusions:The use of non-iodized salt varies among SSA countries. The higher level of use of non-iodized salt among poor, young women and pregnant women is particularly concerning.

scholarly journals Differential effects of socio-demographic factors on maternal haemoglobin concentration in three sub-Saharan African Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dickson A. Amugsi ◽  
Zacharie T. Dimbuene ◽  
Catherine Kyobutungi
Keyword(s):  
Haemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractLow Haemoglobin concentration (Hb) among women of reproductive age is a severe public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigated the effects of putative socio-demographic factors on maternal Hb at different points of the conditional distribution of Hb concentration. We utilised quantile regression to analyse the Demographic and Health Surveys data from Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Mozambique. In Ghana, maternal schooling had a positive effect on Hb of mothers in the 5th and 10th quantiles. A one-year increase in education was associated with an increase in Hb across all quantiles in Mozambique. Conversely, a year increase in schooling was associated with a decrease in Hb of mothers in the three upper quantiles in DRC. A unit change in body mass index had a positive effect on Hb of mothers in the 5th, 10th, 50th and 90th, and 5th to 50th quantiles in Ghana and Mozambique, respectively. We observed differential effects of breastfeeding on maternal Hb across all quantiles in the three countries. The effects of socio-demographic factors on maternal Hb vary at the various points of its distribution. Interventions to address maternal anaemia should take these variations into account to identify the most vulnerable groups.

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