Social Indicators and Physical Abuse of Women by Intimate Partners: A Study of Women in Zambia

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Okenwa ◽  
Stephen Lawoko
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Independent Risk Factors ◽  
Sub Saharan

Intimate partner physical abuse (IPPA) of women is a societal problem with sinister implications on health. IPPA has been integrally linked to social status though the direction of association remains elusive, not the least in sub-Saharan Africa. This article investigated the association between IPPA and social status of women in Zambia. Data comprising 3,969 currently partnered women were retrieved from the 2001 Zambian Demographic and Health Survey and analyzed using chi-square test and logistic regression. IPPA augmented with low education, income-generating activity, access to information, autonomy over household health issues, and having tolerant attitudes toward IPPA. Tolerant attitude toward IPPA and illiteracy were independent risk factors for IPPA. Educational interventions are recommended to prevent IPPA in Zambia.

scholarly journals COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND ADULT MOTHERS TREATED IN A PUBLIC HOSPITAL, THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA: A RETROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-146
Author(s):  
Siti Khuzaimah Ahmad Sharoni ◽  
Alieu Sekou Konneh
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Pregnancy Complications ◽  
Public Hospital ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Retrospective Comparative Study

Complications of pregnancy remain a serious threat in Sub-Saharan Africa despite efforts to minimise maternal mortality due to pregnancy complications, and achieve the Millennium Development Goal 5. This is a retrospective study to determine the most common pregnancy complications among adolescents compared to adults treated in a public hospital from 2015 to 2018. The researcher applied a convenience sampling method in selecting the medical records. The instrument used was adapted from previous studies and data were analysed with descriptive and chi-square test for the inferential statistics. A total of 1,265 patients met the eligibility criteria and 540 (42.7%) were adolescents. Low birth weight (n=478, 88.5%) and preterm delivery (n=496, 91.9%) were common among babies born to adolescent mothers. Pregnancy-related complications among adolescent mothers showing the prevalence of anaemia, hypertension, and malaria were 494 (84.9%), 149 (56.2%) and 193 (62.1%) respectively. Gestational diabetes was found to be high among adult mothers (n=98, 74.8%). Among adolescent mothers, the prevalence of eclampsia was 62 (78.5%) and hemorrhage 61 (53.0%). The prevalence of Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) was high among adolescent mothers (n=252, 80.5%). Comprehensive strategies are needed to keep girls in schools and to raise awareness and develop campaigns about using contraception properly to reduce the incidence of adolescent pregnancy as well as to minimise the incidence of pregnancy-related complications.

scholarly journals Fatal Pediatric Cerebral Malaria Is Associated with Intravascular Monocytes and Platelets That Are Increased with HIV Coinfection

mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Hochman ◽  
Theresa F. Madaline ◽  
Samuel C. Wassmer ◽  
Emmie Mbale ◽  
Namjong Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Malaria ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Hiv Prevalence ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Hiv Disease ◽  
Malaria Parasites ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Hiv Coinfection ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Sub Saharan

ABSTRACT  Cerebral malaria (CM) is a major contributor to malaria deaths, but its pathophysiology is not well understood. While sequestration of parasitized erythrocytes is thought to be critical, the roles of inflammation and coagulation are controversial. In a large series of Malawian children hospitalized with CM, HIV coinfection was more prevalent than in pediatric population estimates (15% versus 2%, P < 0.0001, chi-square test), with higher mortality than that seen in HIV-uninfected children (23% versus 17%, P = 0.0178, chi-square test). HIV-infected (HIV+) children with autopsy-confirmed CM were older than HIV-uninfected children (median age, 99 months versus 32 months, P = 0.0007, Mann-Whitney U test) and appeared to lack severe immunosuppression. Because HIV infection is associated with dysregulated inflammation and platelet activation, we performed immunohistochemistry analysis for monocytes, platelets, and neutrophils in brain tissue from HIV+ and HIV-uninfected children with fatal CM. Children with autopsy-confirmed CM had significantly (>9 times) more accumulations of intravascular monocytes and platelets, but not neutrophils, than did children with nonmalarial causes of coma. The monocyte and platelet accumulations were significantly (>2-fold) greater in HIV+ children than in HIV-uninfected children with autopsy-confirmed CM. Our findings indicate that HIV is a risk factor for CM and for death from CM, independent of traditional measures of HIV disease severity. Brain histopathology supports the hypotheses that inflammation and coagulation contribute to the pathogenesis of pediatric CM and that immune dysregulation in HIV+ children exacerbates the pathological features associated with CM. IMPORTANCE There are nearly 1 million malaria deaths yearly, primarily in sub-Saharan African children. Cerebral malaria (CM), marked by coma and sequestered malaria parasites in brain blood vessels, causes half of these deaths, although the mechanisms causing coma and death are uncertain. Sub-Saharan Africa has a high HIV prevalence, with 3 million HIV-infected (HIV+) children, but the effects of HIV on CM pathogenesis and mortality are unknown. In a study of pediatric CM in Malawi, HIV prevalence was high and CM-attributed mortality was higher in HIV+ than in HIV-uninfected children. Brain pathology in children with fatal CM was notable not only for sequestered malaria parasites but also for intravascular accumulations of monocytes and platelets that were more severe in HIV+ children. Our findings raise the possibility that HIV+ children at risk for malaria may benefit from targeted malaria prophylaxis and that adjunctive treatments targeting inflammation and/or coagulation may improve CM outcomes.

scholarly journals First evidence of the deletion in the Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 genes in P. falciparum from Equatorial Guinea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Berzosa ◽  
V González ◽  
L Taravillo ◽  
A Mayor ◽  
M Romay-Barja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malaria Diagnosis ◽  
Good Alternative ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Equatorial Guinea ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background WHO recommends RDTs as a good alternative malaria-diagnosis method in remote parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of commercial RDTs currently available detect the P. falciparum protein histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2). There have also been recent reports of Pfhrp2 deletions being found in parasites collected from several African countries. WHO has concluded that the lacking the Pfhrp2 gene must be monitored in Africa. The purpose of the study was to analyze why the samples that were positive by PCR were negative by RDTs; and, therefore, to determine whether there have been deletions in the Pfhrp2 and/or Pfhrp3 genes. Methods Malaria NM-PCR was carried out to all the samples collected in the field. A group of 128 samples was positive by PCR but negatives by RDT, these samples were classified as RDT false-negatives. It was carried out a PCR for exon2 of Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 genes to detect the presence or absence of these two genes. Frequencies with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for prevalence estimates. Associations were assessed by the chi-square test or Fisher´s exact test. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Statistical analyses were performed using the software package SPSSv.15.0. Results After the PCR, 81 samples were identified (4.7%, 95%CI: 3.8-5.8) which had deletion in both genes, Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 . Overall, however, 11 samples (0.6%, 95%CI: 0.36-1.14) had deletion only in Pfhrp2 but not in Pfhrp3 , and 15 (0.9%, 95%CI: 0.6-1.5) presented with deletion only in Pfhrp3 but not in Pfhrp2 . Considering the Pfhrp2 gene separately, within the total of 1,724 samples, 92 (5.3%, 95%CI: 4.37-6.5) had evidence of deletion. Conclusion The present study provides the first evidence of deletion in the Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 genes in P. falciparum isolates from Equatorial Guinea. However, larger studies across different regions within the country and across different seasonal profiles are needed to determine the full extent of Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 deletion. It would be strongly recommendable to implement an active surveillance program in order to detect any increases in Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 deletion frequencies.

Intraclass Correlation Coefficients for Designing Cluster-Randomized Trials in Sub-Saharan Africa Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 500-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Kelcey ◽  
Zuchao Shen ◽  
Jessaca Spybrook
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Education Outcomes ◽  
Randomized Studies ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Variance Explained

Objective: Over the past two decades, the lack of reliable empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of educational interventions has motivated a new wave of research in education in sub-Saharan Africa (and across most of the world) that focuses on impact evaluation through rigorous research designs such as experiments. Often these experiments draw on the random assignment of entire clusters, such as schools, to accommodate the multilevel structure of schooling and the theory of action underlying many school-based interventions. Planning effective and efficient school randomized studies, however, requires plausible values of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the variance explained by covariates during the design stage. The purpose of this study was to improve the planning of two-level school-randomized studies in sub-Saharan Africa by providing empirical estimates of the ICC and the variance explained by covariates for education outcomes in 15 countries. Method: Our investigation drew on large-scale representative samples of sixth-grade students in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and includes over 60,000 students across 2,500 schools. We examined two core education outcomes: standardized achievement in reading and mathematics. We estimated a series of two-level hierarchical linear models with students nested within schools to inform the design of two-level school-randomized trials. Results: The analyses suggested that outcomes were substantially clustered within schools but that the magnitude of the clustering varied considerably across countries. Similarly, the results indicated that covariance adjustment generally reduced clustering but that the prognostic value of such adjustment varied across countries.

scholarly journals Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services and their contribution to access to HIV diagnosis in Brazil

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 2053-2063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Grangeiro ◽  
Maria Mercedes Escuder ◽  
Maria Amélia Veras ◽  
Draurio Barreira ◽  
Dulce Ferraz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Indicators ◽  
National Health System ◽  
Hiv Diagnosis ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Voluntary Counseling ◽  
Voluntary Counseling And Testing ◽  
Counseling And Testing ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Limited Health ◽  
Using Data

The Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Network was implemented in Brazil in the 1980s to promote anonymous and confidential access to HIV diagnosis. As a function of the population and dimensions of the local epidemic, the study assessed the network's coverage, using data from a self-applied questionnaire and data from the Information Technology Department of the Unified National Health System (SUS), UNDP, and National STD/AIDS Program. The Student t test was used for comparison of means and the chi-square test for proportions. Brazil has 383 VCT centers, covering 48.9% of the population and 69.2% of the AIDS cases. The network has been implemented predominantly in regions where the epidemic shows a relevant presence, but 85.3% of the cities with high HIV incidence lack VCT centers; absence of VCT was associated with more limited health infrastructure and worse social indicators. A slowdown in expansion of the network was observed, with VCT Centers implemented on average 16 years after the first AIDS case in the given municipality. The number of HIV tests performed under the SUS is 2.3 times higher in cities with VCT centers. The network's scope is limited, thus minimizing the contribution by these services to the supply of HIV diagnosis in Brazil.

scholarly journals Knowledge of Reproductive Health Issues among the Students of P. N. Campus Pokhara

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Amin Palikhe ◽  
Akhila Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Frequency Table ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Cross Tabulation ◽  
Demographic Background ◽  
Percent Female

The article entitled "Knowledge of Reproductive Health Issues among the Students of P. N. Campus, Pokhara" has studied to get the knowledge about the reproductive health issues. Reproductive health is one of the important factors of population studies. Several studies have been made concerning the reproductive health issues but there are few research works on the knowledge of reproductive health, especially, in P. N. Campus. The present study attempts to find out knowledge of reproductive health issues among the students in the P. N. Campus. This study was based on the primary information collected from the field survey in P.N. Campus. The sample used for collection of data is random sampling. Basically, both descriptive and analytic research design and simple statistical tools like frequency table, and cross tabulation have been used here. To test the hypothesis, Chi- Square test with contingency table has been presented. Among the total 116 students, 58 percent female and 42 percent male were taken for sample. The median age for the sample population was 23 years. About 31 percent among them were married. This research finds out the knowledge of reproductive health issues like media of knowledge, sources, reproductive health issues areas and level of knowledge among the selected demographic background of respondents.Janapriya Journal of Interdisciplinary StudiesVol. III (December 2014), page: 1-8

scholarly journals Anthropometric measurements as predictors of hypertension in Busia, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia and Siaya counties of Western Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Andale ◽  
Vitalis A. Orango ◽  
Gerald Omondi Lwande ◽  
Grace W Mwaura ◽  
Richard Mugo Ngari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Power ◽  
Anthropometric Measurements ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Reduced Physical Activity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Emerging data suggest a rise in the incidence rate of hypertension in many countries within Sub-Saharan Africa. This has been attributed to socioeconomic factors that have influenced diet and reduced physical activity further deranging anthropometric measurements. We assessed the predictive power of three anthropometric indicators namely: waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI) in detecting hypertension. This cross-sectional community survey was conducted in four counties within Western Kenya between October 2018 to April 2019 among 3594 adults. The participants sociodemographic data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements taken. We used the R-software for descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the association between anthropometric measurements and hypertension while logistic regressions estimated the likelihood of hypertension. Youden method was used to identify optimal anthropometric cut-offs for sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve computation. The crude prevalence of hypertension was 23.3%, however it rose with advancement in age. Furthermore, obese individuals had a three-fold (AOR=2.64; 95% CI: 2.09, 3.35) increased likelihood of hypertension compared to those with a normal BMI. The optimal WC cut-off was 82.5cm for men and 87cm for women, an optimal WHtR of 0.47 for men and 0.55 for women; while the optimal BMI cut-off was 23.7 kg/m2 and 22.6 kg/m2 for men and women respectively. The sensitivity of WC, WHtR and BMI for men was 0.60, 0.65 and 0.39 respectively and 0.71, 0.65 and 0.78 respectively for women. BMI is the best predictor for hypertension among women but a poor predictor for men; WC had a high hypertension predictive power for both gender while WHtR is the best hypertension predictor for men.

scholarly journals Prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Shenzhen, China.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Xia Chang ◽  
Kang-Kang Chen ◽  
Xiao-Ting Liu ◽  
Hao-Yuan Zhang ◽  
Meng-Man Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽  
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Urine Specimen ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
High Risk Populations ◽  
Independent Risk Factors

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and proportion of laboratory-confirmed urethral Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections that were asymptomatic among individuals presenting to different clinics in Shenzhen and the risk factors related to STI infections in this population.Methods In a cross-sectional study, 8,309 eligible individuals were invited to participate in a questionnaire interview, and urine specimens were collected for identification of CT and NG infections. Corresponding outcomes were analyzed by Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression.Results Among 7070 participants who completed the questionnaire and provided the urine specimen, 2871 were asymptomatic and included in our analyses: 1120 (39.0%) males and 1751 (61.0%) females. The prevalence of NG and CT was 0.9% and 6.2% among males reporting no symptoms, and 0.4% and 7.9% among females reporting no symptoms, respectively. The proportion of asymptomatic urethral CT among males with urethral CT was 28.3%; for females, it was 34.2%. For asymptomatic males with urethral NG/CT, 3 independent risk factors were identified: (1) males under the age of 30 (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.07-2.84); (2) being employed in the commercial service work (2.69; 1.33-5.45); and (3) being recruited through the urological department (2.18; 1.24-3.83). For asymptomatic females with urethral NG/CT, 2 independent risk factors were identified: (1) females under the age of 30 (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.25-2.58); and (2) being recruited through the dermatological department (2.83; 1.46-5.46).Conclusion A substantial prevalence of asymptomatic CT infections was found among males and females presenting to clinics in Shenzhen. The significant correlation between asymptomatic CT infection and these risk factors could help identify high-risk populations and guide screening.

Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes in Women with Eclampsia by Mode of delivery at Riley Mother Baby Hospital: A longitudinal case-series study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Amubuomombe Poli ◽  
Koech MMED Irene ◽  
Richard Mogeni ◽  
Ann Mwangi ◽  
Andrew Cheruiyot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Case Series Study ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Series Study

Abstract Background Eclampsia, considered a serious complication of preeclampsia, remains a life-threatening condition among pregnant women. It accounts for 12% of maternal deaths and 16–31% of perinatal deaths worldwide. Most deaths from eclampsia occurred in resource-limited settings of sub-Saharan Africa. This study was performed to determine the optimum mode of delivery, as well as factors associated with the mode of delivery, in women admitted with eclampsia at Riley Mother and Baby Hospital. Methods This was a hospital-based longitudinal case-series study conducted at the largest and busiest obstetric unit of the tertiary hospital of western Kenya. Maternal and perinatal variables, such as age, parity, medications, initiation of labour, mode of delivery, admission to the intensive care unit, admission to the newborn care unit, organ injuries, and mortality, were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20.0. Quantitative data were described using frequencies and percentages. The significance of the obtained results was judged at the 5% level. The chi-square test was used for categorical variables, and Fisher’s exact test or the Monte Carlo correction was used for correction of the chi-square test when more than 20% of the cells had an expected count of less than 5. Results During the study period, 53 patients diagnosed with eclampsia were treated and followed up to 6 weeks postpartum. There was zero maternal mortality; however, perinatal mortality was reported in 9.4%. Parity was statistically associated with an increased odds of adverse perinatal outcomes (p = 0.004, OR = 9.1, 95% CI = 2.0-40.8) and caesarean delivery (p = 0.020, OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.3–17.1). In addition, the induction of labour decreased the risk of adverse outcomes (p = 0.232, OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-2.0). Conclusion There is no benefit of emergency caesarean section for women with eclampsia. Instead, it increases the risk of perinatal adverse outcomes, including the risk of admission to the newborn unit and perinatal death.

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