Data Synthesis: COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Social and Behavioural Science Data, March 2020-April 2021

Safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 are seen as a critical path to ending the pandemic. This synthesis brings together data related to public perceptions about COVID-19 vaccines collected between March 2020 and March 2021 in 22 countries in Africa. It provides an overview of the data (primarily from cross-sectional perception surveys), identifies knowledge and research gaps and presents some limitations of translating the available evidence to inform local operational decisions. The synthesis is intended for those designing and delivering vaccination programmes and COVID-19 risk communication and community engagement (RCCE). 5 large-scale surveys are included with over 12 million respondents in 22 central, eastern, western and southern African countries (note: one major study accounts for more than 10 million participants); data from 14 peer-reviewed questionnaire surveys in 8 countries with n=9,600 participants and 15 social media monitoring, qualitative and community feedback studies. Sample sizes are provided in the first reference for each study and in Table 13 at the end of this document. The data largely predates vaccination campaigns that generally started in the first quarter of 2021. Perceptions will change and further syntheses, that represent the whole continent including North Africa, are planned. This review is part of the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) series on COVID-19 vaccines. It was developed for SSHAP by Anthrologica. It was written by Kevin Bardosh (University of Washington), Tamara Roldan de Jong and Olivia Tulloch (Anthrologica), it was reviewed by colleagues from PERC, LSHTM, IRD, and UNICEF (see acknowledgments) and received coordination support from the RCCE Collective Service. It is the responsibility of SSHAP.

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Data Synthesis: COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions in Africa: Social and Behavioural Science Data, March 2020-March 2021

10.19088/sshap.2021.030 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Olivia Tulloch ◽

Tamara Roldan de Jong ◽

Kevin Bardosh

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Critical Path ◽

African Countries ◽

Science Data ◽

Behavioural Science ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Humanitarian Action ◽

Questionnaire Surveys ◽

Media Monitoring ◽

Vaccination Campaigns

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Suicidal ideation and associated factors among school-going adolescents in rural Ghana

Current Psychology ◽

10.1007/s12144-021-01378-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie ◽

Samuel Kofi Odame

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Attempted Suicide ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Rural Adolescents ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Rural Ghana ◽

Sub Saharan

AbstractSuicidal ideation is a critical risk for attempted suicide and eventual suicide. Little is known about suicidal ideation among rural adolescents in most sub-Saharan African countries. We aimed to estimate the 12-month prevalence of suicidal ideation and to describe some of the common and gender-specific associated factors among in-school adolescents in rural Ghana. We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving a random sample of 1101 in-school adolescents aged 10–19 years in a rural district in Eastern Ghana. The Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised was used to assess suicidal ideation. Overall, 25.1% participants (95% CI = 22.5–27.7), representing 28.3% females (95% CI = 24.7–32.2) and 21.5% males (95% CI = 18.0–25.2) reported suicidal ideation during the previous 12 months. Females who experienced personal and interpersonal adversities mainly outside the family context were likely to report suicidal ideation, while suicidal ideation among males was associated with conflict with parents. Regardless of gender, adolescents who reported exposure to a friend’s attempted suicide were about two times more likely to report suicidal ideation. The prevalence of suicidal ideation among adolescents in rural Ghana compares with in-school estimates from other countries within sub-Saharan Africa, but also underscores the need for targeted and universal prevention programmes and intervention efforts to mitigate the potential transition from suicidal ideations to suicidal attempts and eventual deaths by suicide among rural adolescents.

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HIV/AIDS

Oxford Textbook of Medicine ◽

10.1093/med/9780198746690.003.0098 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 901-933

Author(s):

Sarah Fidler ◽

Timothy E.A. Peto ◽

Philip Goulder ◽

Christopher P. Conlon

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

African Countries ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

The People ◽

Reduce Life Expectancy ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

The Impact

Since its discovery in 1983, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been associated with a global pandemic that has affected more than 78 million people and caused more than 39 million deaths. Globally, 36.9 million (34.3–41.4 million) people were living with HIV at the end of 2013. An estimated 0.8% of adults aged 15–49 years worldwide are living with HIV, although the burden of the epidemic continues to vary considerably between countries and regions. Sub-Saharan Africa remains most severely affected, with nearly 1 in every 20 adults living with HIV and accounting for nearly 71% of the people living with HIV worldwide. The impact of HIV in some African countries has been sufficient to reverse population growth and reduce life expectancy into the mid-30s, although HIV incidence has declined in some of these high-prevalence countries. However, there are large-scale HIV epidemics elsewhere (e.g. India, the Russian Federation, and Eastern Europe).

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Mastalgia: Prevalence at a Sub-Saharan African Tertiary Hospital

Pain Research and Treatment ◽

10.1155/2014/972726 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

T. Makumbi ◽

M. Galukande ◽

A. Gakwaya

Keyword(s):

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Western World ◽

African Countries ◽

Breast Clinic ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Cyclical Mastalgia

Introduction. Mastalgia is a common breast condition among women referred to breast clinics worldwide. Whereas the prevalence is known in the Western world and Asia, the prevalence of the disease is unknown in many African countries. The aim of this study therefore was to determine the prevalence and describe factors associated with mastalgia among women attending a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. A cross-sectional study was done in Kampala, Uganda. Mastalgia was defined as self-reported breast pain (unilateral or bilateral) for a period not less than two months. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11. Ethical approval was obtained. Results. Out of the 1048 women who presented to the breast clinic during the study period, 168 (16%) were diagnosed with mastalgia in the absence of breast cancer. Noncyclical and cyclical mastalgia were 22/168 (13%) and 5/168 (3%), respectively. The onset of noncyclical category as compared to the cyclical type of mastalgia was observed to manifest before 24 years of age (P=0.006). Conclusion. Mastalgia was a common condition among women in this sub-Saharan African setting as is elsewhere. The early onset mastalgia in this sub-Saharan African study requires further exploration for determination of its risk factors.

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Birth registration and child undernutrition in sub-Saharan Africa

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s136898001500333x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 1757-1767 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Ornella Comandini ◽

Stefano Cabras ◽

Elisabetta Marini

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Permutation Test ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Wealth Quintile ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

Birth Registration ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sub Saharan

AbstractObjectiveIn many countries of the world millions of people are not registered at birth. However, in order to assess children’s nutritional status it is necessary to have an exact knowledge of their age. In the present paper we discuss the effects of insufficient or imprecise age data on estimates of undernutrition prevalence.DesignBirth registration rates and levels of stunting, underweight and wasting were retrieved from Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and Demographic and Health Surveys of thirty-seven sub-Saharan African countries, considering the subdivision in wealth quintiles. The composition of the cross-sectional sample used for nutritional evaluation was analysed using a permutation test. Logistic regression was applied to analyse the relationship between birth registration and undernutrition. The 95 % probability intervals and Student’s t test were used to evaluate the effect of age bias and error.ResultsHeterogeneous sampling designs were detected among countries, with different percentages of children selected for anthropometry. Further, registered children were slightly more represented within samples used for nutritional analysis than in the total sample. A negative relationship between birth registration and undernutrition was recognized, with registered children showing a better nutritional status than unregistered ones, even within each wealth quintile. The over- or underestimation of undernutrition in the case of systematic over- or underestimation of age, respectively, the latter being more probable, was quantified up to 28 %. Age imprecision was shown to slightly overestimate undernutrition.ConclusionsSelection bias towards registered children and underestimation of children’s age can lead to an underestimation of the prevalence of undernutrition.

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Investigation of the Possible Moderators of Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa

African Journal of Biology and Medical Research ◽

10.52589/ajbmr-oaebs2xl ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 67-83

Author(s):

Ekpenyong M.S. ◽

Tawari E. P.2

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sub Saharan

Alcohol-related intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue which has attracted a lot of research and debates. While some studies have reported the relationship between alcohol and IPV to be linear, others have reported threshold effects. While some studies have found the link to be strong, others have reported it to be weak or to show no association. The aim of this study was to determine the possible moderators on the alcohol-IPV link in sub-Saharan Africa. For the quantitative study, secondary analysis and meta-analysis were used to analyze cross-sectional data from the demographic and health surveys of ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). Logistic regression analysis of possible moderators of the alcohol-IPV link was determined in ten sub-Saharan African countries. The nature of moderation was different among countries. The results of this study can be applied in planning country-specific and multi-faceted intervention programmes.

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Economics & Religious Implications On Adult Literacy In Sub-Saharan Africa

Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR) ◽

10.19030/jabr.v25i1.1050 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Amon O. Okpala ◽

Comfort O. Okpala

Keyword(s):

Adult Literacy ◽

Urban Population ◽

Religious Affiliation ◽

Least Square ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Ordinary Least Square ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The Impact

Although literacy rates have improved somehow in recent years, there are still large numbers of people that are illiterates in developing countries.  This paper examines the impact of public education expenditures, the percentage of urban population and religious affiliation on adult literacy rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, a cross-sectional data of 34 Sub-Saharan African countries with adequate data information were analyzed. The results from the ANOVA and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression analysis are quite conclusive - that urban population, government expenditures on education and religious affiliations do have strong statistical impact on literacy.

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The Role Of School Life Expectancy And Urbanization On Adult Literacy Rates In Sub-Saharan Africa

International Business & Economics Research Journal (IBER) ◽

10.19030/iber.v13i2.8448 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 329

Author(s):

Amon Okpala ◽

Comfort Okpala

Keyword(s):

Life Expectancy ◽

Adult Literacy ◽

Percent Level ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

School Life ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The Impact

It is important to examine the role of urbanization, government, and school life expectancy (the years of schooling a child is expected to have) on adult literacy because literacy contributes to economic success. Using cross-sectional data on 46 Sub-Saharan African countries, this study examines 1) the impact of school life expectancy on adult literacy, 2) the influence of urban population on adult literacy, and 3) the effectiveness of government educational expenditure on adult literacy. OLS regression analysis showed that the percentage of the population residing in urban centers and the school life expectancy were positively significant at the 5 percent level. Government expenditure, as a percentage of GDP, was positively significant at the 1 percent level.

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Does sub-Saharan Africa truly defy the forecasts of the COVID-19 pandemic? Response from population data

10.1101/2020.07.06.20147124 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dongmo Christophe Fokoua-Maxime ◽

Monique Amor-Ndjabo ◽

Amandus Ankobil ◽

Momah Victor-Kiyung ◽

Steve Franck-Metomb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Statistical Tests ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

P Value ◽

London School ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Population Proportion ◽

Percentage Difference ◽

Sub Saharan

AbstractIntroductionSince its identification, the COVID-19 infection has caused substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide, but sub-Saharan Africa seems to defy the predictions. We aimed to verify this hypothesis using strong statistical methods.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study comparing the projected and actual numbers as well as population proportions of COVID-19 cases in the 46 sub-Saharan African countries on May 1st, May 29th (4 weeks later) and June 26th (8 weeks later). The source of the projected number of cases was a publication by scientists from the Center for Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, whereas the actual number of cases was obtained from the WHO situation reports. We calculated the percentage difference between the projected and actual numbers of cases per country. Further, “N-1” chi-square tests with Bonferroni correction were used to compare the projected and actual population proportion of COVID-19 cases, along with the 95% confidence interval of the difference between these population proportions. All statistical tests were 2-sided, with 0.05 used as threshold for statistical significance.ResultsOn May 1st, May 29th and June 26th, respectively 40 (86.95%), 45 (97.82%) and 41 (89.13%) of the sub-Saharan African countries reported a number of confirmed cases that was lower than the predicted number of 1000 cases for May 1st and 10000 for both May 29th and June 26th. At these dates, the population proportions of confirmed Covid-19 cases were significantly lower (p-value <0.05) than the projected proportions of cases. Across all these dates, South-Africa always exceeded the predicted number and population proportion of COVID-19 infections.ConclusionSub-Saharan African countries did defy the dire predictions of the COVID-19 burden. Preventive measures should be further enforced to preserve this positive outcome.

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Dynamic Role of Mother Empowerment in reducing malnutrition among children: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Review of Economics and Development Studies ◽

10.47067/reads.v6i1.191 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 135-146

Author(s):

Mariam Abbas Soharwardi ◽

Tusawar Iftikhar Ahmad

Keyword(s):

Strong Predictor ◽

Wealth Index ◽

Household Wealth ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Age At First Birth ◽

African Countries ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sub Saharan

In Sub-Saharan Africa, two out of five children are malnourished and malnutrition causes almost half of the child deaths (45%). Mothers are the primary caretaker of children's health, but unfortunately, most of the mothers, are not empowered in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the role of mother’s empowerment in the reduction of malnutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight) among children under five years of age in twenty-two Sub-Saharan African countries. Cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic Health Survey (2011-2016) of twenty-two countries are used to analyze the relationship between mother's empowerment and child malnutrition through the binary logistic regression analysis. Results show that the countries with low empowerment, the prevalence of malnutrition is high. Mother empowerment is found to be a statistically significant predictor in reducing malnutrition. Mother’s education, body mass index, and age at first birth proved to be a strong predictor for reducing malnutrition. Household wealth index and household locality also have a statistically significant impact on the reduction of malnutrition. At the household level, malnutrition of children can be minimized by empowering boosting their self-esteem, self-confidence, economic resources, social resources, awareness and decision making.

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