scholarly journals Prevalence and Correlates of Hypertension in A Transitional Southeastern European Population: Results from the Albanian Demographic and Health Survey

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizana Petrela ◽  
Genc Burazeri ◽  
Fatjona Pupuleku ◽  
Edmond Zaimi ◽  
Mizanur Rahman

Abstract We assessed the prevalence and socioeconomic and behavioural correlates of hypertension in the young to middle-aged population of Albania, a transitional post-communist country in the Western Balkans. We analysed a sample of 2,837 men and 3,580 women aged 15 to 49 from the 2008/2009 Albanian Demographic and Health Survey. Hypertension was defined as SBP≥140 mm Hg, or DBP≥90 mm Hg, or if the subjects were under treatment for hypertension. Data on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and behavioural factors were also collected. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of hypertension with covariates. Hypertension was significantly higher among men (27.3 %) than women (20.0 %), and significantly increased with age. The harmful effect of excessive weight and obesity on hypertension was stronger among women than among men and this effect increased with age, especially in women. Smoking and alcohol were risk factors for hypertension in men, but not women. Education had a protective effect on hypertension in women but not in men.

2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 242-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genc Burazeri ◽  
Jolanda Hyska ◽  
Iris Mone ◽  
Enver Roshi

Abstract.Aim: To assess the association of breakfast skipping with overweight and obesity among children in Albania, a post-communist country in the Western Balkans, which is undergoing a long and difficult political and socioeconomic transition towards a market-oriented economy. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was carried out in Albania in 2013 including a representative sample of 5810 children aged 7.0 – 9.9 years (49.5% girls aged 8.4 ± 0.6 years and 51.5% boys aged 8.5 ± 0.6 years; overall response rate: 97%). Children were measured for height and weight, and body mass index (BMI) calculated. Cut-off BMI values of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) were used to define overweight and obesity in children. Demographic data were also collected. Results: Upon adjustment for age, sex, and place of residence, breakfast skipping was positively related to obesity (WHO criteria: OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.3–1.9; IOTF criteria: OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.5), but not overweight (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.3 and OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.4, respectively). Furthermore, breakfast skipping was associated with a higher BMI (multivariable-adjusted OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02–1.07). Conclusions: Our findings point to a strong and consistent positive relationship between breakfast skipping and obesity, but not overweight, among children in this transitional southeastern European population. Future studies in Albania and other transitional settings should prospectively examine the causal role of breakfast skipping in the development of overweight and obesity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 669-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abukari I Issaka ◽  
Kingsley E Agho ◽  
Penelope Burns ◽  
Andrew Page ◽  
Michael J Dibley

AbstractObjectiveTo explore complementary feeding practices and identify potential risk factors associated with inadequate complementary feeding practices in Ghana by using the newly developed WHO infant feeding indicators and data from the nationally representative 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.DesignThe source of data for the analysis was the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Analysis of the factors associated with inadequate complementary feeding, using individual-, household- and community-level determinants, was done by performing multiple logistic regression modelling.SettingGhana.SubjectsChildren (n 822) aged 6–23 months.ResultsThe prevalence of the introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods among infants aged 6–8 months was 72·6 % (95 % CI 64·6 %, 79·3 %). The proportion of children aged 6–23 months who met the minimum meal frequency and dietary diversity for breast-fed and non-breast-fed children was 46·0 % (95 % CI 42·3 %, 49·9 %) and 51·4 % (95 % CI 47·4 %, 55·3 %) respectively and the prevalence of minimum acceptable diet for breast-fed children was 29·9 % (95 % CI 26·1 %, 34·1 %). Multivariate analysis revealed that children from the other administrative regions were less likely to meet minimum dietary diversity, meal frequency and acceptable diet than those from the Volta region. Household poverty, children whose mothers perceived their size to be smaller than average and children who were delivered at home were significantly less likely to meet the minimum dietary diversity requirement; and children whose mothers did not have any postnatal check-ups were significantly less likely to meet the requirement for minimum acceptable diet. Complementary feeding was significantly lower in infants from illiterate mothers (adjusted OR=3·55; 95 % CI 1·05, 12·02).ConclusionsThe prevalence of complementary feeding among children in Ghana is still below the WHO-recommended standard of 90 % coverage. Non-attendance of postnatal check-up by mothers, cultural beliefs and habits, household poverty, home delivery of babies and non-Christian mothers were the most important risk factors for inadequate complementary feeding practices. Therefore, nutrition educational interventions to improve complementary feeding practices should target these factors in order to achieve the fourth Millennium Development Goal.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melkamu Molla Ferede

Abstract Background: Diarrhoea is one of the major contributors to deaths among under-five children in Ethiopia. Studies conducted in different countries showed that rural children are highly affected by diarrhoea than urban children. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the socio-demographic, environmental and behavioural associated factors of the occurrence of diarrhoea among under-five children in rural Ethiopia. Methods: Data for the study was drawn from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 8,041 under-five children were included in the study. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23. Binary logistic regression was used for the analysis of the data to assess the association of occurrence of diarrhoea with socio-demographic, environmental and behavioural associated factors among under-five children. Results: Children aged 6-11 months (AOR: 3.5; 95% CI: 2.58-4.87), 12-23 months (AOR: 3.1; 95% CI: 2.33-4.04) and 24-35 months (AOR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.26-2.34) were significantly associated with diarrhoea. Diarrhoea was also significantly associated with male children (AOR: 1.3; 95% CI: 1.05-1.58), children in Afar region (AOR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.01-3.64), Somali region (AOR: .42; 95% CI: (.217-.80), Gambela region (AOR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.18, 3.81), households who shared toilet facilities with other households (AOR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.09-1.77), fourth birth order (AOR: .1.81; 95% CI: 1.17-2.79), fifth and above birth order (AOR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.81) and the interaction of older mothers with three or more under-five children (AOR: 4.7; 95% CI: 1.64-13.45). Conclusion: The age of a child, sex of a child, region, birth order, toilet facilities shared with other households and the interaction effect of number of under-five children with mother’s current age are identified as associated factors for diarrhoea occurrence among under-five children in rural Ethiopia. The findings carry implications for the need for planning and implementing appropriate prevention strategies that target rural under-five children.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 425-437
Author(s):  
Faustin Habyarimana ◽  
Temesgen Zewotir ◽  
Shaun Ramroop

Background:Anemia is an important public health problem affecting all age groups of the population. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with anemia among women of childbearing age in Rwanda and map their spatial variation.Methods:The 2014/15 Rwanda Demographic and Health survey data was used and the structured logistic regression model was fitted to the data, where fixed effects were modeled parametrically, non-linear effects were modeled non-parametrically using second order random walk priors and spatial effects were modeled using Markov Random field priors.Results:The prevalence of anemia among non-pregnant women of reproductive age was 18.9%. Women from the households which use water from the unprotected well had a higher risk of having anemia than a woman from the household where they use water piped into dwelling or yard. The risk of anemia was higher among underweight women and women living in households without toilet facilities. The anemia was less pronounced among the women using contraception, literate women, women from the households which use a bed net and living in rich households.Conclusion:The findings from this study highlighted the districts with the highest number of anemic women and this can help the policymakers and other public health institutions to design a specific programme targeting these districts in order to improve the health status and living conditions of these women. The findings also suggest an improvement of toilet facilities, bed net use and source of drinking water in affected households.


Author(s):  
Justice M K Aheto ◽  
Ogum-Alangea Deda

Background: Undernutrition among children <5yr. is a global public health problem, especially in developing countries like Ghana. Undernutrition increases the risk of child morbidity and mortality. There is paucity of data on household-level effects on severe underweight and associated factors. Objective: The study investigated the risk factors associated with severe underweight among children < 5yr.in Ghana and examined unobserved differences across households based on the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health surveys (GDHS) data. Methods: Data from a population-based cross-sectional study was obtained from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Data on 2720 children nested within 1972 households was extracted for analysis. Our regression analysis used data on 2716 children with complete data on the outcome and risk factors. Children with weight-for-age Z-score below -3 standard deviations were classified as severely underweight based on the 2006 WHO child growth standards. We applied random intercept multilevel logistic regression to examine whether severe underweight status in children differ across households while simultaneously identifying potential risk factors. Results: A total of 2720 children had valid weight-for-age z-score and 53 (1.95%) of them were identified as severely underweight. In the univariate model, child level variables such as multiple birth [odds ratio (OR), 4.03;95%confidence interval (CI): 1.85-8.76]and child born average (OR, 2.17;95%CI: 1.09-4.32) or small (OR, 4.08; 95%CI: 2.01-8.28) in size at birth are associated with increased odds of severe underweight. Maternal/household level variables such as increase in number of children below 5 yr. (OR, 1.61; 95%CI: 1.28-2.04), poorest households (OR, 4.85; 95%CI: 1.14-20.59) and increase in number of births in last 5 yr. (OR, 1.80, 95%CI: 1.24-2.60) were associated with increased odds of severe underweight. Increase in maternal years of education (OR, 0.89; 95%CI: 0.83-0.95) was associated with reduced odds of severe underweight. In the multilevel logistic model, only type of birth (OR, 1.61;95%CI: 1.28-2.04), size of child (average: OR, 2.12;95%CI: 1.04-4.33; small: OR, 3.87;95%CI: 1.80-8.33) at birth, and maternal education (OR, 0.92;95%CI: 0.84-1.00) were independently associated with severe underweight. There were no significant residual household-level variations in severe underweight status. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that improving maternal education, socioeconomic conditions of families, and family planning are critical in addressing severe underweight


Author(s):  
Md. Ashfikur Rahman ◽  
Md. Sazedur Rahman ◽  
Shakif Mohammad Shakur ◽  
Md. Hasan Howlader ◽  
Md. Ashikuzzaman ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document