The Perils of the Pandemic and India's Child Victims of Covid-19

Aim: The following paper attempts to trace the impact of Covid-19 on the younger generation, mostly from economically underprivileged sections, by focusing on specific themes such as health, education, vulnerability to abuse, and violence. The paper tries to address how the pandemic has affected various dimensions of the lives of these younger generation-children and adolescents, alongside tracing the measures taken by the government in the fight against the virus. Methods: We curated the information based on credible data as published in leading news media, PMC published peer-reviewed materials Conclusions: The paper concludes with recommendations that a coherent government policy and the active participation of NGOs are needed to address the problem. The children's mental health needs to be dealt with utmost care at home, which will pave the way towards a better future for the younger generation during and after the pandemic.

Factors Associated with Alcohol Consumption among Adolescents in Selected Secondary Schools in a Local Government Area of Oyo State, Southwest, Nigeria

Alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood remain a prominent public health problem. This study identifies factors associated with alcohol consumption among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Southwest, Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study was used. One hundred and seventy-six (176) respondents were consecutively selected using the random technique. Data were analyzed using chi-square and hypotheses tested at a 5% level of significance. Findings revealed that the majority of the respondents had poor knowledge of alcohol consumption, while (36.4%) of the respondents had consumed alcoholic beverages. Over half (54.5%) engaged in drinking alcohol as a result of peer influence. The majority (70%) of them had good knowledge of factors influencing alcohol consumption and factors influencing consumption among the respondents. Thus, the rate of alcohol consumption among adolescents was low (36.4%) as a larger percentage (64.6%) of them did not consume alcohol owing to their knowledge of the effect and the presence of some protective factors within the environment. In conclusion, alcohol consumption among adolescents was low, knowledge of its consumption was high, and it was associated with its actual consumption. Alcohol use is also associated with peer influence and environmental variables, while age and gender did not have any relationship with alcohol consumption. Therefore, educational intervention to improve knowledge of the consequences of alcohol consumption among adolescents and public policies with preventive educational campaigns was recommended.

Impact of Dietary Diversification on the Prognostic Inflammatory and Nutritional Index in School-Age Children in the Nawa Region (Côte d’Ivoire)

The objective of this work was to study the impact of food diversification based on sweet potato, soybean, and cowpea on the prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) in school-aged children in the Nawa region. This study took place from October 2017 to May 2018 among 240 pupils aged 6 to 12, divided into four groups of 60. Four types of meals were proposed: rice with tomato soup and fish (group 1), sweet potato porridge enriched with green soybeans (group 2), sweet potato porridge enriched with white cowpea (group 3), or sweet potato porridge accompanied by white cowpea with green soybeans (group 4). There were three blood samples: before eating meals (phase 0), the end of the first trimester (phase 1), and the end of the second trimester (phase 2). Blood assay for C-reactive protein (CRP), orosomucoid, albumin, and prealbumin was performed using COBAS c311 analyzer. PINI was calculated. Groups 3 and 4 showed a slight increase in albumin values (42.24 ± 0.95 g/L and 41.51 ± 1.71 g/L, respectively) compared to group 1. CRP decreased from phase 1 for group 1 (2.06 ± 0.26 mg/L) and group 4 (2.38 ± 0.36 mg/L). Orosomucoid increased insignificantly (p > 0.05) in group 3 (0.74 ± 0.04 g/L) and group 4 (0.71 ± 0.04 g/L). PINI was reduced by 0.37 (group 1), 0.36 (group 2), 0.46 (group 3) and 0.44 (group 4). Food diversification based on sweet potato and white cowpea has a positive impact on PINI in more than 80% of pupils.

A Path Analysis to Identify Factors Influencing the Provision of Water in Addition to Breast Milk by Mothers of Infants under Six Months of Age in Conakry and Kindia Regions, Republic of Guinea

Water provision to infants under six months of age (IU6M) can hamper exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Understanding factors and their relationships influencing this practice is needed to tailor EBF promotion programs. Using a validated questionnaire, this study aims to identify pathways in which individual factors and the environment interact to affect the provision of water in addition to breast milk among 300 mothers of IU6M. Our finding shows that 75% of mothers intended to provide water in addition to breast milk to their IU6M and that about 60% reported doing it. Results of the final path show that the subjective norm/SN (β = 0.432, p < 0.001), the attitude (β = 0.349, p < 0.001), and to a lesser extent the perceived control/PC (β = 0.141, p = 0.005) predict the intention of mothers to provide water in addition to breast milk to their IU6M. The environment scores predict the attitude (β = 0.210, p = 0.001) and the SN (β = 0.284, p < 0.001). Having the mother practicing early breastfeeding initiation at birth positively predicted the PC score (β = 0.157, p = 0.017) and predicted an increasing score of SN (β = 0.221, p = 0.003). Even though predicting the final behavior is complex, this research provides directions to nutrition education programs to tailor their content to the context and be more efficient in reducing the proportion of women providing water to their IU6M, hence contributing to the improvement of EBF.

Demographic and Social-Economic Determinants of Malnutrition among Children (0-23 Months Old) in Kenya

Objective: To identify the demographic, social, and economic determinants of malnutrition in Kenya's children aged 0-23 months. Methods: Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), a nationally representative cross-sectional study conducted in 2014/2015, were used in this study. Data from children 0-23 months old with complete information on weight, height, age, and sex were used for analysis. Height for Age Z scores (HAZ), Weight for Height Z scores (WHZ), and BMI for age Z scores (BAZ) was determined using WHO guidelines to determine the nutritional status of the children. Chi-square statistics were used to determine the relationship between social-economic status and place of residence indicators and the nutritional status of the children. Significance was set at p <0.05. Results: Among all participating (n=7578), 22.7% were stunted (HAZ < -2), 6.2% were wasted (WHZ < -2), and 6.1% were either overweight or obese (BAZ > 2). Wasting and stunting were significantly higher in children from rural areas, poorer wealth index, and mothers with no education. In contrast, children from urban areas, the richest wealth index category, and mothers with secondary or higher education were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese. Conclusion: Current and future policies and programs to curb malnutrition in Kenya need to target specific needs of children based on their social-economic status, area of residence, and other demographic characteristics that were identified as determinants of child malnutrition instead of using a general approach.

Gender Differences in Nutritional Status of Children in Tea Gardens of Darjeeling: Based on Conventional Indices and Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure

Objectives: The study aims to assess the nutritional status of children aged 1-5 years and its relationship with gender. Further, it also tries to assess the nutritional status of children using conventional indices and the composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF) and suggests the appropriate method to estimate undernutrition among children. Materials and Methods: The area selected for the study is the tea gardens of Darjeeling. The study is based on the primary survey, and a total of 400 children were included in the study. A Chi-square test is conducted to find out the differences in the nutritional status of children gender-wise. Results: The analysis indicated that the level of undernutrition in tea gardens of Darjeeling is very high (51%). The level of undernutrition estimated through conventional indices indicated that the level of stunting, wasting, and underweight are 43.8%, 20.2%, and 36.2%, respectively, whereas the composite index of anthropometric failure estimated more prevalence rate (51.2%). The analysis indicates that the conventional indices underestimate the prevalence of undernutrition. On the contrary, a composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF) gives better estimates of undernutrition. Both the indices of nutrition in the study area indicated higher undernutrition among girl children than a boy. However, no significant differences in the nutritional status gender-wise exist. Conclusion: The result depicts the positive sign as it contradicts the general belief that a boy child is more nourished than a girl. However, half of the children in tea gardens of Darjeeling aged 1-5 years, irrespective of gender, are undernourished. The paper highlights the urgent need to work out nutritional strategies to improve child health in the study area.

Measuring and Predicting Intention of Senegalese Mothers to Provide Iron-Rich Foods to their Children

In Senegal, only 43% of children aged 6-23 months are provided with iron-rich foods (IRF). Assessing determinants of mothers’ behaviour is imperative to improve young children nutrition. We developed a validated questionnaire and used it to assess psychosocial factors of mothers' intention to provide IRF to their children aged 6-23 months in the Matam area, Senegal. Using the planned behaviour theory, the first version of a questionnaire was developed and administered to 120 mothers. Exploratory factorial analyses (EFA) were used to generate a shorter and validated final version of the questionnaire, administered to another sample (N=100) of mothers to assess psychosocial factors underlying their intention to provide IRF to children. EFA revealed the importance of perceived benefits mothers have for the health/welfare of their children if providing them IRF, about acting according to expectations of persons in their surroundings and limited access to IRF due to physical/financial constraints. Attitude (β=0.26, p = 0.015) and subjective norm (β = 0.22, p = 0.047) were positively associated with mothers’ intention to provide IRF to their children. Together with sociodemographic variables, they explained 14% of its variance. Our findings revealed that mothers have a strong intention to provide IRF to their children. Although further assessments of this questionnaire are warranted in other contexts, this tool could provide information on potential determinants of mothers’ intention to provide IRF to children.

Multilevel Analysis of Determinants of Stunting Prevalence among Children under Age Five in Ethiopia

Background: Stunting is a well-established child health indicator of chronic malnutrition related to environmental and socio-economic circumstances. In Ethiopia, childhood stunting is the most widely prevalent among children under the age of five years. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of stunting and model the determinants of stunting prevalence among children under age five in Ethiopia. Methods: Data were extracted from 2016 EDHS, and samples of 8487 children under age five were used in this study. The sample was selected using a two-stage stratified sampling process, and a multilevel logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with childhood stunting in Ethiopia. Results: This study revealed that the prevalence of stunting among children under age five years in Ethiopia was around 39.39%. The multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the variation of predictor variables of stunting prevalence among children under age five. Accordingly, it has been identified that the ages of the child above 12 months, male gender, children from poor households, and no mother education significantly affect the prevalence of stunting in Ethiopia. It is found that variances related to the random term were statistically significant, implying a variation in the prevalence of stunting across Ethiopia's regional states. Conclusion: The current study confirmed that the prevalence of stunting among children under aged five years in Ethiopia was a severe public health problem. Therefore, governmental or stakeholders should pay attention to all the significant factors mentioned in this study's analysis.

Daily Life Activities of Children during the Pandemic

The aim of this descriptive study was to examine the views of parents with children between the ages of 3-6 on their children's daily life activities during the pandemic. The study sample was composed of 65 parents, among whom 60 were mothers, and five were fathers, who were selected with the snowball method and who had children between the ages of 3-6 and voluntarily participated in the study. The data were collected through the General Information Form and the Family Interview Form, which were developed in line with expert opinions. The collected data were analyzed using percentage and frequency values. The findings suggested that, during the pandemic, the children's family relationships were positively affected; the duration of using technological tools increased; the children started to wash their hands more carefully; and duration of activities, such as drawing and chores, and plays increased. It was also found that the children mostly preferred piece assembly games; their physical movement needs were not fully satisfied; and there was no change in their health conditions, self-care skills, diet, sleep patterns, interactive book reading, and purposes of using technology. In line with the findings, parents, experts were given specific recommendations.

Knowledge on Intrapartum Danger Sign Influences Place of Delivery: The Case of Raya Kobo District, Northeastern Ethiopia

Background: A skilled birth attendance for every pregnant woman during childbirth is the most crucial intervention for improving maternal health. This study aimed to assess institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors among mothers who gave birth in the last 12 months in Raya Kobo district, Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in the Raya Kobo district of Amhara Regional State during March 2016. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between each independent variable and the outcome variable. Variables with a p-value <0.05 were considered significant. Results: A total of 493 mothers were included in the study, with a response rate of 95.4%. The mean (+SD) age of the study participants was 29.13 (±6.93) years. About 73% of the study participants had attended at least one antenatal care follow up for their last pregnancy, and 56.6% (95% CI: 52.0, 61.0%) gave birth at health institutions. Travelling for 30 minutes and less [AOR=2.95(1.89, 4.58)], attending antenatal care [AOR=6.0(3.55, 10.13)], having knowledge about intrapartum danger signs [AOR=2.48(1.44, 4.24)] and getting information from health extension workers (HEWs) regarding maternal health services were positively associated. Conclusion: The district health office should strengthen its effort to provide free ambulance accessibility and provide information on danger signs of intrapartum complications and the importance of using institutional delivery service to every mother who came to the antenatal clinic. Furthermore, the district health officials should focus on strengthening the capacity of HEWs in relation to maternal health services.