High burden of anemia among pregnant women in Tanzania: a call to address its determinants.

BACKGROUND: Anemia in pregnancy is behind a significant burden of maternal mortality and poor birth outcomes globally. Efforts to address it need evidence on trends and its pertinent factors as they vary from one area to another. METHODS: We pooled data of 23,203 women of reproductive age whose hemoglobin levels were measured from two Tanzania Demographic and Health Surveys (TDHS). Of them, 2,194 women were pregnant. Analyses employed descriptive analyses to determine the burden of anemia, its characteristics, and severity; GIS mapping to determine the regional changes of anemia between 2005 and 2015; and logistic regression to determine the remaining determinants of anemia among pregnant women using Stata 15. RESULTS: The burden of anemia among pregnant women in Tanzania has remained unprecedently high, and varies between regions. There was no significant decline of anemia in general between the two periods after adjusting for individual, households, reproductive, and child characteristics [AOR = 0.964, 95% CI = 0.774-1.202, p = 0.747). Anemia is currently prevalent in 57% of pregnant women in Tanzania. The prevalence is more likely to be higher among women aged 15-19 years than those aged between 20-34 years. It is more likely to be prevalent among those within large families, with no formal education, food insecurity, lack of health insurance, had no antimalaria during pregnancy, and had low frequency of ANC attendance. On the other hand, delivery in a health facility may be potentially protective against anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Anemia in pregnancy remained persistently high and prevalent among 57% of pregnant women in Tanzania. Efforts to address anemia are crucial and need to be focused in regions with increasing burden of anemia among pregnant women. It is imperative to address important risk factors such as food insecurity, strengthening universal health coverage, empowering women of reproductive age with education and especially nutritional knowledge and advocating for early antenatal booking, attendance, and facility delivery.

Public knowledge of risk factors and warning signs for cardiovascular disease among young and middle-aged adults in rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Improving cardiovascular health requires public knowledge and reduction of modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. This study assessed knowledge of risk factors and warning signs for CVDs among young and middle-aged adults in Morogoro, Tanzania. METHODS: We conducted a community-based survey as part of cluster randomized controlled study of community health workers (CHWs) intervention for reduction of blood pressure among young and middle-aged adults in rural Morogoro. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of risk factors and warning signs for CVDs was collected using an interviewer administered questionaire. Knowledge was assessed using open-ended questions followed by closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used to describe knowledge of risk factors and warning signs. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with adequate knowledge of risk factors and warning signs for CVDs. RESULTS: Two-thirds (65.7%) of the participants had heard about CVDs. The main sources of information were mainly relatives/ neighbors (64.8%) and radio (53.0%). Only 28.3% of the participants reported health care providers as source of information about CVDs. More than half of the participants (52.4%) did not mention even one risk factor spontaneously while 55.2% were unable to mention any warning sign. When asked to select from a list, 6.9% were unable to correctly identify any risk factor whereas 11.8% could not correctly identify even a single warning sign. Quarter of participants (25.4%) had good knowledge score of risk factors, 17.5% had good knowledge score of warning signs and 16.3% had overall good knowledge of both risk factors and warning signs. Residing in Ulanga, having higher education level, having ever checked blood pressure and being overweight/obese predicted adequacy of knowledge score for both risk factors and warning signs. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of risk factors and warning signs in this rural population of young and middle-aged adults was generally low. Health care providers were less likely to provide health education regarding risk factors and warning signs for CVDs. Health promotion interventions to increase population knowledge of risk factors and warning signs should be implemented for successful reduction of CVDs in Tanzania.

Trends in prevalence and determinants of stunting in Tanzania: an analysis of Tanzania demographic health surveys (1991-2016).

BACKGROUND: Tanzania has made a significant improvement in wasting and underweight indicators. However, stunting has remained persistently higher and varying between regions. We analyzed Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) datasets to examine (i) the trend of stunting over the period of 25 years in Tanzania and (ii) the remaining challenges and factors associated with stunting in the country. METHODS: This secondary data analysis included six TDHS datasets with data of 37,409 under-five children spreading in 1991-1992(n = 6587), 1996(n = 5437), 1999(n = 2556), 2004-05(n = 7231), 2009-10(n = 6597), and 2015-16(n = 9001) conducted in all regions of Tanzania. Variables specific to children and their caregivers were analyzed using SPSS version 22. The variables considered include child anthropometric variables, caregiver's demographic characteristics and household's socio-economic factors. We used frequencies and percentages to compare stunting prevalence across the six surveys and chi-square test and three-level hierarchical logistic regression to examine the factors associated with stunting also applying sample weighting as advised by TDHS. RESULTS: The prevalence of stunting has declined by 30% over the period of 25 years in Tanzania. However, one in three children aged below five years remains stunted with overweight and obesity more than doubled (from 11 to 25%) in the same period among women of reproductive age. The factors associated with stunting included children living in female-headed households (AOR = 1.16, P = 0.014), aged 24-35 months (AOR = 1.75, P = 0.019), born with low birth weight (AOR = 2.14, P < 0.001) and with inconsistent or without breastfeeding (AOR = 3.46, P < 0.001 and AOR = 4.29, P = 0.001) respectively. The risk of stunting among children living in urban area (AOR = 0.56, P < 0.001), with higher caregiver's education (AOR = 0.56, P = 0.018), obese mother (AOR = 0.63, P < 0.001), households with highest wealth index (AOR = 0.42, P < 0.001), and among girls (AOR = 0.77, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The burden of stunting in Tanzania has declined by 30% in the past 25 years, but still affecting one in every three children. Efforts are needed to increase the pace of stunting decline especially among boys, children in rural areas, from poor, uneducated, and female-headed households, and through improving infant and young feeding practices. Effective and tailored nutrition-sensitive and specific interventions using multisectoral approaches should be considered to address these important determinants.

Men's roles in care seeking for maternal and newborn health: a qualitative study applying the three delays model to male involvement in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Increasing the utilization of facility-based care for women and newborns in low-resource settings can reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Men influence whether women and newborns receive care because they often control financial resources and household decisions. This influence can have negative effects if men misjudge or ignore danger signs or are unwilling or unable to pay for care. Men can also positively affect their families' health by helping plan for delivery, supplementing women's knowledge about danger signs, and supporting the use of facility-based care. Because of these positive implications, researchers have called for increased male involvement in maternal and newborn health. However, data gathered directly from men to inform programs are lacking. METHODS: This study draws on in-depth interviews with 27 men in Morogoro Region, Tanzania whose partners delivered in the previous 14 months. Debriefings took place throughout data collection. Interview transcripts were analyzed inductively to identify relevant themes and devise an analysis questionnaire, subsequently applied deductively to all transcripts. RESULTS: Study findings add a partner-focused dimension to the three delays model of maternal care seeking. Men in the study often, though not universally, described facilitating access to care for women and newborns at each point along this care-seeking continuum (deciding to seek care, reaching a facility, and receiving care). Specifically, men reported taking ownership of their role as decision makers and described themselves as supportive of facility-based care. Men described arranging transport and accompanying their partners to facilities, especially for non-routine care. Men also discussed purchasing supplies and medications, acting as patient advocates, and registering complaints about health services. In addition, men described barriers to their involvement including a lack of knowledge, the need to focus on income-generating activities, the cost of care, and policies limiting male involvement at facilities. CONCLUSION: Men can leverage their influence over household resources and decision making to facilitate care seeking and navigate challenges accessing care for women and newborns. Examining these findings from men and understanding the barriers they face can help inform interventions that encourage men to be positively and proactively involved in maternal and newborn health.

Integrating Community Health Worker Roles to Improve Facility Delivery Utilization in Tanzania: Evidence from an Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Despite renewed interest in expansion of multi-tasked community health workers (CHWs) there is limited research on HIV and maternal health integration at the community-level. This study assessed the impact of integrating CHW roles for HIV and maternal health promotion on facility delivery utilization in rural Tanzania. METHODS: A 36-month time series data set (2014-2016) of reported facility deliveries from 68 health facilities in two districts of Tanzania was constructed. Interrupted time series analyses evaluated population-averaged longitudinal trends in facility delivery at intervention and comparison facilities. Analyses were stratified by district, controlling for secular trends, seasonality, and type of facility. RESULTS: There was no significant change from baseline in the average number of facility deliveries observed at intervention health centers/dispensaries relative to comparison sites. However, there was a significant 16% increase (p < 0.001) in average monthly deliveries in hospitals, from an average of 202-234 in Iringa Rural and from 167 to 194 in Kilolo. While total facility deliveries were relatively stable over time at the district-level, during intervention the relative change in the proportion of hospital deliveries out of total facility deliveries increased by 17.2% in Iringa Rural (p < 0.001) and 14.7% in Kilolo (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Results suggest community-delivered outreach by dual role CHWs was successful at mobilizing pregnant women to deliver at facilities and may be effective at reaching previously under-served pregnant women. More research is necessary to understand the effect of dual role CHWs on patterns of service utilization, including decisions to use referral level facilities for obstetric care.

Program assessment of efforts to improve the quality of postpartum counselling in health centers in Morogoro region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: The postpartum period represents a critical window where many maternal and child deaths occur. We assess the quality of postpartum care (PPC) as well as efforts to improve service delivery through additional training and supervision in Health Centers (HCs) in Morogoro Region, Tanzania. METHODS: Program implementers purposively selected nine program HCs for assessment with another nine HCs in the region remaining as comparison sites in a non-randomized program evaluation. PPC quality was assessed by examining structural inputs; provider and client profiles; processes (PNC counselling) and outcomes (patient knowledge) through direct observations of equipment, supplies and infrastructure (n = 18) and PPC counselling (n = 45); client exit interviews (n = 41); a provider survey (n = 62); and in-depth provider interviews (n = 10). RESULTS: While physical infrastructure, equipment and supplies were comparable across study sites (with water and electricity limitations), program areas had better availability of drugs and commodities. Overall, provider availability was also similar across study sites, with 63% of HCs following staffing norms, 17% of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) providers absent and 14% of those providing PPC being unqualified to do so. In the program area, a median of 4 of 10 RCH providers received training. Despite training and supervisory inputs to program area HCs, provider and client knowledge of PPC was low and the content of PPC counseling provided limited to 3 of 80 PPC messages in over half the consultations observed. Among women attending PPC, 29 (71%) had delivered in a health facility and sought care a median of 13 days after delivery. Barriers to PPC care seeking included perceptions that PPC was of limited benefit to women and was primarily about child health, geographic distance, gaps in the continuity of care, and harsh facility treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Program training and supervision activities had a modest effect on the quality of PPC. To achieve broader transformation in PPC quality, client perceptions about the value of PPC need to be changed; the content of recommended PPC messages reviewed along with the location for PPC services; gaps in the availability of human resources addressed; and increased provider-client contact encouraged.

Elevated blood pressure among primary school children in Dar es salaam, Tanzania: prevalence and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Whilst the burden of non-communicable diseases is increasing in developing countries, little data is available on blood pressure among Tanzanian children. This study aimed at determining the blood pressure profiles and risk factors associated with elevated blood pressure among primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. METHODS: We conducted a cross sectional survey among 446 children aged 6-17 years from 9 randomly selected primary schools in Dar es Salaam. We measured blood pressure using a standardized digital blood pressure measuring machine (Omron Digital HEM-907, Tokyo, Japan). We used an average of the three blood pressure readings for analysis. Elevated blood pressure was defined as average systolic or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90th percentile for age, gender and height. RESULTS: The proportion of children with elevated blood pressure was 15.2% (pre-hypertension 4.4% and hypertension 10.8%). No significant gender differences were observed in the prevalence of elevated BP. Increasing age and overweight/obese children were significantly associated with elevated BP (p = 0.0029 and p < 0.0001) respectively. Similar associations were observed for age and overweight/obesity with hypertension. (p = 0.0506 and p < 0.0001) respectively. In multivariate analysis, age above 10 years (adjusted RR = 3.63, 95% CI = 1.03-7.82) was significantly and independently associated with elevated BP in this population of school age children. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a higher proportion of elevated BP in this population of school age children. Older age and overweight/obesity were associated with elevated BP. Assessment of BP and BMI should be incorporated in school health program in Tanzania to identify those at risk so that appropriate interventions can be instituted before development of associated complications.

HIV and STI s among men who have sex with men in Dodoma municipality, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the seroprevalence of HIV, STI and related risks among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Dodoma municipality, Tanzania. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using respondent-driven sampling was employed to recruit study participants aged 18 years and above. Data on sociodemographics, HIV/STI knowledge and sexual practices were collected. Blood samples were tested for HIV and selected STIs. RESULTS: A total of 409 participants aged from 18 to 60 years took part in this study. The median age at first anal intercourse was 15 years. At last anal intercourse, 37.5% practiced receptive, 47.5% insertive and 15.0% both insertive and receptive anal intercourse. The seroprevalence of HIV, herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), syphilis, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus were 17.4%, 38.5%, 0.2%, 5.4% and 3.4%, respectively. A third of MSM perceived their risk for HIV to be low and this was associated with unprotected sex (adjusted OR (AOR), 4.8, 95% CI 1.8 to 10.2). HIV seropositivity was also associated with HSV-2 (AOR, 5.0, 95% CI 3.01 to 11.21); having lived outside Dodoma (AOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1 to 6.7); age above 25 years; (AOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.7); sexual relationship with a woman (AOR 5.6, 95% CI 3.9 to 12.8); assuming a receptive (AOR 7.1, 95% CI 4.8 to 17.4) or receptive and insertive (AOR 4.5, 95% CI 1.9 to 11.4) position during last anal intercourse; engaging in group sex (AOR 3.1, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.1) and the use of alcohol (AOR 3.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 9.2). CONCLUSIONS: HIV prevalence among MSM is five times higher compared with men in the general population in Dodoma. Perceived risk for HIV infection was generally low and low risk perception was associated with unprotected sex. STI, bisexuality and other behavioural risk factors played an important part in HIV transmission. The findings underscore the need for intensified HIV prevention programming addressing and involving key populations in Tanzania.

Knowledge of obstetric danger signs among recently-delivered women in Chamwino district, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Low knowledge of danger signs has been shown to delay seeking obstetric care which leads to high maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. In Tanzania about half of pregnant women are informed about obstetric danger signs during antenatal care, but the proportion of those who have full knowledge of these obstetric danger signs is not known. This study assessed the knowledge of obstetric danger signs and its associated factors among recently-delivered women in Chamwino District, Tanzania. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2014 in Chamwino District, Tanzania. A woman was considered knowledgeable if she spontaneously mentioned at least five danger signs in any of the three phases of childbirth (pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum) with at least one in each phase. Multistage cluster sampling was used to recruit study participants. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to control for confounding and other important covariates. RESULTS: A total of 428 women were interviewed. The median age (IQR) was 26.5 (22-33) years. Only 25.2% of respondents were knowledgeable about obstetric danger signs during pregnancy, childbirth/labour and postpartum. Significant explanatory variables of being knowledgeable about obstetric danger signs were found to be maternal education (AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.01, 3.82), maternal occupation (AOR = 2.23; 95% CI; 1.10, 4.52), spouse occupation (AOR = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.02, 4.32) and counseling on danger signs (AOR = 3.42; 95% CI: 1.36, 8.62) after controlling for the clustering effect, confounding and important covariates. CONCLUSION: A low proportion of women was found to be knowledgeable about obstetric danger signs in Chamwino district. Therefore, we recommend the Ministry of Health to design and distribute the maternal health booklets that highlight the obstetric danger signs, and encourage antenatal care providers and community health workers to provide frequent health education about these danger signs for every pregnant woman in order to increase their level of knowledge about obstetric danger signs.

Quality of antenatal and childbirth care in rural health facilities in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania: an intervention study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of an intervention consisting of a computer-assisted clinical decision support system and performance-based incentives, aiming at improving quality of antenatal and childbirth care. METHODS: Intervention study in rural primary healthcare (PHC) facilities in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania. In each country, six intervention and six non-intervention PHC facilities, located in one intervention and one non-intervention rural districts, were selected. Quality was assessed in each facility by health facility surveys, direct observation of antenatal and childbirth care, exit interviews, and reviews of patient records and maternal and child health registers. Findings of pre- and post-intervention and of intervention and non-intervention health facility quality assessments were analysed and assessed for significant (P < 0.05) quality of care differences. RESULTS: Post-intervention quality scores do not show a clear difference to pre-intervention scores and scores at non-intervention facilities. Only a few variables had a statistically significant better post-intervention quality score and when this is the case this is mostly observed in only one study-arm, being pre-/post-intervention or intervention/non-intervention. Post-intervention care shows similar deficiencies in quality of antenatal and childbirth care and in detection, prevention, and management of obstetric complications as at baseline and non-intervention study facilities. CONCLUSION: Our intervention study did not show a significant improvement in quality of care during the study period. However, the use of new technology seems acceptable and feasible in rural PHC facilities in resource-constrained settings, creating the opportunity to use this technology to improve quality of care.

Prenatal exposure to Plasmodium falciparum increases frequency and shortens time from birth to first clinical malaria episodes during the first two years of life: prospective birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to Plasmodium falciparum affects development of protective immunity and susceptibility to subsequent natural challenges with similar parasite antigens. However, the nature of these effects has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of prenatal exposure to P. falciparum on susceptibility to natural malaria infection, with a focus on median time from birth to first clinical malaria episode and frequency of clinical malaria episodes in the first 2 years of life. METHODS: A prospective birth cohort study was conducted in Rufiji district in Tanzania, between January 2013 and December 2015. Infants born to mothers with P. falciparum in the placenta at time of delivery were defined as exposed, and infants born to mothers without P. falciparum parasites in placenta were defined as unexposed. Placental infection was established by histological techniques. Out of 206 infants recruited, 41 were in utero exposed to P. falciparum and 165 infants were unexposed. All infants were monitored for onset of clinical malaria episodes in the first 2 years of life. The outcome measure was time from birth to first clinical malaria episode, defined by fever (≥37 °C) and microscopically determined parasitaemia. Median time to first clinical malaria episode between exposed and unexposed infants was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and comparison was done by log rank. Association of clinical malaria episodes with prenatal exposure to P. falciparum was assessed by multivariate binary logistic regression. Comparative analysis of mean number of clinical malaria episodes between exposed and unexposed infants was done using independent sample t test. RESULTS: The effect of prenatal exposure to P. falciparum infection on clinical malaria episodes was statistically significant (Odds Ratio of 4.79, 95 % CI 2.21-10.38, p < 0.01) when compared to other confounding factors. Median time from birth to first clinical malaria episode for exposed and unexposed infants was 32 weeks (95 % CI 30.88-33.12) and 37 weeks (95 % CI 35.25-38.75), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.003). The mean number of clinical malaria episodes in exposed and unexposed infants was 0.51 and 0.30 episodes/infant, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to P. falciparum shortens time from birth to first clinical malaria episode and increases frequency of clinical malaria episodes in the first 2 years of life.

Effectiveness of the Home Based Life Saving Skills training by community health workers on knowledge of danger signs, birth preparedness, complication readiness and facility delivery, among women in Rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: In spite of government efforts, maternal mortality in Tanzania is currently at more than 400 per 100,000 live births. Community-based interventions that encourage safe motherhood and improved health-seeking behaviour through acquiring knowledge on the danger signs and improving birth preparedness, and, ultimately, reduce maternal mortality, have been initiated in different parts of low-income countries. Our aim was to evaluate if the Home Based Life Saving Skills education by community health workers would improve knowledge of danger signs, birth preparedness and complication readiness and facility-based deliveries in a rural community in Tanzania. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of Home Based Life Saving Skills education to pregnant women and their families through a community intervention. An intervention district received training with routine care. A comparison district continued to receive routine antenatal care. A structured household questionnaire was used in order to gather information from women who had delivered a child within the last two years before the intervention. This questionnaire was used in both the intervention and comparison districts before and after the intervention. The net intervention effect was estimated using the difference between the differences in the intervention and control districts at baseline and endline. RESULTS: A total of 1,584 and 1,486 women were interviewed at pre-intervention and post intervention, respectively. We observed significant improvement of knowledge of three or more danger signs during pregnancy (15.2 % vs. 48.1 %) with a net intervention effect of 29.0 % (95 % CI: 12.8-36.2; p < .0001) compared to the comparison district. There was significant effect on the knowledge of three or more danger signs during childbirth (15.3 % vs. 43.1 %) with a net intervention effect of 18.3 % (95 % CI: 11.4-25.2; p < .0001) and postpartum for those mentioning three or more of the signs (8.8 % vs. 19.8 %) with net effect of 9.4 % (95 % CI: 6.4-15.7; p < .0001). Birth preparedness practice improved for those who made more than three actions (20.8 vs. 35.3 %) with a net intervention effect of 10.3 % (95 % CI: 10.3-20.3; p < .0001) between the intervention and control district at pre-intervention and post intervention. Utilisation of antenatal care with four visits improved significantly (43.4 vs. 67.8 %) with net effect of 25.3 % (95 % CI: 16.9-33.2; p < .0001), use of facility delivery improved in the intervention area (75.6 vs. 90.2 %; p = 0.0002) but there was no significant net effect 11.5 % (95 % CI: -5.1-39.6; p = 0.123) compared to comparison district. CONCLUSION: This study shows that a community-based intervention employing community health workers as teachers in delivering Home Based Life Saving Skills program to pregnant women and their families improved their knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, preparedness for childbirth and increased deliveries at health facilities which employ skilled health workers in this rural community.

Lung functions among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Dar es Salaam - a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 40-60 % of patients remain sufferers of sequela of obstructive, restrictive or mixed patterns of lung disease despite treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). The prevalence of these abnormalities in Tanzania remains unknown. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 501 patients with PTB who had completed at least 20 weeks of treatment. These underwent spirometry and their lung functions were classified as normal or abnormal (obstructive, restrictive or mixed). Logistic regression models were used to explore factors associated with abnormal lung functions. RESULTS: Abnormal lung functions were present in 371 (74 %) patients. There were 210 (42 %) patients with obstructive, 65 (13 %) patients with restrictive and 96 (19 %) patients with mixed patterns respectively. Significant factors associated with abnormal lung functions included recurrent PTB (Adj OR 2.8, CI 1.274 - 6.106), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) negative status (Adj OR 1.7, CI 1.055 - 2.583), age more than 40 years (Adj OR 1.7, CI 1.080 - 2.804) and male sex (Adj OR 1.7, CI 1.123 - 2.614). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of abnormal lung functions is high and it is associated with male sex, age older than 40 years, recurrent PTB and HIV negative status.

Equally able, but unequally accepted: Gender differentials and experiences of community health volunteers promoting maternal, newborn, and child health in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Despite emerging qualitative evidence of gendered community health worker (CHW) experience, few quantitative studies examine CHW gender differentials. The launch of a maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) CHW cadre in Morogoro Region, Tanzania enlisting both males and females as CHWs, provides an opportunity to examine potential gender differences in CHW knowledge, health promotion activities and client acceptability. METHODS: All CHWs who received training from the Integrated MNCH Program between December 2012 and July 2013 in five districts were surveyed and information on health promotion activities undertaken drawn from their registers. CHW socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, and health promotion activities were analyzed through bi- and multivariate analyses. Composite scores generated across ten knowledge domains were used in ordered logistic regression models to estimate relationships between knowledge scores and predictor variables. Thematic analysis was also undertaken on 60 purposively sampled semi-structured interviews with CHWs, their supervisors, community leaders, and health committee members in 12 villages from three districts. RESULTS: Of all CHWs trained, 97% were interviewed (n = 228): 55% male and 45% female. No significant differences were observed in knowledge by gender after controlling for age, education, date of training, marital status, and assets. Differences in number of home visits and community health education meetings were also not significant by gender. With regards to acceptability, women were more likely to disclose pregnancies earlier to female CHWs, than male CHWs. Men were more comfortable discussing sexual and reproductive concerns with male, than female CHWs. In some cases, CHW home visits were viewed as potentially being for ulterior or adulterous motives, so trust by families had to be built. Respondents reported that working as female-male pairs helped to address some of these dynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Male and female CHWs in this study have largely similar knowledge and health promotion outputs, but challenges in acceptance of CHW counseling for reproductive health and home visits by unaccompanied CHWs varied by gender. Programs that pair male and female CHWs may potentially overcome gender issues in CHW acceptance, especially if they change gender norms rather than solely accommodate gender preferences.

"You should go so that others can come"; the role of facilities in determining an early departure after childbirth in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Tanzania is among ten countries that account for a majority of the world's newborn deaths. However, data on time-to-discharge after facility delivery, receipt of postpartum messaging by time to discharge and women's experiences in the time preceding discharge from a facility after childbirth are limited. METHODS: Household survey of 1267 women who delivered in the preceding 2-14 months; in-depth interviews with 24 women, 12 husbands, and 5 community elders. RESULTS: Two-thirds of women with vaginal, uncomplicated births departed within 12 h; 90 % within 24 h, and 95 % within 48 h. Median departure times varied significantly across facilities (hospital: 23 h, health center: 10 h, dispensary: 7 h, p < 0.001). Quantitative and qualitative data highlight the importance of type of facility and facility amenities in determining time-to-discharge. In multiple logistic regression, level of facility (hospital, health center, dispensary) was the only significant predictor of early discharge (p = 0.001). However across all types of facilities a majority of women depart before 24 h ranging from hospitals (54 %) to health centers (64 %) to dispensaries (74 %). Most women who experienced a delivery complication (56 %), gave birth by caesarean section (90 %), or gave birth to a pre-term baby (70 %) stayed longer than 24 h. Reasons for early discharge include: facility practices including discharge routines and working hours and facility-based discomforts for women and those who accompany them to facilities. Provision of postpartum counseling was inadequate regardless of time to discharge and regardless of type of facility where delivery occurred. CONCLUSION: Our quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that the level of facility care and comforts existing or lacking in a facility have the greatest effect on time to discharge. This suggests that individual or interpersonal characteristics play a limited role in deciding whether a woman would stay for shorter or longer periods. Implementation of a policy of longer stay must incorporate enhanced postpartum counseling and should be sensitive to women's perceptions that it is safe and beneficial to leave hospitals soon after birth.

Initial experiences and innovations in supervising community health workers for maternal, newborn, and child health in Morogoro region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Supervision is meant to improve the performance and motivation of community health workers (CHWs). However, most evidence on supervision relates to facility health workers. The Integrated Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Program in Morogoro region, Tanzania, implemented a CHW pilot with a cascade supervision model where facility health workers were trained in supportive supervision for volunteer CHWs, supported by regional and district staff, and with village leaders to further support CHWs. We examine the initial experiences of CHWs, their supervisors, and village leaders to understand the strengths and challenges of such a supervision model for CHWs. METHODS: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently from CHWs, supervisors, and village leaders. A survey was administered to 228 (96%) of the CHWs in the Integrated MNCH Program and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 CHWs, 8 supervisors, and 15 village leaders purposefully sampled to represent different actor perspectives from health centre catchment villages in Morogoro region. Descriptive statistics analysed the frequency and content of CHW supervision, while thematic content analysis explored CHW, supervisor, and village leader experiences with CHW supervision. RESULTS: CHWs meet with their facility-based supervisors an average of 1.2 times per month. CHWs value supervision and appreciate the sense of legitimacy that arises when supervisors visit them in their village. Village leaders and district staff are engaged and committed to supporting CHWs. Despite these successes, facility-based supervisors visit CHWs in their village an average of only once every 2.8 months, CHWs and supervisors still see supervision primarily as an opportunity to check reports, and meetings with district staff are infrequent and not well scheduled. CONCLUSIONS: Supervision of CHWs could be strengthened by streamlining supervision protocols to focus less on report checking and more on problem solving and skills development. Facility health workers, while important for technical oversight, may not be the best mentors for certain tasks such as community relationship-building. We suggest further exploring CHW supervision innovations, such as an enhanced role for community actors, who may be more suitable to support CHWs engaged primarily in health promotion than scarce and over-worked facility health workers.

Motivation and satisfaction among community health workers in Morogoro Region, Tanzania: nuanced needs and varied ambitions.

BACKGROUND: In 2012, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW), Tanzania, approved national guidelines and training materials for community health workers (CHWs) in integrated maternal, newborn and child health (Integrated MNCH), with CHWs trained and deployed across five districts of Morogoro Region soon after. To inform future scale up, this study assessed motivation and satisfaction among these CHWs. METHODS: A survey of all CHWs trained by the Integrated MNCH Programme was conducted in the last quarter of 2013. Motivation and satisfaction were assessed using a five-point Likert scale with 29 and 27 items based on a literature review and discussions with CHW programme stakeholders. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify motivation and satisfaction determinants. RESULTS: Out of 238 eligible CHWs, 96 % were included in the study. Findings showed that respondents were motivated to become CHWs due to altruism (work on MNCH, desire to serve God, work hard) and intrinsic needs (help community, improve health, pride) than due to external stimuli (monetary incentives, skill utilization, community respect or hope for employment). CHWs were satisfied by relationships with health workers and communities, job aids and the capacity to provide services. CHWs were dissatisfied with the lack of transportation, communication devices and financial incentives for carrying out their tasks. Factors influencing motivation and satisfaction did not differ across CHW socio-demographic characteristics. Nonetheless, older and less educated CHWs were more likely to be motivated by altruism, intrinsic needs and skill utilization, community respect and hope for employment. Less educated CHWs were more satisfied with service and quality factors and more wealthy CHWs satisfied with job aids. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: A combination of financial and non-financial incentives is required to support motivation and satisfaction among CHWs. Although CHWs joined mainly due to their altruistic nature, they became discontented with the lack of monetary compensation, transportation and communication support received. With the planned rollout of the national CHW cadre, improved understanding of CHWs as a heterogeneous group with nuanced needs and varied ambitions is vital for ensuring sustainability.

Profile, knowledge, and work patterns of a cadre of maternal, newborn, and child health CHWs focusing on preventive and promotive services in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Despite impressive decreases in under-five mortality, progress in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in Tanzania has been slow. We present an evaluation of a cadre of maternal, newborn, and child health community health worker (MNCH CHW) focused on preventive and promotive services during the antenatal and postpartum periods in Morogoro Region, Tanzania. Study findings review the effect of several critical design elements on knowledge, time allocation, service delivery, satisfaction, and motivation. METHODS: A quantitative survey on service delivery and knowledge was administered to 228 (of 238 trained) MNCH CHWs. Results are compared against surveys administered to (1) providers in nine health centers (n = 88) and (2) CHWs (n = 53) identified in the same districts prior to the program's start. Service delivery outputs were measured by register data and through a time motion study conducted among a sub-sample of 33 randomly selected MNCH CHWs. RESULTS: Ninety-seven percent of MNCH CHWs (n = 228) were interviewed: 55% male, 58% married, and 52% with secondary school education or higher. MNCH CHWs when compared to earlier CHWs were more likely to be unmarried, younger, and more educated. Mean MNCH CHW knowledge scores were <50% for 8 of 10 MNCH domains assessed and comparable to those observed for health center providers but lower than those for earlier CHWs. MNCH CHWs reported covering a mean of 186 households and were observed to provide MNCH services for 5 h weekly. Attendance of monthly facility-based supervision meetings was nearly universal and focused largely on registers, yet data quality assessments highlighted inconsistencies. Despite program plans to provide financial incentives and bicycles for transport, only 56% of CHWs had received financial incentives and none received bicycles. CONCLUSIONS: Initial rollout of MNCH CHWs yields important insights into addressing program challenges. The social profile of CHWs was not significantly associated with knowledge or service delivery, suggesting a broader range of community members could be recruited as CHWs. MNCH CHW time spent on service delivery was limited but comparable to the financial incentives received. Service delivery registers need to be simplified to reduce inconsistencies and yet expanded to include indicators on the timing of antenatal and postpartum visits.

Knowledge and attitude towards rape and child sexual abuse--a community-based cross-sectional study in rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Violence against women and children is globally recognized as a social and human rights concern. In Tanzania, sexual violence towards women and children is a public health problem. The aim of this study was to determine community knowledge of and attitudes towards rape and child sexual abuse, and assess associations between knowledge and attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken between May and June 2012. The study was conducted in the Kilombero and Ulanga rural districts in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. Men and women aged 18-49 years were eligible for the study. Through a three-stage cluster sampling strategy, a household survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes about gender roles and violence, and knowledge on health consequences of rape. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 21. Main outcome measures were knowledge of and attitudes towards sexual violence. Multivariate analyses were used to assess associations between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of and attitudes towards sexual violence. RESULTS: A total of 1,568 participants were interviewed. The majority (58.4%) of participants were women. Most (58.3%) of the women respondents had poor knowledge on sexual violence and 63.8% had accepting attitudes towards sexual violence. Those who were married were significantly more likely to have good knowledge on sexual violence compared to the divorced/separated group (AOR = 1.6 (95% CI: 1.1-2.2)) but less likely to have non-accepting attitudes towards sexual violence compared to the single group (AOR = 1.8 (95%CI: 1.4-2.3)). Sex of respondents, age, marital status and level of education were associated with knowledge and attitudes towards sexual violence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that these rural communities have poor knowledge on sexual violence and have accepting attitudes towards sexual violence. Increasing age and higher education were associated with better knowledge and less accepting attitudes towards sexual violence. The findings have potentially important implications for interventions aimed at preventing violence. The results highlight the challenges associated with changing attitudes towards sexual violence, particularly as the highest levels of support for such violence were found among women.

Program synergies and social relations: implications of integrating HIV testing and counselling into maternal health care on care seeking.

BACKGROUND: Women and children in sub-Saharan Africa bear a disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS. Integration of HIV with maternal and child services aims to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS. To assess the potential gains and risks of such integration, this paper considers pregnant women's and providers' perceptions about the effects of integrated HIV testing and counselling on care seeking by pregnant women during antenatal care in Tanzania. METHODS: From a larger evaluation of an integrated maternal and newborn health care program in Morogoro, Tanzania, this analysis included a subset of information from 203 observations of antenatal care and interviews with 57 providers and 190 pregnant women from 18 public health centers in rural and peri-urban settings. Qualitative data were analyzed manually and with Atlas.ti using a framework approach, and quantitative data of respondents' demographic information were analyzed with Stata 12.0. RESULTS: Perceptions of integrating HIV testing with routine antenatal care from women and health providers were generally positive. Respondents felt that integration increased coverage of HIV testing, particularly among difficult-to-reach populations, and improved convenience, efficiency, and confidentiality for women while reducing stigma. Pregnant women believed that early detection of HIV protected their own health and that of their children. Despite these positive views, challenges remained. Providers and women perceived opt out HIV testing and counselling during antenatal services to be compulsory. A sense of powerlessness and anxiety pervaded some women's responses, reflecting the unequal relations, lack of supportive communications and breaches in confidentiality between women and providers. Lastly, stigma surrounding HIV was reported to lead some women to discontinue services or seek care through other access points in the health system. CONCLUSION: While providers and pregnant women view program synergies from integrating HIV services into antenatal care positively, lack of supportive provider-patient relationships, lack of trust resulting from harsh treatment or breaches in confidentiality, and stigma still inhibit women's care seeking. As countries continue rollout of Option B+, social relations between patients and providers must be understood and addressed to ensure that integrated delivery of HIV counselling and services encourages women's care seeking in order to improve maternal and child health.