Trends and Factors Associated with Under-5 Mortality in Northwest Nigeria (2008-2018).

Background: The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) revealed that the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) in the northwest geopolitical zone (NWGZ), Nigeria, increased by 1.1% from 185 to 187 deaths per 1,000 live births between 2013 and 2018, indicating a setback to the previously reported modest improvement in U5MR. Objectives: This study sought to examine trends and factors related to under-5 mortality (U5M) in NWGZ from 2008 to 2018. Methods: A combined NWGZ dataset extracted from the 2008, 2013 and 2018 NDHSs, with a sample of 32,015 singleton live births, including 3,745 under-5 deaths, was used. The U5MRs for each survey year and potential independent factors were obtained using the STATA "syncrmrates" command, and then the trends were examined. A logistic regression generalised linear latent and mixed model was used to explore the potential factors associated with U5M in NWGZ. Findings: In NWGZ, the U5MR declined by only 8.2% (from 195 to 179 per 1,000 live births between 2008 and 2018, respectively), with a similar trend observed among its seven states. Multivariable analyses indicated that maternal education (no formal or primary education), maternal non-use of contraception, a mother's perception of the baby being small or very small, birth order (second to fourth or higher) with a shorter birth interval (≤2 years), younger or older maternal age (<20 years or ≥40 years old) and rural residence were significantly associated with U5M in NWGZ. Conclusion: Interventional initiatives including educating mothers on the benefits of contraceptive use, child spacing, kangaroo mother care of small-sized babies and promoting regular check-ups for older mothers will substantially reduce U5M in NWGZ.

Factors Related to Underweight Prevalence among 33,776 Children Below 60 Months Old Living in Northern Geopolitical Zones, Nigeria (2008-2018).

The prevalence of underweight among children below 60 months old in Nigeria remains a significant public health challenge, especially in northern geopolitical zones (NGZ), ranging from 15% to 35%. This study investigates time-based trends in underweight prevalence and its related characteristics among NGZ children below 60 months old. Extracted NGZ representative dataset of 33,776 live births from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey between 2008 and 2018 was used to assess the characteristics related to underweight prevalence in children aged 0-23, 24-59, and 0-59 months using multilevel logistics regression. Findings showed that 11,313 NGZ children below 60 months old were underweight, and 24-59-month-old children recorded the highest prevalence (34.8%; 95% confidence interval: 33.5-36.2). Four factors were consistently significantly related to underweight prevalence in children across the three age groups: poor or average-income households, maternal height, children who had diarrhoea episodes, and children living in the northeast or northwest. Intervention initiatives that include poverty alleviation through cash transfer, timely health checks of offspring of short mothers, and adequate clean water and sanitation infrastructure to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea can substantially reduce underweight prevalence among children in NGZ in Nigeria.

Trends of Stunting Prevalence and Its Associated Factors among Nigerian Children Aged 0-59 Months Residing in the Northern Nigeria, 2008-2018.

Every year in Nigeria, malnutrition contributes to more than 33% of the deaths of children below 5 years, and these deaths mostly occur in the northern geopolitical zones (NGZs), where nearly 50% of all children below 5 years are stunted. This study examined the trends in the prevalence of stunting and its associated factors among children aged 0-23 months, 24-59 months and 0-59 months in the NGZs. The data of 33,682 recent live births in the NGZs, extracted from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys from 2008 to 2018, were used to investigate the factors associated with stunting using multilevel logistic regression. Children aged 24-59 months reported the highest prevalence of stunting, with 53.3% (95% confidence interval: 52.0-54.6%). Multivariable analyses revealed four common factors that increased the odds of a child's stunting across all age subgroups: poor households, geopolitical zone (northwest or northeast), being a male and maternal height (<145 cm). Interventional strategies focused on poverty mitigation through cash transfer and educating low socioeconomic mothers on the benefits of gender-neutral supplementary feeding and the timely monitoring of the offspring of short mothers would substantially reduce stunting across all age subgroups in the NGZs.

Under-5 Mortality and Its Associated Factors in Northern Nigeria: Evidence from 22,455 Singleton Live Births (2013-2018).

The northern geopolitical zones (NGZs) continue to report the highest under-5 mortality rates (U5MRs) among Nigeria's six geopolitical zones. This study was designed to identify factors related to under-5 mortality (U5M) in the NGZs. The NGZ populations extracted from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey were explored to assess the factors associated with U5M using logistic regression, generalised linear latent, and mixed models. Between 2013 and 2018, the northwest geopolitical zone reported the highest U5MR (179 deaths per 1000 live births; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 163-194). The adjusted model showed that geopolitical zone, poor household, paternal occupation, perceived children's body size at birth, caesarean delivery, and mothers and fathers' education were highly associated with increased odds of U5M. Other significant factors that influenced U5M included children of fourth or higher birth order with shorter interval ≤ 2 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.68; CI: 1.42-1.90) and mothers who did not use contraceptives (aOR = 1.41, CI: 1.13-1.70). Interventions are needed and should primarily spotlight children residing in low-socioeconomic households. Educating mothers on the benefits of contraceptive use, child spacing, timely and safe caesarean delivery and adequate care for small-sized babies may also reduce U5M in Nigeria, particularly in the NGZs.

Breastfeeding in the Community-How Can Partners/Fathers Help? A Systematic Review.

Support from partners/fathers and families can play a significant role in a mother's decision to initiate, continue or cease breastfeeding postnatally. This study systematically reviewed published studies to determine the impact of specific types of partner support on breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity. We used the 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for the review. Seven computerized bibliographic databases (Embase, ProQuest Central, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed and CINAHL) were searched. Of a total of 695 articles retrieved from the databases, seven studies met the inclusion criteria and reported on breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity. Four of the seven studies found that partner support in the form of verbal encouragement to new mothers increased breastfeeding duration and exclusivity. Other types of partner supportive actions that led to improved breastfeeding behavior included sensitivity of the partner to the nursing mother's needs, assistance in preventing and managing breastfeeding difficulties, and helping with household and child care duties. This review showed that specific supportive actions of partners/fathers in the community positively improved breastfeeding practices. To maximise the impact of breastfeeding policies and interventions among new mothers, breastfeeding programmes should consider the involvement of partners/fathers and their specific roles.

Factors associated with under-5 mortality in three disadvantaged East African districts.

BACKGROUND: The high rate of avoidable child mortality in disadvantaged communities in Africa is an important health problem. This article examines factors associated with mortality in children <5 y of age in three disadvantaged East African districts. METHODS: Pooled cross-sectional data on 9270 live singleton births from rural districts in Rwanda (Gicumbi), Uganda (Kitgum) and Tanzania (Kilindi) were analysed using logistic regression generalized linear latent and mixed models to adjust for clustering and sampling weights. Mortality outcomes were neonatal (0-30 d), post-neonatal (1-11 months), infant (0-11 months), child (1-4 y) and under-5 y (0-4 y). RESULTS: The odds of post-neonatal and infant mortality were lower among children delivered by a health professional (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.62 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.47-0.81] for post-neonatal; AOR 0.60 [95% CI 0.46-0.79] for infant), mothers who had four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits during pregnancy (AOR 0.66 [95% CI 0.51-0.85]) and mothers who initiated breastfeeding within 1 h after birth (AOR 0.60 [95% CI 0.47-0.78]). Neonates not exclusively breastfed had higher mortality (AOR 3.88 [95% CI 1.58-9.52]). Children who lived >6 h away from the nearest health centre (6-23 h: AOR 1.66 [95% CI 1.4-2.0] and ≥24 h: AOR 1.43 [95% CI 1.26-1.72]) reported higher mortality rates in children <5 y of age. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions for reducing deaths in children ≤5 y of age in disadvantaged East African communities should be strengthened to target communities >6 h away from health centres and mothers who received inadequate ANC visits during pregnancy.

Community-and proximate-level factors associated with perinatal mortality in Nigeria: evidence from a nationwide household survey.

BACKGROUND: The perinatal mortality rate (PMR) in Nigeria rose by approximately 5% from 39 to 41 deaths per 1000 total births between 2008 and 2013, indicating a reversal in earlier gains. This study sought to identify factors associated with increased PMR. METHODS: Nationally representative data including 31,121 pregnancies of 7 months or longer obtained from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey were used to investigate the community-, socio-economic-, proximate- and environmental-level factors related to perinatal mortality (PM). Generalized linear latent and mixed models with the logit link and binomial family that adjusted for clustering and sampling weights was employed for the analyses. RESULTS: Babies born to obese women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.89) and babies whose mothers perceived their body size after birth to be smaller than the average size (aOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.61-2.30) showed greater odds of PM. Babies delivered through caesarean section were more likely to die (aOR = 2.85, 95% CI: 2.02-4.02) than those born through vaginal delivery. Other factors that significantly increased PM included age of the women (≥40 years), living in rural areas, gender (being male) and a fourth or higher birth order with a birth interval ≤ 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Newborn and maternal care interventions are needed, especially for rural communities, that aim at counselling women that are obese. Promoting well-timed caesarean delivery, Kangaroo mother care of small-for-gestational-age babies, child spacing, timely referral for ailing babies and adequate medical check-up for older pregnant women may substantially reduce PM in Nigeria.

Gender differences in factors associated with prehypertension and hypertension in Nepal: A nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: Nepal has one of the highest prevalence of hypertension in South Asia. However, no national studies have examined the gender differences in the determinants of prehypertension and hypertension in the country to inform targeted interventions. This study aimed to investigate gender differences in factors associated with prehypertension and hypertension in Nepal using the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). METHODS: Sociodemographic, behavioural, anthropometric and health status data and information on hypertension were obtained from 14,857 (males: 6,245 and females: 8,612) individuals aged 15 years or above from the biomarker sample of the 2016 NDHS. Factors associated with prehypertension and hypertension by gender were investigated using generalized linear latent and mixed models (GLLAM) with the mlogit link and binomial family that adjusted for clustering and sampling weights. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension was 26.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 25.7, 28.1] and 17.2% (95% CI 16.1, 18.3), respectively. Prehypertension was present in 30.4% (95%CI: 28.7, 32.2) of males and 24.3% (95% CI: 23.1, 25.6) of females, while hypertension was present in 20.4%, (95% CI 18.9, 22.0) of males and 14.8% (95% CI: 13.7, 16.0) of females. Key modifiable factors that were strongly associated with prehypertension and hypertension in both genders included overweight and obesity, caffeine intake, tobacco use, no schooling, previously informed of hypertension in a health facility, and alcohol consumption (for males). Other significant factors associated with prehypertension and hypertension included increasing age (> 30 years), ecological zone (Hill), Developmental zone (Western) and being married. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that prehypertension and hypertension were higher in males compared to females. Interventions to improve awareness, screening, treatment and control of prehypertension and hypertension in Nepal are warranted and should target key modifiable factors, as well as people aged 30 years and above.

Factors associated with inadequate receipt of components and use of antenatal care services in Nigeria: a population-based study.

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is an essential intervention to improve maternal and child health. In Nigeria, no population-based studies have investigated predictors of poor receipt of components and uptake of ANC at the national level to inform targeted maternal health initiatives. This study aimed to examine factors associated with inadequate receipt of components and use of ANC in Nigeria. Methods: The study used information on 20 405 singleton live-born infants of the mothers from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Multivariable logistic regression analyses that adjusted for cluster and survey weights were used to determine potential factors associated with inadequate receipt of components and use of ANC. Results: The prevalence of underutilization and inadequate components of ANC were 47.5% (95% CI: 45.2 to 49.9) and 92.6% (95% CI: 91.8 to 93.2), respectively. Common risk factors for underutilization and inadequate components of ANC in Nigeria included residence in rural areas, no maternal education, maternal unemployment, long distance to health facilities and less maternal exposure to the media. Other risk factors for underutilization of ANC were home births and low household wealth. Conclusion: The study suggests that underutilization and inadequate receipt of the components of ANC were associated with amenable factors in Nigeria. Subsidized maternal services and well-guided health educational messages or financial support from the government will help to improve uptake of ANC services.

Population-attributable risk estimates for factors associated with inappropriate complementary feeding practices in The Gambia.

OBJECTIVE: The present cross-sectional study aimed to determine population-attributable risk (PAR) estimates for factors associated with inappropriate complementary feeding practices in The Gambia. DESIGN: The study examined the first and most recent Demographic and Health Survey of The Gambia (GDHS 2013). The four complementary feeding indicators recommended by the WHO were examined against a set of individual-, household- and community-level factors, using multilevel logistic analysis. PAR estimates were obtained for each factor associated with inappropriate complementary feeding practices in the final multivariate logistic regression model. SETTING: The Gambia. SUBJECTS: Last-born children (n 2362) aged 6-23 months. RESULTS: Inadequate meal frequency was attributed to 20 % (95 % CI 15·5 %, 24·2 %) of children belonging to the youngest age group (6-11 months) and 9 % (95 % CI 3·2 %, 12·5 %) of children whose mothers were aged less than 20 years at the time of their birth. Inadequate dietary diversity was attributed to 26 % (95 % CI 1·9 %, 37·8 %) of children who were born at home and 20 % (95 % CI 8·3, 29·5 %) of children whose mothers had no access to the radio. Inadequate introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods was attributed to 30 % (95 % CI 7·2 %, 38·9 %) of children from poor households. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the study suggest the need for community-based public health nutrition interventions to improve the nutritional status of Gambian children, which should focus on sociocultural and economic factors that negatively impact on complementary feeding practices early in infancy (6-11 months).

Trends and Predictors of Prelacteal Feeding Practices in Nigeria (2003-2013).

Prelacteal feeding practices are associated with an increased risk of diarrhoea and many early-life diseases. This paper examined trends and predictors of prelacteal feeding practices in Nigeria. A sample of 6416 infants aged 0-6 months from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data for the period (2003-2013) was used. Trends and multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to determine the predictors. The trends of prelacteal feeding rates fluctuated between 55% and 66% over the study period and were significantly lower among mothers with secondary or higher levels of education (13.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54-25.9, p-value = 0.041), delivered at the health facility (13.7%, CI: 1.39-25.9, p-value = 0.029), from more affluent households (18.7%, CI: 1.53-35.9, p-value = 0.033), and lived in urban areas (26.9%, CI: 18.3-35.5, p-value < 0.001). Multivariable analyses revealed that mothers with no schooling, younger mothers (aged 15-24 years), mothers who delivered at home, and delivered by caesarean section were more likely to introduce prelacteal feeds. Many mothers still engage in prelacteal feeding practices in Nigeria, with prelacteal feeding more prevalent in young mothers, mothers with no schooling, and mothers who delivered at home. Interventions involving community health volunteers are needed to improve feeding practices in Nigeria.

The impact of water and sanitation on childhood mortality in Nigeria: evidence from demographic and health surveys, 2003-2013.

In Nigeria, approximately 109 million and 66 million people lack access to sanitation facilities and water, respectively. This study aimed to determine whether children under 5 years old without access to improved water and sanitation facilities are at higher risk of death in Nigeria. Pooled 2003, 2008 and 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data were used to examine the impact of water and sanitation on deaths of children aged 0-28 days, 1-11 months, and 12-59 months using Cox regression analysis. Survival information of 63,844 children was obtained, which included 6285 deaths of children under 5 years old; there were 2254 cases of neonatal mortality (0-28 days), 1859 cases of post-neonatal mortality (1-11 months) and 2,172 cases of child mortality (1-4 years old). Over a 10-year period, the odds of neonatal, post-neonatal and child deaths significantly reduced by 31%, 41% and 47% respectively. The risk of mortality from both unimproved water and sanitation was significantly higher by 38% (Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) = 1.38, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-1.66) for post-neonatal mortality and 24% (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04-1.48) for child mortality. The risk of neonatal mortality increased by 6% (HR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.85-1.23) but showed no significant effect. The Nigerian government needs to invest more in water and sanitation to reduce preventable child deaths.