PLoS One
December 2024
Introduction: Cervical cancer is a major public health problem worldwide, and is mainly caused by human papillomaviruses. More than 90% of cervical cancer cases can be prevented by using a human papilloma vaccine and screening. Despite the ongoing global cervical cancer screening target, uptake remains unacceptably low in sub-Saharan Africa such as Tanzania.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mental health problems, particularly anxiety and depression, are indeed among the leading health challenges worldwide, affecting individuals across all age groups and geographic locations. The relationship between mental health and socioeconomic factors, including household wealth status, is well-documented. However, there are currently no studies demonstrating a causal relationship between household wealth and common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Background: Cataract, despite being treatable, persists to have a devastating impact on people's health and livelihoods all over the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), 1.7 million people are blind and 6.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Perinatal mortality is a major global public health concern, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite perinatal mortality being a major public health concern in SSA, there are very limited studies on the incidence and factors associated with perinatal mortality. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the factors associated with perinatal mortality in SSA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Proper nutrition during early childhood is essential for healthy growth and development, yet many children, particularly in low and middle-income countries, fail to meet recommended intake levels of fruits and vegetables. This study aims to assess the factors associated with zero vegetable and fruit (ZVF) consumption among children aged 6-23 months in Tanzania, using data from the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).
Methods: A weighted sample of 4582 children aged between 6 and 23 months were included in the study.
Front Psychiatry
September 2024
Introduction: Human rights violations and violence against women are serious public health issues that have numerous detrimental repercussions on one's physical, emotional, sexual, and reproductive health. According to studies, women's perceptions and traits of violence are highly predictive of their likelihood of seeking help against violence. Even though intimate partner violence is a huge challenge nowadays in Africa, there is a low level of help-seeking behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sexual violence against women is a pervasive public health challenge and human rights violation, with global prevalence rates of approximately one in three women affected, notably prevalent in African countries. Understanding its multifaceted determinants is crucial for developing targeted intervention strategies. Thus, this study aimed to investigate factors associated with sexual violence against reproductive-age ever-married women in Ghana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sexual violence is a violation of women's rights, resulting in significant physical and psychological challenges and adverse reproductive health outcomes. Addressing these issues demands urgent public health interventions and support systems to mitigate the profound impact on individuals and societies. Thus, this study aimed to assess sexual violence against ever-married reproductive-age women in East Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
September 2024
Background: According to the WHO, obstetric fistula (OBF) is an abnormal connection between the genital tract and the urinary tract that occurs as the result of obstetric trauma, typically from prolonged obstructed labour. In 2018, globally, 50 000 and 100 000 cases of OBF are reported each year. The core of activities focused on reducing fistulas depends on a review of the disorder's knowledge and the features of women at risk of having a lack of understanding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Addressing the global challenge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is crucial and demands immediate attention. Raising awareness, improving healthcare facilities, and implementing preventive measures are necessary to reduce the spread and mitigate their adverse effects. The treatment seeking behavior of individuals in relation to STIs is an important factor in STI prevention and control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
August 2024
Introduction: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is the most prevalent form of violence against women globally and is more prevalent than rape or other violent attacks by strangers. Different observational studies have established a strong positive association between alcohol use and intimate partner violence. Even though there are a lot of studies that show the association between partner alcohol use and intimate partner violence limited studies were conducted that show the direct causative relations of partner alcohol use and IPV among reproductive-age women in East Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The maternal continuum of care (CoC) is a cost-effective approach to mitigate preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. Women in developing countries, including Tanzania, face an increased vulnerability to significant dropout rates from maternal CoC, and addressing dropout from the continuum remains a persistent public health challenge.
Method: This study used the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS).
BMC Public Health
April 2024
Introduction: Fever and cough in under-five children are common and predominately self-limiting illnesses. Inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics in sub-Saharan Africa is a significant public health concern. However, prescription sources and use among children with fever or cough have not been explored.
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