Physical activity and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania: insights for public health policy in low-income contexts.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic heightened anxiety levels globally, disproportionately affecting low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Physical activity (PA) has shown potential to alleviate mental health challenges, including anxiety. This study explores the relationship between PA and anxiety among Tanzanian adults during the pandemic, examining whether self-reported health status moderates this relationship and identifying demographic variations.

"Good fathers": Community perceptions of idealized fatherhood and reported fathering behaviors in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Globally, perceptions of idealized fatherhood have been expanding beyond men's breadwinning roles to also value men's engagement in nurturing care. While fathers' caregiving behaviors are increasing, most childcare activities are still largely performed by mothers. In this study, we unpacked community members' beliefs about the meaning of "good fathers" and explored the degree to which these values aligned with the main caregiving behaviors reported about fathers with young children under age 2 years in Mwanza, Tanzania.

: Women's economic empowerment and family caregiving dynamics in Tanzania.

Women's economic empowerment is recognized as a fundamental component of gender equality and global development. Despite a significant body of evidence highlighting the positive effects of women's labor force participation in low- and middle-income countries, relatively few studies have explored how caregivers of young children perceive women's economic empowerment in relation to childcare and family responsibilities. The objective of this study was to examine how mothers and fathers viewed the links between maternal employment and family caregiving dynamics specifically in terms of couples' relationships and parenting.

Self-perception of health and physical activity levels among the youth and adults before and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Emerging research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions led to decreased physical activity levels and poorer health globally. However, most studies on this topic have focused on advanced countries, leaving a gap in understanding the impact in countries like Ghana. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing self-perceived health status and physical activity levels among youth and adults in Ghana before, during, and after the COVID-19 restrictions.

Validating the efficacy and value proposition of mental fitness vocal biomarkers in a psychiatric population: prospective cohort study.

Background: The utility of vocal biomarkers for mental health assessment has gained increasing attention. This study aims to further this line of research by introducing a novel vocal scoring system designed to provide mental fitness tracking insights to users in real-world settings.

Methods: A prospective cohort study with 104 outpatient psychiatric participants was conducted to validate the "Mental Fitness Vocal Biomarker" (MFVB) score.