Association between women's empowerment and fertility preferences in Ghana.

As Ghana has embraced the concept of women's empowerment as a vital tool for sustainable development, it has become crucial to evaluate the role that women's empowerment plays in the fertility preferences of married and cohabiting women in the country. The study's objective was to examine the association between women's empowerment, the ideal number of children and women's ability to have their desired number of children. This cross-sectional study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.

Female genital mutilation and safer sex negotiation among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa: Analysis of demographic and health survey data.

Background: The practice of female genital mutilation is associated with harmful social norms promoting violence against girls and women. Various studies have been conducted to examine the prevalence of female genital mutilation and its associated factors. However, there has been limited studies conducted to assess the association between female genital mutilation and markers of women's autonomy, such as their ability to negotiate for safer sex.

Assessing secondary school students' digital health literacy, information searching behaviours, and satisfaction with online COVID-19 information in Northern Ghana.

Available evidence suggests that managing the complexities of health information and the behaviours associated with information search call for adequate digital health literacy (DHL). Students' ability to judge the relevance of health-related information largely affects their level of satisfaction with the information. The study assessed DHL, information searching behaviours, and the link between DHL and COVID-19 information.

Prevalence and predictors of premarital sexual intercourse among young women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: Premarital sexual intercourse (PSI) without adequate information and/or appropriate application of the relevant knowledge about sex before marriage, potentially has adverse effects on the sexual and reproductive health outcomes of vulnerable young women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study sought to examine the prevalence and predictors of PSI among young women aged 15-24 in SSA.

Methods: Nationally representative cross-sectional data from 29 countries in SSA were extracted for the study.

Physical violence during pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: why it matters and who are most susceptible?

Objective: The study assessed the prevalence of physical violence against pregnant women and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Design: We analysed cross-sectional data of 108971 women in sexual unions from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys of 26 countries in SSA. The predictors of physical violence were examined using a multilevel binary logistic regression.

Subjective social status and well-being of adolescents and young adults in Ghanaian schools: conditional process analysis.

Background: With the growing concern and interest in the mental health and well-being of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) including those in schools, many studies have explored the bivariate relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and AYAs' subjective well-being (SWB). Acknowledging the spurious nature of this relationship, we assessed the relationship between SSS and SWB of AYAs in schools within Northern Ghana, focusing on the conditional indirect effect of monetary resource (MR) and sense of coherence (SoC).

Methods: We utilised a cross-sectional descriptive design to survey 1096 senior high school students from two regions in Ghana's Northern zone through a stratified sampling method.

Prevalence and predictors of infant and young child feeding practices in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: This study assessed the prevalence and predictors of minimum dietary diversity (MDD), minimum meal frequency (MMF), and minimum acceptable diet (MAD) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods: A sample of 87 672 mother-child pairs from the 2010-2020 Demographic and Health Surveys of 32 countries in SSA was used. Multilevel binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine the predictors of MDD, MMF, and MAD.

Partner alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence among women in Papua New Guinea: a cross-sectional analysis of Demographic and Health Survey.

Objective: We examined the association between partner alcohol consumption and the experience of intimate partner violence among women in Papua New Guinea.

Design: We performed a cross-sectional analyses of data extracted from the 2016-2018 Papua New Guinea Demographic and Health Survey. We included 3319 women in sexual unions.

Mother and newborn skin-to-skin contact and timely initiation of breastfeeding in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Mother and newborn skin-to-skin contact (SSC) plays a key role in breastfeeding practices of mothers. In this study, we examined the association between mother and newborn SSC and timely initiation of breastfeeding in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized nationally representative data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 17 countries in SSA from 2015 to 2020.

Improving Body Mass Index of School-Aged Children Using a Nine-Week Rope Skipping Training Intervention: A One-Group Pre-Test Post-Test Design.

Studies examining the effectiveness of rope skipping training to improve the body mass index (BMI) of school children are scarce. Hence, this study examined the effectiveness of nine-week skipping training on the BMI of primary six school-aged children (n = 77). The participants underwent 30 min of skipping training three days per week over a nine-week period.

Prevalence and predictors of oral rehydration therapy, zinc, and other treatments for diarrhoea among children under-five in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Despite the evidence-based effectiveness of diarrhoea treatment in preventing diarrhoea-related child mortality, the accessibility and utilization of diarrhoea treatments remain low in sub-Saharan Africa, even though these treatments are available. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of diarrhoea treatment among under-five children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: This study involved cross-sectional analyses of secondary data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys of 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Assessing the validity of digital health literacy instrument for secondary school students in Ghana: The polychoric factor analytic approach.

The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the heightened need for digital health literacy among the youth of school-going age. Despite the relevance of digital health literacy among the general public (including students), it appears the measurement of digital health literacy is still a challenge among researchers. Recently, Dadackinski and colleagues adapted existing digital health literacy measures to fit the COVID-19 situation.

Association between frequency of mass media exposure and maternal health care service utilization among women in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for tailored health communication and education.

Introduction: Awareness creation through mass media has the potential to promoted positive behaviors and discourage negative health-related behaviors through direct and indirect pathways. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to mass media and maternal health care services utilization among women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: We used data from the recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 2010 and 2020.

Psychometric properties of the cultural mix coping inventory for stressful situations using physical education teachers: a multidimensional item response theory analysis.

The incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic heightened the levels of stress of not only students but for teachers, particularly physical education (PE) teachers. The reference to PE teachers is due to their role in engaging students in practical in-person lessons after the resumption of school. Previous literature has revealed that PE teachers exhibit significantly increased levels of anxiety, fear, tension and uncertainty that they could contract the virus during these lessons.

Spatial distribution and predictors of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria.

Background: Globally, intimate partner violence is one of the major health problems women face every day. Its consequences are enormous. However, our search of the available literature revealed that no study had examined the spatial distribution of intimate partner violence and the predictors of intimate partner violence among women in Nigeria using current nationally representative data.

Birth weight and nutritional status of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: Over the past three decades, undernutrition has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years globally. Low birth weight has been identified as a risk factor for child morbidity and mortality, especially among children under five years in sub-Saharan Africa. There is, however, a paucity of empirical literature establishing the association between low birth weight and undernutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.

Re-assessing the Psychometric Properties of Stress Appraisal Measure in Ghana Using Multidimensional Graded Response Model.

Despite the widespread use of the stress appraisal measure questionnaire in sport psychology literature, information on the psychometric properties of this survey instrument across different cultures and samples is still lacking. This study sought to validate the stress appraisal measure among male football players in the Ghana's Premier League using the multidimensional item response theory. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted to recruit 424 footballers from the 2020/2021 Ghana Premier League season using the census approach.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Teachers' Classroom Safety Perception, Anxiety and Coping Strategies during Instructional Delivery.

Several professionals, including teachers, have been engrossed in fear of the worst happening due to COVID-19 and the rapidly evolving nature of the virus affecting the perception of safety in any working environment. This study examined teachers' perception of classroom safety, anxiety, and coping strategies during instructional delivery in senior high schools in Ghana. Adopting the cross-sectional survey design with a quantitative approach, a convenient sample of 174 senior high school teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis completed a questionnaire.

Prevalence and psychosocial factors associated with serious injuries among in-school adolescents in eight sub-Saharan African countries.

Background: Injury is one of the major causes of death and illness among children and adolescents worldwide. We sought to investigate the prevalence of serious injury and its associated factors among in-school adolescents in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: A sample of 14,967 in-school adolescents was drawn from the Global School-based Student Health Surveys conducted from 2012 to 2017 in eight sub-Saharan African countries.

The Association Between Bangladeshi Adults' Demographics, Personal Beliefs, and Nutrition Literacy: Evidence From a Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Poverty and health illiteracy, combined with inappropriate systems to track disease and infection rates, contribute to children-and-mothers' poor adherence to nutrient-rich foods intake in Bangladesh. Although risk factors for child and pregnant women malnutrition have been explored, the relationship between Bangladeshi adults' nutrition literacy and their demographics and personal beliefs remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between adults' nutrition literacy, demographics and personal beliefs in a large sample of Bangladeshi adults.

Gender Risk Perception and Coping Mechanisms among Ghanaian University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Recent research has shown that gender is an important driver of the risk of mortality and morbidity rates for people with COVID-19, with case fatality rates being higher for women than men. Despite this pattern, research is sparse on gender risk perception and potential coping mechanisms. This study examined the role gender plays in the relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and coping mechanisms among university students.

Sexual violence and self-reported sexually transmitted infections among women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sexual violence has proven to be associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We examined the association between sexual violence and self-reported STIs (SR-STIs) among women in sexual unions in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. This was a cross-sectional study involving the analysis of data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) from 15 countries in SSA.

Spatial distribution and factors associated with adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria: a multi-level analysis.

Background: Adolescent pregnancy is a global public health and social phenomenon. However, the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy varies between and within countries. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the spatial distribution and factors associated with adolescent pregnancy in Nigeria.