Psychological distress and social support among conflict refugees in urban, semi-rural and rural settlements in Uganda: burden and associations.

Background: Recent research shows that psychological distress is on the rise globally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed on populations to manage it. We studied the association between psychological distress and social support among conflict refugees in urban, semi-rural and rural settlements in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey data on psychological distress, social support, demographics, socio-economic and behavioral variables was gathered from 1014 adult refugees randomly sampled from urban, semi-rural and rural refugee settlements in Uganda, using two-staged cluster sampling.

Healthworker preparedness for COVID-19 management and implementation experiences: a mixed methods study in Uganda's refugee-hosting districts.

Background: The negative impact of COVID-19 on population health outcomes raises critical questions on health system preparedness and resilience, especially in resource-limited settings. This study examined healthworker preparedness for COVID-19 management and implementation experiences in Uganda's refugee-hosting districts.

Methods: A cross sectional, mixed-method descriptive study in 17 health facilities in 7 districts from 4 major regions.

HIV viral load suppression following intensive adherence counseling among people living with HIV on treatment at military-managed health facilities in Uganda.

Background: Uniformed service personnel have an increased risk of poor viral load suppression (VLS). This study was performed to evaluate the outcomes of interventions to improve VLS in the 28 military health facilities in Uganda.

Methods: This operational research was conducted between October 2018 and September 2019, among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the 28 health facilities managed by the military in Uganda.

Predictors of teenage pregnancy among girls aged 13-19 years in Uganda: a community based case-control study.

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a serious public health and social problem, with 95% occurring in developing countries. The aim of the study was to investigate the behavioural, familial and social factors associated with teenage pregnancy among girls aged 13-19 years in Lira District, Uganda.

Methods: Primary data from a case-control study of teenage girls (aged 13-19 years) in Lira District, Uganda was analysed.

Children who have received no routine polio vaccines in Nigeria: Who are they and where do they live?

Nigeria has made remarkable progress against polio, but 2 wild polio virus cases were reported in August 2016; putting an end to 2 y without reported cases. We examined the extent of geographical disparities in childhren not vaccinated against polio and examined individual- and community-level predictors of non-vaccination in Nigeria. We applied multilevel logistic regression models to the recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey.

The Influence of Individual and Contextual Socioeconomic Status on Obstetric Care Utilization in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Population-based Study.

Background: Maternal health care utilization continues to focus on the agenda of health care planners around the world, with high attention being paid to the developing countries. The devastating effect of maternal death at birth on the affected families is untold. This study examines the utilization of obstetric care in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Childhood and adolescent injuries in elementary schools in north-western Uganda: extent, risk and associated factors.

Childhood injuries remain understudied in Uganda. The objective of this study was to determine the extent, nature and determinants of school-related childhood injury risk in north-western Uganda. A cohort of 1000 grade fives from 13 elementary schools was followed-up for one term.

Screening for Intimate Partner Violence against Women in Healthcare Sweden: Prevalence and Determinants.

We assessed the extent to which healthcare providers at a large healthcare facility in Sweden screen for intimate partner violence against women and the determinants of such screening. Data on frequency of screening, readiness to screen on many dimensions (using the Domestic Violence Healthcare Provider Survey Scale), demographic and occupational characteristics were administered electronically to 217 healthcare providers. We found that only 50% of participants had during the past 3 month screened for IPV at least once, and screening activity was marked with inequalities in measured individual characteristics.

Are individual and community acceptance and witnessing of intimate partner violence related to its occurrence? Multilevel structural equation model.

Background: Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a serious and widespread problem worldwide. Much of the research on IPVAW focused on individual-level factors and attention has been paid to the contextual factors. The aim of this study was to develop and test a model of individual- and community-level factors associated with IPVAW.

Neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, individual wealth status and patterns of delivery care utilization in Nigeria: a multilevel discrete choice analysis.

Background: High maternal mortality continues to be a major public health problem in most part of the developing world, including Nigeria. Understanding the utilization pattern of maternal healthcare services has been accepted as an important factor for reducing maternal deaths. This study investigates the effect of neighborhood and individual socioeconomic position on the utilization of different forms of place of delivery among women of reproductive age in Nigeria.

Unintentional childhood injury patterns, odds, and outcomes in Kampala City: an analysis of surveillance data from the National Pediatric Emergency Unit.

Background: Unintentional Childhood Injuries pose a major public health challenge in Africa and Uganda. Previous estimates of the problem may have underestimated the childhood problem. We set to determine unintentional childhood injury pattern, odds, and outcomes at the National Paediatric Emergency unit in Kampala city using surveillance data.

Assessment of the structural validity of the domestic violence healthcare providers' survey questionnaire using a Nigerian sample.

Background: There has been increased advocacy to involve healthcare providers in the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) through screening for it in healthcare. Yet, only one in ten providers screen for IPV, suggesting barriers. Understanding the readiness of healthcare providers to screen for IPV is therefore paramount.

Burnout, workplace violence and social support among drivers and conductors in the road passenger transport sector in Maputo City, Mozambique.

Objectives: Workplace violence is a work stressor which is presumed to lead to burnout, whereas social support is hypothesized to buffer the impact of such a stressor on health outcomes. In this study the association between burnout and workplace violence was investigated, and the role played by social support in moderating the relationship assessed. The study group consisted of workers in the road passenger transport sector in Maputo City, Mozambique.

Socio-economic determinants in selecting childhood diarrhoea treatment options in Sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel model.

Background: Diarrhoea disease which has been attributed to poverty constitutes a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children aged five and below in most low-and-middle income countries. This study sought to examine the contribution of individual and neighbourhood socio-economic characteristics to caregiver's treatment choices for managing childhood diarrhoea at household level in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: Multilevel multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to Demographic and Health Survey data conducted in 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Contraception, reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes among women exposed to intimate partner violence in Nigeria.

Objectives: To examine the association between reproductive health practices/outcomes and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in Nigeria. More specifically, the association between IPV and use of contraception; miscarriages,induced abortions, stillbirths, and infant mortality; and having many children, was assessed.

Methods: Data on studied variables were retrieved from the Demographic and Health Surveys of Nigeria 2008, a nationally representative sample of 33,385 women of reproductive age.

The role of individual, community and societal gender inequality in forming women's attitudes toward intimate-partner violence against women: a multilevel analysis.

Background: Establishing risk factors for intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is crucial for addressing women's health and development. Acceptance of IPVAW has been suggested as one of the strongest predictors of IPVAWs. The aim of this study was to examine the independent contributions of individual, community, and societal measures of gender inequality in forming women's attitudes toward IPVAW.

Health care providers' readiness to screen for intimate partner violence in Northern Nigeria.

Research on screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) within health care in a sub-Saharan African context is rare. This paper assessed factors associated with the readiness to screen for IPV among care providers (HCP, n = 274) at Kano hospital, Nigeria. Readiness was measured using the Domestic Violence Health Care Providers' survey instrument, which measures grade of perceived self-efficacy in screening for IPV, fear for victim/provider safety, access to system support to refer IPV victims, professional roles resistant/ fear of offending clients, and blaming the victim for being abused victim.

Childhood vitamin A capsule supplementation coverage in Nigeria: a multilevel analysis of geographic and socioeconomic inequities.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a huge public health burden among preschool-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa, and is associated with a high level of susceptibility to infectious diseases and pediatric blindness. We examined the Nigerian national vitamin A capsule (VAC) supplementation program, a short-term cost-effective intervention for prevention of VAD-associated morbidity for equity in terms of socioeconomic and geographic coverage. Using the most current, nationally representative data from the 2008 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey, we applied multilevel regression analysis on 19,555 children nested within 888 communities across the six regions of Nigeria.

Intentional injuries among Ugandan youth: a trauma registry analysis.

Purpose: To determine intentional injury burden, incident characteristics, and outcomes among Ugandan youth.

Methods: A cross sectional analysis of trauma registry data from accident and emergency units of five regional referral hospitals was conducted. Data had been prospectively collected from all patients accessing injury care at the five sites between July 2004 and June 2005: youth records were analysed.

Social indicators and physical abuse of women by intimate partners: a study of women in Zambia.

Intimate partner physical abuse (IPPA) of women is a societal problem with sinister implications on health. IPPA has been integrally linked to social status though the direction of association remains elusive, not the least in sub-Saharan Africa. This article investigated the association between IPPA and social status of women in Zambia.

Sex disparities in attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women in sub-Saharan Africa: a socio-ecological analysis.

Background: Attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) has been suggested as one of the prominent predictor of IPVAW. In this study, we take a step back from individual-level variables and examine relationship between societal-level measures and sex differences in attitudes towards IPVAW.

Methods: We used meta-analytic procedure to synthesize the results of most recent data sets available from Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa conducted between 2003 and 2007.

Women's attitudes towards discontinuation of female genital mutilation in Egypt.

Background: To examine women's attitude towards discontinuation of female genital mutilation (FGM) in association with their access to information, knowledge of health effects and cultural beliefs concerning FGM in Egypt.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 9159 women, using data from the household survey in Egypt by Demographic and Health survey 2003. A comprehensive questionnaire covering attitudes towards FGM, demographics, and access to information was used.

The relationship between intimate partner violence and maternal practices to correct child behavior: a study on women in Egypt.

Background: This paper scrutinizes the association between maternal practices to correct child behavior and the mothers' exposure to and attitudes towards intimate partner violence (IPV).

Methods: Nationally representative data comprising 14 016 married women were retrieved from the Egyptian Demographic and Health Survey, 2005. Data on practices used to correct child behavior, exposure to IPV, attitudes towards IPV were our primary interest.

Structural validity and reliability of the integrated conflict and violence scale.

The study validated structure stability, reliability and sub-scale distinctiveness of integrated conflict and violence scale (ICVS) and was cross-sectional; war-affected grade 5 school children participated. ICV internal factorial validity and reliability were evaluated; eigenvalue size and scree plots were used for factor selection. A variable retention factor load threshold of >0.

Exposure to workplace violence and quality of life among drivers and conductors in Maputo city, Mozambique.

This cross-sectional study examined exposure to workplace violence and its consequences on quality of life (QOL) among workers in the road passenger transport sector in Maputo city, Mozambique. A random sample of 504 drivers and conductors were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Many participants reported experiencing psychological or physical violence at work.