HIV testing among women of reproductive age in 28 sub-Saharan African countries: a multilevel modelling.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains one of the most significant public health challenges globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although HIV testing is a vital step for both prevention and treatment, its uptake is still low in SSA. We therefore examined HIV testing in SSA and its individual/household and community factors among women of reproductive age groups (15-49 y).

Socioeconomic and residence-based related inequality in childhood vaccination in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Benin.

Background And Aims: Childhood vaccination remains a cost-effective strategy that has expedited the control and elimination of numerous diseases. Although coverage of new vaccines in low- and middle-income countries increased exponentially in the last two decades, progress on expanding routine vaccination services to reach all children remains low, and coverage levels in many countries remains inadequate. This study aimed to examine the pattern of wealth and residence-based related inequality in vaccination coverage through an equity lens.

Assessment and associated factors of comprehensive HIV knowledge in an at-risk population: a cross-sectional study from 19,286 young persons in Nigeria.

Background: The prevalence of HIV among young people aged 15-19 years in Nigeria is estimated as 3.5%, the highest among West and Central African countries. Comprehensive knowledge of HIV is associated with increased awareness of preventive interventions and a reduction in the spread of HIV.

Assessing the inequalities in demand for family planning satisfied in Ghana: evidence from the 1993-2014 Demographic and Health Surveys.

Background: Family planning is essential in promoting the well-being of women and their families and communities and ensuring quality of care in contraceptive use. This study sought to assess the trend and inequalities in the demand for family planning satisfied (DFPS) in Ghana from 1993 to 2014.

Methods: The World Health Organization's Health Equity Assessment Toolkit was employed to analyse the data.

Circumcising daughters in Nigeria: To what extent does education influence mothers' FGM/C continuation attitudes?

Education has been adjudged as an important behavioural change intervention and a key player in combating Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). An assumed pathway is that it influences FGM/C attitudes. However, empirical evidence that explores this assumption is scarce.

A qualitative study on health stigma and discrimination in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learnt from a public health perspective.

Background: Stigmatisation, misinformation and discrimination have been magnified globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The healthcare sector was not spared from this. We conducted a transnational study, using the Health Stigma and Discrimination framework (HSDF) to explore public perception and reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic in a multicultural context.

Non-adherence to WHO's recommended 8-contact model: geospatial analysis of the 2017 Maternal Health Survey.

Introduction: Evidence shows that most women in Ghana do not meet the minimum 8-contact model for antenatal care as recommended by WHO with only 31.2%-41.9% of them meeting the recommendation.

Age, geographical and socio-economic related inequalities in contraceptive prevalence: evidence from the 1993-2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys.

Background: Contraceptives afford individuals the opportunity to meet their reproductive needs and reduce maternal mortality. We aimed at assessing the trend and inequalities of contraceptive use in Ghana based on the 1993-2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys.

Methods: We used the World Health Organization's Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) software in analysing the data.

Intention to consume news personal social media network and political trust among young people: The evidence from Hong Kong.

Introduction: Assessing the effect of different media sources on political trust provides an overall picture of the role of the current media landscape in influencing the legitimacy of political institutions.

Methods: A cross-lagged model was developed and tested by applying it to a three-wave dataset obtained by surveying young people in Hong Kong in order to evaluate the unique impact of intention to consume news personal social media network on political trust.

Results: After controlling for the impact of other news channels and respondents' prior political interest, we found their political trust was most significantly affected by information intentionally obtained from friends and family through their personal social media network.

Does healthcare decision-making capacity affect women's justification of sexual violence? The situation of sub-Saharan Africa.

Sexual violence against women is commonly justified in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) despite international commitments to halt it. This study investigated the association between healthcare decision-making capacity and the justification of sexual violence among women in SSA. We used current datasets of 30 sub-Saharan African countries published between January 2010 and December 2018.

Socio-economic disadvantage and quality Antenatal Care (ANC) in Sierra Leone: Evidence from Demographic and Health Survey.

Introduction: Reduction of maternal mortality remains a global priority as highlighted by the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). This is critical in the case of Sierra Leone as the country is one of three (3) countries with the highest maternal mortality ratio globally, thus 1,120 per 100,000 live births. The approximate lifetime risk of maternal mortality in the country is 1 in 17, relative to 1 in 3,300 in high-income countries.

Trends and inequalities in children aged 6-59 months who received Vitamin A supplementation: evidence from the 2003, 2008 and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.

Background: Vitamin A deficiency is considered a public health issue, particularly among children under 5 years. Vitamin A supplementation is among the ten key essential nutrition actions put in place to tackle malnutrition in children and helps to reduce under-five mortality by almost a quarter in Vitamin A deficient areas. We, therefore, examined inequalities in Vitamin A uptake among children 6-59 months in Ghana.

Assessing COVID-19-related health literacy and associated factors among school teachers in Hong Kong, China.

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic developed rapidly, with changing guidelines, misinformation, inaccurate health information and rumors. This situation has highlighted the importance of health literacy, especially among educators. The aims of this study were (i) to assess COVID-19-specific health literacy among school teachers in Hong Kong and (ii) to examine its association with demographic factors, self-endangering work behaviors (i.

Interplay of health literacy, healthcare access and health behaviors with oral health status among older persons.

This study contributes to the ongoing debate on social determinants of oral health of older persons. Specifically, it examines the direct and indirect effects of health literacy and access to healthcare on oral health status of older persons. The study also investigates whether general health status and health behavior (routine medical check-ups) explain the association of health literacy and healthcare access with oral health status.

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Perceived Stress, Well-Being and Their Relations with Work-Related Behaviours among Hong Kong School Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The health and well-being of school leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic have been largely neglected compared to the health and well-being of students and teachers. This study assessed the magnitude of perceived stress and well-being and the associated factors, including number of working hours, work-related sense of coherence (work-SoC), perceived stress, self-endangering work behaviour, secondary burnout symptoms, and satisfaction with work, among school leaders in Hong Kong, China during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional, survey-based study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from 259 eligible school leaders in Hong Kong from April 2021 to February 2022.

Inequalities in the use of insecticide-treated nets by pregnant women in Ghana, 2011 and 2017.

Background: Pregnant women and children are the most vulnerable group of people usually affected by malaria. The use of insecticide-treated nets is one of the proven interventions for mitigating malaria and its associated deaths in endemic regions, including Ghana. Meanwhile, there is limited evidence on the extent of inequality in insecticide-treated nets use by pregnant women in Ghana.

Women's empowerment indicators and short- and long-acting contraceptive method use: evidence from DHS from 11 countries.

Background: With a population of about 1.1 billion, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to overtake Eastern, Southern and Central Asia to become the most populous region by 2060. One effective approach for slowing this rapid population growth is the use of modern contraception and this may be short-acting or long acting.

The Effects of Multidimensional Poverty on Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Hong Kong.

Poverty indicators such as income-based poverty, material deprivation, asset-based poverty, and expenditure-based poverty each carries an aspect of economic deprivation. This current study examined and compared the unique effects of each poverty dimension on life satisfaction during old age. We measured four poverty indicators-life satisfaction, social resources, physical health, and mental well-being-in a three-wave sample of older Hong Kong adults ( = 563).

Teachers' Well-Being and Associated Factors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Hong Kong, China.

School teachers have faced many challenges due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and public health-related containment measures. Recent studies have demonstrated high levels of stress and mental health issues among school teachers. To better understand teacher well-being and inform practices to support them in the face of the ongoing pandemic, we aimed to assess perceived stress, well-being and associated factors among school teachers in Hong Kong, China.

Inequalities in the prevalence of skilled birth attendance in Ghana between 1993 and 2014.

Background: Globally, maternal and neonatal health remains a public health priority, particularly for resource-constrained regions like sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Skilled birth attendance (SBA) is essential in promoting maternal and neonatal health. This study investigated the inequalities in the prevalence of SBA in Ghana using data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) between 1993 and 2014.

Health decision-making capacity and modern contraceptive utilization among sexually active women: Evidence from the 2014-2015 Chad Demographic and Health Survey.

Background: Globally, there has been an increase in the percentage of women in their reproductive ages who need modern contraceptives for family planning. However, in Chad, use of modern contraceptive is still low (with prevalence of 7.7%) and this may be attributable to the annual increase in growth rate by 3.

COVID-19-Related Health Literacy of School Leaders in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study.

To date, we know little about COVID-19-related health literacy among school leaders, particularly in East Asia. The present study aimed to assess the level of COVID-19-related health literacy and associated factors (vaccine hesitancy, self-endangering behaviour, and work satisfaction) among school leaders in Hong Kong. A cross-sectional study of 259 school leaders was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic between April 2021 and February 2022.

Uptake of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) in Uganda: a national survey.

Background: In spite of the missed opportunities of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) in Uganda, scanty literature exist on malaria in pregnancy. To date, empirical national study utilizing the 2018-19 Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey to explore predictors of attaining three or more doses of IPTp-SP in the country is non-existent. This study investigated the factors affecting uptake of three or more IPTp-SP doses as recommended by the World Health Organization.

Depression among poor older adults: The role of social support.

Rationale: Depression should be investigated not only as a psychiatric symptom but also as a social issue. This research responds to recent calls and contributes to an understanding of the role played by social factors in the route toward the development of depressive symptoms.

Objective: Our aim was to elaborate on the impact of poverty on depressive symptoms among Hong Kong's older people.