Articles

Emerging trends and patterns of self-reported morbidity in India: Evidence from three rounds of national sample survey

India is rapidly undergoing an epidemiological transition with a sudden change in the disease profile of its population. It is important to understand the changing nature of the burden of disease across the st...

Authors: Kalosona Paul and Jayakant Singh

Prevalence and sociodemographic patterns of physical activity among Bangladeshi young adults

Physical activity offers physical and psychosocial health benefits that are important during young adulthood and later in life. However, little is known about the physical activity of young adults in low- and ...

Authors: Riaz Uddin, Asaduzzaman Khan and Nicola W Burton

Association of antenatal care and place of delivery with newborn care practices: evidence from a cross-sectional survey in rural Uttar Pradesh, India

Appropriate immediate newborn care is vital for neonatal survival. Antenatal period is a crucial time to impart knowledge and awareness to mothers regarding newborn care, either during facility visits or durin...

Authors: Niveditha Devasenapathy, Sutapa B. Neogi, Srinivasan Soundararajan, Danish Ahmad, Avishek Hazra, Jaleel Ahmad, Neelakshi Mann and Dileep Mavalankar

Community dialogues for child health: results from a qualitative process evaluation in three countries

Across the developing world, countries are increasingly adopting the integrated community case management of childhood illnesses (iCCM) strategy in efforts to reduce child mortality. This intervention’s effect...

Authors: Sandrine Martin, Jordana Leitão, Denis Muhangi, Anthony Nuwa, Dieterio Magul and Helen Counihan

A case–control study on egg consumption and risk of stroke among Iranian population

Most available data that linked intake of egg to risk of stroke came from western countries, with conflicting findings. We aimed to examine the association between egg consumption and risk of stroke among Iran...

Authors: Roohallah Fallah-Moshkani, Mohammad Saadatnia, Forough Shakeri, Ammar Hassanzadeh Keshteli, Parvane Saneei, Bagher Larijani and Ahmad Esmaillzadeh

Temporal changes and determinants of childhood nutritional status in Kenya and Zambia

The prevalence of undernutrition is decreasing in many parts of the developing world, but challenges remain in many countries. The objective of this study was to determine factors influencing childhood nutriti...

Authors: Daniel Hoffman, Thomas Cacciola, Pamela Barrios and James Simon

Nutritional status of preschool children attending kindergartens in Kosovo

There is very limited data on malnutrition of preschool children in Kosovo. The main objective of the study is to provide a nutritional status profile of preschool children attending kindergartens in Kosovo.

Authors: Agim Rysha, Tahire M. Gjergji and Angelika Ploeger

Survival analysis of under-five mortality using Cox and frailty models in Ethiopia

The risk of a child dying before reaching 5 years of age is highest in sub-Saharan African countries. But in Ethiopia, under-five mortality rates have shown a substantial decline.

Authors: Dawit G. Ayele, Temesgen T. Zewotir and Hemry Mwambi

Obesity indices predict hypertension among indigenous adults in Krau Wildlife Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia

The disease burden of indigenous peoples has been augmented by the rising prevalence of obesity and hypertension in this population. This study assessed the ability of obesity indices to predict hypertension a...

Authors: Ee Yin Chua, Mohd Shariff Zalilah, Karppaya Haemamalar, Sulaiman Norhasmah and Appannah Geeta

Gender differences in hypertension awareness, antihypertensive use and blood pressure control in Bangladeshi adults: findings from a national cross-sectional survey

Bangladesh is facing an epidemiological transition with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Traditionally, hypertension and associated complications in women receive less recognition, and there is a...

Authors: Muntasirur Rahman, Gail Williams and Abdullah Al Mamun

Lifestyle factors and co-morbidities associated with obesity and overweight in Nkonkobe Municipality of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Obesity is a global epidemic that affects 500 million people worldwide and is predicted to increase to one billion people by 2030. The prevalence of obesity is increasing across populations in South Africa. Ho...

Authors: Wilfred Otang-Mbeng, Gloria Aderonke Otunola and Anthony Jide Afolayan

Seasonal variations of vitamin D and its relation to lipid profile in Iranian children and adults

Vitamin D has a multitude of functional properties and acts like a hormone in the body. Its effect on the lipid profile is one of the proposed mechanisms for its relationship with many disorders during its def...

Authors: Sakineh Nouri Saeidlou, Davoud Vahabzadeh, Fariba Babaei and Zakaria Vahabzadeh

Partnering with women collectives for delivering essential women’s nutrition interventions in tribal areas of eastern India: a scoping study

We examined the feasibility of engaging women collectives in delivering a package of women’s nutrition messages/services as a funded stakeholder in three tribal-dominated districts of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chh...

Authors: Vani Sethi, Arti Bhanot, Surbhi Bhalla, Sourav Bhattacharjee, Abner Daniel, Deepika Mehrish Sharma, Rajkumar Gope and Saba Mebrahtu

High prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Peruvian adolescents living in a peri-urban shantytown: a cross-sectional study

Adults of the peri-urban Peruvian shantytown of Lomas de Zapallal have a high prevalence of risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD)—likely due to behavioral choices established during childhoo...

Authors: Elizabeth S. Abbs, José Viñoles, Jorge O. Alarcón, Heather M. Johnson and Joseph R. Zunt

Meal frequency and dietary diversity feeding practices among children 6–23 months of age in Wolaita Sodo town, Southern Ethiopia

Child feeding practices are multidimensional, and they change rapidly within short age intervals. Suboptimal complementary feeding practices contribute to a rapid increase in the prevalence of undernutrition i...

Authors: Tefera Chane Mekonnen, Shimelash Bitew Workie, Tesfa Mekonen Yimer and Wubalem Fekadu Mersha

Malnutrition and poor oral health status are major risks among primary school children at Lasbela, Balochistan, Pakistan

This survey was focusing on health and oral hygiene status of primary school children at Lasbela district considering the comparatively less developed and socio demographically deprived part of the Country.

Authors: Muhammad Ayaz Mustufa, Abdul Karim Jamali, Ifra Sameen, Fateh Muhammad Burfat, Mir Yousaf Baloch, Abdul Hameed Baloch, Ghulam Rasool Baloch, Shazia Kulsoom Lashari, Sobiya Mohiuddin Ayaz and Muhammad Younus Baloch

Erratum to: Investigation of the association between the TCF7L2 rs7903146 (C/T) gene polymorphism and obesity in a Cameroonian population: a pilot study

Authors: Aurelie Nguimmo-Metsadjio, Barbara Atogho-Tiedeu, Jean Jacques Noubiap, Marie-Solange Evehe, Rosine Djokam-Dadjeu, Olivier Sontsa Donfack, Dieudonne Nanfa, Edith Pascale M. Mato, Elvis Ndonwi Ngwa, Magellan Guewo-Fokeng, Priscille Pokam-Fosso, Wilfred F. Mbacham, Jean Claude Mbanya and Eugene Sobngwi

Intestinal parasitic infections and its association with undernutrition and CD4 T cell levels among HIV/AIDS patients on HAART in Butajira, Ethiopia

Intestinal parasitic infections and HIV/AIDS have been the major public health problems and remain a vital cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Both problems are linked in a vicious cycle....

Authors: Dereje Gedle, Gemechu Kumera, Tewodros Eshete, Kasahun Ketema, Haweni Adugna and Fetuma Feyera

Erratum to: Utilization of health facilities and predictors of health-seeking behavior for under-five children with acute diarrhea in slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

Authors: Metadel Adane, Bezatu Mengistie, Worku Mulat, Helmut Kloos and Girmay Medhin

Analyzing the association between fish consumption and osteoporosis in a sample of Chinese men

The main purpose of this study was to estimate the associations between frequency of fish food consumption and osteoporosis (OP) in general Chinese men.

Authors: Xia Li, Tao Lei, Zihui Tang and Jingcheng Dong

Investigation of the association between the TCF7L2 rs7903146 (C/T) gene polymorphism and obesity in a Cameroonian population: a pilot study

This study aimed at investigating the association between the rs7903146 (C/T) polymorphism of the TCF7L2 gene with obesity in a Cameroonian population.

Authors: Aurelie Nguimmo-Metsadjio, Barbara Atogho-Tiedeu, Jean Jacques Noubiap, Marie-Solange Evehe, Rosine Djokam-Dadjeu, Olivier Sontsa Donfack, Dieudonne Nanfa, Edith Pascale M. Mato, Elvis Ndonwi Ngwa, Magellan Guewo-Fokeng, Priscille Pokam-Fosso, Wilfred F. Mbacham, Jean Claude Mbanya and Eugene Sobngwi

Barriers to and facilitators of hypertension management in Asmara, Eritrea: patients’ perspectives

Personal hypertension management is a cornerstone in the prevention of hypertension complications. In Eritrea, the increase in the national life expectancy rate has been accompanied by an increase in hypertens...

Authors: Merhawi Teklezgi Gebrezgi, Mary Jo Trepka and Eyob Azaria Kidane

Development and validation of an Arabic questionnaire to assess psychosocial determinants of eating behavior among adolescents: a cross-sectional study

There is a scarcity of studies that evaluate the psychosocial determinants of eating behavior among adolescents in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The availability of such data is limited by the lack of vali...

Authors: Leila Itani, Hanadi Chatila, Hani Dimassi and Fikrat El Sahn

Utilization of health facilities and predictors of health-seeking behavior for under-five children with acute diarrhea in slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

Information on health-seeking behavior and utilization of health facilities in slums of Addis Ababa is scarce, impeding the implementation of effective interventions. The purpose of this study is to assess the...

Authors: Metadel Adane, Bezatu Mengistie, Worku Mulat, Helmut Kloos and Girmay Medhin

The gender gap in relation to happiness and preferences in married couples after childbirth: evidence from a field experiment in rural Ghana

How does the gap in preferences between married couples affect their happiness after childbirth? Are couples that share similar preferences happier? In recent years, gender, marriage, and happiness have been c...

Authors: Yusuke Kamiya, Bright Akpalu, Emmanuel Mahama, Emmanuel Kwesi Ayipah, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Abraham Hodgson, Akira Shibanuma, Kimiyo Kikuchi and Masamine Jimba

Treatment outcomes of severe acute malnutrition in children treated within Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) at Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia: retrospective cross-sectional study

Children in third world countries suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in an extent of public health important. SAM management protocol available this time brought the approach from facility-based to co...

Authors: Mulugeta Yohannis Kabalo and Canaan Negash Seifu

Personal values, marketing attitudes and nutrition trust are associated with patronage of convenience food outlets in the Asia-Pacific region: a cross-sectional study

An online cross-sectional survey examined the relationships between the demographic characteristics, personal values, trust in sources of nutrition information and the use of convenience food outlets among mid...

Authors: Breanna De Jong, Anthony Worsley, Wei Chun Wang, Rani Sarmugam, Quynh Pham, Judhiastuty Februhartanty and Stacey Ridley

Prevalence of dengue and diversity of cultivable bacteria in vector Aedes aegypti (L.) from two dengue endemic districts, Kanchanpur and Parsa of Nepal

Dengue fever, an endemic arboviral disease, represents one of the major public health concerns in Nepal. It is transmitted by bites of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, the former being primary vector....

Authors: Srinivas Thapa, Narayan Dutt Pant, Rojina Shrestha, Ganga GC, Bidya Shrestha, Basu Dev Pandey and Ishan Gautam

Socio-demographic characteristics and psychosocial consequences of sickle cell disease: the case of patients in a public hospital in Ghana

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is of major public health concern globally, with majority of patients living in Africa. Despite its relevance, there is a dearth of research to determine the socio-demographic distrib...

Authors: Vincent A. Adzika, Franklin N. Glozah, Desmond Ayim-Aboagye and Collins S. K. Ahorlu

Sickle cell disease and pregnancy outcomes: a study of the community-based hospital in a tribal block of Gujarat, India

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder prevalent in tribal regions of India. SCD can increase complications during pregnancy and in turn negatively influence pregnancy outcomes. This study re...

Authors: Gayatri Desai, Ankit Anand, Pankaj Shah, Shobha Shah, Kapilkumar Dave, Hardik Bhatt, Shrey Desai and Dhiren Modi

Trends, determinants and inequities of 4⁺ ANC utilisation in Bangladesh

The objectives of this study are to document the trend on utilisation of four or more (4⁺) antenatal care (ANC) over the last 22 years period and to explore the determinants and inequity of 4⁺ ANC utilisation as ...

Authors: Aminur Rahman, Monjura Khatun Nisha, Tahmina Begum, Sayem Ahmed, Nurul Alam and Iqbal Anwar

Factors influencing contraceptive use and non-use among women of advanced reproductive age in Nigeria

Factors influencing contraceptive use and non-use among women of advanced reproductive age have been insufficiently researched in Nigeria. This study examines factors influencing contraceptive use and non-use ...

Authors: Bola Lukman Solanke

Bibliometric analysis of publications on Campylobacter: (2000–2015)

Campylobacter species are widespread zoonotic pathogens. Campylobacter jejuni causes a form of gastroenteritis called campylobacteriosis. Campylobacter drug resistance is considered a ...

Authors: Waleed M. Sweileh, Samah W. Al-Jabi, Ansam F. Sawalha, Adham S. AbuTaha and Sa’ed H. Zyoud

The impact of household wealth on child survival in Ghana

Improving child health is one of the major policy agendas for most of the governments, especially in the developing countries. These governments have been implementing various strategies such as improving heal...

Authors: Stella T. Lartey, Rasheda Khanam and Shingo Takahashi

The effects of MCH insurance cards on improving equity in access and use of maternal and child health care services in Tanzania: a mixed methods analysis

Inequity in access and use of child and maternal health services is impeding progress towards reduction of maternal mortality in low-income countries. To address low usage of maternal and newborn health care s...

Authors: August Kuwawenaruwa, Gemini Mtei, Jitihada Baraka and Kassimu Tani

Shigellosis in Nepal: 13 years review of nationwide surveillance

Shigella is a major cause of gastroenteritis especially in children. In developing countries, the incidence is frequent and results are often life threatening. Changing epidemiology an...

Authors: Geeta Shakya, Jyoti Acharya, Shailaja Adhikari and Nisha Rijal

Factors associated with compliance to recommended micronutrients uptake for prevention of anemia during pregnancy in urban, peri-urban, and rural communities in Southeast Nigeria

The study investigated the factors associated with compliance to the recommended ≥90-day uptake of micronutrients for prevention of iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy in Nigeria.

Authors: Nkechi G. Onyeneho, Ngozi I’Aronu, Ngozi Chukwu, Uju Patricia Agbawodikeizu, Malgorzata Chalupowski and S. V. Subramanian

A home calendar and recall method of last menstrual period for estimating gestational age in rural Bangladesh: a validation study

The best method of gestational age assessment is by ultrasound in the first trimester; however, this method is impractical in large field trials in rural areas. Our objective was to assess the validity of gest...

Authors: Alison D. Gernand, Rina Rani Paul, Barkat Ullah, Muhammad A. Taher, Frank R. Witter, Lee Wu, Alain B. Labrique, Keith P. West Jr. and Parul Christian

Association among dietary magnesium, serum magnesium, and diabetes: a cross-sectional study in middle-aged and older adults

A number of studies have reported the association between magnesium (Mg) and diabetes. However, the various conclusions were inconsistent and the data on the Chinese population was limited. The objective of th...

Authors: Jie Wei, Chao Zeng, Xiao-xiao Li, Qian-yi Gong, Guang-hua Lei and Tu-bao Yang

Mean platelet volume in children with hepatitis A

Mean platelet volume (MPV), which is commonly used as a measure of platelet size, indicates the rate of platelet production and platelet activation. We aimed to evaluate the mean platelet volume in children wi...

Authors: Fatih Akın, Ahmet Sert and Şükrü Arslan

A field tool for prediction of body fat in Sri Lankan women: skinfold thickness equation

Valid skinfold thickness (SFT) equations for the prediction of body fat are currently unavailable for South Asian women and would be a potentially robust field tool. Our aim was to assess the validity of exist...

Authors: Indu Waidyatilaka, Angela de Silva, Maduka de Lanerolle-Dias, Sunethra Atukorala and Pulani Lanerolle

Optimal cutoff of the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol  ratio to detect cardiovascular risk factors among Han adults in Xinjiang

To determine whether TG/HDL-C ratio, which has been shown to be an indicator of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance (IR), can predict cardiovascular risk factors in the Chinese Han population ...

Authors: Hua-Yin Li, Bang-Dang Chen, Yi-Tong Ma, Yi-Ning Yang, Xiang Ma, Fen Liu, Zhen-Yan Fu, Xiang Xie, Xiao-Mei Li, Shuo Pan, Chun-Hui He, Ying-Ying Zheng, Yun Wu, Jing Tao, Chun-Lan Dong and Ting-Ting Wu

Anaemia is typical of pregnancies: capturing community perception and management of anaemia in pregnancy in Anambra State, Nigeria

Anaemia during pregnancy continues to constitute significant challenge to maternal health in Nigeria and contributes substantially to the worsening maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Nigeria despite a global re...

Authors: Nkechi G. Onyeneho and Obianuju U. Igweonu

Maternal hyperglycemia during labor and related immediate post-partum maternal and perinatal outcomes at the Yaoundé Central Hospital, Cameroon

Data on the prevalence and complications of gestational diabetes are very scarce in Cameroon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the uptake of screening for gestational diabetes and assess the immediate pos...

Authors: Manuella Djomhou, Eugene Sobngwi, Jean Jacques N. Noubiap, Mickael Essouma, Philip Nana and Nelson J. Fomulu

Identification of bacterial contaminants in polyherbal medicines used for the treatment of tuberculosis in Amatole District of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, using rapid 16S rRNA technique

Polyherbal medicines are used for the treatment of many diseases in many African and Asian communities. With the increasing use of these remedies, several investigations have shown that they are associated wit...

Authors: Elizabeth Bosede Famewo, Anna Maria Clarke and Anthony Jide Afolayan

Safe distances between groundwater-based water wells and pit latrines at different hydrogeological conditions in the Ganges Atrai floodplains of Bangladesh

Groundwater drawn from shallow tubewells in Bangladesh is often polluted by nearby pit latrines, which are commonly used toilets in rural and sub-urban areas of the country.

Authors: M. Sirajul Islam, Zahid Hayat Mahmud, M. Shafiqul Islam, Ganesh Chandra Saha, Anwar Zahid, AHM Zulfiquar Ali, M. Qumrul Hassan, Khairul Islam, Hasin Jahan, Yakub Hossain, M. Masud Hasan, Sandy Cairncross, Richard Carter, Stephen P. Luby, Alejandro Cravioto, Hubert Ph. Endtz…

Alcohol consumption among university students: a Sino-German comparison demonstrates a much lower consumption of alcohol in Chinese students

Alcohol use is reported in university students with discrepancy between countries. The study objectives were to assess prevalence and associated factors of alcohol consumption among university students in Germ...

Authors: Janet Junqing Chu, Heiko J. Jahn, Mobarak Hossain Khan and Alexander Kraemer

Subjective evaluation of the frequency of coffee intake and relationship to osteoporosis in Chinese men

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between frequency of coffee intake and osteoporosis (OP) in a general Chinese male sample.

Authors: Qian Yu, Zhong-Hua Liu, Tao Lei and Zihui Tang

Assessment of mineral intake in the diets of Polish postmenopausal women in relation to their BMI—the RAC-OST-POL study

The diets of postmenopausal women in Western countries tend to be deficient in minerals, even if the energy value is at the recommended level. The objective of the presented population-based cohort study was t...

Authors: Dominika Głąbska, Dariusz Włodarek, Aleksandra Kołota, Aleksandra Czekajło, Bogna Drozdzowska and Wojciech Pluskiewicz

Dietary habits, food taboos, and perceptions towards weight gain during pregnancy in Arsi, rural central Ethiopia: a qualitative cross-sectional study

The nutritional status of women before and during pregnancy can be determined by maternal knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards certain foods. The present study aimed to explore maternal dietary habits...

Authors: Taddese Alemu Zerfu, Melaku Umeta and Kaleab Baye