ABSTRACT
Background: Vitamin A deficiency is a common form of micronutrient malnutrition. The estimated relative risks associated with vitamin A deficiency in children were 1.86 (95% CI 1.32–2.59) for measles mortality, 2.15 (95% CI 1.83–2.58) for diarrhoea mortality, 1.78 (95% CI 1.43–2.19) for malaria mortality, 1.13 (95% CI 1.01–1.32) for other infectious disease mortality. Vitamin A supplementation reduces night blindness, child morbidity and mortality.Methods: This paper tries to explore the socio-demographic causes of receipt of vitamin A in selected lower-middle-income and low income countries by analysing the data of the demographic and health surveys from 2012 and 2016 using PASW 18.0 software. Multivariate binary logistic regressions were conducted to explore the role of socio-demographic covariates in the receipt of vitamin A supplementation. In addition, random forest (RF) analyses were conducted using Python 3.6.Results: After adjusting for related socio-economic and demographic factors, mother’s work status and education and among mass media channels, exposure to television seems to play an important role in predicting receipt of vitamin A in the selected countries in Asia, while education of the mother was significantly associated with the receipt of vitamin A in the selected countries of Africa. In all the selected countries, the RF analyses revealed mother’s education followed by wealth index and mass media (TV), as the variable of most importance.Conclusions: It can be concluded that mother’s education and mass media seems to be working well in making the mothers aware about the vitamin A campaign, especially, the exposure to television. It also figures in the variable importance matrix in addition to wealth index.
ABSTRACT
Background: The success of any program is measured by continuous monitoring through service statistics for a periodic oversight and through evaluation surveys to measure the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of activities in the light of specified objectives. Service statistics need a lot of indicators to be tracked on a regular basis. The service statistics provide us with numerators. To understand the numerators more meaningfully, we need to standardize them by using specific denominators. So, denominators have to be estimated, which can enable computation of indicators for monitoring purposes. Census and Large scale sample surveys provide proportions to calculate denominators for program monitoring purposes.Methods: This paper uses demographic techniques to estimate denominators for all the countries for which data from the world population prospects is available.Results: The denominators have been estimated for number of infants, children and women of reproductive age and elderly in the age group of 60+ years.Conclusions: The estimations of denominators at the sub-national levels becomes quite challenging due to the scarce availability of data to be used as proportions for different population groups. But, once, the methodology is improved with appropriate data, it could serve as a boon for annual program monitoring process at multiple data time points between two national surveys.
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the role of exposure to mass media and interpersonal communication in predicting the current use of contraception in Bangladesh. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out using the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2011 data to explore the association between communication and the current use of contraception. After adjusting the related socioeconomic and demographic factors, the mass media did not seem to have any role in predicting contraceptive use behavior while the findings revealed that interpersonal communication [prevalence ratio (PR): 1.0984, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0801-1.1170] is a strong positive predictor of the current contraceptive use. It is a well-known fact that mass media performs only the knowledge function while interpersonal communication performs an additional function of persuasion. This analysis corroborates the statement that the role of interpersonal communication is quite important in predicting contraceptive use.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Though the Government of Afghanistan has officially included zinc supplements in the diarrhoea treatment plan for young children, coverage remains abysmally low. The aim of this project is to strengthen the capacity of the government systems and involve private doctors and chemists to increase coverage and utilization of zinc along with ORS for the treatment of childhood diarrhea. Methods: The project was implemented in diverse geographic settings through the public sector in two provinces (population of ~650,000) and through the private sector in five cities (4,000,000 population). In this project, capacity was strengthened through (i) training health providers in the public and private sector on use of zinc supplements (ii) provision of zinc and ORS supplies (iii) Increased focus on individual and group counseling skills (iv) Strengthened program monitoring. A January 2014 endline survey will measure whether program goals of coverage and utilization of zinc and ORS were met. Results: In the public sector, 453 community health workers (CHWs) from health posts and 1400 private doctors and pharmacists were trained. Data from government monitoring systems reported use of zinc supplements in 40% of childhood diarrheal cases treated in the two rural provinces. A rapid assessment of newly trained private sector providers in Kabul city revealed that 80% of doctors and 40% of chemists were including zinc in all diarrheal prescriptions for children. Conclusions: It is possible to introduce zinc supplements for childhood diarrhea treatment through existing government and private health providers and improve coverage and utilization.