Community Factors Shaping Early Age at First Sex among Adolescents in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda.

Using data from the National Survey of Adolescents (2004), we examine the community-level factors associated with early age at first sex among adolescents 14-19 years old in four African countries. Regression models are fitted separately by sex for each country for an outcome measuring early age at first sex, with a focus on community-level factors as potential influences of age on sexual debut. The community-level factors associated with adolescents’ sexual debut vary widely by both country and gender. Community influences that emerge as risk or protective factors of early sexual debut include community levels of adolescent marriage, wealth, religious group affiliation, sex education, parental monitoring, reproductive health knowledge, media exposure, membership in adolescent social group, and use of alcohol. Results indicate the importance of context-specific understanding of adolescents’ sexual behaviour and suggest how elements of place should be harnessed in the development of effective HIV and sexual health interventions.

Physical Violence by Partner during Pregnancy and Use of Prenatal Care in Rural India.

The role of physical violence during pregnancy on receipt of prenatal care is poorly understood, particularly for South Asian countries that have high levels of both fertility and domestic violence. Data from the 1998/1999 Indian National Family Health Survey and a 2002/2003 follow-up survey that re-interviewed women in four states were analyzed, examining the association between physical violence during pregnancy and the uptake of prenatal care. Women who experienced physical violence during pregnancy were less likely to receive prenatal care, less likely to receive a home-visit from a health worker for a prenatal check-up, less likely to receive at least three prenatal care visits, and less likely to initiate prenatal care early in the pregnancy. This study highlighted the constraining effect that the experience of physical domestic violence during pregnancy had on the uptake of prenatal care for women in rural India. Maternal health services must recognize the unique needs of women experiencing violence from their intimate partners.

Maternal behavior and experience, care access, and agency as determinants of child diarrhea in Bolivia / Comportamiento y experiencia, acceso a la atención de salud y capacidad de acción de la madre como determinantes de la diarrea infantil en Bolivia

OBJECTIVE: In Latin America and the Caribbean, Bolivia has the third highest rate of mortality among children under five years of age (57 per 1 000), with 14.0 percent of under-five deaths attributable to diarrhea. Because a child's world is predominantly controlled by and experienced through his or her mother, this investigation aims to understand what maternal dimensions may determine child diarrhea. METHODS: Variables were selected from the 2003 Bolivia Demographic and Health Survey to create indices of three maternal dimensions using principal components analysis: behavior and experience, access to care, and agency. The three indices were included in a logistic regression model while controlling for economic status, maternal education, and residence type. RESULTS: A total of 4 383 women who had children less than 5 years old were included in the final sample and 25.0 percent of mothers reported that their most recent born child had experienced an episode of diarrhea in the 2 weeks before the survey. Mothers with high levels of maternal agency or of high economic status were significantly less likely to report their child experienced an episode of diarrhea than women of low levels. Women with primary education were significantly more likely to report that their child experienced diarrhea than women with no education. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of agency have a significant protective effect even when controlling for other factors. Increasing maternal agency could have a positive impact on child health in Bolivia, and future work should aim to understand what accounts for different levels of agency and how it may be strengthened.

OBJETIVO: En América Latina y el Caribe, Bolivia ocupa el tercer lugar en términos de la tasa de mortalidad de los niños menores de 5 años (57 por 1 000); 14,0 por ciento de estas muertes son atribuibles a cuadros de diarrea. Dado que la madre es quien tiene casi todo el control sobre el mundo que rodea al niño y es a través de ella que el niño lo experimenta, esta investigación procura entender las dimensiones maternas que pueden determinar la aparición de diarrea infantil. MÉTODOS: Las variables de estudio se seleccionaron a partir de la Encuesta Nacional de Demografía y Salud efectuada en Bolivia en el año 2003 para elaborar índices representativos de tres dimensiones maternas empleando el análisis de componentes principales: el comportamiento y la experiencia, el acceso a la atención de salud y la capacidad de acción. Los tres índices se incluyeron en un modelo de regresión logística teniendo en cuenta la situación económica, el nivel de educación materna y el lugar de residencia. RESULTADOS: La muestra final estuvo compuesta por 4 383 mujeres que tenían al menos un hijo menor de 5 años; 25,0 por ciento de las madres informaron que su hijo menor había presentado un episodio de diarrea en las dos semanas anteriores a la encuesta. La probabilidad de que los niños presentaran un episodio de diarrea fue significativamente menor entre las madres que tienen gran capacidad de acción o una buena situación económica que entre aquellas cuya situación económica es mala o tienen escasa capacidad de acción, y significativamente mayor entre las mujeres que habían finalizado la escuela primaria que entre aquellas sin escolaridad. CONCLUSIONES: Una mayor capacidad de acción de la madre tiene un efecto protector importante aun cuando se consideran otros factores. Mejorar la capacidad de acción materna podría impactar de manera positiva la salud infantil de Bolivia, de modo que las futuras investigaciones deberían proponerse comprender los factores ...

Utilization of maternal health care services in the department of Matagalpa, Nicaragua / Utilización de los servicios de salud materna en el departamento de Matagalpa, Nicaragua

OBJECTIVES: To better understand the individual and community factors and perceptions that influence women's health care-seeking behaviors during pregnancy in order to increase women's utilization of maternal health services. METHODS: This study investigates the logistical and sociocultural barriers influencing women's utilization of maternal health services through 37 semi-structured in-depth interviews with women from the department of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. RESULTS: Results reveal that delays in seeking health care during pregnancy are influenced not only by poor access to care and economic barriers but also by individual and community knowledge and acceptance of maternal health services. Partner support, previous maternal health care experiences, and the degree of communication with other women and health workers affect women's decisions to seek care. CONLUSIONS: Evidence suggests that in order to improve maternal health outcomes in this region, interventions must be targeted at a hierarchy of levels: individual, household, and community.

OBJETIVOS: Mejorar el conocimiento sobre las percepciones y los factores personales y comunitarios que influyen en la búsqueda de atención médica durante el embarazo, con vistas a aumentar la utilización de los servicios de salud materna. MÉTODOS: Mediante 37 entrevistas semiestructuradas en profundidad aplicadas a mujeres del departamento de Matagalpa, Nicaragua, se investigaron las barreras logísticas y socioculturales que influyen en la utilización de los servicios de salud materna. RESULTADOS: Los resultados muestran que sobre la demora en la búsqueda de atención sanitaria durante el embarazo influyeron no solo el escaso acceso y las barreas económicas, sino también el conocimiento individual y comunitario sobre los servicios de salud materna y su grado de aceptación. El apoyo de la pareja, el haber recibido atención médica durante embarazos previos y el grado de comunicación con otras mujeres y trabajadores sanitarios influyeron en la decisión de las embarazadas de buscar atención. CONCLUSIONES: Los datos indican que para mejorar la salud materna en esta región, las intervenciones se deben dirigir a diversos niveles: el individuo, el hogar y la comunidad.

Social and logistical barriers to the use of reversible contraception among women in a rural Indian village.

Women in a small coastal village in western India were asked to explain their preference for female sterilization over modern reversible contraceptive methods. Married women aged 19+ years were interviewed in six focus groups (n=60) and individually (n=15) regarding contraceptive methods and their use and side-effects. Women publicly denied contraceptive use but privately acknowledged limited use. They obtained contraceptive information from other village women and believed that modem reversible methods and vasectomy have high physical and social risks, and fertility goals could be achieved without their use. Women felt that reversible contraception is undesirable, socially unacceptable, and usually unnecessary, although the achievement of fertility goals is likely due to the use of female sterilization with abortion as a back-up method. Economic migration of village men may also play a role. Although women with high social capital can effectively disseminate correct knowledge, the impact on the uptake of reversible method is uncertain.

District-level religious composition and adoption of sterilization in India.

This paper examined the influence of religion on the adoption of female sterilization, using data from the 1992/93 Indian National Family Health Survey. The influence of religion at both individual and district levels was examined, and a multi-level modelling methodology was used for assessing community variations in the influence of religion on the adoption of sterilization. Individual religion was a strong predictor of the decision to adopt sterilization, and residence in a district in which more than 20% of the people were Muslims significantly lowered the odds of adoption of sterilization. There was more variation in the adoption of sterilization between districts for Muslim women and women from minority religious groups. The results demonstrate the influence of community conservatism on the choice of contraceptive methods and point to the mediating effects that community characteristics can have on access to sterilization services for women from religious minority sub-groups.