Child stunting is still a global public health challenge, with a greater impact in developing countries. In Tanzania, an estimate of 30% of children are stunted. This study estimated childcare practices associated with stunting in the agro-pastoral community of Izazi ward in Iringa District. A cross-sectional study was employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative anthropometric data from 377 mother-child pairs of children aged 6-59 months. Three focus group discussions were carried out with mothers, and interviews were conducted with community leaders. Respondents were selected using systematic and snowball sampling methods. Data collection involved a structured questionnaire, where ENA for SMART software was used to generate the index for height-for-age. The findings confirm that stunting is still a public health problem among agro-pastoral communities of Izazi ward, 34.7% of respondents were stunted. A multivariate binary logistic regression was used to assess the childcare practices associated with stunting; factors associated with stunting included: being female (AOR=0.66; 95% CI:0.40-0.99, p=0.048), breastfeeding for 1 year (AOR=19.75; 95% CI:8.99-43.39, p=0.001), breastfeeding for less than two years (AOR=7.08; 95% CI:4.03-12.45, p=0.001), non-exclusive breastfeeding (AOR=2.599; 95% CI:1.23-5.47, p=0.012), and having one disease (AOR=5.36; 95% CI:1.88-15.27, p=0.02). This study highlights the importance of promoting exclusive breastfeeding and treating childhood illnesses to improve health outcomes among children. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement The author(s) received no specific funding for this work ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was approved by Institute of Rural Development Planning, Ethical committee approval on 10/12/2024. All participants provided written informed consent I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes all data are publicly available at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Xbp-dbWbz9cV06B25WodrXMqLZL6cr-q?usp=sharing
Psychological well-being is a critical determinant of family stability and harmony, particularly among fishing families who encounter substantial economic and environmental challenges. It facilitates adaptation to adverse circumstances, stress management, and the maintenance of harmonious family relationships. This study investigates the influence of affectionate communication and spousal interaction on the psychological well-being of fishing families. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was applied to a sample of 63 respondents from Sukabumi and Cirebon, building on previous research. Data were analyzed to assess relationships between affectionate verbal communication, spousal interaction quality, and psychological well-being. Affectionate verbal communication and spousal interaction were generally rated at a moderate level, whereas overall psychological well-being was rated high. A significant positive association was found between the number of family members, the quality of spousal interaction, and psychological well-being. Strengthening effective communication skills is essential for fishing families to cope with socioeconomic and environmental pressures. Policy implications include the need for government-led mental health services and empowerment programs, such as financial literacy training and capital assistance.
This study examines whether capital structure mediates the relationship between profitability, growth opportunities, and firm value in Indonesian transportation firms. A quantitative explanatory design is employed using balanced panel data from 20 transportation companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2020–2024, yielding 100 firm-year observations. Panel regression and Baron and Kenny mediation analysis are applied. Profitability significantly enhances firm value; however, this effect becomes insignificant when capital structure is introduced, providing strong evidence that capital structure operates as a transmission mechanism of the profitability-firm value relationship. Growth opportunities exhibit no significant direct or indirect impact on firm value during the observation period. The study extends capital structure theory by demonstrating that financing decisions mediate firm valuation in an emerging market context. Managers in capital-intensive industries should prioritise financing strategies alongside operational performance to enhance firm value. The analysis is limited to a single industry and a short observation period, restricting generalisability.
Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is essential for ensuring maternal and child health. Despite efforts to improve maternal healthcare in Tanzania, many women still fail to complete the recommended number of ANC visits. This study examines the socioeconomic and demographic determinants influencing ANC utilisation using data from the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS). Design and methods: This study employed a retrospective cross-sectional approach using secondary data from the 2022 TDHS, focussing on women aged 15–49 who had a live birth within 5 years preceding the survey. Poisson regression was applied to identify factors associated with the number of ANC visits. Model fit was assessed using Deviance and Pearson Goodness-of-Fit tests. Results: Approximately 89.26% of women attended at least one ANC visit, while only 61.26% completed the recommended minimum of four visits. The average number of visits was 4.00 (variance = 4.06). Poisson regression revealed that Higher maternal education (IRR = 1.3002, p < 0.001) and household wealth in the poorer (IRR = 1.0959, p < 0.001), middle (IRR = 1.1277, p < 0.001), richer (IRR = 1.1624, p < 0.001), and richest (IRR = 1.2514, p < 0.001) were positively associated with increased ANC visits, while larger household sizes negatively affected utilisation. Regional disparities were evident, with women in the Central, Southern, Eastern, and Zanzibar zones attending more ANC visits compared to those in the Western zone. Goodness-of-fit tests confirmed that the model adequately fit the data (Deviance p = 0.2679; Pearson p = 0.9901). Conclusion: Despite high initial contact with ANC services, a substantial proportion of women do not complete the full recommended visits. Socioeconomic, demographic, and regional factors significantly influence ANC utilisation. Policies aimed at promoting women’s education, economic empowerment, and equitable access to maternal healthcare, particularly in underserved regions, are essential to improve ANC coverage in Tanzania.
Wine tourism is increasingly recognised as a strategic pathway for diversifying rural economies and enhancing destination competitiveness; however, its development in emerging destinations remains weakly structured and under-researched. This study examines how wine tourism in Tanzania can be planned as a sustainable and integrated value chain. Drawing on Institutional Theory and Experience Economy Theory, the study adopts a quantitative, expert-based research design using Real-Time Delphi, Analytic Hierarchy Process, and a Weighted Scoring Method. Primary data were collected from 46 experts representing key actors across the wine tourism value chain, including production, tourism services, markets, and governance. The analysis identifies and ranks the relative importance of value chain components for sustainable wine tourism development. The findings reveal that institutional, regulatory, and policy support, followed by marketing and branding and wine tourism experiences, are perceived as the most critical drivers, outweighing production-focused factors. It therefore indicates that sustainable wine tourism in emerging contexts is shaped more by governance quality and experiential design than by wine production alone. The study contributes to theory by integrating institutional and experiential perspectives within an expert-weighted value chain framework, and to practice by offering evidence-based guidance for policymakers, planners, and industry stakeholders seeking to develop sustainable wine tourism in Tanzania.
