Objectives The evidence revealed that underweight is a major public health concern affecting school-aged children in low and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Underweight affects children aged 6-10 years, growth and development, which leads to poor physical, cognitive, and social performance. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of underweight among children aged 6-10 years old in urban and rural areas of Central Ethiopia. Methods A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 541 children from January 2 to May 2, 2023. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. Children’s nutritional status was assessed using weight-for-age z-scores calculated with WHO AnthroPlus software. Factors associated with underweight were identified using binary logistic regression analysis. Statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05, and associations were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results In this study, 501 children were enrolled, yielding a response rate of 92.6%. Underweight was more common in rural areas than in urban areas, with prevalence rates of 24.9% (95% CI: 21.2, 26.3) and 17.5% (95% CI: 14.0, 19.0), respectively. Among urban children, maternal age at first birth (AOR = 4.4; 95% CI: 1.63, 12.2), handwashing after latrine use (AOR = 0.16; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.46), use of treated drinking water (AOR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.51), and family planning use (AOR = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.47) were determinants of underweight. In contrast, among rural children, maternal age at first birth (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.34, 8.91), no antenatal care (ANC) follow-up (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.27, 6.53), diarrhea in the previous month (AOR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.63, 9.35), dietary diversity (AOR = 6.0; 95% CI: 2.79, 13.2), and a history of illness in the preceding two weeks (AOR = 3.4; 95% CI: 1.91, 7.23) were identified as determinants of underweight. Conclusion Underweight was more prevalent among rural children (24.9%) than among urban children (17.5%), highlighting the need for context-specific nutritional interventions. Interventions addressing the identified factors should be strengthened to improve the nutritional status of school-age children in both rural and urban settings.
Introduction Community-based approaches that foster local ownership and empowerment have been recommended to prevent domestic accidents in children. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of these interventions on the occurrence of domestic accidents among children under 15 years of age. Methods A quasi-experimental study, consisting of two cross-sectional household surveys conducted before and after the intervention, was conducted in the Orodara health district in western Burkina Faso. The selected interventions, implemented from September 2023 to June 2024 (10 months), were community awareness and counselling of the population, and advocacy and social mobilization. Domestic accident was the primary outcome. Intervention effect was estimated using modified Poisson regression to derive adjusted prevalence ratios. Results The prevalence decreased from 6.3% before the intervention to 4.0%, indicating a reduction in domestic accidents. The largest decrease was observed for burns. Both crude and adjusted analyses showed a significant reduction in domestic accidents after implementation of the interventions (p = 0.005 and 0.024, respectively), by 36% and 35%, respectively, indicating a positive intervention effect. Conclusions Community-based interventions combining educational talks and radio broadcasts can significantly reduce the occurrence of domestic accidents among children in low- and middle-income countries such as Burkina Faso.
Objectives This study assesses whether expanding Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults aged 50 and older regardless of immigration status improved the prevalence of smoking cessation assistance and lung cancer screening among Latino patients receiving care at community clinics. Methods This retrospective study used electronic health record data from clinics in Oregon and California who expanded Medicaid eligibility by 2021. Data included 1,741 Latino and non-Hispanic white patients aged 50–64 uninsured at baseline who were documented as current or former smokers and had visits both pre-amendment (2018–2019) and post-amendment (2021–2023). Results Few patients received lung cancer screening during the study period (4% of n=1,242). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of lung cancer screening between groups from pre-to-post period (ATT=-2.29; 95%CI: -4.90, 0.33). Latinos (9.5%) had lower prevalence of smoking cessation assistance than the non-Hispanic White group (16.2%) in the pre-period. There was no significant group difference from pre-to-post eligibility expansion (ATT=-4.92; 95%CI: -11.21, 2.57). Conclusions Medicaid eligibility expansion regardless of immigration status was not associated with improved up-to-date lung cancer screening or receipt of smoking cessation assistance in Latino patients. Insurance access is not sufficient to improve lung cancer screening uptake and facilitate smoking cessation.
Introduction/Objective Adults living in rural Peruvian Amazonian communities remain underrepresented in community mental health research. We described screening-based anxiety and depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and perceived social support and explored correlates of a positive depressive-symptom screen. Methods We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study among 418 adults recruited consecutively during community health outreach activities in San Martín, Peru. Symptoms were assessed with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, perceived stress with the Perceived Stress Scale-10, and social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Robust Poisson regression estimated prevalence ratios. Results Positive anxiety- and depressive-symptom screens were present in 23.2% and 19.1%, respectively. Adjusted prevalence ratios were 1.55 (95% CI 1.01–2.37) for personal/family psychiatric history, 1.53 (1.04–2.26) for family violence, 1.40 (1.01–1.95) for recent stressful events, 3.13 (2.10–4.66) for anxiety symptoms, and 1.52 (1.06–2.20) for low family support. The PSS-10 estimate was 1.12 (0.99–1.27) per 5-point increase. Conclusion This study provides context-specific evidence from an underrepresented rural Amazonian population. The associations are exploratory and warrant population-specific psychometric and longitudinal evaluation.
Objective Understanding why caregivers report social needs or accept referrals is necessary to improve social prescribing in pediatric primary care. Perspectives of caregivers that decline social prescribing are largely unreported. We assessed health-related social needs screening and social prescribing among caregivers of Medicaid-insured children. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted from October 2021 through February 2022 with 36 caregivers screened for unmet social needs at a recent well-child visit. They included caregivers that screened negative for social needs, screened positive for needs and declined social prescribing, and participated in a social prescribing program, Community Connect (CC). Interviews were coded using an unconstrained method of directed content analysis. Results Caregivers were satisfied with social prescribing in the pediatric primary care setting. Clear communication with CC navigators was essential to adoption and participation in CC. Among CC participants, less than half resolved their needs, and one connected CC participation to improvement in their child’s health. Administrative burden was a barrier to families accessing supports. Conclusions Among caregivers of Medicaid-insured children, reporting no social needs or declining participation was not indicative of low acceptability or irrelevance of social prescribing. Programmatic changes may improve overall adoption of social prescribing in pediatric primary care.
