African journal of reproductive health最新文献

Maternal health service utilization in rural India remains a persistent challenge, often hindered by gaps in knowledge and behavioral barriers. To address this, this study evaluated the impact of a targeted multimedia campaign on maternal health awareness and service uptake in a rural Karnataka community. A rigorous Solomon Four-Group experimental design was employed, where 160 pregnant or postpartum women were randomized into four groups. The intervention consisted of a six-month, culturally-tailored multimedia campaign delivered in the local Kannada language through channels including radio, video, posters, and mobile messages, while control groups received standard care.The campaign yielded statistically significant improvements in maternal health knowledge (p<0.001) and recognition of critical danger signs. Women exposed to the intervention had substantially higher odds of attending at least four antenatal care visits (OR: 3.66), choosing institutional delivery (OR: 2.78), and receiving timely postnatal care (OR: 2.78). The study design confirmed these effects were directly attributable to the intervention, not pre-test sensitization. The findings suggest that targeted, culturally-grounded multimedia campaigns are a highly effective and scalable strategy for improving maternal health knowledge and translating it into practice in similar rural settings.

Among the various treatment modalities for chronic anal fissures, lateral internal sphincterotomy, acknowledged as the gold standard, is associated with superior healing rates but entails a higher risk of complications due to its invasive nature. Conversely, botulinum toxin injection, a minimally invasive alternative, remains a viable therapeutic option for select patient populations despite its relatively higher recurrence rate, owing to its favorable safety profile. The objective of this study was to compare the botulinum toxin and sphincterotomy efficacy in the management of chronic anal fissure. Two groups were compared in treatment outcomes after botulinum toxin injection and lateral internal sphincterotomy. The study cohort comprised women diagnosed with chronic anal fissure and treated between 2017 and 2022. Patients underwent botulinum toxin injections and partial sphincterotomy. Clinical outcomes and examination findings were assessed to determine the therapeutic efficacy of botulinum toxin infiltration in comparison to surgical intervention. An increased recurrence rate was noted in patients with a prolonged disease course and posteriorly located fissures. Botulinum toxin may serve as a first-line therapeutic strategy in individuals with a low predisposition to recurrence, offering an effective and safer alternative in appropriately selected cases.

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors affecting women of reproductive age, often requiring surgical intervention. This meta-analysis and systematic review compared the effectiveness, safety, and cost of three surgical approaches: robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RLM), traditional abdominal myomectomy (AM), and laparoscopic myomectomy (LM). Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases for studies published through January 2024, with no restrictions on publication date. Fifteen studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, and nine studies in the meta-analysis, comprising 2,559 patients. Our findings revealed that AM had significantly shorter operative time compared to RLM (mean difference: 82.54 minutes; 95% CI: -122.14, -42.93; P < 0.00001; I² = 94%). However, RLM was associated with significantly shorter hospital stays than AM (mean difference: 1.54 days; 95% CI: 1.31 to 1.77; P≤0.00001; I²=58%). No significant differences were found in operative time (mean difference: 36.47 minutes; 95% CI: -11.58, 84.51; P = 0.14) or blood loss between RLM and LM. Intraoperative bleeding (EBL >1000 mL) was most common in AM (7.0%) compared to RLM (1.3%) and LM (2.6%). Postoperative transfusion rates were highest in AM (20%), followed by LM (5.8%) and RLM (3.8%). The study demonstrated substantial heterogeneity (I² > 75% for most outcomes), attributed to differences in patient characteristics and study designs. In conclusion, RLM provides favorable outcomes with shorter hospital stays and fewer complications compared to AM, while showing comparable results to LM, though at potentially higher cost.

This study developed a mobile health-based early identification model for postpartum depression (PPD) and evaluated its effectiveness in community postpartum visits. A randomized controlled trial included 102 postpartum women (intervention: n=54; control: n=48). The intervention group used the "Maternal Love Guardian" app, integrating clinical risk factors and digital phenotyping (behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and voice data) to stratify PPD risk. Primary outcomes included detection rates, model performance, and intervention adherence. The model achieved 90.0% sensitivity and 84.1% specificity (AUC=0.871) at 3 weeks postpartum. The intervention group had significantly shorter PPD identification time (11.8 vs. 26.9 days, P<0.001) and higher early intervention rates (25.9% vs. 8.3%, P=0.019). Digital phenotyping revealed key differences in sleep, step count, social activity, and speech rate in PPD cases. At 12 weeks, symptom improvement was faster (4.3 vs. 6.9 weeks, P=0.009), and mother-infant interaction scores improved (77.8 vs. 72.1, P=0.033). Community providers reported 23% reduced consultation time (P<0.001). Cost-effectiveness was favorable (8,924 RMB per QALY). The mobile health model enhances PPD detection, accelerates intervention, and improves outcomes efficiently.

This study employed a network toxicology approach to investigate the potential toxic effects and molecular mechanisms of hair dye components in relation to breast and bladder cancer. By integrating data from multiple databases and performing Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, key targets and pathways were identified. Network and molecular docking analyses revealed that major hair dye chemicals may induce carcinogenesis through xenobiotic metabolism and interact with critical proteins involved in cancer pathways. These findings provide theoretical support for the health risks associated with hair dye exposure and offer insights into potential preventive strategies.

This study aims to explore the association between a sedentary lifestyle and marital dissolution. The research sample was drawn from 7,940 individuals aged 20 and above who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2018. In this study, a logistic regression model was employed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of the relationship between sedentary behavior and marital dissolution. After adjusting for all covariates, sedentary behavior of 600 minutes or more was significantly associated with marital dissolution, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.191 (95% CI: 1.026-1.381, P<0.05); sedentary behavior in men was not statistically significant (P>0.05); after adjusting for all covariates, sedentary behavior of 600 minutes or more in women was significantly associated with marital dissolution, OR=1.300 (95% CI: 1.067-1.583, P<0.01). The research findings suggest that prolonged sedentary behavior may be a potential risk factor for marital dissolution.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), adolecsent girls and young women (AGYW) encounter numerous obstacles related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), one of which is the unfulfilled need for contemporary contraception. Unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and high fertility rates are still common among this population group despite global efforts to increase access to family planning, which has a negative impact on the health of both mothers and children. Utilizing data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) carried out in 26 countries throughout the region, this study analysed a weighted sample of 85,648 AGYWs aged 15-24 to investigate the determinants of unmet need for contraceptives among in SSA. The study utilized binary logistic regression to investigate determinants of unmet need. The pooled prevalence of unmet need for modern contraception was 27.0%. The results show that unmet need for contraception was significantly associated with several determinants. Being highly educated (AOR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.46-1.97, p<0.001), residing in one place for 15-19 years (AOR=1.59, 1.37-1.77, p<0.001) were associated with higher odds of unmet need for contraceptives. However, being aged 15-19 (AOR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.93, p<0.001), history of pregnancy termination (AOR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.68-0.80, p<0.001), using calendar-based contraceptives (AOR=0.16, 95% CI: 0.15-0.17, p<0.001) living in rural (AOR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.76-0.85, p<0.001) were associate will lower odds of unmet need for contraceptives. In conclusion, this study provides critical insights into the determinants of unmet contraceptive needs among AGYW in SSA, highlighting the influence of education, residential stability, age, reproductive history, contraceptive method choice, and geographic location.

Women can experience varying degrees of pain associated with menstruation during each cycle. They use both non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods to reduce menstrual pain. One of the non-pharmacological methods for reducing pain is the acupuncture-based Su Jok therapy. This study aims to determine the effect of Su Jok application in reducing menstrual pain The study was conducted as a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with nursing students. In the study, pain levels in both groups decreased significantly after the intervention. There was no significant difference between the groups' mean pain scores.. When the change from the first to the last measurements was examined, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups, although the reduction in the experimental group was greater than in the control group. As a result of the study, both correct point and sham-point applications reduced pain.

The study employed a comprehensive graphical presentation and statistical analysis using data from 2017 to 2023 to assess how different dimensions of foreign aid impact the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in South Africa. The finding suggests that as the proportion of foreign aid increases, HIV/AIDs prevalence tends to decrease. Consequently, result of funding for treatment has correlation (r = -0.657). This moderate negative association reinforces the traditional belief that investments in direct treatment are effective in reducing disease prevalence. The relationship between funding allocated to education reveals a notable positive correlation (r = 0.33) with HIV prevalence. Against this backdrop, the policymakers in South Africa should prioritize allocating resources to quality programs that have robust passthrough effects on HIV/AIDs reduction in the country. Also, given the current termination of about 40 USAID funded projects in South Africa, if the policymakers in South Africa desire to prevent further escalation of HIV prevalence in the country, they should explore substantive internal sources of fundings.

This study analysed the relationship between rural sanitation and survival rates of children less than five years in China. The data from the World Bank for the period 2000 to 2020 were obtained via the World Development Indicators (WDI). The central theme was to determine the correlation between access to basic rural sanitation and two essential child survival indicators: stunting heights and under-five mortality. The study used graphical trend analysis and statistical correlation to determine trends and correlations across time. Findings showed a high negative correlation between under-five mortality, and rural sanitation and between stunting and rural sanitation. The results indicate that with improved access to sanitation, there is reduced stunted growth and mortality among the children. Reduction in stunting growth was attributed to limited exposure to sanitation-related diseases such as diarrhoea, the common culprits of malnutrition and mortality among under five children. We conclude that increased access to rural sanitation is associated with increased child survival and should receive priority in health and development policy. Integration of sanitation efforts into maternal and child health programs and further investments in rural sanitation infrastructure can also improve health outcomes and support the attainment of global development targets.