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Articles 3181 - 3210 of 3626

Full-Text Articles in Public Health

Indonesia: Train Journalists To Write About Reproductive Health, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Indonesia: Train Journalists To Write About Reproductive Health, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

After government control over the media was liberalized in 1998, Indonesian journalists had a new mandate to explore new issues and foster public debate. Several studies had found evidence that women’s health worsened from 1997–99, yet media coverage of this topic was limited. To increase press coverage of reproductive health (RH) topics, the Population Council conducted an 18-month media project in collaboration with the State Ministry for Women’s Empowerment and other key agencies. The project focused on improving RH knowledge and reporting skills among 22 print journalists. Project staff monitored RH coverage in 22 major newspapers, magazines, and tabloids. After …


Household Size And Composition In The Developing World, John Bongaarts Jan 2001

Household Size And Composition In The Developing World, John Bongaarts

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This study uses data from recent household surveys in 43 developing countries to describe the main dimensions of household size and composition in the developing world. Average household size varies only modestly among regions, ranging from 5.6 in the Near East/North Africa to 4.8 in Latin America. These averages are similar to levels observed in the second half of the nineteenth century in Europe and North America. About four out of five members of the household are part of the nuclear family of the head of the household. Household size is found to be positively associated with the level of …


Household Size And Composition In The Developing World [Arabic], John Bongaarts Jan 2001

Household Size And Composition In The Developing World [Arabic], John Bongaarts

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This study uses data from recent household surveys in 43 developing countries to describe the main dimensions of household size and composition in the developing world. Average household size varies only modestly among regions, ranging from 5.6 in the Near East/North Africa to 4.8 in Latin America. These averages are similar to levels observed in the second half of the nineteenth century in Europe and North America. About four out of five members of the household are part of the nuclear family of the head of the household. Household size is found to be positively associated with the level of …


Obstacles To Contraceptive Use In Pakistan: A Study In Punjab, John B. Casterline, Zeba Sathar, Minhaj Ul Haque Jan 2001

Obstacles To Contraceptive Use In Pakistan: A Study In Punjab, John B. Casterline, Zeba Sathar, Minhaj Ul Haque

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The principal aim of this study is to assess the strength in Pakistan of a set of hypothesized obstacles to practicing contraception. Our concern is those factors that prevent women from translating a desire to avoid becoming pregnant into contraceptive practice, a common predicament in Pakistan in recent decades. We analyze survey data collected in Punjab province in 1996 that contain unusually detailed measurement of various perceived costs of practicing contraception, as well as focused measurement of fertility motivation. The framework guiding the research specifies six major obstacles to contraceptive use: the strength of motivation to avoid pregnancy, awareness and …


Whose Education Counts? The Impact Of Grown Children's Education On The Physical Functioning Of Their Parents In Taiwan, Zachary Zimmer, Albert I. Hermalin, Hui-Sheng Lin Jan 2001

Whose Education Counts? The Impact Of Grown Children's Education On The Physical Functioning Of Their Parents In Taiwan, Zachary Zimmer, Albert I. Hermalin, Hui-Sheng Lin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Research has identified education as an important predictor of physical functioning in old age. Older adults in Taiwan tend to experience close ties to family members and high rates of adult child coresidence, much more so than is typical in Western cultures. These circumstances might imply additional health-related benefits stemming from the education of grown children. This association could arise in a number of ways, for instance through the sharing of health-related information between child and parent, the quality of caregiving efforts, monetary assistance for medical and other services, or through other psychosocial avenues. In this study, a nationally representative …


Immunization Status And Child Survival In Rural Ghana, Philomena Nyarko, Brian Wells Pence, Cornelius Debpuur Jan 2001

Immunization Status And Child Survival In Rural Ghana, Philomena Nyarko, Brian Wells Pence, Cornelius Debpuur

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

For three decades, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has been promoted as one of the key child health interventions in developing countries. Vaccines for six childhood diseases (diphtheria, measles, pertussis, poliomyelitis, tetanus, and tuberculosis) have been shown to be efficacious in preventing disease-specific morbidity and mortality, yet not all commentators are convinced that the EPI reduces all-cause child mortality. Numerous studies have found that measles vaccination programs substantially reduce all-cause child mortality, but recent findings from Guinea-Bissau suggest that diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) vaccine may increase all-cause child mortality. The present study uses five years of data from …


Living Arrangements Of Older Adults In The Developing World: An Analysis Of Dhs Household Surveys, John Bongaarts, Zachary Zimmer Jan 2001

Living Arrangements Of Older Adults In The Developing World: An Analysis Of Dhs Household Surveys, John Bongaarts, Zachary Zimmer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys, this study examines living arrangements of older adults in 43 developing countries and compares patterns by gender, world regions, and macro-level measures of socioeconomic development. Indicators include household size, headship, relationship to head, and coresidence with spouse, children, and others. Unweighted regional averages and OLS regressions determine whether variations exist. Average household sizes are large, but a substantially higher proportion of elderly adults live alone than do individuals in other age groups. Females are more likely than males to live alone and are less likely to live with a spouse or to head …


The Reporting Of Sensitive Behavior Among Adolescents: A Methodological Experiment In Kenya, Barbara Mensch, Paul C. Hewett, Annabel Erulkar Jan 2001

The Reporting Of Sensitive Behavior Among Adolescents: A Methodological Experiment In Kenya, Barbara Mensch, Paul C. Hewett, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper assesses whether audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (audio-CASI), a technique designed in the United States to collect data on sensitive behaviors, is a feasible method of survey data collection in a developing-country setting and whether it produces more valid reporting of sexual activity and related behaviors than traditional survey methods. The analysis is based on interviews with nearly 4,400 unmarried adolescents aged 15-21 in Nyeri, a rural district of Kenya that was selected because previous research had indicated a wide discrepancy in the reporting of premarital sexual behavior between boys and girls. The study was based on a quasi-experimental design …


The End Of The Fertility Transition In The Developed World, John Bongaarts Jan 2001

The End Of The Fertility Transition In The Developed World, John Bongaarts

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

By the late 1990s fertility in the developed world had declined to 1.6 births per woman, a level substantially lower than projected in the 1980s. This study examines recent trends and patterns in fertility in the developed world with particular emphasis on the effects and implications of changes in the timing of childbearing. The main objective is to demonstrate that while fertility in these countries is indeed low, women’s childbearing levels are not as low as period measures such as the total fertility rate suggest. To obtain a full understanding of the various dimensions of fertility change, several indicators are …


Social Networks And Contraceptive Dynamics In Southern Ghana, Mark R. Montgomery, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros, Dominic K. Agyeman, John B. Casterline, Peter Aglobitse, Paul C. Hewett Jan 2001

Social Networks And Contraceptive Dynamics In Southern Ghana, Mark R. Montgomery, Gebre-Egziabher Kiros, Dominic K. Agyeman, John B. Casterline, Peter Aglobitse, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

There is accumulating evidence that social diffusion processes affect the pace of the adoption of modern contraception in societies undergoing fertility transition. In settings where mortality has declined and many other social and economic changes are underway, decisions about contraception are fraught with uncertainty and risk. In such circumstances, couples may rely on other persons for information and guidance. In this paper, we examine the influence of informal social networks on the contraceptive behavior of reproductive-age women, using longitudinal data collected in six communities in southern Ghana. Our results confirm the hypothesis that adoption of modern contraception is strongly affected …


Poverty And Public Services In Developing-Country Cities, Paul C. Hewett, Mark R. Montgomery Jan 2001

Poverty And Public Services In Developing-Country Cities, Paul C. Hewett, Mark R. Montgomery

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper examines the availability of basic public services such as water supply and sanitation in the cities and towns of developing countries, using data drawn from the Demographic and Health Surveys. Inadequate provision of public services can compromise health, hinder economic growth, and stymie efforts to reduce poverty. We find that wide rural-urban gaps remain in service delivery, and that smaller cities-where about half of urban residents live-are notably under-served by comparison with larger cities.


Sola No Eres Nada, Juntas Flotamos: El Movimiento Manuela Ramos, Judith Bruce, Debbie Rogow Jan 2001

Sola No Eres Nada, Juntas Flotamos: El Movimiento Manuela Ramos, Judith Bruce, Debbie Rogow

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This edition of Quality/Calidad/Qualité discusses the Manuela Ramos Movement and its efforts to improve women’s health and well-being through a range of empowerment strategies in rural Peru. A joint project with USAID, named Reprosalud, demonstrates how combining the resources of an international donor with local women’s organizations allows a more organic and multifaceted family planning program to develop. Such programs can produce impressive improvements on a number of indicators, including contraceptive use.


Living Arrangements Of Older Adults In The Developing World: An Analysis Of Dhs Household Surveys [Arabic], John Bongaarts, Zachary Zimmer Jan 2001

Living Arrangements Of Older Adults In The Developing World: An Analysis Of Dhs Household Surveys [Arabic], John Bongaarts, Zachary Zimmer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys, this study examines living arrangements of older adults in 43 developing countries and compares patterns by gender, world regions, and macro-level measures of socioeconomic development. Indicators include household size, headship, relationship to head, and coresidence with spouse, children, and others. Unweighted regional averages and OLS regressions determine whether variations exist. Average household sizes are large, but a substantially higher proportion of elderly adults live alone than do individuals in other age groups. Females are more likely than males to live alone and are less likely to live with a spouse or to head …


Determinants Of Educational Attainment Among Adolescents In Egypt: Does School Quality Make A Difference? [Arabic], Cynthia B. Lloyd, Sahar El Tawila, Wesley H. Clark, Barbara Mensch Jan 2001

Determinants Of Educational Attainment Among Adolescents In Egypt: Does School Quality Make A Difference? [Arabic], Cynthia B. Lloyd, Sahar El Tawila, Wesley H. Clark, Barbara Mensch

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The paper explores empirically the relationship between school quality in Egyptian preparatory (middle) schools and the likelihood of school dropout either during preparatory school or before the completion of secondary school. Despite strong empirical evidence for the many positive social and economic returns associated with more years of schooling, there has been little research exploring how the quality of particular schools might influence grade levels attained. The authors address this research gap using detailed data on Egyptian preparatory schools (grades 6-8, the last three years of the eight years of basic schooling) that are linked with a national survey of …


Ecological Degradation, Rural Poverty, And Migration In Ethiopia: A Contextual Analysis, Markos Ezra Jan 2001

Ecological Degradation, Rural Poverty, And Migration In Ethiopia: A Contextual Analysis, Markos Ezra

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The interrelationships between ecological degradation, poverty, and rural out-migration in Ethiopia are examined using data from a Household and Community Survey conducted in 1994-95. The survey, which covered a sample of 2,000 households, collected retrospective data on changes in household composition, including migration of household members, during the period 1984 to 1994. The study hypothesizes that the decision to out-migrate in the impoverished rural areas of northern Ethiopia is influenced by a combination of factors based on individual, household and community characteristics. A multilevel analysis is applied to determine the role of these factors in the decision. The findings show …


A Case Study Of Nairobi City Council's Decentralised Syphilis Screening Programme In Antenatal Clinics, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Ian Askew, Elizabeth Mugwe, Bilhah Hagembe, Rick Homan Jan 2001

A Case Study Of Nairobi City Council's Decentralised Syphilis Screening Programme In Antenatal Clinics, Baker Ndugga Maggwa, Ian Askew, Elizabeth Mugwe, Bilhah Hagembe, Rick Homan

Reproductive Health

It has long been known that syphilis is one of the more serious sexually transmitted infections (STI), especially during pregnancy when, if untreated, at least 60 percent of infected women will experience an adverse pregnancy outcome. There has been renewed interest in its control and prevention because of its proven link with HIV transmission. In 1992, the Nairobi City Council (NCC) pilot-tested a decentralized approach to syphilis screening and management in a sample of their antenatal clinics. A case study was carried out to assess the effectiveness, readiness, and cost effectiveness of the NCC’s antenatal care program, with a focus …


Bénin: Target Men To Increase Use Of Health Services, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Bénin: Target Men To Increase Use Of Health Services, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

After initiating health sector reforms in 1994, the Bénin government established the Integrated Family Health Project, known as PROSAF. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, PROSAF operates in the Borgou region, which is mostly rural and has the country’s most severe health problems. PROSAF managers wanted to understand why local people were not using health services, despite their poor health. As noted in this brief, managers requested that the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) study the way households and communities make decisions on health care. In a study conducted in 2000 with support from the Population …


Benin: Diríjase A Los Hombres Para Aumentar El Uso De Los Servicios De Salud, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Benin: Diríjase A Los Hombres Para Aumentar El Uso De Los Servicios De Salud, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Después del inicio de las reformas del sector salud en 1994, el gobierno de Benin creó el Proyecto de Salud Familiar Integral, conocido localmente como PROSAF. Este proyecto opera en la región de Borgou, bajo el patrocinio de la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional. Dicha región es en su mayoría rural y en ella se observan los problemas de salud más severos del país. Los gerentes de PROSAF deseaban entender por qué la gente no estaba utilizando los servicios a pesar de tener una salud deficiente, por lo que solicitaron al Centro Africano de Investigación en …


West Bank And Gaza: Stress The Importance And Cost-Effectiveness Of Postpartum Care, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

West Bank And Gaza: Stress The Importance And Cost-Effectiveness Of Postpartum Care, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

To assess maternal health care in the West Bank and Gaza, the Health, Development, Information, and Policy Institute conducted a study from May to August 2000. This study served as a baseline for the Pilot Health Project (PHP), which seeks to improve antenatal and postpartum services in three areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Seven local and international agencies are implementing PHP in collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Data sources for the baseline study consisted of service statistics, interviews with health-care providers, and exit interviews with antenatal, …


Cisjordania Y Gaza: Subraye La Importancia De La Atención Postparto Y Su Cost-Efectividad, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Cisjordania Y Gaza: Subraye La Importancia De La Atención Postparto Y Su Cost-Efectividad, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

El Instituto de Salud, Desarrollo, Información y Políticas realizó un estudio de mayo a agosto de 2000 para evaluar la atención a la salud materna en Cisjordania y Gaza. Dicho estudio sirvió de línea basal para el Proyecto Piloto de Salud (PHP, por sus siglas en inglés), cuyo objetivo es mejorar los servicios prenatales y postparto en tres áreas de esa región. Siete agencias locales e internacionales implementan el PHP con la colaboración del Ministerio de Salud palestino y el patrocinio de la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional. Las fuentes de la información para el estudio …


Ghana: Community Workers Can Communicate Sti And Hiv/Aids Messages Effectively, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Ghana: Community Workers Can Communicate Sti And Hiv/Aids Messages Effectively, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

To support the Government of Ghana’s plan to expand community-based distribution (CBD) programs, the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) and the Population Council conducted a study in 1999 of the CBD programs of 13 nongovernmental agencies. The study also assessed in depth PPAG’s CBD program, which is the country’s largest and oldest. Data sources included interviews with 301 CBD agents, 27 supervisors, and 20 clinicians in rural and urban areas in 16 districts; observations of 51 PPAG agents interacting with 6 clients each; and 15 focus group discussions with community members, former CBD agents, and CBD clients. CBD programs …


Honduras: Marketing New Reproductive Health Services Is Cost-Effective, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Honduras: Marketing New Reproductive Health Services Is Cost-Effective, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

In 1999, the Honduran Ministry of Health (MOH) revised national guidelines on women’s health services delivery to allow nurse auxiliaries to insert IUDs, give DMPA injections, and take Pap smears. This policy change addresses low contraceptive use among rural women and reflects findings from a 1998 Population Council study that showed that nurse auxiliaries can safely and successfully provide these services. Under the previous guidelines, rural women had limited access to long-term family planning methods. In 2000, the Population Council and the MOH assessed the effectiveness and cost of using a simple leaflet, distributed by nurse auxiliaries, to market the …


Honduras: Promover Nuevos Servicios De Salud Reproductiva Es Costo-Efectivo, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Honduras: Promover Nuevos Servicios De Salud Reproductiva Es Costo-Efectivo, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

En 1999, la Secretaría de Salud de Honduras (SSH) modificó las Normas de Atención Integral a la Mujer a fin de autorizar a las auxiliares de enfermería a prestar los servicios de inserción de DIU, aplicación del inyectable DMPA y toma de Papanicolaou. Este cambio en las normas aborda el problema de la baja prevalencia en el uso de anticonceptivos en áreas rurales. El cambio también refleja los hallazgos de un estudio anterior, realizado por el Population Council, que mostró que las auxiliares de enfermería pueden proporcionar estos servicios de manera segura y con buena calidad. Anteriormente, las mujeres en …


Integrating Adolescent Livelihood Activities Within A Reproductive Health Program For Urban Slum Dwellers In India, Dale Huntington, Mary Philip Sebastian, Nirmala Sevlam, Barbara Mensch, Sahar Hegazi Jan 2001

Integrating Adolescent Livelihood Activities Within A Reproductive Health Program For Urban Slum Dwellers In India, Dale Huntington, Mary Philip Sebastian, Nirmala Sevlam, Barbara Mensch, Sahar Hegazi

Reproductive Health

The Population Council's Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program and the Policy and Research Division are collaborating with CARE India to conduct an operations research study to examine the feasibility and impact of adding livelihood counseling and training, savings activities, and follow-up support to the ongoing reproductive health program for adolescents. The short-term objective is to foster the development of alternative socialization processes for adolescent girls that encourage positive sexual and reproductive health behaviors. As noted in this project update, the study will produce a replicable model for CARE India and other agencies to use in adding livelihood activities to adolescent …


Kenya: On-Site Antenatal Syphilis Services Are Cost-Effective, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Kenya: On-Site Antenatal Syphilis Services Are Cost-Effective, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

The World Health Organization has determined that screening and treating all pregnant women for syphilis is cost-effective if at least 0.1 percent of pregnant women have syphilis. To address the high rate of syphilis among pregnant women (6.5–7.3 percent), the Nairobi City Council (NCC) introduced maternal syphilis screening and management in its antenatal clinics in 1989. However, its centralized approach—taking collected blood samples to a central laboratory for testing—was inefficient. Therefore, in 1992 the NCC tested a decentralized approach in 9 of its 54 antenatal clinics, which featured on-site rapid testing of women by clinic staff and same-day treatment of …


Kenya Update: Frontiers Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Kenya Update: Frontiers Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

The Kenya Adolescent Reproductive Health Project (KARHP) was launched in October 1999 in Busia and Vihiga districts as a three-year operations research study to determine the feasibility, cost, and effectiveness of implementing systematic interventions that address the reproductive health (RH) needs of adolescents aged 10–19 years. This USAID-funded project is part of the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program’s global operations research. PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) is implementing the project, in collaboration with the Ministries of Health, Education, and Home Affairs, Heritage, and Sports. The objective of the study is to establish the effectiveness of interventions …


Reproductive Tract Infections: A Guide For Programme Managers, Sarah Hawkes, Anjali Nayyar, Johannes Van Dam, Kevin R. O'Reilly, Bidia Deperthes, Dinesh Agarwal Jan 2001

Reproductive Tract Infections: A Guide For Programme Managers, Sarah Hawkes, Anjali Nayyar, Johannes Van Dam, Kevin R. O'Reilly, Bidia Deperthes, Dinesh Agarwal

Reproductive Health

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) including sexually transmitted infections represent a silent worldwide pandemic that adversely impacts the reproductive health (RH) of women and men. Various community- and hospital-based studies in India have provided insights into the magnitude of the problem. The International Conference on Population and Development (1994) emphasized integration of RH services to meet the needs of men and women especially with prevention and management of RTIs/STIs. The emergence of HIV and the identification of STIs as a risk factor for the spread of HIV have further lent a sense of urgency for a programmatic response to address this …


South Africa: Who Uses Youth Centers And Why?, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

South Africa: Who Uses Youth Centers And Why?, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

In 2000, the Reproductive Health Research Unit in KwaZulu Natal and the Population Council conducted an assessment of 12 youth centers and 7 affiliated peer education programs. The 12 centers, located in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, offer very different services. The two centers of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health focus on providing reproductive health (RH) information and services to adolescents. The six centers of the Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Project provide a broader range of youth-friendly RH services, including counseling and life skills education, as well as modest recreational activities. The four centers run by loveLife have large …


Zambia: Peer Educators Can Promote Safer Sex Behaviors, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Zambia: Peer Educators Can Promote Safer Sex Behaviors, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Zambian adolescents are at high risk of unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and HIV infection due to early sexual initiation, low use of contraceptives and condoms, and other high-risk sexual behaviors. During 1996–1998, CARE Zambia and the Population Council conducted a study to test community-based approaches to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health. CARE Zambia talked to adolescents in four communities outside Lusaka. Using participatory learning and action techniques, researchers identified factors leading to high-risk sexual behaviors, including lack of economic, recreational, and educational opportunities for youth. This information helped to design the study. Two interventions—condom distribution by peer …


Zambia: Los Educadores Juveniles Pueden Promover Comportamientos Sexuales Más Seguros, Frontiers In Reproductive Health Jan 2001

Zambia: Los Educadores Juveniles Pueden Promover Comportamientos Sexuales Más Seguros, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Los adolescentes de Zambia corren un alto riesgo de embarazos no deseados, infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) e infección por el VIH debido a la iniciación sexual temprana, el bajo uso de anticonceptivos y condones, y otros comportamientos sexuales de alto riesgo. Durante 1996–98, CARE Zambia, con el apoyo del Population Council, realizó un estudio para probar estrategias comunitarias para mejorar la salud sexual y reproductiva de los adolescentes. CARE Zambia habló con los adolescentes de cuatro comunidades ubicadas fuera de Lusaka. Los investigadores identificaron, mediante técnicas de aprendizaje y acción participativos, un gran número de factores que producen comportamientos …