Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Associations Between Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting And Early/Child Marriage: A Multi-Country Dhs/Mics Analysis, Jamlick Karumbi, David Gathara

Reproductive Health

Over the last several decades, global efforts to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) have intensified through the combined efforts of international and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), governments, and religious and civil society groups. Evidence of the wider impacts of FGM/C and interventions for its abandonment is small but emerging. The practice of FGM/C has frequently been linked to a girl’s marriageability and is thought to be associated with child marriage, either directly, as a cause of early/child marriage, or vice versa, or indirectly, resulting from common causes. Evidence of the relationships between these two practices to inform programming and policy for …

Modelling And Mapping Of Regional Disparities Associated With Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Prevalence Among Girls Aged 0–14 Years In Senegal: Evidence From Senegal (Sdhs) Surveys 2005–2017, Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala, Paul Komba, Chibuzor Christopher Nnanatu, Glory Atilola, Lubanzadio Mavatikua, Zhuzhi Moore, Dennis Matanda

Reproductive Health

Between 2005 and 2017, Senegal experienced a slight national decline in the prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) among women aged 15–49 years and girls younger than 15 years. However, significant differences in prevalence exist as a result of multifarious risk factors. Our previous research in Senegal described the national trends in FGM/C, showing where, when, and why FGM/C is practiced in Senegal. However, no recent study exists to analyze the geographical patterns of FGM/C and the effect of individual-and community-level risk factors on the likelihood of cutting among girls younger than 15 years. This working paper presents results from …

Modelling And Mapping Of State Disparities Associated With Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Prevalence Among Girls Aged 0–14 Years In Nigeria: Evidence From Dhs And Mics 2003–2017, Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala, Paul Komba, Chibuzor Christopher Nnanatu, Glory Atilola, Lubanzadio Mavatikua, Zhuzhi Moore, Dennis Matanda

Reproductive Health

The practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has been positioned as a gender and global development issue that national and international organizations must address for girls and women to thrive in good health and enjoy their fundamental rights. Consequently, many efforts have been made to promote the abandonment of the practice. Despite evidence of a decline in FGM/C, there are significant variations in its prevalence in many sub-Saharan African countries, where the practice persists due to the combined effects of factors among individuals as well as communities. This working paper presents findings from a study that analyzed existing data using …

Population Council Annual Evaluation Report: Opening Futures (Abriendo Futuros) For Indigenous Girls In Yucatan, Mexico, Silvana Larrea

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council Annual Evaluation Report includes evaluation activities from December 1, 2015 to December 1, 2019, and future evaluation plans (2019–21), as part of the Opening Futures (Abriendo Futuros) project for indigenous girls in Yucatan, Mexico. The first section describes the finalized analysis of the impact evaluation of the pilot phase; the second section reports the progress of evaluation activities; and the third section includes an evaluation of future plans for the period December 1, 2019 to November 30, 2021.

Decomposing Trends In Child Obesity, Ashley Wendell Kranjac, Robert L. Wagmiller

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

We unravel the absolute level and relative prominence of two demographic processes that are relevant for childhood obesity, and that will ultimately determine the long-term course and pace of change in child obesity rates. We leverage data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to decompose change in child obesity from 1971 to 2012. We partition change into that attributable to (1) healthier, more nutritionally and economically advantaged cohorts in the population being replaced by cohorts of children who are less advantaged (between-cohort change), and (2) the health habits, nutrition, and social and economic circumstances of all cohorts of …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Diagnosed And Undiagnosed Hypertension In The Indigenous Kuna Population Of Panamá, Daniel R. Hanna, Rebekah J. Walker, Brittany L. Smalls, Jennifer A. Campbell, Aprill Z. Dawson, Leonard E. Egede

Center for Health Services Research Faculty Publications

Background: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and investigate sociodemographic correlates in an indigenous Kuna community living on the San Blas islands of Panama.

Methods: Data was collected from adults using a paper-based survey using a cross sectional study design. Blood pressure was measured, and hypertension defined at two cut-points: 130/80 mmHg and 140/90 mmHg. Individuals with undiagnosed hypertension had a blood pressure measurement that indicated hypertension, however, the individual had not been told by a doctor they had hypertension. Whereas individuals with diagnosed hypertension had been told by a healthcare provider that they had hypertension. Univariate tests compared diagnosed …

There Are Multiple And Geographically Distinct Opioid Crises In The U.S., Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

Rates of fatal drug overdose increased 250% in the U.S. between 1999 and 2017, due in large part to a massive surge in overdoses involving opioids. However, there is substantial geographic variation in fatal opioid overdoses, and prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl are differentially responsible for high overdose rates across different parts of the U.S. This research brief summarizes the findings from a study just published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study shows that there are at least four geographically distinct opioid overdose crises in the U.S.

Food Insecurity Among South Asian Immigrant Communities In The Inland Empire Of Southern California, Farhan Danish

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: Food insecurity amongst South Asian Americans is a major public health issue. The South Asian American (SAA) community is the third largest Asian community in the United States. Despite this fact, very few specific studies have been conducted to investigate the food needs and barriers that exist within the SAA community so as to successfully help them improve dietary habits.

Methods: This study utilized a mixed methods convergent parallel design, where both qualitative and quantitative methods were conducted and analyzed separately and compared and contrasted at the end.

Results: The results of this study demonstrate that ethnic grocery stores …

Watering Black Roots: Exploring Black Ecological Identity Development Within Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy, Stormy Saint-Val

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Nature-based expressive arts therapy promotes the holistic healing and recovery of individuals by interweaving the practices of ecopsychology, ecotherapy, and expressive arts therapy. These interventions have been proven to mediate ranges of symptomologies, such as anxiety disorders and PTSD. Research conducted by the U.S. National Park Services indicates that African- Americans are less likely to have a positive relationship to nature than all other racial groups. The amplification of this report without introspection of its context perpetuates racialized generalizations. This can limit a black individual’s ability to embrace their ecological identity and be receptive of nature-based expressive arts therapy interventions. …

Education As Important Predictor For Successful Employment In Adults With Congenital Heart Disease Worldwide., Maayke Sluman, Maayke Sluman, Silke Apers, Judith Sluiter, Karen Nieuwenhuijsen, Philip Moons, Philip Moons, Koen Luyckx, Koen Luyckx, Adrienne Kovacs, Adrienne Kovacs, Corina Thomet, Werner Budts, Junko Enomoto, Hsiao-Ling Yang, Jamie Jackson, Paul Khairy, Stephen Cook, Raghavan Subramanyan, Luis Alday, Katrine Eriksen, Mikael Dellborg, Mikael Dellborg, Malin Berghammer, Malin Berghammer, Eva Mattsson, Andrew Mackie, Samuel Menahem, Maryanne Caruana, Kathy Gosney, Alexandra Soufi, Susan Fernandes, Kamila White, Edward Callus, Shelby Kutty, Berto Bouma, Barbara Mulder

Psychology Faculty Works

Background: Conflicting results have been reported regarding employment status and work ability in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). Since this is an impor‐ tant determinant for quality of life, we assessed this in a large international adult CHD cohort. Methods: Data from 4028 adults with CHD (53% women) from 15 different countries were collected by a uniform survey in the cross‐sectional APPROACH International Study. Predictors for employment and work limitations were studied using general linear mixed models. Results: Median age was 32 years (IQR 25‐42) and 94% of patients had at least a high school degree. Overall employment rate …

Child Poverty, Physical & Mental Health In Maine, Katelyn Malloy

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Children who live below the national poverty line account for nearly one fifth of Maine’s overall population. Child poverty is a determinant of health that can lead to negative health outcomes that affect childhood development, educational achievement, as well as physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to identify five Maine counties with the highest rates of child poverty according to the national average. Comparison of poverty rates between counties were analyzed along with two leading health indicators – mental and physical distress. This study used 2016 county-level childhood poverty estimates, assessed by the American Community Survey …

Meeting The Needs Of Orphans And Other Vulnerable Children: Learnings From Project Soar, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

Orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC), including those living with HIV, often have a range of unmet needs, such as education, food security, psychosocial support, and access to health care. Project SOAR is documenting the unique vulnerabilities of OVC and their caregivers, and examining strategies to mitigate the impacts of HIV on them. This brief presents a summary of the SOAR portfolio, including a prospective cohort study of young people living with HIV in Zambia, an evaluation of an HIV risk screening tool among OVC in Tanzania, and a systematic review of promising interventions to support engagement and treatment adherence …

Providing Occupational Therapy To Those Who Are Homeless: A Beneficial Support, Francesca Petracco

Petersheim Academic Exposition

No abstract provided.

Strengthening Capacity To Prevent Hiv Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women: Supporting Dreams Programming, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

The Population Council, with funding from Girl Effect, worked in seven Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) Partnership countries to strengthen the capacity of implementing partners to develop new approaches to reach AGYWs at highest risk of HIV infection, link them with essential resources, and empower them with social and protective assets for a safe and healthy entry into adulthood. This technical assistance was informed by the Population Council’s decades of research and experience determining “what works”—and what doesn’t work—in girl-centered programming. Through Project SOAR, the Population Council provided technical assistance to implementing partners in five additional countries …

The Medicalisation Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting In Kenya: Perspectives Of Families And Health Care Providers, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This evidence brief summarizes key findings from a study that sought to understand the shifts in FGM/C including medicalization among several communities Kenya. The study finds that medicalization is increasing because: 1) it is perceived to be safer because the procedure is reportedly performed under sterile conditions by trained health professionals; 2) it is believed to shorten the recovery period; and 3) it is a response to the law prohibiting the practice because it allows FGM/C to be performed in secret. These findings indicate that medicalization is an adaptation to awareness of the health complications associated with FGM/C and the …

The Global Compact On Refugees: How The Sauti/Voice Project Fits, Josephine Ngebeh, Chi-Chi Undie, Joanina Karugaba

Reproductive Health

How can stakeholders support refugees in the present-day unprecedented global refugee crisis? At least one way is by entering into a clearly defined compact to do so. Developed in 2018, the Global Compact on Refugees is a nonbinding agreement among United Nations Member States and other relevant stakeholders, including international organizations. A symbol of political will, the Compact demonstrates the commitment of the international community to enhanced cooperation and solidarity with both refugees and their host communities. The Global Compact on Refugees provides the international community with guidance for supporting present-day refugee communities, characterized by large populations and protracted refugee …

Sauti/Voice Project: First Unhcr-Population Council Regional Workshop, Josephine Ngebeh, Chi-Chi Undie, Joanina Karugaba, George Odwe, Nachela Chelwa, Harriet Birungi, Michael Mbizvo

Reproductive Health

In 2014, the UNHCR East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (EHAGL) Africa Bureau in Nairobi, and the Population Council/Nairobi established technical cooperation for Improving Evidence-based Programming for Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Refugee Operations in the East and Horn of Africa. The Africa Bureau works closely with the Council to initiate appropriate interventions for the prevention of, and response to, SGBV in refugee operations. The Council’s technical team is represented by the Council-led Africa Regional SGBV Network. Technical cooperation between the Africa Bureau and the Council has resulted in a new initiative: VOICE—Violence Prevention and Response Through …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically disadvantage women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. In …

« More Than Brides Alliance (Mtba) » : Rapport D’Évaluation À Mi-Parcours Au Mali Et Au Niger, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

L’Alliance « Plus qu’une épouse » (More Than Brides Alliance—MTBA) a été formée, rassemblant les forces d’une équipe diversifiée, compétente pour la mise en œuvre et la recherche de programmes destinés aux adolescents. Le volet recherche de l’Alliance MTBA vise à fournir des preuves et des connaissances sur ce qui fonctionne pour retarder le mariage des enfants en Inde, au Malawi, au Mali, au Niger et au Pakistan en évaluant le programme d’intervention de l’Alliance MTBA et en examinant les facteurs spécifiques du mariage des enfants dans chaque contexte. Dans ce rapport, nous visons à évaluer les succès du programme …

The Girl Roster: A Practical Tool For Strengthening Girl-Centered Programming, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief describes the Girl Roster^TM, a practical tool designed by the Population Council to help practitioners understand their program areas and elicit foundational information to intentionally link girls—especially highly marginalized adolescent girls—to the vital resources, facilities, and services to which they are entitled but often have limited or no access. The tool is a user-friendly, efficient, and cost-effective way to collect program-relevant information about girls in a community, using a mobile phone–based questionnaire (or, where resources do not permit, paper and pencil). The tool enables users to see a fuller view of girls’ lived realities in defined …

Examining Early Marriage In India: Qualitative Findings, Neelanjana Pandey, Komal Saxena, Andrea J. Melnikas

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More Than Brides Alliance (MTBA) implements the “Marriage: No Child’s Play” program (2016–20) in India, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Pakistan. The MTBA is a holistic program that addresses early marriage through multiple strategies, including: sexual and reproductive health and rights, livelihoods, education, and prevalent community social norms around marriage. Furthermore, the program operates at multiple levels (girl, family, community, block, and district) to address individual, familial, and structural barriers to reducing child marriage in these communities. This report first looks at the legal environment in which programs operate by examining participants’ awareness of laws, acts, and programs related to …

Demography, Risk, And Power: An Examination Of The Deceased Patient Population At The Hastings State Hospital, 1900-1978, Dawn T. Whitney

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to investigate the Hastings State Hospital (HSH) and its cemetery (HSHC) within a multidisciplinary framework, invoking discourse analysis, demography, and critical race theory to examine how power and risk factors impact the treatment and disposal of the body at death. It incorporates perspectives from both anthropology and sociology to interpret the data, relying heavily on the ideas of Michel Foucault. Integrating these diverse analytical tools is important to this research because social and structural forces all intersect in the creation of identity, power, and inequality.

All data in this study represent patients that have …

Accelerating Action To End Child Marriage In Bangladesh—Project Brief, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Bangladesh ranks among the five countries with the highest rate of child marriage in the world. Community norms and values are among the underlying factors that support the practice of child marriage in Bangladesh. The Population Council is partnering with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to delay marriage as part of the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Program to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage. This program is being implemented to generate evidence on reduction of child marriage through an adolescent skills-building program. The project works to empower girls with life-skills and livelihood and gender-awareness trainings, as well as engaging communities …

Climate, Population, And Vulnerability In Pakistan: Exploring Evidence Of Linkages For Adaptation, G.M. Arif, Muhammad Riaz, Nadeem Faisal, Mohammad Jamal Khan Khattak, Zeba Sathar, Muhammad Khalil, Maqsood Sadiq, Sabahat Hussain, Kiren Khan

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The global discussion of climate change and its impacts and causes has changed completely in the past quarter century. Scientific opinion now accepts that rapid warming is occurring and that greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted as a result of human activities are largely to blame. The consequences of taking no action will be catastrophic. Unfortunately, the burden of impact will fall disproportionately on the poor and most vulnerable people who rely heavily on agriculture in countries where average temperatures are already high. Climate change is particularly harmful because it increasingly threatens food security in these countries. Pakistan is one of the …

More Than Brides Alliance: Midline Evaluation Report, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Santosh Kumar Singh, James Mkandawire, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More than Brides Alliance (MTBA) was formed to bringing together the strengths of a diverse team skilled in adolescent program implementation and research. The goal of the research presented in this report is to promote an evidence-based programmatic approach to delaying marriage in India, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Pakistan by gathering detailed quantitative and qualitative information from the program areas over time to examine the impact of the present intervention and inform future strategies. This report highlights data from the midline survey on a set of outcomes approximately midway through the MTBA intervention and compares them with the same …

Enhancing Customer Satisfaction For Health Services, Deepa Rajamani, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

The Family Planning (FP) 2020 global partnership has achieved significant gains since its inception, and while it strives to accelerate uptake of voluntary FP services, women in developing countries continue to face an unmet need for modern contraceptive services. Critical opportunities for action exist in the area of understanding the effects of quality of family planning services and continued contraceptive use. Measuring and tracking the quality of FP services is an important aspect of improving service delivery, and client feedback also offers critical insight into the design of demand generation and uptake strategies for a contraceptive. In this report, we …

Positioning Family Planning Quality Within Health Financing For Uhc: Connecting The Discourse, Gabrielle Appleford, Saumya Ramarao, Benjamin Bellows, Leah Jarvis

Reproductive Health

Financing is a major challenge and concern for the future of the delivery of voluntary family planning (FP) services to clients, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with high unmet need and limited method choice. As countries commit to universal health coverage (UHC), it is crucial that UHC schemes include FP and other reproductive health (RH) services. Strategic purchasing of quality FP services from public and private—including for profit and not-for-profit—health-care providers could accelerate progress toward UHC. It is increasingly recognized that the FP2020 goals will not be met without adequate attention to quality, and that a sustained focus on …

Antihypertensive Drugs, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a condition in pregnant women marked by an increase in blood pressure and protein in the urine after 20 weeks gestation. Eclampsia is a life-threatening condition characterized by convulsions in women with PE. PE/E and other hypertensive disorders in pregnancy increase risk of preterm births. Providing high-quality and regular antenatal care improves the prevention and early detection of PE and can prevent its progression to eclampsia. Prescribing low-dose aspirin and calcium to at-risk women can prevent PE and eclampsia. PE and eclampsia can be managed by administering antihypertensive drugs and magnesium sulphate (MgSO4). MgSO4 is the safest …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Bangladesh, Pooja Sripad, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Charity Ndwiga, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically subordinate women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care (ANC) use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Ethiopia, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically disadvantage women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care (ANC) use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. …