Global Health Action最新文献

{"title":"Effectiveness of infrastructural interventions to improve access to safe drinking water in Latin America and the Caribbean on the burden of diarrhoea in children <5 years: a systematic literature review and narrative synthesis.","authors":"Philippa Redondo, Tuba Mazhari, Amal R Khanolkar","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2451610","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2451610","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Globally, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has one of the lowest rates of equitable access to safely managed drinking water. This systematic literature review assessed the effectiveness of infrastructure interventions to provide equitable access to safely managed drinking water in LAC on the burden of diarrhoea in children <5 years. The review was conducted in February 2024 using Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, and the Cochrane Library with inclusion criteria: quantitative study designs of intervention effectiveness on burden of diarrhoea in children; conducted in LAC; studies published since 1 January 2000; and full-text available in English. Study quality was assessed via the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality scale. Reported quantitative data for diarrhoea burden of disease were extracted, and thematic analysis informed a narrative synthesis. Six studies from three countries in LAC with >110,000 data-points were included. Water supply infrastructure interventions were effective at reducing the burden of diarrhoea in children <5 years. Household level, rather than community level, access to a piped water supply, a continuous reliable service with <1 day of service interruption per month, and cash transfer programs for environmental public health programs, were identified as key contributors to water infrastructure intervention effectiveness. Previous water supply infrastructure interventions which include the provision of a safe drinking water supply are effective in reducing burden of diarrhoea in children. Future studies are needed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the unique features which contribute to water infrastructure effectiveness.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2451610"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11834799/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143415970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic review of the determinants of job satisfaction in healthcare workers in health facilities in Gulf Cooperation Council countries.","authors":"Mohannad Alkhateeb, Khaled Althabaiti, Sayem Ahmed, Solveig Lövestad, Jahangir Khan","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2479910","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2479910","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Job satisfaction among healthcare workers is essential for maintaining high-quality care. Previous research has shown different levels of job satisfaction, but there is no comprehensive list of determinants of job satisfaction among healthcare workers. This study aims to provide a comprehensive list of determinants of job satisfaction in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar). A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across five databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus. Two independent reviewers performed data extraction and review using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) quality assessment checklist. The review was undertaken between 1 January 2012 and 4 November 2022. Five hundred titles and abstracts were screened, yielding 73 eligible studies for inclusion in this review. Of the included studies, 60 were carried out in Saudi Arabia (82.2%), six in Oman (8.2%), three in Qatar (4.1%), two in the United Arab Emirates (2.7%), one in Kuwait (1.4%), and one in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (1.4%). The analysis identified 14 key determinants of job satisfaction among healthcare workers in GCC: pay, promotion, co-workers, supervision, fringe benefits, contingent rewards, operating conditions, nature of work, communication, workload, leadership style, relation with patients, demographic variables, and others, such as hospital type. Thus, our study expands on Spector's nine determinants model of job satisfaction, hence providing a wider and more detail insight into job satisfaction in workplace.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2479910"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11980202/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Primary healthcare providers' perspectives on six-month dispensing of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa: cross-sectional survey of views and preferences.","authors":"Vinolia Ntjikelane, Amy Huber, Allison Morgan, Sophie Pascoe, Musa Manganye, Lufuno Malala, Sydney Rosen","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2484111","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2484111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Many African countries have increased the dispensing duration of antiretroviral therapy (ART) from 3 months to 6 months for established HIV treatment clients.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess South African healthcare providers' views on the benefits and challenges of the current maximum ART dispensing duration (3-month, 3MMD) and of potential 6-month dispensing (6MMD) to help inform South Africa about whether to move from 3MMD to 6MMD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional survey of healthcare providers at 24 primary healthcare clinics in South Africa from May to September 2024. We used descriptive analysis for quantitative data and analysed open-ended responses using conventional qualitative content analysis methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 182 providers were enrolled from four provinces (median age 44, 88% female). Most (>70%) respondents said that 3MMD offered multiple benefits for providers and patients, and most (64%) also said there were no challenges in implementing 3MMD. More than 80% of respondents across all cadres reported that they would be comfortable dispensing 6 months of ART at a time, believing that it would reduce the facility overcrowding, lighten staff workloads, and be advantageous to clients by decreasing their visit burden and travel costs. Two thirds (63%) of participating nurses, who provide the largest share of direct ART care, were also in favour of resuming 12-month scripting for ART; the remaining 37% expressed concerns about decreases in treatment adherence and clinical monitoring of clients.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Most healthcare providers at primary healthcare clinics in South Africa are in favour of allowing 6-month dispensing and 12-month prescriptions as options for established ART clients.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2484111"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11983522/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143812775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Public health system response to emerging infectious respiratory outbreaks in Iran.","authors":"Zahra Afshar Hosseinabadi, Nasrin Shaarbafchizadeh, Mostafa Amini-Rarani","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2491199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2025.2491199","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Emerging infectious respiratory diseases present significant challenges to public health systems worldwide. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has revealed critical weaknesses in Iran's healthcare infrastructure, particularly regarding surveillance and testing capabilities. During the pandemic, Iran faced severe consequences, including a high death toll and overwhelming demands on its healthcare system. This situation highlights the urgent need for a stronger public health system in the country.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study identifies interventions implemented in Iran's public health system during respiratory disease pandemics, their context, mechanisms and outcome.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative realist study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 21 public health experts across various sectors. Data were analyzed through content-directed analysis using the CIMO (Context-Intervention-Mechanism-Outcome) approach and the SPRP (Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan) framework. Data collection occurred from March to June 2024.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis revealed that factors such as individual behaviors, social capital, institutional settings, and political pressures significantly influenced intervention outcomes. Key interventions included enhanced risk communication strategies and the establishment of specialized respiratory disease centers. However, bureaucratic inefficiencies and resource limitations hindered effective responses. Additionally, continued investment in local diagnostic production is essential for maintaining national laboratory and vaccination capabilities.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings underscore the necessity for systemic reforms in Iran's public health framework to enhance preparedness for future pandemics. The realist approach provided insights into the complexities of intervention effectiveness, emphasizing the importance of context in shaping health outcomes. Strengthening primary healthcare and fostering inter-sectoral collaboration are essential for building a more resilient public health system capable of addressing emerging respiratory diseases effectively.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2491199"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144175285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and risk factors of gestational diabetes mellitus among pregnant women in northern Vietnam: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Hieu Minh Le, Thi Ai Nguyen, Dang Kien Nguyen, Ditte Søndergaard Linde, Ib Christian Bygbjerg, Jens Søndergaard, Thanh Duc Nguyen, Bay Quang Nguyen, Ngoc-Anh Thi Dang, Xuan Bai Nguyen, Dan W Meyrowitsch, Christina A Vinter, Tine M Gammeltoft, Vibeke Rasch","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2460339","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2460339","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes. Understanding the prevalence and risk factors of GDM is necessary to plan health care interventions and policy.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To determine the prevalence and risk factors of GDM in Thai Binh, Vietnam.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted in two health facilities in Thai Binh, Vietnam, with the participation of 1,106 pregnant women. Women were recruited at their first antenatal care visit where face-to-face interviews about socioeconomic and reproductive factors were performed. A 2-hour 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was conducted at 24-28 weeks of gestation. GDM was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization 2013 criteria. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the factors associated with GDM.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence rate of GDM was 27.1%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed maternal age from 25 to 34 (adjusted OR 2.0; 95%CI 1.3-2.9), maternal age ≥ 35 (adjusted OR 3.0; 95%CI 1.7-5.4), pregestational body mass index ≥ 23 (adjusted OR 1.6; 95%CI 1.1-2.3), family history of diabetes (adjusted OR 1.9; 95%CI 1.3-2.9), fertility treatment (adjusted OR 2.3; 95%CI 1.3-3.8), and previous GDM (adjusted OR 3.1; 95%CI 1.4-6.9) were associated with increased odds of GDM.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>More than one-fourth of pregnant women in Thai Binh, Vietnam, may have GDM. Advanced maternal age, high pregestational body mass index, family history of diabetes, and previous GDM were associated with increased risk of GDM. Additionally, fertility treatment appears to be strongly associated with an increased risk of GDM.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2460339"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11812109/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143383887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving WASH facilities and practices in Bangladeshi schools: progress and challenges from 2014 to 2018.","authors":"Farjana Jahan, Noshin Sayiara Shuchi, Afsana Yeamin, Titly Sen, Abul Kasham Shoab, Mahbub-Ul Alam, Supta Sarker, Mehjabin Tishan Mahfuz, Mahadi Hasan, Hasin Jahan, Khairul Islam, Md Masud Alam, Mahbubur Rahman","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2466896","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2466896","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices lead to a higher disease burden among children and hinder their academic performance. However, there have been efforts to improve WASH between 2014 and 2018.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The study aimed to investigate changes in WASH facilities and practices in Bangladeshi schools from 2014 to 2018.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed pooled data from Bangladesh National Hygiene Survey 2014 and 2018. We performed descriptive analysis, bivariate analysis, and multivariate Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) to analyze the changes over the four years time period.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results showed that basic drinking water services increased from 78% in 2014 to 90% in 2018. Schools showed a significant increase in basic sanitation services from 19% in 2014 to 52% in 2018. We discovered that students' access to water and soap increased from 2014 to 2018, from 21% to 35%. In the GEE model, we found that change in time, non govt urban schools were associated factors with improved basic drinking water services. For basic sanitation services, changes in time, school type and area type were significantly associated higher services. And for basic hygiene services, the associated factors were: schools having hygiene promotion visits, and availability of hygiene brigades at schools managed by students.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>WASH services in Bangladeshi schools have improved significantly, yet disparities exist, particularly in government and rural schools. Although students' knowledge improved, their practices still need improvements through training on proper WASH practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2466896"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11841100/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143450575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers of food acquisition practices among adolescents in suburban food environments of Lao People's Democratic Republic.","authors":"Thidatheb Kounnavong, Miho Sato, Christopher Turner, Elaine Ferguson, Hongkham Xayavong, Manithong Vonglokham, Sharon E Cox, Junko Okumura, Kazuhiko Moji","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2451475","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2451475","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dietary shifts among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries are exacerbating the double burden of malnutrition. Understanding the drivers of adolescent food acquisition and consumption practices and their lived experiences of the food environment is crucial for the effective development of targeted interventions and policies.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore drivers of food acquisition and consumption practices among adolescents from two suburban schools in the food environments of Phonhong District, Lao People's Democratic Republic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We implemented a Qualitative-Geographical Information System methodology, featuring participatory photography, follow-up photo-elicitation interviews and focus group discussions with 30 adolescents from April to July 2022. Thematic analysis triangulated key themes from photos, maps, and transcripts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Drivers of food acquisition and consumption included interactions across external, interpersonal, and intrapersonal domains. The six key themes were food availability and accessibility, product properties and convenience, peers and social media, caregivers and household practices, affordability, desirability, and autonomy, and perceptions, beliefs, and social norms. Consumption of ultra-processed foods was driven by the availability and accessibility of these affordable products in schools. By contrast, consumption of fruits and vegetables was driven by parental food practices at home.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A comprehensive multi-scalar approach is required to improve adolescent diets and nutrition in the suburban food environment of Lao PDR. This includes restricting the sale of ultra-processed foods in schools, promoting home gardening, increasing caregivers' awareness and engagement with adolescents about the benefits of healthy food choices, and leveraging social media to encourage healthy eating behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2451475"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitigating moral distress by enhancing healthcare workers' understanding of challenges faced by carers of children with disabilities in low-resource settings in Kenya.","authors":"Anne Geniets, Jarim Omogi, Laura Hakimi, Alice Lakati, Niall Winters","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2452159","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2452159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Little is known about the psychological wellbeing and the potential moral distress faced by female carers of children with disabilities living in low-resource settings in East Africa. In such environments, caregiving often requires resilience and resourcefulness, yet can also increase the vulnerability of caregivers and their children.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of this study is to identify factors affecting female caregivers' psychological well-being, and to suggest ways healthcare workers can support these caregivers' psychological well-being to alleviate moral distress.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Employing an intersectional convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, the research explores the factors affecting the psychological wellbeing of caregivers in one urban and one rural low-resource setting in Kenya.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study identifies strengthening and inhibiting factors, across three dimensions, that moderate caregivers' experiences of moral distress, and puts forward suggestions for healthcare workers on how to support caregivers' psychological wellbeing.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Female carers of children with disabilities in low-resource settings in Kenya face numerous psychological, social and systemic challenges which jeopardize their caregiving, leading to moral distress. Paediatricians and nurses can contribute to enhance the caregivers' coping-strategies and psychological well-being through simple changes, like explaining a child's condition in non-technical language. Community health workers can help strengthen the caregivers' already existing resources by accompanying them in the day-to-day care of their children and by helping them establish self-support groups. Consequently, improved training of healthcare- and community health workers in the field of childhood disability is needed to strengthen health systems, and to support these caregivers and their children.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2452159"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792118/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unwrapping the Global Financing Facility: understanding implications for women's children's and adolescent's health through layered policy analysis.","authors":"Mary V Kinney, Doris Kwesiga, Joy E Lawn, Ulla Walmisley, Meghan Bruce Kumar, Joël Arthur Kiendrébéogo, Phillip Wanduru, Peter Waiswa, Donat Shamba, Jitihada Baraka, Andes Chivangue, Georgina Msemo, Rosie Steege, Asha Sara George","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2476820","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2476820","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Global Financing Facility (GFF), launched in 2015, aims to catalyse funding for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, and nutrition. Few independent assessments have evaluated its processes and impact. We conducted a multi-layered policy analysis of GFF documents - the Investment Cases (ICs) and the GFF-linked World Bank Project Appraisal Documents (PADs) - examining the content of GFF documents for 28 countries, comparing four tracer themes (maternal and newborn health, adolescent health, community health, and quality), and analysing the policy processes in four country studies (Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda). From 2015 to 2022, GFF-linked PADs reported US$ 14.5 billion of funding across 26 countries through 30 PADs, with GFF contributing 4% to this value. GFF investments primarily focused on service delivery, governance, and performance-based financing. Countries received more targeted investments for maternal and newborn health and adolescent health linked to their burden of these tracer themes. Attention to community health and quality varied. ICs were broader than PADs and more inclusive in their development. Local contexts shaped policy processes. GFF supported priority-setting and learning; however, translating priorities into resourced actions proved challenging. Power dynamics influenced country ownership, donor coordination and resource mobilisation. The GFF is a significant opportunity to advance health for vulnerable populations. Progress in transparency and data use is evident, but accountability gaps, power imbalances, and limited engagement with civil society and private sector hinder national ownership. Further research is needed to determine GFF's attribution to catalytic resource mobilization.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2476820"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12086900/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144081550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring parental knowledge, care-seeking, and support strategies for neonatal illness: an integrative review of the African Great Lakes region.","authors":"Sarah Farrell, Tracey A Mills, Dame Tina Lavender","doi":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2450137","DOIUrl":"10.1080/16549716.2025.2450137","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sub-Saharan Africa shoulders much of the global burden of neonatal mortality. Quality postnatal care is often lacking due to availability, accessibility, mistrust of health systems, and socio-economic barriers, yet delays in care-seeking contribute to avoidable neonatal deaths. Research highlights the urgent need for improved health education about neonatal illness; however, contextual factors are rarely considered, and few interventions have been implemented.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To critically examine the literature on parents' knowledge of neonatal illness and care-seeking behaviour and evaluate interventions supporting parental understanding in sub-Saharan African Great Lakes countries.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Systematic searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, Global Health, the Cochrane Library, and thesis repositories. Studies meeting inclusion criteria were critically analysed using Whittemore and Knafl's framework, and quality was assessed with Hawker et al.'s tool, following PRISMA guidelines.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seventy studies (48 quantitative, 14 qualitative, eight mixed methods) were reviewed. The first theme, \"poor knowledge of neonatal illness\", showed parents struggled to recognise illness, with knowledge affected by maternity and socio-economic factors. The second theme, \"sub-optimal healthcare-seeking behaviour\", highlighted delayed care-seeking due to cultural, social, and economic factors. Finally, \"strategies to support parents' understanding\" emphasised the roles of community workers, health education phone calls, SMS, and videos, and neonatal monitoring systems.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Parental knowledge of neonatal illness is generally low, and care-seeking is influenced by beliefs, trust in healthcare, and logistical challenges. While community health workers and multi-media interventions appear effective, health education efforts must address contextual barriers and beliefs to improve recognition and care-seeking for neonatal illness.</p>","PeriodicalId":49197,"journal":{"name":"Global Health Action","volume":"18 1","pages":"2450137"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11792144/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}