Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South Sudan

Objectives To understand the current state of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) among internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities in remote counties of Jonglei state.Design Cross-sectional, randomly sampled, mixed-methods, population-based household study.Setting Ayod...

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Main Authors: William Clemmer, Mounir Lado, Lynn Lieberman Lawry, Rachel Gabor, Jacques Katele, Lazarus Baak Madut, Katina Sommers, David Manuel, Claire Nadolski, Tracey Koehlmoos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-01-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e083905.full
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author William Clemmer
Mounir Lado
Lynn Lieberman Lawry
Rachel Gabor
Jacques Katele
Lazarus Baak Madut
Katina Sommers
David Manuel
Claire Nadolski
Tracey Koehlmoos
author_facet William Clemmer
Mounir Lado
Lynn Lieberman Lawry
Rachel Gabor
Jacques Katele
Lazarus Baak Madut
Katina Sommers
David Manuel
Claire Nadolski
Tracey Koehlmoos
author_sort William Clemmer
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To understand the current state of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) among internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities in remote counties of Jonglei state.Design Cross-sectional, randomly sampled, mixed-methods, population-based household study.Setting Ayod, Nyirol, Fangak and Pigi counties of Jonglei, South Sudan.Participants 859 households, including 586 adult females and 273 adult males.Primary and secondary outcome measures Knowledge, attitudes and practices of MNCH. Secondary: contraception, pregnancies, pregnancy outcomes, use or non-use of antenatal care (ANC)/postnatal care (PNC), use of skilled birth attendants, breastfeeding, knowledge of warning or danger signs of pregnancy, gender-based violence (GBV) and MNCH attitudes/cultural norms.Results A total of 859 households consented to the study (586 females and 273 males) with a response rate of 96% among females and 94% among males. The ability to list at least three warning/danger signs or essentials of care for different MNCH categories among respondents was low (range, 37·0%–47·1%). 1% of females and 3% of males use contraception. ANC and PNC are suboptimal and largely provided by unskilled providers. 26% of women exclusively breastfed for up to 6 months. For respondents with children<2 years of age, 68·9% (95% CI 64·7 to 72·7) had received three doses of Penta valent vaccine. Females and males reported similar lifetime GBV rates.Conclusion Conflict and flooding in the remote survey areas are significant barriers to MNCH. Evidence-based interventions that decrease mortality and morbidity are lacking and the dearth of skilled health providers and healthcare facilities limits improvements in MNCH. Establishing cost-effective and evidence-based interventions proven to reduce MNCH mortality either at fixed facilities and/or in combination with mobile clinics and community outreach are necessary to ensure that IDPs and returnees are reached.
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spelling doaj-art-7bf88d2d655e412d86c3395e4c0da6692025-01-07T07:15:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-01-0115110.1136/bmjopen-2024-083905Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South SudanWilliam Clemmer0Mounir Lado1Lynn Lieberman Lawry2Rachel Gabor3Jacques Katele4Lazarus Baak Madut5Katina Sommers6David Manuel7Claire Nadolski8Tracey Koehlmoos92 IMA World Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo5 IMA World Health, Juba, South Sudan1 Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA1 Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USA2 IMA World Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo3 University of Juba, Juba, South Sudan4 IMA World Health, Washington, DC, USA4 IMA World Health, Washington, DC, USA4 IMA World Health, Washington, DC, USA1 Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, USAObjectives To understand the current state of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) among internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and host communities in remote counties of Jonglei state.Design Cross-sectional, randomly sampled, mixed-methods, population-based household study.Setting Ayod, Nyirol, Fangak and Pigi counties of Jonglei, South Sudan.Participants 859 households, including 586 adult females and 273 adult males.Primary and secondary outcome measures Knowledge, attitudes and practices of MNCH. Secondary: contraception, pregnancies, pregnancy outcomes, use or non-use of antenatal care (ANC)/postnatal care (PNC), use of skilled birth attendants, breastfeeding, knowledge of warning or danger signs of pregnancy, gender-based violence (GBV) and MNCH attitudes/cultural norms.Results A total of 859 households consented to the study (586 females and 273 males) with a response rate of 96% among females and 94% among males. The ability to list at least three warning/danger signs or essentials of care for different MNCH categories among respondents was low (range, 37·0%–47·1%). 1% of females and 3% of males use contraception. ANC and PNC are suboptimal and largely provided by unskilled providers. 26% of women exclusively breastfed for up to 6 months. For respondents with children<2 years of age, 68·9% (95% CI 64·7 to 72·7) had received three doses of Penta valent vaccine. Females and males reported similar lifetime GBV rates.Conclusion Conflict and flooding in the remote survey areas are significant barriers to MNCH. Evidence-based interventions that decrease mortality and morbidity are lacking and the dearth of skilled health providers and healthcare facilities limits improvements in MNCH. Establishing cost-effective and evidence-based interventions proven to reduce MNCH mortality either at fixed facilities and/or in combination with mobile clinics and community outreach are necessary to ensure that IDPs and returnees are reached.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e083905.full
spellingShingle William Clemmer
Mounir Lado
Lynn Lieberman Lawry
Rachel Gabor
Jacques Katele
Lazarus Baak Madut
Katina Sommers
David Manuel
Claire Nadolski
Tracey Koehlmoos
Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South Sudan
BMJ Open
title Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South Sudan
title_full Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South Sudan
title_fullStr Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South Sudan
title_full_unstemmed Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South Sudan
title_short Mixed-methods reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices survey of IDPs, returnees and host communities in Jonglei State, South Sudan
title_sort mixed methods reproductive health knowledge attitudes and practices survey of idps returnees and host communities in jonglei state south sudan
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e083905.full
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