Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33556057›Full record

Observational studyPloS one2021

Barriers to healthcare access and healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses among childbearing women in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel modelling of Demographic and Health Surveys.

Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Eugene Budu, Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Ebenezer Agbaglo, Collins Adu, Edward Kwabena Ameyaw, Irene Gyamfuah Ampomah, Anita Gracious Archer, Kwaku Kissah-Korsah, Sanni Yaya

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.

Bright Opoku AhinkorahSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Eugene BuduDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0002-8484-9225
Abdul-Aziz SeiduDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0001-9734-9054
Ebenezer AgbagloDepartment of English, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Collins AduDepartment of Health Promotion, and Disability Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Edward Kwabena AmeyawSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6617-237X
Irene Gyamfuah AmpomahCollege of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
Anita Gracious ArcherSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
Kwaku Kissah-KorsahDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Sanni YayaSchool of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4876-6043
University of Cape Coast · GHUniversity of Technology Sydney · AUGlobal Affairs Canada · CAJames Cook University · AUKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology · GHUniversity of Health and Allied Sciences · GH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe success of current policies and interventions on providing effective access to treatment for childhood illnesses hinges on families' decisions relating to healthcare access. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there is an uneven distribution of child healthcare services. We investigated the role played by barriers to healthcare accessibility in healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses among childbearing women in SSA. MATERIALS AND

methodsData on 223,184 children under five were extracted from Demographic and Health Surveys of 29 sub-Saharan African countries, conducted between 2010 and 2018. The outcome variable for the study was healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses. The data were analyzed using Stata version 14.2 for windows. Chi-square test of independence and a two-level multivariable multilevel modelling were carried out to generate the results. Statistical significance was pegged at p<0.05. We relied on 'Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology' (STROBE) statement in writing the manuscript.

resultsEighty-five percent (85.5%) of women in SSA sought healthcare for childhood illnesses, with the highest and lowest prevalence in Gabon (75.0%) and Zambia (92.6%) respectively. In terms of the barriers to healthcare access, we found that women who perceived getting money for medical care for self as a big problem [AOR = 0.81 CI = 0.78-0.83] and considered going for medical care alone as a big problem [AOR = 0.94, CI = 0.91-0.97] had lower odds of seeking healthcare for their children, compared to those who considered these as not a big problem. Other factors that predicted healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses were size of the child at birth, birth order, age, level of community literacy, community socio-economic status, place of residence, household head, and decision-maker for healthcare.

conclusionThe study revealed a relationship between barriers to healthcare access and healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. Other individual and community level factors also predicted healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. This suggests that interventions aimed at improving child healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa need to focus on these factors.

Indexed as

Child Health ServicesHealth Services AccessibilityModels, TheoreticalAdolescentAdultAfrica South of the SaharaChildFemaleHealth FacilitiesHealth SurveysHumansMiddle AgedYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID33556057
PMCPMC7870045
OpenAlexW3127431638

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.