Conectar
by Saidi Appeli, Christine Chandia, Jonathan Izudi
BackgroundAdolescent pregnancy is associated with several challenges, and partner support is crucial. However, the causal effect of partner support on the use of maternal health services among pregnant adolescents has not been rigorously examined. We assessed the causal effect of partner support on the frequency of antenatal care (ANC) visits among married adolescents in rural Uganda.
MethodsWe conducted a quasi-experimental study using observational data from a cross-sectional study that involved married adolescents aged 10–19 years in rural northwestern Uganda. The primary exposure was partner support, measured as a binary variable. Adolescents were considered to have received support if their spouse encouraged ANC attendance, accompanied them to visits, or provided financial or emotional support during ANC; otherwise, they were classified as having not received support. The primary outcome was the number of ANC visits, while the secondary outcome was attending four or more ANC visits. Propensity score weighting was used to ensure covariate comparability between the partner support groups (yes vs. no). Poisson regression was used to estimate the causal effect of partner support on the number of antenatal care (ANC) visits (primary outcome), while the modified Poisson regression was used to estimate the causal effect on attending four or more visits (secondary outcome).
ResultsOf 281 participants, 205 (72.9%) received partner support. Among participants with partner support compared to those without partner support, the frequency of ANC visits (Risk Ratio 1.15, 95% CI: 1.00–1.32) and four or more ANC visits (Risk Ratio 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01–1.52) improved.
ConclusionThe study showed that partner support was associated with improvements in ANC visit frequency and attendance of four or more ANC visits, among married adolescents in northwestern Uganda. Interventions aimed at improving ANC utilization should consider engaging and educating partners, as their support positively influences ANC utilization.
To evaluate the efficacy of melatonin, a neurohormone regulating the sleep–wake cycle, in preventing delirium within 5 days of hospitalisation among older adult patients (≥65 years) admitted to general medical wards.
Single-centre, double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
General medical wards of a tertiary hospital in Oman.
Patients aged ≥65 years admitted within 24 hours to general medical wards were screened. Key exclusion criteria included prevalent delirium, use of vasopressors, non-invasive ventilation, intensive or high-dependency unit admission and aphasia.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 5 mg or 8 mg of melatonin or a placebo nightly for up to 5 days during hospitalisation or until discharge, whichever occurred first.
The primary outcome was the incidence of delirium within 5 days, assessed using the 3-Minute Diagnostic Confusion Assessment Method. Secondary outcomes included delirium treatment, average sleep duration or sleep maintained, 28-day mortality and 28-day readmission. Analyses followed the intention-to-treat (ITT) principle, with per-protocol (PP) analyses conducted for robustness.
The study was terminated early due to futility. At termination, a total of 115 participants were recruited, 109 of whom were included in the ITT analyses: 55 in the melatonin group (5 mg or 8 mg) and 54 in the placebo group. The overall incidence of delirium by day 5 was 2.75%, 3.64% in the melatonin group and 1.85% in the placebo group (p=1.000). No statistically significant differences were found in the average sleep duration (p=0.136), 28-day mortality (3.64% vs 1.85%, p=1.000) or 28-day readmission (21.82% vs 20.37%, p=0.853). PP analyses and subgroup sensitivity yielded similar findings.
In this trial, melatonin did not significantly reduce the incidence of delirium. The lower-than-expected numbers of outcome events and resultant early termination for futility limited the study’s power. As a result, the study findings should be interpreted with caution, and further research is necessary before definitive recommendations can be made.
Strengthening research capacity in Africa is vital for tackling pressing health, educational and socioeconomic challenges facing the continent. At the core of this effort is the cultivation of innovative research leaders through postgraduate training programmes that incorporate mentorship-infused supervision. Such models have demonstrated potential in improving research skills, boosting academic productivity and fostering leadership development among emerging scholars. This systematic review and meta-synthesis protocol aims to examine existing mentorship-infused supervision practices across African higher education institutions. The review seeks to identify effective models, uncover common challenges and barriers, and generate evidence-based recommendations to develop sustainable, contextually relevant strategies. Insights from this work will inform policies and practices to enhance postgraduate research training, advance research leadership and contribute to the broader goal of strengthening research ecosystems across Africa.
A systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis will be undertaken, focusing on qualitative research studies as well as the qualitative components of mixed-methods studies. Relevant studies published in English will be identified through a comprehensive search strategy. The electronic databases, including Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, African Journals Online, EMBASE and CINAHL, will be searched to capture a wide range of peer-reviewed articles and grey literature. Databases will be searched from March 2026. Two reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction, quality assessment and evaluation of risk of bias, using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.
This systematic review and meta-synthesis will analyse publicly available literature and does not require ethical approval, as it involves no primary data collection. It will adhere to established ethical and methodological standards, including proper citation and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The findings will be widely disseminated through open-access journal publication, conference presentations and targeted reports for universities, research institutions and policymakers to inform and support mentorship-based postgraduate research supervision across Africa.
CDR420251049878. Available from https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251049878.
Nurse-led education programs in childcare settings are critical for improving early childhood health outcomes and caregiver practices. Despite their potential, a systematic synthesis of their effectiveness is lacking.
To summarize the characteristics and evaluate the effectiveness of existing nurse-led education programs in childcare settings through a systematic review of experimental studies.
This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted in five databases from inception to December 9, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed study quality. Due to methodological heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024618983).
Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 900 childcare workers and 920 families. The programs targeted two main areas: prevention of child health issues and management of child health issues. Lectures and group discussions were the most frequently used strategies. Nurses assumed diverse roles, including educators, consultants, and facilitators. The findings revealed several benefits, including reduced rates of upper respiratory illness, improved family health practices—such as appropriate medication use—and enhanced childcare worker competencies in first aid knowledge.
Nurses play a critical role in implementing education programs in childcare settings. Their contributions should be fully integrated into program planning and delivery. Future research should adopt rigorous methodologies to strengthen evidence-based practices and improve child health outcomes and caregiver competencies.
FreshRSS 