Using an interactive linear regression model it was shown that for the population of children of women who had no more than 4 years of formal schooling, the association of maternal education and child weight differed significantly across the socio-environment. The relationship was flat and non-significant in the lowest socio-environment, positive and significant (P < 0.05) in intermediate conditions, and weakly positive under the best socio-environment conditions. Among children of mothers attaining higher levels of education, an unexpected negative association was found. It could be that maternal education had enabled women to participate in activities outside the home without simultaneously ensuring adequate child care.

Many patients with chronic pain, even if treated with potent analgesics such as morphine and hydromorphone, show comparable driving ability as normals.

The authors review research on the intermediate- and long-term effects of taking opioid medication on cognitive functioning in patients with chronic cancer and noncancer pain. Opioids seem to be more likely to worsen cognitive performance during the first few days of use and during the first few hours after a given dose, particularly on timed performance in psychomotor tasks. Results have been inconsistent regarding what decrements in cognitive performance are observed when patients with chronic pain who have been using opioids for more than three days are compared with healthy volunteers. Relatively few differences have been found when cognitive performance in these patients is compared with their performance before taking opioids, or with the performance of a comparable pain population not taking opioids. Major unresolved questions remain regarding such important issues as effects of different types of opioids, dose effects, interactions with other medications, and subject variables.

Antenatal care (ANC) offers remarkable opportunities to reach a large number of women with effective nutrition and health interventions, including iron (Fe) supplementation. However, all women do not equally seek nor benefit from ANC. We aimed to identify characteristics associated with ANC and Fe use among women in hard-to-reach areas in Afar, Ethiopia; Sedhiou and Kolda, Senegal; and Kakamega, Kenya. Women who gave birth within 1 year preceding the survey (n = 4,575) from 15 different sub-regions were randomly selected and surveyed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations of socio-demographic characteristics with ANC and Fe use. Factors that showed positive associations with ANC uptake included education, income, possession of a mobile phone, and the occupation of the mother or another household member. Beginning ANC in the first trimester associated positively with achievement of 4 or more ANC visits, and having any ANC visits related positively with Fe intake. Distance to the nearest health facility was negatively associated, and type of nearest facility and counselling and health education were positively associated with some outcomes. The results from these surveys demonstrate the need to ensure access of services across all population groups and can help identify ANC programming needs.