There is increasing scholarly attention on the role of food insecurity on the health of older adults in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. Yet, we know very little about the association between food insecurity and self-rated oral health. To address this void in the literature, this study uses a representative survey of adults aged 60 or older from three regions in Ghana to examine whether respondents who experienced household food insecurity rated their oral health as poor compared to their counterparts who did not. We found that 34% of respondents rated their oral health as poor, while 7%, 21%, and 36% experienced mild, moderate, and severe food insecurity, respectively. Moreover, the results from the logistic regression analysis showed that older adults who experienced mild (OR = 1.66, p < 0.05), moderate (OR = 2.06, p < 0.01), and severe (OR = 2.71, p < 0.01) food insecurity were more likely to self-rate their oral health as poor, compared to those who did not experience any type of food insecurity. Based on these findings, we discuss several implications for policymakers and directions for future research.

Tetanus toxoid vaccination is critical for improving maternal and child health. Yet, the prevalence and correlates of maternal tetanus toxoid vaccination coverage remain largely underexplored in Benin where infant and child mortality rates are high. Using the 2017–18 Benin Demographic and Health Survey, we apply logistic regression analysis to address this void in the literature. We find that overall maternal vaccination coverage is 69%. A range of demographic, health care, and socioeconomic factors are associated with maternal tetanus toxoid vaccination coverage. Women aged 20–34 (OR = 0.84, p < 0.05) and 35–49 (OR = 0.63, p < 0.01) are less likely to receive tetanus toxoid vaccination in comparison to those aged 15–19. Health care factors are also significantly associated with maternal tetanus toxoid vaccination, indicating that women who deliver at home (OR = 0.20, p < 0.001) and visit antenatal care fewer than eight times (OR = 0.62, p < 0.001) are less likely to receive tetanus toxoid vaccination than their counterparts who deliver in a health facility and visit antenatal care eight times or more. We also find that women with secondary (OR = 0.54, p < 0.05), primary (OR = 0.47, p < 0.01), and no education (OR = 0.47, p < 0.01) are less likely to receive tetanus toxoid vaccination compared to their counterparts with higher education. Based on these findings, we discuss several implications for policymakers.