Background Despite being preventable, anaemia is a major public health problem that affects a sizable number of children under-five years globally and in Tanzania. This study examined the maternal factors associated with the risk of anaemia among under-five children in Tanzania. We also assessed whether higher maternal education could reduce the risks of anaemia among children of women with poor socio-economic status. Methods Data was drawn from the 2015–16 Tanzania demographic and health survey and malaria indicator survey for 7916 children under five years. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated by fitting a proportional odds model to examine the maternal risk factors of anaemia. Stratified analysis was done to examine how the relationship differed across maternal educational levels. Results The findings revealed that maternal disadvantage evident in young motherhood [AOR:1.43, 95%CI:1.16–1.75], no formal education [AOR:1.53, 95%CI:1.25–1.89], unemployment [AOR:1.31, 95%CI:1.15–1.49], poorest household wealth [AOR:1.50, 95%CI:1.17–1.91], and non-access to health insurance [AOR:1.26, 95%CI: 1.03–1.53] were risk factors of anaemia among children in the sample. Sub-group analysis by maternal education showed that the risks were not evident when the mother has secondary or higher education. However, having an unmarried mother was associated with about four-times higher risk of anaemia if the mother is uneducated [AOR:4.04, 95%CI:1.98–8.24] compared with if the mother is currently in union. Conclusion Findings from this study show that a secondary or higher maternal education may help reduce the socio-economic risk factors of anaemia among children under-5 years in Tanzania.

Nigeria is one of Africa’s most populous countries. Nigeria’s population is expected to exceed 400 million by 2050, putting it among the top five most populous countries in the world. High birth rates, limited contraception use, and early marriage are the main causes of this rapid increase. In Nigeria, adolescents play a substantial role in these issues, with 117 births per 1000 girls aged 15–19 years. Data for this article comes from the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Our sample consisted of 1014 sexually active unmarried adolescents aged 15–19 years. Kaplan Meier’s curve, Log Rank Test, and Cox proportional hazards model were modeled to estimate the parameters at p > 0.05. Findings show that the average time to the first use of modern contraceptives after sexual initiation is two years. Initiating sex at age 15 or later, belonging to the richest household wealth quintile, and use of the internet is associated with the early initiation of modern contraceptive methods, while residing in the northwest region and being older are associated with a low incidence of modern contraceptive use. Results indicate a deferred initiation of modern contraceptives after first sexual encounter. It has become imperative for tailored interventions to improve the time of initiation of contraceptives, so as to reduce the associated burdens and consequences.

Background: Adolescent girls are the mostly affected with maternal and child complications. Contraceptive use is an important tool in curbing sexual and reproductive health challenges especially among adolescent girls in the developing countries. Despite, the low use of contraceptives among adolescents in Nigeria, the possibility of discontinuation of use after initiation is strong. Objective: This study aims to identify method of contraceptive use discontinued and reasons for discontinuation of contraceptives among unmarried adolescents aged 15-19 years in Nigeria. Method: Data for 324 never married adolescent girls who had ever used a method to prevent pregnancy were drawn from the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey. Descriptive statistics and chart were used to present the results. Result: Findings showed that 20% of adolescents who had ever used contraceptive discontinued use in the last five years. Most of single adolescents who reported ever discontinued a contraceptive method are older, have secondary education, resides in Urban areas, were at least 15 years at sexual debut are from richer household. Most reported reasons for discontinuation were Infrequent sex and inconveniencey in use. Conclusion: One in five of unmarried adolescents who ever use a method, discontinue use because of sexual frequency andtype of method used. Keywords: Contraceptive; discontinuation; adolescents; unmarried; NDHS; Nigeria.

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