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Stillbirths in Cameroon: an analysis of the 1998–2011 demographic and health surveys
Authors: Adidja Amani, Jobert Richie Nansseu, Guy Ferdinand Ndefo, Andreas Ateke Njoh, Fabrice Zobel Lekeumo Cheuyem, Paul Roger Libite, Athanase A. Ateba, Solange Ngo Bama, Martina Lukong Baye, Georges Nguefack-Tsague and Robinson Enow Mbu
Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth , Voume 22, issue 736 ; DOI:(2022) 22:736 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-04993-5
Topic(s): Stillbirths
Country: Africa
  Cameroon
Published: SEP 2022
Abstract: Background: Many countries, including Cameroon, have found it challenging to estimate stillbirths, as there are limited available reports accurately. This analysis aimed to assess stillbirth rates and identify risk factors for stillbirth in Cameroon using successive Demographic and Health Survey data. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data collected during the Demographic and Health Surveys of 1998, 2004, and 2011. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Logistic regressions were used to identify factors associ- ated with stillbirth through odds ratios (ORs) at 95% confdence intervals (CI). Results were considered statistically signifcant at p-value less than 0.05. Results: The crude stillbirth rate was 21.4 per 1,000 births in 2004 and 24 per 1,000 births in 2011, with respective standard errors of 1.8 and 1.3. The stillbirth rate increased with the mother’s age (p<0.001). The stillbirth rate reduc- tion was prolonged between 1998 and 2011, with an annual reduction rate of 1.6%. The study observed that residing in rural areas, low socioeconomic status, and low level of education were risk factors associated with stillbirths. Conclusion: Cameroon’s stillbirth rate remains very high, with a slow reduction rate over the last 20 years. Although some eforts are ongoing, there is still a long way forward to bend the curve for stillbirths in Cameroon; supplemen- tary strategies must be designed and implemented, especially among rural women, the poor, and the less educated
Web: https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12884-022-04993-5.pdf