Background The study aimed to discuss the importance of socioeconomic status (SES) and family sexual attitudes and investigate their association with sexual and reproductive health in a large sample of Chinese young adults. Methods We analysed a large sample of 53 508 youth aged 15–24 years from an internet-based survey from November 2019 to February 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the association between SES, family sexual attitudes, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH), stratified by sex and adjusting for potential confounders. Results Individuals with the highest expenditure were more likely to engage in early sexual intercourse (female: OR 4.19, 95% CI 3.00 to 5.87; male: OR 3.82, 95% CI 2.84 to 5.12). For both sexes, the likelihood of young adult sexual risk-taking such as first intercourse without using a condom, acquiring sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy was lower in those with higher maternal educational attainment, whereas it was higher in those with open family sexual attitudes. Conclusions Lower SES and open family attitudes toward sex had a significant association with a range of adverse young adulthood SRH outcomes. Public health policies should focus on more deprived populations and advocate suitable parental participation to reduce risky sexual behaviours in youth.

Background The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has experienced political unrest, civil insecurity, and military disputes, resulting in extreme poverty and a severely impaired health care system. To reduce the morbidity and mortality in women and children by strengthening healthcare, this study aimed at exploring the relationship between self-reported insecurity of mothers and maternal health-seeking behaviours and diseases in children in the DRC. Method Data collected from 8144 mothers and 14,403 children from the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the National Institute of Statistics in 2017–2018, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), was used. The severity of the conflict in different provinces was measured using the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) reports. Multivariate logistic regression and stratified analysis were utilized to explore the association between conflicts with maternal health-seeking behaviours and diseases among children. Results High self-reported insecurity was positively associated with skilled antenatal care (OR1.93, 95%CI 1.50–2.49), skilled attendants at delivery (OR1.42, 95%CI 1.08–1.87), and early initiation of breastfeeding (OR1.32, 95%CI 1.04–1.68). These associations were more significant in regions with more armed conflict. It was also found that children of mothers with high self-reported insecurity were more likely to suffer from diarrhoea (OR1.47, 95%CI: 1.14–1.88), fever (OR1.23, 95%CI 1.01–1.50), cough (OR1.45, 95%CI 1.19–1.77), and dyspnea (OR2.04, 95%CI 1.52–2.73), than children of mothers with low self-reported insecurity. Conclusions Conflicts increases mothers’ insecurities and negatively affects children’s development. However, high conflict regions have to increase governmental and international assistance to promote the availability and access to maternal and child health services.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize that ensuring individual health and promoting well-being is important for all people, regardless of age. Maternal health, a key part of SDG 3, is listed as its first target [1]. Recently, substantial progress has been made in reducing maternal deaths worldwide, with a 38% decline in the […]

This study aimed to investigate the association between early sexual initiation and suicide attempts (SAs) among Chinese young people. Our analysis included 9131 college students who had sexual experience from a national sample of 31 provincial administrative regions. Self-reported age at first intercourse was categorized as ≤15, 15–18, and ≥18 years, and the experience of SAs was recorded and analyzed. Compared with females whose sexual debut age was ≥18 years, those ≤15 years (defined as early sexual initiation) had higher odds of SAs in both the forced debut group (odds ratio (OR) 17.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.87–59.66) and the voluntary debut group (OR 37.63, 95% CI 14.96–94.66). Early sexual initiators who lived in rural areas were more inclined to have SAs (female: OR 65.76, 95% CI 19.80–218.42; male: OR 15.39, 95% CI 1.64–144.19). Early sexual initiators who never had parent–child communication about sex were more likely to report having SAs (female: OR 37.81, 95% CI 12.28–116.46). Sexual debut during adolescence, particularly early sexual initiation, was a crucial risk factor for SAs among both sexes. Comprehensive sexuality education and smooth parental communication about sex will provide a supportive environment for young people and hence reduce the potential risks of SAs.

Maternal health-seeking behavior (MHSB) is crucial for maternal health. However, little is known about MHSB in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This study aims to evaluate the situation and socioeconomic associates of MHSB in the DRC. Based on the responses of 8,360 participants in a nationally representative survey, we adopted a K-modes cluster analysis algorithm to categorize women into three groups (i.e., infrequent service-users, partial service-users, and full service-users) according to their recent MHSB. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to identify the associated predictors of MHSB. The results show that most women (90.29%) did not receive integral maternal health services, including antenatal care, institutional delivery, and postnatal care. Compared with their counterparts, women who received higher maternal educational attainment, had good HIV-related knowledge, lived in urban regions, and lived in wealthier households were more likely to be partial service-users or full service-users. Women exposed to mass media at least once a week were more likely to be full service-users rather than infrequent service-users. The majority of participants who lived in Kasai and near provinces were infrequent service-users, indicating poor MHSB status in the region. Interventions to promote maternal health knowledge and awareness are highly recommended to improve MHSB in the DRC.

Objective: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has one of the highest levels of child undernutrition globally, however, little information exists on the underlying socioeconomic inequalities resulting in undernutrition. This study aims to examine the differences in the nutritional statuses of children across different wealth quintiles and explores the association between malnutrition in children and related factors. Design: We utilised the 2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data. We estimated the prevalence of malnutrition across all 26 provinces. The study used the World Health Organizations’ (WHO) 2006 child growth standards to measure stunting, underweight, and wasting. We employed a mixed-effect linear model to analyse the association between nutritional status and healthcare accessibility, domestic sanitation, and sociodemographic factors. Setting: 26 provinces in the DRC. Participants: 21,477 children under 5 and 21,828 women of childbearing age in the DRC. Results: The national prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was found to be 23.33%, 42.05% and 5.66%, respectively. Household wealth and mother’s education level were significantly positively associated with the nutritional statuses of children. Among households in the lowest wealth quintile, residence in urban areas was a protective factor against undernutrition. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate considerable socioeconomic inequalities in the nutritional statuses of children under 5 in the DRC, highlighting the need for nutrition promotion as part of maternal and child healthcare. Interventions and policies should include improving nutrition education for less-educated mothers, in particular, in the central provinces of the DRC.