Background: The World Health Organization set a Global Nutrition Target of a 30% reduction in LBW by 2025. Maternal malnutrition/undernutrition is among the most important modifiable risk factors for impaired fetal growth. This study investigates the effect of maternal undernutrition on LBW in Sudan.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Saad Abuelela Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan, from May to October 2020. The sociodemographic and obstetric data of the women were gathered via questionnaire, and their mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) was measured. Maternal undernutrition was defined as a MUAC of <23 cm.Results: In total, 1,505 pairs of pregnant women and their newborns were enrolled in the study. The medians [interquartile (IQR)] of the age, parity, and gestational age were 27.0 (9.0) years, 1.0 (3.0), and 38.0 (2.0) weeks, respectively. The median (IQR) of the birth weight was 3,028.0 (690.0) g. Of the 1,505 participants, 182 (12.1%) delivered LBW infants. Multivariate logistic regression showed that MUAC [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.87–0.96] and gestational age (AOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.73–0.85) were negatively associated with LBW. The level of antenatal care <2 visits (AOR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.30–3.57) was associated with LBW. Women with undernutrition were at a higher risk of delivering LBW infants (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.09–2.53).Conclusion: LBW is a health problem in Sudan, and women with undernutrition were at a higher risk of delivering LBW infants.

Background: The reduction of childhood mortality is a reliable indicator of a national health system's progress and improvement. Sudan's population is still suffering from communicable diseases, with a considerably higher mortality rate among children. Efforts are therefore needed to reduce mortality and achieve the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. This study was conducted to determine the morbidity, mortality and outcomes of children admitted to Gadarif Hospital in eastern Sudan.Method: A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical files of pediatric patients who were admitted to Gadarif Hospital between March 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.Result: A total of 740 medical files were reviewed. Most, 453 (61.2%) of the admissions were males. The median (interquartile range) age was 3.0 (8.0) years and 433 (58.8%) of the admissions were under 5 years of age. The median (interquartile range) of the length of hospital stay was 9.0 (12.0) days. Visceral leishmaniasis, malnutrition, severe malaria, sickle cell disease, acute watery diarrhea, severe anemia (regardless of its cause), septicemia and acute respiratory infection were the most common causes of admission. The mortality rate was 5.7%, and it was significantly higher in females than males [24/287 (8.4%) vs. 18/453 (4.0%),P= 0.01] and in children under 5 years [36/433 (8.3%) vs. 6/307 (2.0%),P< 0.001]. Malnutrition, visceral leishmaniasis, septicemia and meningitis/encephalitis were the main diseases causing death in the study population. The case fatality rate was not significantly different in malnutrition than in visceral leishmaniasis [9/93 (9.7%) vs. 7/178 (3.9%),P= 0.05].Conclusion: The main causes of morbidity and mortality for children admitted to Gadarif Pediatric Hospital were communicable diseases. The mortality rate was 5.7%. Females and children under 5 years were the most vulnerable groups for fatality.

Background: Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is a potentially credible alternative method for body mass index (BMI) to assess nutritional status. We aimed to assess the correlation between MUAC and BMI- Z-score and to identify a reliable MUAC cut-off point to detect underweight (BMI- Z-score of < −2 standard deviation) Sudanese adolescents.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in eastern Sudan. After obtaining adolescents’ age and sex, their weight, height, and MUAC were measured using the standard procedures. The MUAC (cm) cut-off corresponding to underweight was calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: In total, 390 adolescents were enrolled in the study and 205 (52.6%) of them were females. The median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 15.1 (14.0–16.3) years. The medians (IQR) of MUAC and BMI- Z-score were 22.0 (20.0–24.0) cm and − 0.62 (−1.5–0.3), respectively. MUAC was positively correlated with BMI Z-score in all participants (r = 0.534, p < 0.001), in females (r = 0.715, p < 0.001), and in males (r = 0.404, p < 0.001). Of the 390 enrolled adolescents, 61(15.6%) were underweight. The MUAC cut-off for underweight was ≤21.2 cm in all participants (Youden’s Index, YI = 0.50; sensitivity = 82.0%; specificity = 68.0%, AUROCC = 0.78), in females (YI = 0.66, sensitivity = 86.0%, specificity = 80.0%, AUROCC = 0.87), and in males (YI = 0.32, sensitivity = 80.0%, specificity = 52.0%, AUROCC = 0.69).Conclusion: MUAC has good accuracy results and can be adopted for community-based screening of underweight adolescents.

Background and Objective: Adolescents’ mental health, including depression and anxiety, represent a global public health problem. However, there is a paucity of data on depression and anxiety among adolescents in Sudan. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors for depression and anxiety among adolescents in Northern Sudan. Methods: This school-based cross-sectional study was conducted at randomly selected schools from August to September 2022 in Almatamah, River Nile State, Sudan. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire. Depression and anxiety were measured using the questionnaire tools of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), respectively. Univariate and multivariate binary analyses were performed to determine the associated factors of depression and anxiety using the adjusted odd ratios (AOR) and 95.0% confidence interval (CI). Results: Of 384 adolescents, 178 (46.4%) and 206 (53.6%) were boys and girls, respectively. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) of age was 15.1 (14.0–16.3) years old. Of the total adolescents, 311 (81.0%), 42 (10.9%), 20 (5.2%), 7 (1.8%), and 4 (1.0%) had no, mild, moderate, moderate to severe, and severe depression, respectively. Of the total, 31 (8.1%) adolescents had moderate or severe depression (depression score ≥ 10). In multivariable binary analysis, female gender (AOR = 5.35, 95% CI 1.67–17.09) and anxiety (AOR = 25.98, 95% CI 7.68–87.90) were associated with increased odds of depression; there was no association between age, father’s education, and BMI for age Z-score and depression. Of the 384 adolescents, 320 (83.3%), 47 (12.2%), 11 (2.9%), and 6 (1.6%) had no mild, moderate, and severe anxiety, respectively. Of the total, 17 (4.4%) had moderate and or severe anxiety (anxiety score ≥ 10). In multivariable logistic regressions, while family history of mental disorder (AOR = 6.31, 95% CI 1.36–29.27), being anemic (AOR = 3.95, 95% CI 1.19–13.12), and depression (AOR = 29.03, 95% CI 7.52–112.05) were associated with increased odds of anxiety; there was no association between age, gender, father’s occupation, and BMI for age Z-score and anxiety. Conclusions: The findings indicate that 1 in 10 adolescents in Northern Sudan experiences at least one mental disorder, encompassing depression, anxiety, or a combination of both. Notably, female adolescents are at a higher risk for depression, while factors such as a family history of mental disorders and anemia significantly contribute to anxiety levels. To address these pressing mental health concerns, it is imperative to implement inclusive and holistic programs that incorporate nutritional support, integrate mental health education into school curricula, and introduce community-based interventions aiming to enhance mental well-being among all adolescents, irrespective of gender.

Background: Neonatal mortality is a serious public-health issue, especially in Sub-Saharan African countries. There are limited studies on neonatal mortality in Sudan; particularly, there are none on eastern Sudan. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the incidence, causes and associated factors for mortality among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Gadarif Hospital, eastern Sudan. Methods: This retrospective study included 543 neonates admitted to the NICU of Gadarif Hospital, eastern Sudan, between January and August 2019. Data were obtained from the hospital record using a questionnaire composed of sociodemographic data, neonatal and maternal information and neonatal outcomes. Logistic regression analyses were performed and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Results: Of the 543 neonates, 50.8% were female, 46.4% were low birth weight (LBW), 43.5% were preterm babies and 27% were newborns admitted after caesarean delivery. The neonatal mortality before discharge was 21.9% (119/543) of live-born babies at the hospital. Preterm birth and its complications (48.7%), respiratory distress syndrome (33.6%), birth asphyxia (21.0%) and infection (9.0%) were the most common causes of neonatal mortality. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, preterm birth (AOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.17–3.74), LBW (AOR 2.47, 95% CI 1.38–4.41), low 5 min APGAR score (AOR 2.59, 95% CI 1.35–4.99) and length of hospital stay <3 days (AOR 5.49, 95% CI 3.44–8.77) were associated with neonatal mortality. Conclusion: There is an increased burden of neonatal mortality in the NICU of Gadarif Hospital, eastern Sudan, predominantly among preterm and LBW babies.

Background: Only few data have been published on Helicobacter pylori infection in adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Sudan. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of H. pylori infection in asymptomatic adolescents schoolchildren (aged 10–19 years) in Sudan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2022. The participants’ sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were assessed using a questionnaire. The participants underwent a rapid H. pylori antibody test for the detection of H. pylori antibodies. Multivariate regression analyses were performed. Results: Of the 368 enrolled adolescents, 155 (42.1%) and 213 (57.9%) were boys and girls, respectively. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of the total sample was 15.2 years (14.0‒16.4 years). The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 8.4%. In the multivariable regression analyses, only the female adolescents (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24‒7.44) were associated with H. pylori infection. Age, parental education and occupation, and body mass index were not associated with contracting H. pylori infection. Conclusion: H. pylori infection was detected in one of 10 adolescents in Northern Sudan. Female adolescents were at a higher risk of contracting H. pylori infection. The introduction of interventional health programs such as awareness campaigns and improving personal hygiene could lead to the reduction of the risk of H. pylori infection at early ages, especially in girls, and ensure that adolescents are healthy in their present and later lives.