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Understanding and identifying the markers and clinical information that are associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) patient survival is needed for early detection and diagnosis. In this work, we aimed to build a simple model using Cox proportional hazards (PH) and random survival forest (RSF) and find a robust signature for predicting CRC overall survival. We used stepwise regression to develop Co
Understanding independent and joint predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes is essential to inform interventions toward achieving sustainable development goals. We aimed to determine the joint predictors of preterm birth and perinatal death among singleton births in northern Tanzania based on cohort data from the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) zonal referral hospital birth registry b
Introduction: a repeated pregnancy represents a failure of health and social systems to educate and provide the necessary services and skills to ensure adolescent girls do not experience any further unwanted pregnancies during this young age. We aimed to determine trends and factors associated with repeated adolescent pregnancies in Tanzania 2004-2016. Methods: an analytical cross-sectional study
Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) up to six months is sub-optimal globally. Tanzania has surpassed the World Health Assembly (WHA) target of increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children below six months to at least 50% by the year 2025 the median age of cessation of EBF is only three months. Objective To determine the time to cessation of exclusive breastfeeding and its ass
Introduction Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common non-communicable diseases and is the fifth leading cause of death in most developing countries. Regular physical activity (PA) is strongly recommended for individuals with diabetes for its beneficial effects in improving blood glucose control and insulin sensitivity, prevention and reduction of morbidities and complications, and its cardiova
Cancer tumor classification based on morphological characteristics alone has been shown to have serious limitations. Breast, lung, colorectal, thyroid, and ovarian are the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women. Precise classification of cancers into their types is considered a vital problem for cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this paper, we proposed a stacking ensemble deep learning model b
Background: Overweight and obesity have increased considerably in low- and middle-income countries over the past few decades, particularly among women of reproductive age. This study assessed the role of physical activity, nutrient intake and risk factors for overweight and obesity among women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1004 women aged 15–49 ye
Introduction: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) remains a cornerstone of HIV prevention and control efforts. It is vital that the beneficiaries of PMTCT programs understand PMTCT recommendations, especially since their adherence to recommendations is key to successful PMTCT. There have been several major changes in PMTCT recommendations, and many women have encountered different r
Background Preterm birth is a significant contributor of under-five and newborn deaths globally. Recent estimates indicated that, Tanzania ranks the tenth country with the highest preterm birth rates in the world, and shares 2.2% of the global proportion of all preterm births. Previous studies applied binary regression models to determine predictors of preterm birth by collapsing gestational age a
Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer globally among women in incidence and mortality. Women living with HIV (WLHIV) are disproportionately at a higher risk of developing the disease. Aim: To determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical cancer screening among WLHIV in the Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania, following the integration of these services in rou
Objective: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of HPV self-sampling in Arusha region, northern Tanzania, because the ability for women to self-collect HPV samples can help reduce the number of health facility visits and improve cervical cancer screening coverage rates. Methods: We conducted a facility- and community-based cross-sectional study among 350 women aged 25–55 years in Arumeru di
Background: Depression in the elderly population has been identified as a significant public health problem associated with adverse outcomes such as decreased quality of life, cognitive decline, and increased rates of suicide. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among geriatric population in Moshi district council, northern Tanzania. Methods: This c
Prevention of exposure to the COVID-19 virus in the general population is an essential strategy to slow community transmission. This paper shares the experiences and challenges of community engagement in COVID-19 prevention in the Kilimanjaro region, Northern Tanzania implemented by our team from the Institute of Public Health (IPH), Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo) in col
Objective We aimed to determine the key predictors of perinatal deaths using machine learning models compared with the logistic regression model. Design A secondary data analysis using the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) Medical Birth Registry cohort from 2000 to 2015. We assessed the discriminative ability of models using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AU
Background: Early initiation of breastfeeding offers nutritional and immunological benefits to the newborn, which is critical for health and survival. Understanding factors associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding is crucial for healthcare providers and policy-makers. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among mothers wit
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 h as it confers many benefits to the child and prevents neonatal mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding in the Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania. Methods: We analyzed secondary data for 866 participants from a popu
Background: Internet addiction is one of the fast-growing addictive behaviors and is a significant public health problem affecting a large number of people worldwide. Excessive use of the internet among university students increases their risk of internet addiction and related negative consequences. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with internet addiction among m
Modern contraceptive use provides opportunities for women and couples to achieve optimal child spacing, achieve desired family size and reduce unsafe abortions. Despite these facts, modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) in Tanzania remains as low as 32%. This study aimed to determine trends and factors associated with changes in modern contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in Tan
Background More than five million perinatal deaths occur each year globally. Despite efforts put forward during the millennium development goals era, perinatal deaths continue to increase relative to under-five deaths, especially in low- A nd middle-income countries. This study aimed to determine predictors of perinatal death in the presence of missing data using birth registry data from Kilimanja
Background: Mental distress is a major public health problem which includes anxiety, depression and somatic symptoms such as sleeping problems, fatigue and headache. University students are consistently reported to have higher levels of mental distress compared to the general population. Although university students with mental distress have significantly impaired cognitive functioning, learning d
