Exploring the Factors Associated with 12-Month Non-Return to Work among Motorcyclists Involved in Road Accidents

Introduction: Motorcyclists bear a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality from road accidents. In addition, the consequences of these accidents affect the ability of victims to return to work. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with non-return to work among surviving motorcyclists involved in road accidents 12 months after the event. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted using data from a cohort of motorcyclists involved in accidents and recruited in five hospitals in Benin from July 2019 to January 2020. The dependent variable was non-return to work 12 months after the accident (yes vs no). The independent variables were categorized into two groups: baseline and 12-month follow-up variables. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with non-return to work at 12 months among the participants. Results: Among the 362 participants, 55 (15.19%, 95% CI = 11.84 - 19.29) had not returned to work 12 months after the accident. Risk factors for non-return to work identified were: smoking (aOR = 4.41, 95% CI = 1.44 - 13.56, p = 0.010), hospitalization (aOR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.14 - 7.24, p Conclusion: The prevalence of non-return to work at 12 months was high among surviving motorcyclists involved in road accidents in Benin. Integrated support for patients based on identified risk factors should effectively improve their return to work.

Assessing Community Health Interventions in Reducing Infant and Child Mortality in the Southeastern Benin

Background: To reduce infant and child mortality in Benin, a package of high-impact interventions per healthcare level was implemented in 2009. This study aimed to assess the quality of community-based health interventions in reducing infant and child mortality within the municipality of Pobè in southeastern Benin. Methods: This was a cross-sectional evaluative study carried out in November 2021 focused on children aged 0 - 59 months, their mothers, health workers, community facilitators, community health workers and the Town Hall health focal point. Mothers and their children were targeted by cluster sampling, and exhaustive selection was used to recruit all other participants. Predetermined scores based on rating criteria were used to assess the quality of community health interventions using the “input, process and outcome” of Donabedian approach. Results: Over 300 mother-child couples, 46 community health workers, 7 health agents, 1 community facilitator and 1 health focal point from Pobè town hall were surveyed. Intervention quality was judged as “average”, with a score of 73.80%. The “inputs” and “outcomes” components were the weakest links. Conclusion: Improving access to the inputs needed by community health workers can enhance the quality of PIHI interventions.

Key Road Injury Prevention Interventions and Their Effectiveness in Africa: Conclusions and What Can Be Done Better

Introduction: This study aimed to identify road safety interventions implemented in Africa and to analyze their effectiveness in reducing road crashes, injuries, disabilities and deaths. Materials and Methods: This is a systematic review including articles relating to the evaluation of road safety interventions implemented in Africa that were searched on electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Lissa, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online. Selection of articles and data extraction was conducted by two pairs of reviewers. Data quality was checked according to the type of study. A qualitative analysis of the data was carried out and a narrative approach was adopted to describe and synthesize the results. Results: A total of twenty-nine articles were selected including one cross-sectional study, seven time series, twenty-one quasi-experimental studies of which six randomised and fifteen non-randomised studies. The type of interventions evaluated was aimed at all types of users and was based on different interventions such as institutional strengthening, law enforcement, awareness raising, training or user education, vehicle maintenance and infrastructure improvements. For fourteen studies all the expected indicators had changed favourably and for twelve the indicators had partially changed. The studies that showed significant change were institutional strengthening, law enforcement, awareness raising, training, or user education interventions, development of Uber transport services, distribution of equipment, and a combination of interventions. Conclusion: This situation is indicative of insufficient policy investment in research but also in the field of road safety in general.

Prevention of Maternal Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation: The Diet’s Inflammatory Potential in Pregnant Women in Southern Benin

Background: Pathogenic mechanisms link maternal systemic low-grade chronic inflammation to intrauterine development. A pro-inflammatory diet during pregnancy is associated with chronic maternal systemic inflammation. The objective of the study was to determine the diet inflammatory index and identify associated foods and nutrients in pregnant women of Ouidah city, Benin. Methods: The cross-sectional study conducted among pregnant women randomly selected by cluster sampling. Nutrient intakes and food consumed were estimated based on data of two 24-hour non-consecutive recalls. The inflammatory weightings of each nutrient were used to calculate the diet inflammatory index for each pregnant woman. Results: The average age of the 310 pregnant women surveyed was 27.20 ± 5.99 years. The median diet inflammatory index was -3.026 (-16.59;1.86). The pregnant women with inflammatory diet accounted for 11.30%. Vitamin A and zinc were negatively correlated with the diet inflammatory index. Fruits, roots, tubers and sweetened drinks consumed were positively correlated with the diet inflammatory index. On the contrary, the quantities of cereals, vegetables, legums and fish consumed were negatively correlated with the diet inflammatory index. Conclusion: More than one pregnant woman out of ten in the Ouidah city had a pro-inflammatory diet. Reducing maternal systemic low-grade chronic inflammation may include increasing the consumption of identified anti-inflammatory foods.