Browsing by Author "Mekonnen, Habtamu"

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    Impact of child emotional and behavioural difficulties on educational outcomes of primary school children in Ethiopia : a population-based cohort study
    (BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2020-05-16) Mekonnen, Habtamu; Medhin, Girmay; Tomlinson, Mark; Alem, Atalay; Prince, Martin; Hanlon, Charlotte
    Background: The relationship between child emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) and educational outcomes has not been investigated in prospective, community studies from low-income countries. Methods: The association between child EBD symptoms and educational outcomes was examined in an ongoing cohort of 2090 mother–child dyads. Child EBD was measured when the mean age of children was 6.5 years, SD 0.04 (T0) and 8.4, SD 0.5 years (T1) using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Educational outcomes were obtained from maternal report (drop-out) at T1 and from school records at when the mean age of the children was 9.3 (SD 0.5) years (T2). Result: After adjusting for potential confounders, child EBD symptoms at T1 were associated significantly with school absenteeism at T2: SDQ total score: Risk Ratio (RR) 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01, 1.02; SDQ high score (≥ 14) RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.24, 1.48; emotional subscale RR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01, 1.04; hyperactivity subscale RR 1.03; 95% CI 1.02, 1.04 and peer problems subscale (RR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00, 1.04). High SDQ (β = − 2.89; 95% CI − 5.73, − 0.06) and the conduct problems sub-scale (β = − 0.57; 95% CI − 1.02, − 0.12) had a significant negative association with academic achievement. There was no significant association between child EBD and school drop-out. Conclusion: Prospective associations were found between child EBD symptoms and increased school absenteeism and lower academic achievement, suggesting the need for child mental health to be considered in interventions
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    Impact of maternal common mental disorders on child educational outcomes at 7 and 9 years : a population-based cohort study in Ethiopia
    (BMJ Publishing Group, 2018-01) Mekonnen, Habtamu; Medhin, Girmay; Tomlinson, Mark; Alem, Atalay; Prince, Martin; Hanlon, Charlotte
    Objectives To examine the association between exposure to maternal common mental disorders (CMD) in preschool and early school age children and subsequent child educational outcomes. Design A population-based cohort study. Setting The study was undertaken in the Butajira health and demographic surveillance site (HDSS), a predominantly rural area of south central Ethiopia. Participants Inclusion criteria are women aged between 15 and 49 years, able to speak Amharic, in the third trimester of pregnancy and resident of the HDSS. 1065 women were recruited between July 2005 and February 2006 and followed up. When the average age of children was 6.5 years old, the cohort was expanded to include an additional 1345 mothers and children who had been born in the 12 months preceding and following the recruitment of the original cohort, identified from the HDSS records. Data from a total of 2090 mother–child dyads were included in the current analysis. Measures Maternal CMD was measured when the children were 6–7 (6/7) and 7–8 (7/8) years old using the Self-reporting Questionnaire, validated for the setting. Educational outcomes (dropout) of the children at aged 7/8 years (end of 2013/2014 academic year) were obtained from maternal report. At age 8/9 years (end of 2014/2015 academic year), educational outcomes (academic achievement, absenteeism and dropout) of the children were obtained from school records. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, exposure to maternal CMD at 7/8 years was associated significantly with school dropout (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.13, P=0.043) and absenteeism (incidence rate ratio 1.01; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02 P=0.026) at the end of 2014/2015 academic year. There was no association between maternal CMD and child academic achievement. Conclusion Future studies are needed to evaluate whether interventions to improve maternal mental health can reduce child school absenteeism and dropout.
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    Impact of perinatal and repeated maternal common mental disorders on educational outcomes of primary school children in rural Ethiopia : population-based cohort study
    (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2019) Mekonnen, Habtamu; Medhin, Girmay; Tomlinson, Mark; Alem, Atalay; Prince, Martin; Hanlon, Charlotte
    Background: There have been no studies from low- or middle-income countries to investigate the long-term impact of perinatal common mental disorders (CMD) on child educational outcomes. Aims: To test the hypothesis that exposure to antenatal and postnatal maternal CMD would be associated independently with adverse child educational outcomes in a rural Ethiopian. Method: A population-based birth cohort was established in 2005/2006. Inclusion criteria were: age between 15 and 49 years, ability to speak Amharic, in the third trimester of pregnancy and resident of the health demographic surveillance site. One antenatal and nine postnatal maternal CMD assessments were conducted using a self-reporting questionnaire, validated for the local use. Child educational outcomes were obtained from the mother at T1 (2013/2014 academic year; mean age 8.5 years) and from school records at T2 (2014/2015 academic year; mean age 9.3 years). Results: Antenatal CMD (risk ratio (RR) = 1.06, 95% CI 1.05–1.07) and postnatal CMD (RR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.06–1.09) were significantly associated with child absenteeism at T2. Exposure to repeatedly high maternal CMD scores in the preschool period was not associated with absenteeism after adjusting for antenatal and postnatal CMD. Non-enrolment at T1 (odds ratio 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.92) was significantly but inversely associated with postnatal maternal CMD. There was no association between maternal CMD and child academic achievement or drop-out. Conclusions: Our findings support the hypothesis of a critical period for exposure to maternal CMD for adverse child outcomes and indicate that programmes to enhance regular school attendance in low-income countries need to address perinatal maternal CMD.