Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
November 2015, Volume 69, Issue 11
http://jech.bmj.com/content/current

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Editorial
Transnational research partnerships: leveraging big data to enhance US health
Casey Crump1, Kristina Sundquist2,3, Marilyn A Winkleby3
Author Affiliations
1Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
2Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
3Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
Published Online First 12 March 2015
Extract
In the current era of big data and small research budgets, new strategies are needed for more cost-effective leveraging of big data to enhance our nation’s health. One strategy is to promote transnational partnerships to tap into the rich, extensive databases available in other countries, particularly in Europe. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has increasingly recognised that new collaborations that bring together multiple data sources will play a critical role in advancing our knowledge of disease causation, improving patient care, and promoting healthier communities. However, given cuts in research funding and fierce competition for US grants, some question whether US dollars should be diverted to fund ‘foreign’ studies. In this commentary, we argue that transnational research partnerships offer significant advantages for enhancing the health of the US population as well as the broader global community.

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Contextual socioeconomic factors associated with childhood mortality in Nigeria: a multilevel analysis
Victor T Adekanmbi1,2, Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala1,3, Saverio Stranges1,4, Olalekan A Uthman5,6
Author Affiliations
1Division of Health Sciences, University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
2Center for Evidence-based Global Health, Ilorin, Nigeria
3Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Witwatersrand, School of Public Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
4Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg
5Division of Health Sciences, Warwick-Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery (WCAHRD), University of Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
6International Health Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
Published Online First 10 June 2015
Abstract
Background Childhood mortality is a well-known public health issue, particularly in the low and middle income countries. The overarching aim of this study was to examine whether neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with childhood mortality beyond individual-level measures of socioeconomic status in Nigeria.
Methods Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to data on 31 482 under-five children whether alive or dead (level 1) nested within 896 neighbourhoods (level 2) from the 37 states in Nigeria (level 3) using the most recent 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).
Results More than 1 of every 10 children studied had died before reaching the age of 5 years (130/1000 live births). The following factors independently increased the odds of childhood mortality: male sex, mother’s age at 15–24 years, uneducated mother or low maternal education attainment, decreasing household wealth index at individual level (level 1), residing in rural area and neighbourhoods with high poverty rate at level 2. There were significant neighbourhoods and states clustering in childhood mortality in Nigeria.
Conclusions The study provides evidence that individual-level and neighbourhood-level socioeconomic conditions are important correlates of childhood mortality in Nigeria. The findings of this study also highlight the need to implement public health prevention strategies at the individual level, as well as at the area/neighbourhood level. These strategies include the establishment of an effective publicly funded healthcare system, as well as health education and poverty alleviation programmes.