Publications

Bapolisi W.A, Bisimwa G, Merten S. Barriers to family planning use in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: an application of the theory of planned behaviour using a longitudinal survey. BMJ Open. 2023;13(2):e061564. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061564

Schwarz J, Merten S. 'The body is difficult': reproductive navigation through sociality and corporeality in rural Burundi. Cult Health Sex. 2023;25(1):78-93. DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2021.2020904

Schwind B, Zemp E, Jafflin K, Späth A, Barth M, Maigetter K, Merten S, Kurth E. "But at home, with the midwife, you are a person": experiences and impact of a new early postpartum home-based midwifery care model in the view of women in vulnerable family situations. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023;23:375. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09352-4

Shrikhande S.S, Merten S, Cambaco O, Lee T, Lakshmanasamy R, Röösli M, Dalvie M.A, Utzinger J, Cisse G. "Climate change and health?": Knowledge and perceptions among key stakeholders in Puducherry, India. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(6):4703. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064703

Wüthrich-Grossenbacher U, Mutsinze A, Wolf U, Maponga C.C, Midzi N, Mutsaka-Makuvaza M.J, Merten S. A validation of the religious and spiritual struggles scale among young people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: mokken scale analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Front Psychol. 2023;14:1051455. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1051455

Bytyci-Katanolli A, Merten S, Kwiatkowski M, Obas K, Gerold J, Zahorka M, Jerliu N, Ramadani Q, Fota N, Probst-Hensch N. Non-communicable disease prevention in Kosovo: quantitative and qualitative assessment of uptake and barriers of an intervention for healthier lifestyles in primary healthcare. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022;22:647. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-07969-5

Bytyci-Katanolli A, Probst-Hensch N, Obas K.A, Gerold J, Zahorka M, Jerliu N, Ramadani Q, Fota N, Merten S. Perceived barriers to physical activity behaviour among patients with diabetes and hypertension in Kosovo: a qualitative study. BMC Prim Care. 2022;23:257. DOI: 10.1186/s12875-022-01866-w

Darkhawaja R.A.M, Kwiatkowski M, Vermes T, Allabadi H, Merten S, Alkaiyat A, Probst-Hensch N. Exploring the role of social capital, self-efficacy and social contagion in shaping lifestyle and mental health among students representing the future healthcare workforce in Palestine: social cohort study protocol. BMJ Open. 2022;12:e049033. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049033

Ebi S.J, Deml M.J, Jafflin K, Buhl A, Engel R, Picker J, Häusler J, Wingeier B, Kruerke D, Huber B.M, Merten S, Tarr P.E. Parents' vaccination information seeking, satisfaction with and trust in medical providers in Switzerland: a mixed-methods study. BMJ Open. 2022;12(2):e053267. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053267

Grimm P.Y, Oliver S, Merten S, Han W.W, Wyss K. Enhancing the understanding of resilience in health systems of low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative evidence synthesis. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2022;11(7):899-911. DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2020.261

Ikuteyijo O.O, Akinyemi A.I, Merten S. Exposure to job-related violence among young female sex workers in urban slums of Southwest Nigeria. BMC Public Health. 2022;22:1021. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13440-1

Jafflin K, Deml M.J, Schwendener C.L, Kiener L, Delfino A, Gafner R, Schudel S, Mäusezahl M, Berger C, Huber B.M, Merten S, Tarr P.E. Parental and provider vaccine hesitancy and non-timely childhood vaccination in Switzerland. Vaccine. 2022;40(23):3193-3202. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.04.044

Kiener L.M, Schwendener C.L, Jafflin K, Meier A, Reber N, Schärli Maurer S, Muggli F, Gültekin N, Huber B.M, Merten S, Deml M.J, Tarr P.E. Vaccine hesitancy and HPV vaccine uptake among male and female youth in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2022;12(4):e053754. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053754

Ombere S.O, Nyambedha E.O, Haller T, Merten S. Measures adopted by indigent mothers in Kilifi County to tackle maternal health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study. Afr J Reprod Health. 2022;26(12):57-65. DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2022/v26i12s.7

Schwarz J, Manirakiza R, Merten S. Reproductive governance in a fragile and population-dense context: family planning policies, discourses, and practices in Burundi. Eur J Dev Res. 2022;34(6):2666-2687. DOI: 10.1057/s41287-021-00482-1

Schwendener C.L, Kiener L.M, Jafflin K, Rouached S, Juillerat A, Meier V, Schärli Maurer S, Muggli F, Gültekin N, Baumann A, Debergh M, Gruillot C, Huber B, Merten S, Buhl A, Deml M.J, Tarr P.E. HPV vaccine awareness, knowledge and information sources among youth in Switzerland: a mixed methods study. BMJ Open. 2022;12:e054419. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054419

Bapolisi W, Ferrari G, Bisimwa G, Merten S. Gendered determinants of food insecurity in ongoing regional conflicts, North and South Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Agric Food Secur. 2021;10:13. DOI: 10.1186/s40066-021-00285-x

Biller-Andorno N, Spitale G, Schwind B, Jafflin K, Kaiser-Grolimund A, Merten S. Publico - a digital tool for pandemic crisis communication and management. Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Bioethica. 2021;65:34-35

Grimm P.Y, Merten S, Wyss K. Evidence of health system resilience in Myanmar during cyclone Nargis: a qualitative analysis. BMJ Open. 2021;11(9):e050700. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050700

Leuenberger A, Cambaco O, Zabré H.R, Lyatuu I, Utzinger J, Munguambe K, Merten S, Winkler M.S. “It is like we are living in a different world”: health inequity in communities surrounding industrial mining sites in Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11015. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111015

Leuenberger A, Kihwele F, Lyatuu I, Kengia J.T, Farnham A, Winkler M.S, Merten S. Gendered health impacts of industrial gold mining in northwestern Tanzania: perceptions of local communities. Impact Assess Proj Apprais. 2021;39(3):183-195. DOI: 10.1080/14615517.2021.190469

Olarewaju V.O, Jafflin K, Deml M.J, Gültekin N, Muggli F, Schärli S, Gruillot C, Kloetzer A, Huber B.M, Merten S, Tarr P.E. The Youth Attitudes about Vaccines (YAV-5) scale: adapting the parent attitudes about childhood vaccines short scale for use with youth in German, French, and Italian in Switzerland, exploratory factor analysis and mokken scaling analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021;17(12):5183-5190. DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1980314

Olarewaju V.O, Jafflin K, Deml M.J, Zimmermann C, Sonderegger J, Preda T, Staub H, Kwiatkowski M, Kloetzer A, Huber B.M, Merten S, Tarr P.E. Application of the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey in three national languages in Switzerland: exploratory factor analysis and mokken scale analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021;17(8):2652-2660. DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1894894

Ombere S.O, Haller T, Nyambedha E, Merten S. Cultural practices during pregnancy and birth among the Giriama community in coastal Kenya: a qualitative study. Int J Childbirth. 2021;11(4):154-165. DOI: 10.1891/IJC-2021-0008

Spitale G, Merten S, Jafflin K, Schwind B, Kaiser-Grolimund A, Biller-Andorno N. PubliCo. A protocol for a new risk and crisis communication platform to bridge the gap between policy makers and the public in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. JMIR Res Protoc. 2021;10(11):e33653. DOI: 10.5167/uzh-20779

Zepro N.B, Medhanyie A.A, Bezabih A.M, Tarr N, Merten S. Lived experiences and perceptions of childbirth among pastoralist women in north-eastern Ethiopia: a multimethod qualitative analysis to the WHO health systems responsiveness framework. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12518. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312518

Bapolisi W.A, Ferrari G, Blampain C, Makelele J, Kono-Tange L, Bisimwa G, Merten S. Impact of a complex gender-transformative intervention on maternal and child health outcomes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: protocol of a longitudinal parallel mixed-methods study. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:51. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-8084-3

Giles M.L, Mantel C, Munoz F.M, Moran A, Roos N, Yusuf N, Diaz T, Ahun M, Nic Lochlainn L.M, Wootton E, Pathirana J, Rendell S, Tuncalp O, Perut M, Hombach J, Merten S, Lambach P. Vaccine implementation factors affecting maternal tetanus immunization in low- and middle-income countries: results of the Maternal Immunization and Antenatal Care Situational Analysis (MIACSA) project. Vaccine. 2020;38(33):5268-5277. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.05.084

Giles M.L, Mason E, Muñoz F.M, Moran A.C, Lambach P, Merten S, Diaz T, Baye M, Mathai M, Pathirana J, Rendell S, Tunçalp O, Hombach J, Roos N. Antenatal care service delivery and factors affecting effective tetanus vaccine coverage in low- and middle-income countries: results of the Maternal Immunisation and Antenatal Care Situational analysis (MIACSA) project. Vaccine. 2020;38(33):5278-5285. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.05.025

Jafflin K. Monitoring der Baby Freundlichen Spitäler in zertifizierten Geburtskliniken (Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative): Bericht 2019: eine Analyse im Auftrag der UNICEF Schweiz und Lichtenstein. Basel: Schweizerisches Tropen- und Public Health-Institut, 2020

Jafflin K. Monitoring des hôpitaux amis des bébés. Maternités certifiées (Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative): rapport 2019: une analyse réalisée sur mandat d’UNICEF Suisse Lichtenstein. Basel: Institut Tropical et de Santé Publique Suisse, 2020

Kusi C, Steinmann P, Merten S. The fight against lymphatic filariasis: perceptions of community drug distributors during mass drug administration in coastal Kenya. Infect Dis Poverty. 2020;9:22. DOI: 10.1186/s40249-020-0638-1

Merten S, Mlotshwa L, Schwarz J. Youth, sexuality, gender, and health: dealing with a social phenomenon. Int J Public Health. 2020;65(4):375-376. DOI: 10.1007/s00038-020-01392-5

Wyss-van den Berg M, Ogutu B, Sewankambo N.K, Merten S, Biller-Andorno N, Tanner M. Communities and clinical trials: a case study from the RTS,S malaria vaccine trials in eastern Africa. J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics. 2020;15(5):465-477. DOI: 10.1177/1556264620951384

Deml M.J, Jafflin K, Merten S, Huber B, Buhl A, Frau E, Mettraux V, Sonderegger J, Kliem P, Cattalani R, Kruerke D, Pfeiffer C, Burton-Jeangros C, Tarr P.E. Determinants of vaccine hesitancy in Switzerland: study protocol of a mixed-methods national research programme. BMJ Open. 2019;9(11):e032218. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032218

Dumbaugh M, Bapolisi W, Bisimwa G, Mwamini M.C, Mommers P, Merten S. Navigating fertility, reproduction and modern contraception in the fragile context of South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo: 'Les enfants sont une richesse'. Cult Health Sex. 2019;21(3):323-337. DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2018.1470255

Leuenberger A, Farnham A, Azevedo S, Cossa H, Dietler D, Nimako B, Adongo P.B, Merten S, Utzinger J, Winkler M.S. Health impact assessment and health equity in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review. Environ Impact Assess Rev. 2019;79:106288. DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2019.106288

Mhalu G, Weiss M.G, Hella J, Mhimbira F, Mahongo E, Schindler C, Reither K, Fenner L, Zemp E, Merten S. Explaining patient delay in healthcare seeking and loss to diagnostic follow-up among patients with presumptive tuberculosis in Tanzania: a mixed-methods study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19:217. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4030-4

Schwarz J, Arminjon M, Zemp Stutz E, Merten S, Bodenmann P, Clair C. Déterminants sociaux de la santé en Suisse - comment le genre s'est perdu en chemin. Rev Méd Suisse. 2019;15(640):485-489

Schwarz J, Dumbaugh M, Bapolisi W, Ndorere M.S, Mwamini M.C, Bisimwa G, Merten S. "So that's why I'm scared of these methods": Locating contraceptive side effects in embodied life circumstances in Burundi and Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Soc Sci Med. 2019;220:264-272. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.09.030