Owen Nkoka, BSc MSc PhD ACMI

Owen Nkoka is a Research Associate Cohort Manager at the University of Glasgow, seconded as an epidemiologist at MEIRU. He leads the Wellcome Trust funded Healthy Lives Malawi project – both the Demographic Surveillance System and the nested Long-Term Conditions Survey. He also co-leads an HLM-related Public Engagement work package focusing on primary school children to help them explore the role of their parents’ health and childhood environment on future health. Owen has a BSc degree in Environmental Health from the University of Malawi. He holds an MSc and a PhD in Public Health (Epidemiology) from Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.  Owen is also a certified project manager for development professionals (PMD Pro I) and an associate of the chartered management institute.

Prior to joining the University of Glasgow/MEIRU, Owen worked for several international organisations such as World Vision and Sightsavers implementing public health programs focusing on maternal and child health. He also worked as a Biostatistics Teaching assistant at Taipei Medical University and a Research Assistant at the same university on projects covering maternal and child health.

Grants

  1. Crampin A, Nkoka O, Stewart R, Matchado A, Bunn C, Nyirenda D, Phiri N, Abdulla S, Seth-Smith J, Todd H, Amoah A. Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Award: Healthy Lives Malawi Longitudinal Population Study. Wellcome Trust. £245,520.00. 01/02/21 – 31/7/24

Publications with full web links

  1. Nkoka O, Ntenda PA, Chuang KY. Contextual factors associated with knowledge and attitudes of HIV/AIDS among Malawian women of reproductive age. European Journal of Public Health. 2021 Jul 9. https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckab110/6318093?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  1. Nkoka O, Lee D, Chuang KY, Chuang YC. Multilevel analysis of the role of women’s empowerment on use of contraceptive methods among married Cambodian women: evidence from demographic health surveys between 2005 and 2014. BMC Women’s Health. 2021 Dec;21(1):1-3. https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-020-01141-z
  1. Mabuza, G. N., Waits, A., Nkoka, O. and Chien, L.-Y. (2021) Prevalence of iron and folic acid supplements consumption and associated factors among pregnant women in Eswatini: a multicenter cross-sectional study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21, 469. (doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-03881-8) https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-021-03881-8
  1. Mmanga, K., Mwenenkulu, T. E., Nkoka, O. and Ntenda, P. A.M. (2021) Tracking immunization coverage, dropout, and equity gaps among children ages 12–23 months in Malawi – bottleneck analysis of the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. International Health, (doi: 10.1093/inthealth/ihab038).https://academic.oup.com/inthealth/advance-article/doi/10.1093/inthealth/ihab038/6307373
  1. Ntenda PA, Mussa R, Gowelo S, Sixpence A, Bauleni A, Simbeye A, Matengeni A, Matola E, Banda G, Stanley CC, Banda S, Nkoka O. Determinants of self-reported correct knowledge about tuberculosis transmission among men and women in Malawi: evidence from a nationwide household survey. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2021 Dec;21(1):1-3. https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-021-05836-y
  1. Magombo PW, Ntenda PA, Nkoka O. Association between intimate partner violence and the use of maternal health care services among married Malawian women. BMC women’s health. 2021 Dec;21(1):1-9 https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-021-01312-6
  1. Nkoka O, Chuang TW, Chen YH. Effects of Malaria Interventions During Pregnancy on Low Birth Weight in Malawi. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2020 Dec 1;59(6):904 https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(20)30270-1/fulltext
  1. Nkoka O, Chuang TW, Chen YH. Influence of Maternal Exposure to Malaria Social and Behavioral Change Messages and Effectiveness of Communication Media on Bed Net Use and Malaria Infection in Malawi. Health Education & Behavior. 2020 Oct 23:1090198120964201.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1090198120964201
  2. Nkoka O, Chuang TW, Chen YH. Effects of insecticide-treated net access and use on infant mortality in Malawi: A pooled analysis of demographic health surveys. Preventive medicine. 2019 Oct 1; 127:105790. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009174351930266X?via%3Dihub
  1. Nkoka O, Chuang TW, Chen YH. Multilevel Analysis of Factors Associated with Treatment-Seeking Behaviors among Caregivers with Febrile Children in Malawi. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene. 2019 Jun 5;100(6):1454-65. https://www.ajtmh.org/view/journals/tpmd/100/6/article-p1454.xml
  1. Nkoka O, Ntenda PA, Senghore T, Bass P. Maternal overweight and obesity and the risk of caesarean birth in Malawi. Reproductive health. 2019 Dec;16(1):40. https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-019-0700-2
  1. Nkoka O, Chipeta MS, Chuang YC, Fergus D, Chuang KY. A comparative study of the prevalence of and factors associated with insecticide-treated nets usage among children under 5 years of age in households that already own nets in Malawi. Malaria journal. 2019 Dec;18(1):43. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-019-2667-4
  1. Nkoka O, Ntenda PA, Kanje V, Milanzi EB, Arora A. Determinants of timely initiation of breast milk and exclusive breastfeeding in Malawi: a population-based cross-sectional study. International breastfeeding journal. 2019 Dec 1;14(1):37. https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13006-019-0232-y
  1. Nkoka O, Chuang T-W, Chen Y-H. Association between timing and number of antenatal care visits on uptake of intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy among Malawian women. Malaria Journal. 2018;17(1):211. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-018-2360-z
  1. Nkoka O, Chuang TW, Chuang KY, Chen YH. Factors associated with insecticide-treated net usage among women of childbearing age in Malawi: a multilevel analysis. Malaria journal. 2018 Dec;17(1):372; https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-018-2522-z
  1. Nkoka O. Correlates of appropriate disposal of children’s stools in Malawi: a multilevel analysis. BMC Public Health. 2020 Dec; 20:1-0. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-08725-2
  1. Nkoka O, Mphande WM, Ntenda PA, Milanzi EB, Kanje V, Guo SJ. Multilevel analysis of factors associated with unmet need for family planning among Malawian women. BMC public health. 2020 Dec; 20:1-2. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-08885-1
  1. Milanzi EB, Nkoka O, Kanje V, Ntenda PA. Air pollution and non-communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. Scientific African.:e00702. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227621000065?via%3Dihub
  1. Sixpence A, Nkoka O, Chirwa GC, et al. Levels of knowledge regarding malaria causes, symptoms, and prevention measures among Malawian women of reproductive age. Malaria Journal. 2020; 19:225. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-020-03294-6
  1. Atmadani RN, Nkoka O, Yunita SL, Chen YH. Self-medication and knowledge among pregnant women attending primary healthcare services in Malang, Indonesia: a cross-sectional study. BMC pregnancy and childbirth. 2020 Dec;20(1):1-1. https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-020-2736-2
  1. Ntenda PA, Nkoka O, Nana AW, Majoni P, Mhone TG, Tizifa T, Mwenyenkulu ET, Kazambwe JF, Putthanachote N, Motsa MP. Factors associated with completion of childhood immunization in Malawi: a multilevel analysis of the 2015–16 Malawi demographic and health survey. Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2019 Sep 6;113(9):534-44. https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-021-05836-y
  1. Ntenda PA, Nkoka O, Bass P, Senghore T. Maternal anemia is a potential risk factor for anemia in children aged 6–59 months in Southern Africa: a multilevel analysis. BMC public health. 2018 Dec 1;18(1):650. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5568-5
  1. Ntenda PA, Mhone TG, Nkoka O. High Maternal Body Mass Index Is Associated with an Early-Onset of Overweight/Obesity in Pre-School-Aged Children in Malawi. A Multilevel Analysis of the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. Journal of tropical pediatrics. 2019 Apr;65(2):147-59. https://academic.oup.com/tropej/article/65/2/147/5004404
  1. Ntenda PA, Mwenyenkulu ET, Putthanachote N, Nkoka O, Mhone TG, Motsa MP, Tizifa T. Predictors of uptake of newly introduced vaccines in Malawi–monovalent human rotavirus and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: Evidence from the 2015–16 Malawi demographic and health survey. Journal of tropical pediatrics. 2019 Jun;65(3):287-96.https://academic.oup.com/trstmh/article-abstract/113/9/534/5481350?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  2. Chuang YC, Chuang TW, Chao HJ, Tseng KC, Nkoka O, Sunaringsih S, Chuang KY. Contextual Factors and Spatial Patterns of Childhood Malnutrition in Provinces of Burkina Faso. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics. 2020 Feb;66(1):66-74. https://academic.oup.com/tropej/article-abstract/66/1/66/5488851?redirectedFrom=fulltext