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Article History

Received: 13 October 2025

Accepted: 12 March 2026

First Online: 26 March 2026

Declarations

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: The study was conducted in strict accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and national ethical guidelines, ensuring confidentiality, privacy, and respectful treatment of all participants throughout the data collection process. Prior ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the University of Mbujimayi (No. 05/CE/UM023), ensuring that all procedures complied with national and international research ethics standards. Administrative authorization for conducting field surveys was also secured from the Provincial Health Division of Kasai-Oriental. Before participation, all eligible women were fully informed about the study’s objectives, procedures, potential risks, and benefits. Written or verbal informed consent was obtained from each participant according to their preference. Participation was entirely voluntary, and women retained the right to withdraw at any time without any negative consequences.

: All participants provided informed consent to participate in the study and for the publication of their anonymized data.

: The authors declare no competing interests.