Prevalence of central obesity and its associated risk factors among adults in Southeast Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and overweight are known public health problems that affect populations across the world. These conditions have been associated with a wide range of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. In Ethiopia, the literature regarding the burden of central (abdominal) obesity is scarce. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing the prevalence and risk factors associated with central obesity among adults in Ethiopia. METHODS: From May to July 2021, a community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 694 adults aged ≥18 years in administrative towns of Bale zone, Southeast Ethiopia. Multi-stage sampling followed by systematic random sampling was employed to identify study participants. Waist and hip circumferences were measured using standard protocols. The World Health Organization STEPS wise tool was used to assess risk factors associated with central obesity. Bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with central obesity. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) have been reported to estimate the strength of associations. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of central obesity using waist circumference was 39.01% [(95% CI: 35.36-42.76; 15.44% for men and 53.12% for women)]. Multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that female sex (AOR = 12.93, 95% CI: 6.74-24.79), Age groups: 30-39 years old (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.59-4.94), 40-49 years (AOR = 7.66, 95% CI: 3.87-15.15), 50-59 years (AOR = 4.65, 95% CI: 2.19-9.89), ≥60 years (AOR = 12.67, 95% CI: 5.46-29.39), occupational status like: housewives (AOR = 5.21, 95% CI: 1.85-14.62), self-employed workers (AOR = 4.63, 95% CI: 1.62-13.24), government/private/non-government employees (AOR = 4.68, 95% CI: 1.47-14.88), and skipping breakfast (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23-0.9) were significantly associated with central obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity has become an epidemic in Bale Zone's towns in Southeastern Ethiopia. Female sex, age, being employed were positively associated with central obesity, while skipping breakfast was a protective factor.

Knowledge, attitude, and utilization of drugs toward COVID-19 pandemic among Bale Zone residents, Southeast Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease is a highly transmittable and pathogenic viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which poses therapeutic dilemmas. Some suggestions for drug treatment seem problematic. Beliefs about the causes of health problems are determinants of treatment seeking decisions. Hence, one of the alternatives for the solution of health problems is employing traditional medicine to prevent coronavirus disease 19. OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and utilization of drugs toward the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic among Bale zone residents. METHODS: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the Bale Zone population from May 30 to June 30, 2020. Eight hundred fifty-four participants were selected using a single population formula, and a multistage sampling technique was employed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive and binary logistic regression was used to analyze the outcomes. A p value ⩽ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Out of the total 854 respondents, about 534 (62.5%) got information about coronavirus disease 19 from TV/radio. More than two-thirds (71.9%) of the respondents have known that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has no curative drugs, and 65.4% had a more appropriate attitude toward overall drug use in coronavirus disease 19. Level of education and, attitude towards drug use were singnificantly associated with knowledge of drugs, source of information about coronavirus disease 19 and having good practice were significantly associated with atittude toward drug utilization. CONCLUSION: One out of two study participants have good knowledge regarding drugs to the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic. Illiterate people in the community were identified to have poor knowledge about drugs, hence community educuation program is important to improve the knowledge about drugs towards the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic.

COVID-19-Related Anxiety and the Coping Strategies in the Southeast Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of coronavirus disease spreading is impacting mental health globally. Even though the pandemic is challenging for patients, the community, policymakers, as well as health organizations, and teams, the data on COVID-19 and its association with anxiety and coping mechanisms towards infection among community members are currently limited. Thus, the study is intended to assess COVID-19-related levels of anxiety and coping strategies among community members of Bale and East Bale Zones, Southeast Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based survey was carried out among 634 study participants of Bale and East Bale Zones from June 1 to 20, 2020. The level of anxiety was determined by using the 5-item Coronavirus Scale and the coping strategies were determined by using the 15-item Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Bi-variable analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the relationship among the variables. RESULTS: COVID-19-related dysfunctional level of anxiety was found 95 (16.58%). About 290 (50.6%) respondents were copied from anxiety that occurred as a result of COVID-19. Factors significantly associated with the dysfunctional level of anxiety related to COVID-19 were being an urban resident (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.86), those who had no information from TV/radio (AOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.84), and walking a long distance more than 1 hour from the health institution (AOR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.97). CONCLUSION: COVID-19-related dysfunctional levels of anxiety were 16.58% in the study community. Half of the community was coped with COVID-19-related anxiety. Being an urban resident and walking along distances more than 1 hour from the health facility were the factors that decreased the odds of having a dysfunctional anxiety, whereas respondents who had no information from TV/radio increased the odds of having a dysfunctional anxiety. Accordingly, focusing on these identified factors could improve a dysfunctional level of anxiety in the study community.