Incidence rate of mortality and its predictors among tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus coinfected patients on antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among HIV-infected adults and children globally. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the pooled mortality rate and its predictors among TB/HIV-coinfected patients in Ethiopia. Methods: Extensive database searching was done via PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Google from the time of idea conception on March 1, 2023, to the last search via Google on March 31, 2023. A meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model to determine the pooled mortality rate and its predictors among TB/HIV-coinfected patients. Heterogeneity was handled using subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis. Results: Out of 2,100 records, 18 articles were included, with 26,291 total patients. The pooled incidence rate of mortality among TB/HIV patients was 12.49 (95% CI: 9.24-15.74) per 100 person-years observation (PYO); I2 = 96.9%. The mortality rate among children and adults was 5.10 per 100 PYO (95% CI: 2.15-8.01; I2 = 84.6%) and 15.78 per 100 PYO (95% CI: 10.84-20.73; I2 = 97.7%), respectively. Age ≥ 45 (pooled hazard ratios (PHR) 2.58, 95% CI: 2.00- 3.31), unemployed (PHR 2.17, 95% CI: 1.37-3.46), not HIV-disclosed (PHR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.65-4.70), bedridden (PHR 5.89, 95% CI: 3.43-10.12), OI (PHR 3.5, 95% CI: 2.16-5.66), WHO stage IV (PHR 3.16, 95% CI: 2.18-4.58), BMI < 18.5 (PHR 4.11, 95% CI: 2.28-7.40), anemia (PHR 4.43, 95% CI: 2.73-7.18), EPTB 5.78, 95% CI: 2.61-12.78 significantly affected the mortality. The effect of TB on mortality was 1.95 times higher (PHR 1.95, 95% CI: 1.19-3.20; I2 = 0) than in TB-free individuals. Conclusions: The mortality rate among TB/HIV-coinfected patients in Ethiopia was higher compared with many African countries. Many clinical factors were identified as significant risk factors for mortality. Therefore, TB/HIV program managers and clinicians need to design an intervention early.

Risk score prediction for bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis among HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia: prognostic model development.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at developing a risk score prediction model for bacteriologically confirmed TB among HIV-infected adults receiving antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 569 HIV-infected adults on ART. We used demographic and clinical prognostic factors to develop a risk prediction model. Model performance was evaluated by discrimination and calibration using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve and calibration plot. Bootstrapping was used for internal validation. A decision curve analysis was used to evaluate the clinical utility. RESULTS: Opportunistic infection, functional status, anemia, isoniazid preventive therapy, and WHO clinical stages were used to develop risk prediction. The AUROC curve of the original model was 87.53% (95% CI: 83.88-91.25) and the calibration plot (p-value = 0.51). After internal validation, the AUROC curve of 86.61% (95% CI: 82.92-90.29%) was comparable with the original model, with an optimism coefficient of 0.0096 and good calibration (p-value = 0.10). Our model revealed excellent sensitivity (92.65%) and negative predictive value (NPV) (98.60%) with very good specificity (70.06%) and accuracy (72.76%). After validation, accuracy (74.85%) and specificity (76.27%) were improved, but sensitivity (86.76%) and NPV (97.66%) were relatively reduced. The risk prediction model had a net benefit up to 7.5 threshold probabilities. CONCLUSION: This prognostic model had very good performance. Moreover, it had very good sensitivity and excellent NPV. The model could help clinicians use risk estimation and stratification for early diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Prevalence of emergency caesarean delivery and its predictors among women who give birth in Ethiopia using further analysis of EDHS 2016 data: A mixed effect model.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency caesarean delivery is a surgical procedure that is decided after the labour pain has started. According to the global report of the World Health Organization, the rate of caesarean sections has risen over time. In Ethiopia, the overall caesarean delivery was 18%, which varied between 46% in the private sector and 15% in the public sector. But specifically, the magnitude of emergency caesarean delivery and its predictors are not well addressed in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing the prevalence and predictors of emergency caesarean delivery in Ethiopia using EDHS 2016. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was used, and a total of 11,022 samples were included in this study. The Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2016 data set was used as a data source. The STATA version 17 software was used for descriptive, bi-variable, and multivariable analysis. Multilevel binary logistic regression was used to identify the significant factors at a p-value of <0.05 and a 95% confidence level. Model comparison and goodness of fit was assessed by AIC. RESULTS: The prevalence of emergency caesarean deliveries in Ethiopia was 1.2% (95% CI: 0.58, 1.78). History of fistula (AOR = 7.82, 95% CI: 1.59-38.4), age ≥ 35 years (AOR = 6.98, 95% CI: 3.33-14.63), and rural residence (AOR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.25-3.21) were the predictors of emergency caesarean delivery. CONCLUSION: As compared to the previous study, the prevalence of emergency caesarean delivery was low. Women with a history of fistula, from rural residence, and age≥ 35 years were at risk for emergency caesarean delivery. Therefore, interventions need to be encouraged to give attention to rural women whose age is ≥ 35 years and fistula reduction activities, such as avoiding early marriage, to reverse the problem. Early and accurate screening of women for emergency cesarean delivery by encouraging co-services like ANC is also recommended.

Geospatial variation of exclusive breastfeeding and its determinants among mothers of infants under 6 months in Ethiopia: spatial and geographical weighted regression analysis.

BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. However, the spatial variation of EBF and the associated factors have not been studied as much as we have searched. This study aimed at assessing geospatial variation and the predictors of EBF using geographically weighted regression. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the 2019 Mini-Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data set. The study used a total weighted sample of 548 infants. Hotspot spatial analysis showed the hotspot and cold spot areas of EBF. The spatial distribution of EBF was interpolated for the target population using spatial interpolation analysis. SaTScan V.9.6 software was used to detect significant clusters. Ordinary least squares regression analysis identified significant spatial predictors. In geographically weighted regression analysis, the effect of predictor variables on the spatial variation of EBF was detected using local coefficients. RESULTS: The weighted prevalence of EBF in Ethiopia was 58.97% (95% CI 52.67% to 64.99%), and its spatial distribution was found to be clustered (global Moran's I=0.56, p<0.001). Significant hotspot areas were located in Amhara, Tigray, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, and Somali regions, while significant cold spots were located in Dire Dawa, Addis Ababa and Oromia regions. Kulldorff's SaTScan V.9.6 was used to detect significant clusters of EBF using a 50% maximum cluster size per population. The geographically weighted regression model explained 35.75% of the spatial variation in EBF. The proportions of households with middle wealth index and married women were significant spatial predictors of EBF. CONCLUSION: Middle wealth index and married women were significant spatial predictors of EBF. Our detailed map of EBF hotspot areas will help policymakers and health programmers encourage the practice of EBF in hotspot areas and set national and regional programmes focused on improving EBF in cold spots by considering significant predictor variables.

Spatial variation and associated factors of inadequate counselling regarding pregnancy danger signs during antenatal care visits among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a Geographically Weighted Regression Model.

INTRODUCTION: Inadequate counselling of pregnant women regarding pregnancy danger signs contributes to a delay in deciding to seek care, which causes up to 77% of all maternal deaths in developing countries. However, its spatial variation and region-specific predictors have not been studied in Ethiopia. Hence, the current study aimed to model its predictors using geographically weighted regression analysis. METHODS: The 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey data were used. A total weighted sample of 2922 women from 283 clusters was included in the final analysis. The analysis was performed using ArcGIS Pro, STATA V.14.2 and SaTScan V.10.1 software. The spatial variation of inadequate counselling was examined using hotspot analysis. Ordinary least squares regression was used to identify factors for geographical variations. Geographically weighted regression was used to explore the spatial heterogeneity of selected variables to predict inadequate counselling. RESULTS: Significant hotspots of inadequate counselling regarding pregnancy danger signs were found in Gambella region, the border between Amhara and Afar regions, Somali region and parts of Oromia region. Antenatal care provided by health extension workers, late first antenatal care initiation and antenatal care follow-up at health centres were spatially varying predictors. The geographically weighted regression model explained about 66% of the variation in the model. CONCLUSION: Inadequate counselling service regarding pregnancy danger signs in Ethiopia varies across regions and there exists within country inequality in the service provision and utilisation. Prioritisation and extra efforts should be made by concerned actors for those underprivileged areas and communities (as shown in the maps), and health extension workers, as they are found in the study.

Effects of undernutrition on mortality of HIV-infected children after initiation of antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Undernutrition is the leading cause of mortality among children infected with HIV particularly in resource-deprived settings. Despite several studies were disclosed the effect of undernutrition on mortality of children living with HIV in Ethiopia, the findings were fragmented and inconclusive. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the pooled effects of undernutrition on mortality of children infected with HIV in Ethiopia. Methods: The search were performed using international online electronic data bases (MEDLINE/though PubMed, Google scholar, Hinari, Scopus and open Google). The review included only retrospective/prospective cohort studies reporting the effects of undernutrition on mortality of children infected with HIV. Heterogeneity between included studies was assessed using Cochrane Q-test and the I2 statistics. Sub-group analysis was done by study regions, sample size and publication year. Results: A total of 1345 articles were identified from databases. Among these, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and included in the study. Meta-analysis of 4 studies revealed that stunting has a significant effect on mortality of children infected with HIV (AHR: 3.36; 95 % CI: 2.95-3.77). Of 14 included studies, 6 articles indicated that wasting has a significant effect on mortality in children infected with HIV (AHR: 3.93; 95 % CI: 2.56-5.30) as compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, the pooled effect of 8 studies showed that underweight has 3.4 times hazard of death among children who lived with HIV as compared to well-nourished children. Conclusion: This review revealed that undernutrition has deleterious effect on mortality of children infected with HIV/AIDS by disease progression and prone the children to serious opportunistic infections. From the study, the authors recommended that nutritional status of children on antiretroviral therapy need to be evaluated regularly.

Spatial variations and determinants of timely completion of vaccination in Ethiopia using further analysis of EDHS 2019 data: Spatial and multilevel analysis.

BACKGROUND: Timely vaccination is the practice of administering the vaccine within the first birthday of the child. Not vaccinating the child at the appropriate age is the cause of improper protection of diseases and can be a possible factor in death. The problem of not completing the vaccine in the scheduled period is a globally distributed problem, but especially in sub-Saharan African countries, it is a bottleneck to child health. Even if timely vaccination is crucial for reducing the impact of VPDs, there are no current national-level studies to generate conclusive and tangible evidence in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: To assess spatial variations and determinants of timely completion of vaccination in Ethiopia using further analysis of EDHS 2019 data. METHOD: The secondary data analysis of a community-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 3094 participants. Stata-14 software was used for data cleaning, recording, and analysis. Arc GIS version 10.3 and Kuldorff SAT scan version 9.6 software are used for spatial and SAT scan statistics. A multilevel mixed-effect binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of timely vaccination. The clustering effect was also evaluated by Moran's I statistics and intra class correlation. RESULTS: The timely completion of vaccination among Ethiopian women who had a child aged 12-35 months was 19.5% (95%CI: 18.2-20.8), and the spatial distribution of timely completion of vaccinations in Ethiopia was non-randomly distributed. A statistically significant high proportion of timely completion areas were clustered in the eastern part of Amhara, the south part of Afar, Addis Ababa, and Oromia. The primary cluster was located at a 13.11 km radius in Diredawa, which was 3.68 times higher than outside the window (RR = 3.68, LLR = 68.76, p-value < 0.001). History of antenatal care follow-up (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.3-2.04), giving birth at health facilities (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.25-2.13), age ≥ 35 years (AOR = 186, 95% CI: 1.35-2.63), age 25-34 years (AOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.33-2.21), and being richest (AOR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.86-3.94) were the factors contributing to the timely completion of vaccination. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of timely completion of vaccination was low in Ethiopia, and the spatial distribution of timely completion of vaccination in Ethiopia was non-randomly distributed across the regions. The factors associated with the timely completion of vaccinations were ANC follow-up, place of delivery, age of the participant, and wealth index. We recommend expanding facility delivery, antenatal care services, and empowering women to scale up timely vaccination in Ethiopia.

Correction: Spatial pattern and associated factors of timely vaccination in Ethiopia using EDHS-2016 data: A multilevel and spatial analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296123.].

Uptake of human papilloma virus vaccine and its determinants among females in East Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is the most common malignant tumor among women. It is the main cause of death among women in sub-Saharan African countries. Particularly, the incidence and mortality rates are highest in East Africa. Even though the burden of human papilloma virus-related cervical cancer is high in East Africa, there is no conclusive evidence about the prevalence of human papilloma virus vaccine uptake and its predictors. OBJECTIVE: To assess the pooled prevalence of human papilloma virus vaccine uptake and its determinants in East Africa. METHOD: Eligible articles were searched on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Google. Those articles incorporating the outcome of interest, both analytical and descriptive study designs, and published or unpublished articles at any time were included. Keywords and Medical Subjects Heading terms or synonyms of human papilloma virus vaccine and Boolean operators were used to retrieve the articles. To assure the quality of articles, Joana Brigg's Institute critical appraisal checklist for cross-sectional studies was used. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the heterogeneity among the studies, and a random effect model was used to analyze the pooled effect size. RESULT: A total of 29 articles were included, and the pooled prevalence of HPV vaccine uptake in East Africa was 35% (95% CI: 26-45%). Good knowledge (OR = 1.6, 95%CI; 1.43-1.8), positive attitude (OR = 2.54, 95% CI; 2.13-3.03), ever heard about HPV vaccine (OR = 1.41, 95% CI; 1.03-1.94), mother educational status above college (OR = 1.84, 95%CI; 1.03-3.31), middle wealth index (OR = 1.33, 95%CI; 1.04-1.7), ≥ 9 family size (OR = 0.76, 95%CI; 0.68-0.98), availability of promotion (OR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.51-4.26), availability of adequate vaccine (OR = 4.84, 95%CI; 2.9-8.08), outreach vaccination practice (OR = 1.47, 95%CI; 1.02-2.12) and family support (OR = 4.3, 95% CI; 2.98-6.21) were the significant factors for the uptake of human papilloma virus vaccine. CONCLUSION: As compared to the global strategic plan, the pooled prevalence of HPV vaccine uptake in east Africa was low. The uptake of the HPV vaccine was higher among adolescents than youths. Knowledge about the HPV vaccine, attitude towards the HPV vaccine, ever hearing about the HPV vaccine, residence, mother's educational status, mother's occupational status, wealth index, and family size were the significant determinants of HPV vaccine uptake. Therefore, we recommend focusing on awareness creation and behavioral change to expand the uptake of vaccines in East Africa.

Prevalence of delayed treatment for sexually transmitted infections and its determinants in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted infection is a common public health issue, and it is characteristically transmitted through sexual intercourse. Around the globe, particularly in less developed countries, delayed treatment of this infection could lead to a health and economic burden. Even though the health and economic burden of sexually transmitted infections is high, studies to identify the pooled proportion and the possible factor of delayed treatment seeking are rare in sub-Saharan African countries. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of delayed treatment for STIs and its determinants in sub-Saharan African countries. METHOD: Articles searched on search engines like Medline via PubMed, HINARI, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, and websites like Google Scholar. The searching mechanism was using keywords and medical subject heading terms by combining the key terms of the title. To assure the quality of the included articles, Joana Brigg's Institute critical appraisal checklist was used. To assess the heterogeneity of the studies, a sensitivity analysis was conducted. The PRISMA checklist was used, and to estimate the pooled odds ratio, a random effect model was considered. The pooled odds ratio of 95% CL was used to identify the factors. RESULTS: About 13 studies with 46,722 participants were incorporated. Despite considerable heterogeneity, the pooled prevalence of delayed treatment for STI in Sub-Saharan Africa was 47% (95% CI: 42%-51%, I2 = 98.42, p<0.001). Geographically, the higher pooled prevalence of delayed treatment for STI was in the eastern part of Africa (50%) (95% CI: 41%-59%, I2 = 98.42, p<0.001). Rural residence (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.03-2.01, I2 = 39.3%, p-value = 0.19), poor knowledge about STI (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04-2.13, I2 = 93.1%, p-value = <0.001), perceived as STIs not serious (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.86-2.36, I2 = 73.7%, p-value = 0.022), misconception for STD cause (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.12-1.72), no education (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 3.4-5.1), primary education (OR = 3.17, 95% CI: 2.23-4.2), and secondary education (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.1-2.76) as compared to secondary and above education were factors associated with delayed treatment for STIs. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of delayed treatment for STIs in Sub-Saharan African countries was high. Poor knowledge, attitude, and educational status affect the treatment delay for STIs. Thus, improving knowledge, educational status, and attitude are highly recommended to reduce the delayed treatment of STIs.

Spatial pattern and associated factors of timely vaccination in Ethiopia using EDHS-2016 data: A multilevel and spatial analysis.

BACKGROUND: Age-appropriate vaccination or vaccine timeliness is the administering of vaccines on the specified schedule of immunization. One of the qualities of the immunization program is an age-appropriate vaccine, it has become an ignored indicator of program performance. Even though age-appropriate vaccination is critical for child health, there are no national-level studies to generate conclusive and tangible evidence about the determination of timely vaccination in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: To assess the spatial pattern and associated factors of timely vaccination in Ethiopia using EDHS-2016 data: A multilevel and spatial analysis. METHOD: Community based cross-sectional study design was employed from 18 January to 27 June 2016. To select the participants, two-stage cluster sampling was employedin the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2016 data. Permission was obtained via online request by explaining the aim of this particular study from DHS international. A statistical package for social science-21 software was used for data cleaning, recoding, and analysis. Arc GIS 10.3 software was used to show the spatial variation of age-appropriate vaccination practices. A generalized linear mixed-effect model was used. For all models, intra-class correlation, a proportional change in variance, the log-likelihood test, and the Akaike information criterion were calculated. The best model was selected by the lowest value Akaike information criterion. Variables with a p-value less than 0.05 and a 95% confidence level were considered for the statistically significant association. RESULT: The spatial distribution of age-appropriate vaccination practice in Ethiopia was non-randomly distributed with the global Moran's I value of 0.22 (p-value <0.001). The prevalence of age-appropriate vaccination practice in Ethiopia was 33.8%. Women who receive ≥ 2 TT vaccines (AOR = 1.48; 1.22, 1.79), women who lived in rural residences (AOR = 0.77; 0.62, 0.96), gave birth at a health facility (AOR = 1.2; 1.12, 1.37), ANC follow up (AOR = 174; 1.45, 2.1), richest (AOR = 1.65; 1.15, 2.37), richer (AOR = 1.72; 1.3, 2.22), middle-level income (AOR = 1.65; 1.16, 2.36), poorer (AOR = 1.47; 1.11, 1.96) were the factors of age-appropriate vaccination practice. CONCLUSION: The spatial distribution of age-appropriate vaccination practice in Ethiopia was non-randomly distributed across the regions. Age-appropriate vaccination practice was low in Ethiopia. Wealth index, usual caretaker of the child, ANC utilization, history of TT vaccination, place of delivery, and residence were associated with age-appropriate vaccination practice.

Magnitude and determinant of healthcare-seeking behavior for childhood acute respiratory tract infections in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) remain a major public health concern which become the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children under the age of five. A large percentage of childhood deaths and complications can be avoided by seeking proper medical care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude, and individual and community-level determinants of mothers' healthcare-seeking behavior for their children under the age of five who had ARI symptoms in Ethiopia. METHOD: A secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys(EDHS) with a total weighted sample of 643 under-five children who had ARI symptoms within two weeks of the survey. Due to the hierarchical nature of the EDHS data, a multi-level logistic regression model was used to identify the individual and community-level factors influencing mothers' health care-seeking behavior for their children with ARI symptoms. In the multivariable multilevel analysis, those variables with a p-value < 0.05 were considered to be significant predictors of the outcome variable. RESULTS: Healthcare-seeking behavior among mothers or caregivers for children with symptoms of ARIs was 32.61% (95% CI: 29.08-36.33%) in Ethiopia. The ICC in the null model indicated that about 55% of the total variability of treatment-seeking behavior was due to differences between clusters. Child aged > 24 months [AOR = 0.35; 0.19-0.63], having primary education [AOR = 3.25; 1.27-8.32], being media exposed [AOR = 2.49; 1.15, 5.38], female household head[AOR = 3.90; 1.35, 11.24], and delivery at health institution[AOR = 2.24; 1.00, 5.01] were significant predictors of health care seeking behavior of mother for their children with ARI symptoms. CONCLUSION: There is poor treatment-seeking behavior for children with symptoms of ARI in Ethiopia with significant community level variations. The multilevel logistic regression analysis showed that improving mothers' education, women's empowerment, facilitating institutional delivery and media accessibility are critical to promoting health-seeking behaviors among mothers or caregivers of under-five children with ARI symptoms. Hence, concerned bodies should design targeted interventions that increase mothers' or caregivers' treatment-seeking behavior for childhood ARI to reduce child morbidity and mortality.

Spatial variations and determinants of knowledge of ovulatory period among young women in Ethiopia: a spatial and multilevel analysis using 2016 EDHS.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the ovulatory period enables women in avoiding and engaging in sexual intercourse either to avoid and to have pregnancy as desired. It has been reported that young people have less knowledge of the ovulatory period. There is limited evidence about the spatial variability of knowledge of the ovulatory period among young women in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to assess the spatial variation and factors sociated with knowledge of the ovulatory period among youths in Ethiopia for providing geographically targeted interventions. METHOD: A secondary data analysis was carried out using the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys with a total weighted sample of 6143 youths. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify factors influencing knowledge of the ovulatory period. ArcGIS version 10.7 software and Kuldorff's SaTScan version 9.6 was used for the spatial analysis. RESULTS: Being older youth [AOR = 1.98; 1.46, 2.70], youths having primary education [AOR = 1.70; 1.23, 2.35], youths having secondary & higher education [AOR = 2.30; 1.41, 3.74], youths whose husbands have primary education [AOR = 1.39; 1.02, 1.91], and youths who use contraception [AOR = 1.66; 1.24, 2.22] were significant predictors of knowledge of ovulatory period. Knowledge of the ovulatory period among youth had non random spatial distribution across Ethiopia, and the primary clusters of incorrect knowledge of the ovulatory period were observed in Somalia, SNNPR, Benishangul gumuz, and Gambella regions of Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: There was a non-random spatial pattern in the distribution of knowledge of the ovulation period among young women in Ethiopia. Age of youth, educational status, education of husband, and contraceptive use were significant predictors of knowledge of the ovulatory period among young women in Ethiopia. Hence, interventions should prioritize at-risk youths residing in regions with limited knowledge of the ovulatory period to enhance their awareness of the fertility window.

Pooled prevalence and its determinants of stunting among children during their critical period in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Stunting is a major public health concern, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Globally, nearly 149 million under-five children are suffering from stunting. Despite it can occur in all age groups, the impact is more severe among children age less than 24 months as this period is critical time of very rapid growth and development. Therefore, this review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and determinants of stunting among children during this critical period in Ethiopia. METHODS: The literature search was conducted using international electronic data bases (pumed, Google scholar, CINHAL, Hinari, open Google) and the hand search of reference lists of eligible articles. The presence of heterogeneity between studies was evaluated using Cochrane Q-test and I2 test statistics and sensitivity analysis was also checked. Small study effect was checked through graphical and statistical test. Sub-group analysis was performed to handle heterogeneity. RESULTS: This study included 14 studies with a total sample size of 8,056 children. The overall pooled estimate of stunting was 35.01(95% CI: 24.73-45.28, I2 = 98.98%) in the country with the highest prevalence in Amhara region. Increased Child's age (OR = 3.83; 95% CI: 2.47-5.18, I2 = 97.76%), no maternal education (OR = 2.90; 95%CI: 1.59-4.20, I2 = 89.73%), no maternal postnatal follow up (OR = 1.81; 95% CI:1.51-2.10) less than four food diversity of the child (OR = 2.24;95%CI; 1.94-2.55,I2 = 21.55%), low maternal body mass index, failure to colostrum and exclusive breast feeding, two and more under five children in the household and poor wealth index of the family were significant factors of stunting. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The pooled prevalence of stunting among children during their critical time is high. Increased Child's age, no maternal education and no maternal postnatal follow up, less than four food diversity of the child, low maternal body mass index, failure to colostrum and exclusive breast feeding, two and more under five children in the household and poor wealth index of the family were determinants of stunting. Therefore, providing continuous maternal postnatal follow up, increase awareness of mothers on importance of colostrum and exclusive breast feeding, feeding of children the recommended variety of foods and at large to improve the wealth status of the households are crucial interventions to meet national and international targets of zero stunting in children less than 2 years.

Spatial variation and determinants of inappropriate complementary feeding practice and its effect on the undernutrition of infants and young children aged 6 to 23 months in Ethiopia by using the Ethiopian Mini-demographic and health survey, 2019: spatial and multilevel analysis.

Background: Inappropriate complementary feeding practices (IACFPs) are major public health issues in Ethiopia, which usually result in stunting and becoming an intergenerational cycle. However, the spatial patterns and determinants of IACFP and its effect on undernutrition are not well understood in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the spatial patterns and determinants of IACFPs and their effects on the undernutrition of infants and young children (IYC) in Ethiopia. Methods: This was a nationwide community-based survey study among 1,463 mothers of IYC aged 6-23 months in Ethiopia. The global spatial autocorrelation was assessed using the global Moran's-I to evaluate the spatial clustering of IACFPs. Significant clusters with high and low rates of IACFPs were explored. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression with cluster-level random effects was fitted to identify determinants of IACFPs with an AOR and 95% CI. Results: The prevalence of IACFPs was 90.22%. The spatial pattern of IACFP in Ethiopia was clustered across regions (Global Moran's I = 0.63, Z-score = 12.77, value of p ≤0.001). Clusters with a high rate of IACFP were detected in southern, northwest, and eastern Ethiopia. Individual and community-level variables accounted for 63% of IACFP variation. Mothers with no education were 3.97 times (AOR = 3.97; 95% CI: 1.64-9.60) more likely to have IACFPs than those with higher education. The poorest HHs had 4.80 times the odds of having IACFPs as the richest HHs (AOR = 4.80, 95% CI: 1.23-18.71). The odds of having IACFPs were 2.18 times (AOR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.28-3.72) higher among babies with no postnatal checkup. Non-breastfed IYC were 2.8 times (AOR = 2.80; 95% CI: 1.29-6.10) more likely to have IACFP when compared with breastfed ones. IYC with the inadequate introduction of solid, semi-solid, and soft foods, inadequate minimum dietary diversity, and inadequate minimum acceptable diet were more likely to have wasting, underweight, and stunting. Conclusion: This study showed the prevalence of IACFPs was very high, which had an effect on undernutrition and showed spatial variation in Ethiopia. Therefore, the government of Ethiopia and stakeholders should focus on women with no education and the poorest HHs, encourage PNC checkups, and encourage breastfeeding in the hotspot areas to minimize IACFPs in Ethiopia.