Overweight and obesity trends and associated factors among reproductive women in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: In low- and middle-income countries, the double burden of malnutrition is prevalent. Many countries in Africa are currently confronted with overweight and obesity, particularly among women, coupled with an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study examines trends in overweight and obesity among Ethiopian women of reproductive age from 2005 to 2016, and identifies associated factors. METHODS: We used three consecutive datasets from 2005 (n = 14070), 2011 (n = 16515), and 2016 (n = 15683) demographic health survey years. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify the determinant factors among individual- and cluster-level variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among reproductive women in Ethiopia increased steadily from 6.09% in 2005 to 8.54% in 2011, and 10.16% in 2016. However, mixed patterns were observed among the regions of the country. We found that age, education, living in urban areas, and living in a rich community are associated with becoming overweight and obese. For instance, the odds of becoming overweight and obese among women aged 35-49 were higher than those among women aged 15-24 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.62, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:2.64-4.97). Women who completed secondary school have higher odds than those without formal education (OR = 1.64, 95% CI:1.19-2.26). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate trends in the nationwide prevalence of overweight and obesity and the associated factors among Ethiopian women. This study warrants further follow-up research to identify the pathways between overweight and obesity and their probable factors.

Main findings: The trend in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among the reproductive age women in Ethiopia showed a steady rise.Added knowledge: This study filled the research gap by analyzing the trend in the prevalence and the regional variation of overweight and obesity in the country.Global health impact for policy and action: The findings will help design appropriate policies that address the varying trends and prevalence in overweight and obesity among regions as well as the associated factors.

Performance of Pit Latrines and Their Herd Protection Against Diarrhea: A Longitudinal Cohort Study in Rural Ethiopia.

In sanitation policies, "improved sanitation" is often broadly described as a goal with little rationale for the minimum standard required. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a cluster randomized controlled trial in rural Ethiopia. We compared the performance of well-constructed and poorly constructed pit latrines in reducing child diarrhea. In addition, we explored whether having a well-constructed household latrine provides indirect protection to neighbors if cluster-level coverage reaches a certain threshold. We followed up children aged younger than 5 years (U5C) of 906 households in rural areas of the Gurage zone, Ethiopia, for 10 months after community-led total sanitation interventions. A study-improved latrine was defined as having all the following: pit of ≥2 m depth, slab of any material, drop-hole cover, wall, roof, door, and handwashing facilities (water and soap observed). U5C in households with a study-improved latrine had 54% lower odds of contracting diarrhea than those living in households with a latrine missing 1 or more of the characteristics (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.27, 0.81; P=.006). Analyses were adjusted for child age and sex, presence of improved water for drinking, and self-reported handwashing at 4 critical times. The odds of having diarrhea among those with an improved latrine based on the World Health Organization/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) definition (i.e., pit latrines with slabs) were not substantially different from those with a JMP-unimproved latrine (aOR=0.99; 95% CI=0.56, 1.79; P=.99). Of U5C living in households without a latrine or with a study-unimproved latrine, those in the high-coverage villages were less likely to contract diarrhea than those in low-coverage villages (aOR=0.55; 95% CI=0.35, 0.86; P=.008). We recommend that academic studies and routine program monitoring and evaluation should measure more latrine characteristics and evaluate multiple latrine categories instead of making binary comparisons only.

Discrete symmetries tested at 10-4 precision using linear polarization of photons from positronium annihilations.

Discrete symmetries play an important role in particle physics with violation of CP connected to the matter-antimatter imbalance in the Universe. We report the most precise test of P, T and CP invariance in decays of ortho-positronium, performed with methodology involving polarization of photons from these decays. Positronium, the simplest bound state of an electron and positron, is of recent interest with discrepancies reported between measured hyperfine energy structure and theory at the level of 10-4 signaling a need for better understanding of the positronium system at this level. We test discrete symmetries using photon polarizations determined via Compton scattering in the dedicated J-PET tomograph on an event-by-event basis and without the need to control the spin of the positronium with an external magnetic field, in contrast to previous experiments. Our result is consistent with QED expectations at the level of 0.0007 and one standard deviation.

Prevalence and associated factors of hypertension among adults in Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a growing public health problem in many developing countries including Ethiopia. It is a silent killer and most patients are detected to have it incidentally when they are admitted to hospital for unrelated disease or subjected to pre-employment or preoperative medical checkups. Information on the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors is to be considered vital to focus and improve prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases. The study design was a cross-sectional survey. The study population consisted of adults aged 25-65 years who lived in Jigjiga city of eastern Ethiopia for at least 6 months. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire, and blood pressure was measured using standardized instruments by trained clinical nurses. Hypertension was defined as having Systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or Diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg or reported use of regular anti-hypertensive medications prescribed by professionals for raised BP. Data were entered into a computer using Epi Info Version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS version 16.0 for analysis. Multiple logistic regressions were fitted and Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to identify independently associated factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension was 28.3%. Family history of Hypertension [Adjusted OR 5.7; 95% CI (2.9, 10.9)], having high level of income [Adjusted OR 3.1; 95% CI (1.5, 6.3)], being male [Adjusted OR 2.4; 95% CI (1.3, 4.3)], being above grade 12 [Adjusted OR 2.2; 95% CI (1.2, 3.9)], and having BMI ≥ 25 [Adjusted OR 2.0; 95% CI (1.1, 3.5)] were significantly associated with hypertension. CONCLUSION: Consistent with the literatures, the prevalence of hypertension was high and may show a hidden epidemic in this population. If established with more robust and nationally representative studies, the finding calls for efficient health screening and regular checkups as well as interventions promoting healthy lifestyles. Accordingly, health promotion regarding hypertension should be provided in the population as means of primary prevention.