Perinatal suicidal behavior in sub-Saharan Africa: A study protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mental illnesses are predominant during gestation and continue for a year after delivery. According to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), suicide is classified as a direct cause of death among the maternal population. The occurrence of suicidal behavior among perinatal women was considered the main contributor to the burden of the disorder. Hence, the current study will develop a protocol for a systematic review as well as a meta-analysis on estimating the prevalence and determinants of perinatal suicidal behavior in Sub-Saharan African countries. METHODS: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Web of Science electronic databases will be searched for studies reporting primary data. The second search strategy will be done with Google Scholar, using a combination of the medical subject headings and keywords as the search terms. The studies will be classified into included, excluded, and undecided categories. The studies will be judged based on the eligibility criteria. Heterogeneity will be checked by using the I2 test (Cochran Q test) at a p-value of 0.05 and assuming that the I2 value is > 50%. Publication bias will be checked using a funnel plot, Beg's rank, and Eggers linear statistical tests. A subgroup analysis and sensitivity test will be carried out. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), and the quantitative analysis will determine whether or not to proceed based on the results. DISCUSSION: This protocol's comprehensive review is expected to generate sufficient evidence on the prevalence of suicidal behavior and its determinants among women during the perinatal period in Sub-Saharan African countries over the last two decades. Hence, this protocol will be imperative to collect and combine empirical data on suicidal behavior during the perinatal period, and doing so will help to provide essential implications or better evidence to plan different kinds of interventions considering determinants expected to impact the burden of suicidal behavior during the perinatal period. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42022331544).

Knowledge, attitude, and its correlates of the community toward mental illness in Mattu, South West Ethiopia.

Background: The magnitude of mental health conditions in the general population was high in low-resource settings like Ethiopia. This was accompanied by little evidence on knowledge, attitudes, and related determinants in the general population. Therefore, the current survey is planned to assess the knowledge, attitude, and related factors of the community toward mental illness in Mattu, South West Ethiopia. Objectives: Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and related factors of the community toward mental illness in Mattu, South West Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in South West Ethiopia, Mattu town from 1 April-20 June, 2022 using a systematic random sampling, a multistage stratified technique from 649 households, and employed an interviewer-administered pre-tested semi-structured English version questionnaire. Epi-data Version 3.1 and SPSS-V-23.3 were employed for data entry and analysis respectively. A statistically significant association was declared at a P-value ≤ 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval. Results: In the current study, poor knowledge regarding, and unfavorable attitudes toward, mental illness among study respondents were 28% (182) 95% CI (24.3, 31.6) and 60.4% (392) 95% CI (56.5, 64.3), respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, being self-employed was independently associated with poor knowledge [AOR = 3.1, 95%CI (1.65, 4.28)]. Moreover, current use of substances [AOR = 1.64 95%CI (1.09, 5.98)] and not hearing information about mental illness from social media have been shown to be associated in the final model with an unfavorable attitude [AOR = 3.44 95%CI (1.98, 5.99)]. Conclusion and recommendation: About one-third and more than one-half of the study participants showed poor knowledge and an unfavorable attitude, respectively. Compared to similar global and local findings, there was better community knowledge and a poor attitude toward mental illness in the area. Unfavorable attitudes toward mental illness were found to be exacerbated by participants not hearing about it on social media and by current substance use. Moreover, being self-employed was independently associated with poor knowledge of mental illness. Hence, all concerned stakeholders need to enhance mental health advocacy to improve public knowledge and attitude toward mental illness through media campaigns with a special focus on common substances. In addition, due attention should be given to self-employed groups of society to reduce the impacts of mental health conditions.

Anxiety and its associated factors among inmates in ARBA Minch and JINKA town, southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The prison populations are more affected by mental illness than the general population but little attention is given to this population. And there is a limitation of study on the magnitude of anxiety and its associated factors. So this study aimed to assess the magnitude of anxiety and its associated factors among prisoners in Arba Minch and Jinka town, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 650 randomly selected prisoners at Arba Minch and Jinka town. Data was collected by using open data kit then converted to excel and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics including frequency, means, and proportion were performed. Binary logistic regression was used to identify the associated variables. P < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: The proportion of Anxiety among prisoners was 28% [N = 174, (95%CI, 25-32%)]. Age ≥ 48 (AOR = 4.21, 95%CI 1.99-8.93), age 38-47 (3.95, 1.94-8.07), being an urban resident (2.48, 1.56-3.95), not doing physical exercise (2.71, 1.53-4.79), having a chronic disease (1.63, 1.07-2.47), having 1-2 stressful life events (2.92, 1.59-5.35), duration of punishment > 5 years (2.92, 1.59-5.35) and lack of income-generating job in prison (2.54, 1.48-4.35) were significantly associated with anxiety. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of anxiety among prisoners was high. Age ≥ 48 and 38-47, urban residence, not doing physical exercise, having a chronic disease, having 1-2 stressful life events, duration of punishment > 5 years, and lack of income-generating job in prison were significantly associated with anxiety. Giving special attention and being supportive to older age and those who have a chronic disease, facilitating physical exercise, creating job opportunity in the prison, and giving training for prisoners on stress coping mechanism and anxiety is recommended.

The effect of compliance to Hand hygiene during COVID-19 on intestinal parasitic infection and intensity of soil transmitted helminthes, among patients attending general hospital, southern Ethiopia: Observational study.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal parasitic infection (IPIs) is one of the major health problems in Sub -Saharan Africa where water, sanitation and hygiene practices are inadequate. Taking into account the national level implementation of intensive hand hygiene against COVID-19 pandemic and general protective effect this study assessed its effect on intestinal parasite. OBJECTIVE: This study aim to investigate the effect of compliance to hand hygiene practice on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection (IPIs) and intensity of Soil transmitted helminthes (STH) among patients attending tertiary care hospital in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: Observational study was conducted from June to September 2021. Data on socio demographic, hand hygiene practice and intestinal parasite (prevalence and intensity of helminthic infection) was collected from randomly selected and consented patients. Compliance to hand hygiene practice was assessed using pre-tested questionnaire. Fresh stool sample from each participant was examined by direct wet mount, concentration and Ziehl-Neelson (ZN) staining technique to detect intestinal parasite. Intensity of STH measurements was done through direct egg-count per gram using Kato Katz methods. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 25. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to measure association and p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The study population (N = 264) consisted of 139(52.65%) male and 125 (47.34%) female with the mean ages of 36 ±16.12(±SD). The proportion of good compliance to hand hygiene during COVID-19 to was 43.93% (95%CI: 37% to 47) and prevalence of intestinal parasite was 26.14% (95%CI:21.2% to 31.75) comprising 23.48% intestinal protozoa and 6.43% of soil transmitted helminthic infection. Gardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Ascaris lumbricoides were the common parasite in the study area with prevalence of 15.53%, 6.44%, and 1.52% respectively. Prevalence of intestinal parasite among participants with good compliance to hand hygiene group and poor compliance to hand hygiene were (14.65% vs. 35.13%)(AOR: 0.48,95%CI:0.13 to 0.68) (p = 0.002) implying that good compliance to hand hygiene can reduce the risk of IPIs by 52%. Moreover significantly lower odds of intestinal protozoa among good compliance to hand hygiene group than the control (OR:0.38; (95%CI: 0.20 to 0.71);P = 0.001. However, no significant difference in the odds of intensity of STH infection in good compliance hand hygiene and poor compliance group. The result of this study also confirmed the association between intestinal parasitic infections and younger /adolescent age, education status, habit of eating raw vegetable and figure nail status. CONCLUSION: Good hand hygiene compliance during COVID-19 significantly associated with reduction of intestinal parasitic infection. This finding highlights the secondary protective effect of improved hand hygiene against IPIs and suggest it can used in augmenting the existing parasitic control strategies in the study setting.