Structural, programmatic, and sociocultural intersectionality of gender influencing access-uptake of reproductive, maternal, and child health services in developing regions of Ethiopia: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Gender remains a critical social factor in reproductive, maternal, and child health and family planning (RMNCH/FP) care. However, its intersectionality with other social determinants of the RMNCH remains poorly documented. This study aimed to explore the influence of gender intersectionality on the access uptake of RMNCH/FP in Developing Regional States (DRS) in Ethiopia. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study to explore the intersectionality of gender with other social and structural factors and its influence on RMNCH/FP use in 20 selected districts in four DRS of Ethiopia. We conducted 20 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 32 in-depth and key informant interviews (IDIs/KIIs) among men and women of reproductive age who were purposively selected from communities and organizations in different settings. Audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. FINDINGS: Women in the DRS were responsible for the children and families' health care and information, and household chores, whereas men mainly engaged in income generation, decision making, and resource control. Women who were overburdened with household chores were not involved in decision-making, and resource control was less likely to incur transport expenses and use RMNCH/FP services. FP was less utilized than antenatal, child, and delivery services in the DRS,as it was mainly affected by the sociocultural, structural, and programmatic intersectionality of gender. The women-focused RMNCH/FP education initiatives that followed the deployment of female frontline health extension workers (HEWs) created a high demand for FP among women. Nonetheless, the unmet need for FP worsened as a result of the RMNCH/FP initiatives that strategically marginalized men, who often have resource control and decision-making virtues that emanate from the sociocultural, religious, and structural positions they assumed. CONCLUSIONS: Structural, sociocultural, religious, and programmatic intersectionality of gender shaped access to and use of RMNCH/FP services. Men's dominance in resource control and decision-making in sociocultural-religious affairs intersected with their poor engagement in health empowerment initiatives that mainly engaged women set the key barrier to RMNCH/FP uptake. Improved access to and uptake of RMNCH would best result from gender-responsive strategies established through a systemic understanding of intersectional gender inequalities and through increased participation of men in RMNCH programs in the DRS of Ethiopia.

Metabolic syndrome distributions in dietary diversity score groups and its associated factors among adults in the urban community of Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia: a community based cross- sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Dietary diversity score has long been recognized as a key component of diets quality balances for healthy life status. However, diets with more variety of food items might increase calorie intake and body weight, which, in turn leads to central obesity (waist circumference).Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among dietary diversity score groups, and its associated factors among adults in the urban community of Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A total of 915 adults aged ≥ 18 years were randomly recruited in this cross-sectional study.The study was undertaken from June 17, 2019, up to July 27, 2019. To this end, the collected data were entered to Epi Data 3.1 and analysed using and SPSS 25 version. What's more, a multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associated factors of the unrecognized metabolic syndrome; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its corresponding 95% CI, at P-value ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: The occurrence of metabolic syndrome was 14.4%, and it is more prevalent in females, 11.15% than males, and 3.25%. The most prevalent components of the metabolic syndrome were low level of high-density lipoprotein, elevated level of triacylglycerol, and waist circumferences. Even though metabolic syndrome is not significantly associated with any of the dietary diversity score groups, its prevalence distribution varies among the groups (6.6% in middle, 5.8% in high and 1.9% in low dietary diversity groups). With potential confounders adjusted, by 75% female was significantly associated with the occurrence of metabolic syndrome than male (102 vs. 29, AOR = 0.25 at 95%CI: 0.15-0.40, P = 0.001). Whereas, age ≥ 35 years old (104 vs. 27, AOR = 2.91 at 95%CI:1.78-4.86,P = 0.001), large family size > 5 (65 vs. 10,AOR = 2.43 95% CI: 1.10-5.36, P = 0.03), overweight and obesity (121 vs. 10, AOR = 6.97, 95% CI: 4.50 -10.83, P = 0.005), elevated total cholesterol (103 vs. 28,AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.47-4.11, P = 0.001), and consuming ( spices, condemns and beverages) ≥ 4 days per week (79 vs. 52, AOR = 0.52, 95% CI:0.33 -0.82, P = 0.005) were positively associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome as compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Unrecognized metabolic syndrome was relatively high in the study community. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome varied among dietary diversity groups. But any of the dietary diversity scoring categories was not significantly associated with the occurrence of metabolic syndrome. Thus, awareness needs to be made to practice healthy diet and regular physical activity to maintaining normal body weight. Moreover, early screening of metabolic syndrome should be promoted.

Determinants of Incomplete Childhood Vaccination among Children Aged 12-23 Months in Gambela Region, Southwest Ethiopia: A Case Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood vaccination is considered as one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. With an increasing dropout rate from vaccination, the factors for incomplete vaccination are not well explored. The objective of this study was to identify determinants of incomplete childhood vaccination. METHOD: Community based case-control study was conducted from March 1-30, 2018. Cases were children who missed at least one dose of routine vaccine while controls were children who completed all recommended doses. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Multivariable logistic regression was performed in order to identify determinants with 95% CI and a p-value of <0.05. RESULT: A total of 93 cases and 185 controls were participated in the study. Not attending postnatal care [AOR=2.16, 95% CI: 1.08-4.28], household not visited by health workers [AOR=3.99, 95% CI: 2.13-7.48], postponing vaccination schedules [AOR = 6.15, 95% CI: 3.08-12.27], caretakers who had misconception of vaccination [AOR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.53-5.52], unsatisfied care takers [AOR=1.970, 95% CI:1.04-3.74] and poor knowledge about vaccines [AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.19-4.59] were determinants of incomplete childhood vaccination. CONCLUSION: Failure to attend postnatal care, postponing vaccination schedules, having misconception for vaccine contraindication, households not visited by health workers, caretakers who had poor knowledge about vaccines and unsatisfied caretakers were determinants of incomplete childhood vaccination. Based on the finding, it is recommended that health education should be improved to decrease caretakers' misconception, poor knowledge and postponement of the vaccine schedule. It is also recommended to increase health workers household visit.

Trends and Determinants of Small Birth Weight in Ethiopia: Further Analysis of Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys.

BACKGROUND: Globally, Low Birth Weight (LBW) prevalence is estimated to be 14.6%. It is a major cause of neonatal mortality in developing countries including Ethiopia. Despite extensive institution-based studies in Ethiopia, there is no comprehensive study using countrywide data. Thus, this study aimed to investigate trends and determinants of Small Birth Weight (SBW) among under-five children in Ethiopia. METHODS: Under-five children data from 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS) were used. However, only 2787 children were weighed at birth and used for analysis in this study. Descriptive statistics and the logistic regression model were used to determine trends and determinants of SBW respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of SBW increased from 7.0% (95% CI; 3.1-10.0) to 13.2% (95% CI; 11.4-15.0) between 2000 and 2016. The odds of SBW increased by being a female child (AOR 1.50; 95% CI [1.07-2.09]), mother's with partner occupation of agriculture (AOR 1.54; 95% CI [1.05-2.26]) and mothers who did not know their partner's occupation (AOR 7.35; 95% CI [1.96-27.48]). However, infants born to mothers with primary (AOR 0.43; 95% CI [0.29-0.65]), secondary (AOR 0.30; 95% CI [0.16-0.55]) and higher (AOR 0.55; 95% CI [0.31-0.97]) educational status versus no education and grandmultiparous mothers (OR 0.39; 95% CI [0.19-0.78]) versus primiparous had lower odds of SBW. CONCLUSION: In Ethiopia, during the survey period, there was an increment in prevalence of SBW, and maternal related factors were significant determinants. Therefore, empowering mothers through education and improving the socioeconomic status of the household can be one strategy to reduce SBW.

Unpacking the "black box" of global food insecurity and mental health.

Food insecurity is a global concern. While it was once characterized mainly as a problem of undernutrition, it is now recognized that a person may be food insecure without experiencing hunger. Numerous studies have demonstrated that food insecurity is strongly related to poor mental health around the world, but the mechanisms that underpin that relationship remain poorly understood. One body of research from nutritional sciences posits that nutrient deficiency impacts brain function, producing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Another body of research from the social sciences posits that the social consequences of having to eat non-preferred foods or obtain food in socially unacceptable ways may compromise mental health through stress. This study was designed to clarify the mechanisms linking food insecurity and mental health using case studies in rural Brazil and urban Ethiopia. Working with samples consisting of about 200 adult household decision-makers (mostly female) recruited between 2015 and 2019 at each site, we tested for nutritional and social mediation of the food insecurity-mental health relationship using multivariable linear regression and mediation analysis. Our analyses found no evidence of mediation in either setting. Moreover, there was no association between nutritional status variables and food insecurity. These findings suggest that food insecurity likely impacts mental health directly through forms of basic needs deprivation, such as worrying about where one's next meal will come from, rather than by acting as a social signal or even by impacting nutritional status. These results underscore the power of basic-needs deprivation for impacting mental health.

Adherence to Iron and Folic Acid Supplements and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Mothers Attending ANC at Gulele Sub-City Government Health Centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Even though antenatal care (ANC) visits seems to be the key strategy to increase adherence to iron and folic acid supplements during pregnancy, the problem still remains unresolved. Therefore, this study planned to assess adherence to iron and folic acid supplements and associated factors among pregnant mothers attending ANC at Gulele sub-city Government Health Centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 403 pregnant women attending ANC at governmental health centers in Gulele sub city of Addis Ababa from May to June, 2019. The study participants were selected by systematic random sampling techniques, and an interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. The results were considered statistically significant at p-value <0.05. RESULTS: The proportion of mother's adherent to iron and folic acid supplements was 62.3% with a 95% CI of 57.5-67.0. Women who had no formal education (AOR=2.37; 95% CI=1.25-4.51), poor knowledge about anemia (AOR=1.97; 95% CI=1.24-3.13), developing any other health problem during current pregnancy (AOR=2.59; 95% CI=1.55-4.32), attending health information about iron/folic acid supplement (AOR=2.06; 95% CI=1.08-3.921 and forgetful (AOR=2.23; 95% CI=1.40-3.56) mothers were more likely to be non-adherent to the supplement compared with their counterparts. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The status of maternal adherence was medium compared with other studies, and maternal educational status, knowledge about anemia, exposure to information, experiencing of health problems, and forgetfulness were associated with adherence behavior. This indicates that improving dissemination of information about the supplements and designing a reminder mechanism was needed to improve the adherence status of mothers to the supplement.

Burden of Undiagnosed Hypertension among Adults in Urban Communities of Southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN) is the leading risk factor for mortality due to cardiovascular diseases, it accounts for 7% of global disability adjusted life years. In 2015, it was estimated that around 1.13 billion adults had HTN globally with a high prevalence in low and middle-income countries where the health system is weak to diagnose, treat, and control HTN. Most people with HTN are asymptomatic and go undiagnosed for years. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the burden of undiagnosed HTN among adults in urban communities of Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study involving 915 adults from June 17 to July 27, 2019 was performed. WHO STEPS questionnaire was used to collect data, and the collected data were entered using Epi Data version 3.1and analyzed using SPSS version 20, respectively. Binary logistic regression was used to check for a possible association between outcome and independent factors. P-value <0.05 and 95% CI were used on multivariable logistic regression analysis as threshold for significant statistical association. RESULTS: Undiagnosed HTN in the study area was 21.2% (194). Age (AOR=1.04, 95% CI=1.02-1.05), BMI with overweight (AOR=2.52, 95% CI=1.35-4.71), triglyceride (AOR=1.83, 95% CI=1.29-2.59), and waist to hip ratio (AOR=1.62, 95% CI=1.03-2.54) were factors significantly associated with HTN. CONCLUSION: As compared to studies performed before, the risk of undiagnosed HTN in the current study was high. Age, BMI, triglyceride, and waist to hip ratios were found to be the significant factors for it. Preventing the risk factors and screening of HTN should be promoted for early detection, prevention, and treatment of the burden of the disease on the population.

Quality of integrated community case management services at public health posts, Southwest Ethiopia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of an integrated community case management service (ICCM) and associated factors at health posts in Ethiopia. DESIGN AND METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in the health posts of Jimma zone. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Binary logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of client satisfaction on services and the qualitative data were presented by triangulating with quantitative findings. RESULTS: This study indicated that 80%, 65% and 55% of health extension workers (HEW) correctly assessed cases, classified cases and prescribed drugs of ICCM cases respectively. Some caregivers (40.2%) knew about danger signs which they heard from HEWs (81.9%). More than one-fourth (29.01%) of caregivers reported that their children were exposed to illness like diarrhea (39.1%) in the last two weeks. HEWs have demonstrated to a large number of caregivers (66%) how to give medications. Being a housewife [AOR = 0.17(0.05,0.56)], having a farmer husband[AOR = 3.77(1.09,12.98)] and having a government employed husband [AOR = 5.32(1.03,27.48)] were significantly associated with ICCM services. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of health extension workers correctly assessed, classified and prescribed drugs for ICCM cases. Some caregivers knew about danger signs which the majority of them heard from health extension workers. Being a housewife and paternal occupation were significantly associated with clients' satisfaction in ICCM services. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Findings of this study can be used to guide the development of programs to improve integrated community case management service in Ethiopia by informing policymakers and other stakeholders about challenges of ICCM services.

Institutional Delivery Among Young Women in Ethiopia: Further Analysis of Trends and Determinants, from the Four Consecutive Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey.

PURPOSE: Although young people have a right to sexual and reproductive health, they are facing inadequate access to information and services. The Ethiopian government has started implementing policies and strategies to eliminate inequalities in reproductive health service use. However, there are huge disparities in institutional delivery utilization between different age groups. Therefore, this study aimed to explore trends and factors associated with institutional childbirth among young women in Ethiopia. METHODS: Ethiopian demographic and health survey data (EDHS) from 2000 to 2016 surveys were used. Data on the most recent births to women aged 15-24 years that occurred in the 5 years preceding the survey period were extracted. All the four EDHS data were used to examine trends of institutional delivery, whereas determinants for institutional delivery were analyzed from a 2016 dataset by using multivariable logistic regression analysis. FINDINGS: Between 2000 and 2016, the proportion of institutional delivery among young women increased from 6% (95% CI=3.7-6.5%) to 40.1% (95% CI=30.6-44.3%). The odds of institutional delivery increased for young women who had attended secondary and above education (AOR=2.68; 95% CI=1.559-4.607), started ANC visits early (AOR=1.518; 95% CI=1.095-2.105) and received four or more ANC visits (AOR=1.87; 95% CI=1.370-2.561). However, the odds were lower among young women who had two (AOR=0.31; 95% CI=0.185-0.514), and three or more children (AOR=0.62; 95% CI=0.452-0.849). CONCLUSION: There is an increase in trend of institutional delivery among young women during the 2000 to 2016 EDHS. Having higher educational levels, early ANC booking, and attending four or more ANC visits were positively associated with institutional delivery. Increased number of children is negatively associated with institutional delivery. Strengthening strategies for improving girls' education and addressing their socioeconomic and demographic vulnerabilities, and strengthening strategies being implemented for encouraging early and recommended ANC visits is crucial.

Validity of Anthropometric Cut-Offs for Early Diagnosis of Dyslipidemia Among Ethiopian Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Lack of regional- and local-based cut-off points of lipid profile and/or anthropometric measurements remains one of the challenges in prevention, early detection and control of non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to validate anthropometric-based screening of lipid profiles to develop locally appropriate optimal cut-off points for metabolic syndrome screening. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 977 adults in Jimma Town, Ethiopia. Data were collected using structured questionnaire, anthropometric and biochemical measurements. Data were analyzed using SPSS windows version 21 and Kappa statistic was used to validate the agreement between anthropometric measurement and lipid profile. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Body mass index (BMI) at ≥24.5 was used as screening of dyslipidemia (TG≥150mg/dl) with slight Kappa coefficient of 0.138 (P<0.001) among females while it was ≥22.2 among males with fair (0.275) Kappa coefficient (P<0.001). Waist circumference-based screening of dyslipidemia (TG≥150mg/dl) at ≥78.0cm had negative (-0.005) Kappa coefficient (Pp<0.001) among females (sensitivity: 72.6% and specificity: 26.7%). Yet, waist circumference at ≥83.7cm had slight Kappa coefficient of 0.13 (P<0.005) among males (sensitivity: 38% and specificity: 74.9%). Waist hip ratio-based screening of dyslipidemia (TG≥150mg/dl) at ≥0.82 among females had negative (-0.001) Kappa coefficient (p=0.763), whereas among males at ≥0.88, there was a slight (0.105) Kappa coefficient of (p=0.002) (sensitivity:77.5% and specificity:36.8%). This study showed that anthropometric-based high-density lipoprotein measurement was not applicable. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that BMI-based screening of triglyceride was more applicable for both sexes than other anthropometric measurements. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio-based screening of triglyceride were slightly applicable only for males. However, anthropometric-based screening of high-density lipoprotein measurement was not applicable for both sexes. In conclusion, researchers and policy makers need to consider locally validated cut-off points to be used for screening metabolic syndrome in the community.

The Hidden Burden of Diabetes Mellitus in an Urban Community of Southwest Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Early detection of the unrecognized diabetes mellitus (DM) and its risk factors in the community is crucial to minimizing the burden of DM and associated complications. Hence, this study aimed to assess unrecognized DM and its relationship with behavioral characteristics, physical characteristics, and lipid profile among adults in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 915 adults in Jimma Town from June 17 to July 27, 2019. Physical measurements, lipid profile, and blood sugar levels were measured. The collected data were entered and analyzed using Epi Data 3.1 and SPSS version 21, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was fitted to assess predictors of unrecognized DM where adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strength of association at P-value ≤05. RESULTS: The prevalence of unrecognized DM and impaired glucose metabolism (pre-diabetes) were 3.1% (95% CI; 2.0-4.4) and 14.8% (95% CI; 12.5-17.2), respectively. The risk of unrecognized DM was higher among male participants (AOR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.19, 7.29), age group of 35 years and above (AOR = 3.45, 95% CI: 1.16, 10.27), and high waist circumference (AOR = 4.21, 95% CI: 1.72, 10.33). On the other hand, participants who perform sufficient physical activity (AOR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.58) had low risk of undetected DM. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of unrecognized diabetes mellitus was relatively high. Male sex, advanced age, physical inactivity, and high waist circumference were found to be predictors of unrecognized DM. Thus, awareness needs to be created among the community to practice regular physical activity and maintaining normal body weight. Additionally, screening of DM should be promoted for early detection, prevention, and treatment.

30-day and 60-day rates and predictors of mortality among adult stroke patients: Prospective cohort study.

Stroke is one of the most common medical emergencies and the leading cause of preventable death and long-term disability worldwide. A prospective cohort study was conducted at the stroke unit of Jimma university medical center for four consecutive months (from March 10 to July 10, 2017). Of the total 116 study patients, 60 (51.7%) had an ischemic stroke. At 30-day follow-up, 81 (69.8%) patients were alive, 34 (29.3%) were died, and one patient (0.9%) was lost to follow-up. Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (AHR: 3.77, 95% CI: 1.34-10.57), diagnosis of stroke clinically alone (AHR: 3.90, 95 CI: 1.49-10.26), brain edema (AHR: 4.28, 95% CI: 1.61-11.37), and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) ≥ 13 during hospital arrival (AHR: 6.49, 95% CI: 1.90-22.22) were the independent predictors of 30-day mortality. At 60-day follow-up, 68 (58.6%) patients were alive, 46 (39.7%) were died, and 2 (1.7%) were lost to follow-up. Discharge against medical advice (AHR: 6.40, 95% CI: 2.31-17.73) and severe modified Rankin score/mRS (4-5) at discharge (AHR: 3.64, 95% CI: 1.01-13.16) were the independent predictors of 60-day mortality. The median (IQR) length of survival after hospital admission for patients died within 30 and 60 days were 4.65 (2.34-11.80) and 9.3 (3.93-33) days, respectively. Stroke significantly affects the morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. There is a need to provide better care and future planning for stroke patients as an emergency diagnosis and treatment to minimize mortality and disability.

Retraction Note: Risk factors, clinical presentations and predictors of stroke among adult patients admitted to stroke unit of Jimma university medical center, south west Ethiopia: prospective observational study.

The Editor and Publisher have retracted this article [1]. This article was published as the result of a technical error which resulted in two versions [1, 2] of the same article being published. [2] is the final version of the article. Springer Nature apologises to the authors and to readers for the inconvenience caused. All authors agree with this retraction.

Burden, clinical outcomes and predictors of time to in hospital mortality among adult patients admitted to stroke unit of Jimma university medical center: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The global burden of stroke epidemiology is changing rapidly. Over the 1990-2013 periods, there was a significant increase in the absolute number of deaths and incident events of stroke. The burden of stroke varies in Ethiopia between regions and over time. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the burden, clinical outcomes and predictors of time to in hospital mortality among stroke patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was carried at stroke unit of Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC) from March 10-July 10, 2017. The outcome of interest was mortality and time to death. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Multivariable Cox regression was used to identify the predictors of in hospital mortality and time to death from hospital arrival. Predictor variable with P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 116 eligible stroke patients were followed over 4 months. The mean age of patients was 55.1 + 14.0 years and males comprised of 73 (62.9%). Stroke accounted for 16.5% of total medical admissions. Among the 116 patients with stroke, 91 (78.4%) were discharged alive making in hospital mortality rate of 25 (21.6%). The median time of in hospital mortality and length of hospital stay after admission of the patients were 4.38 days and 9.21 days, respectively. The prominent suspected immediate cause for in hospital mortality was increased intracranial pressure in 17 (68.0%) followed by respiratory failure secondary to aspiration pneumonia in 11 (44.0%) patients. Brain edema (AHR: 6.27, 95% CI: 2.50-15.76), urine incontinence (AHR: 3.48, 95% CI: 1.48-8.17), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) > 13 during hospital arrival (AHR: 22.58, 95% CI: 2.95-172.56) and diagnosis of stroke clinically alone (AHR: 4.96, 95% CI: 1.96-12.54) were the independent predictors of time to in hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of stroke in this setup was comparable with other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). There is an urgent need to establish well equipped and staffed stroke units in the country in addition to strengthening the already existing one's. Furthermore, future work must be designed to identify the barriers to improve stroke outcomes and recovery.

Risk factors, clinical presentations and predictors of stroke among adult patients admitted to stroke unit of Jimma university medical center, south west Ethiopia: prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the second-leading global cause of death behind heart disease in 2013 and is a major cause of permanent disability. The burden of stroke in terms of mortality, morbidity and disability is increasing across the world. It is currently observed to be one of the commonest reasons of admission in many health care setups and becoming an alarming serious public health problem in our country Ethiopia. Despite the high burden of strokes globally, there is insufficient information on the current clinical profile of stroke in low and middle income countries (LMICs) including Ethiopia. So, this study was aimed to assess risk factors, clinical presentations and predictors of stroke subtypes among adult patients admitted to stroke unit of Jimma university medical center (JUMC). METHODS: Prospective observational study design was carried out at stroke unit (SU) of JUMC for 4 consecutive months from March 10-July 10, 2017. A standardized data extraction checklist and patient interview was used to collect data. Data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of stroke subtypes. RESULT: A total of 116 eligible stroke patients were recruited during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 55.1 ± 14.0 years and males comprised 62.9%. According to world health organization (WHO) criteria of stroke diagnosis, 51.7% of patients had ischemic while 48.3% had hemorrhagic stroke. The most common risk factor identified was hypertension (75.9%) followed by family history (33.6%), alcohol intake (22.4%), smoking (17.2%) and heart failure (17.2%). The most common clinical presentation was headache complained by 75.0% of the patients followed by aphasia 60.3% and hemiparesis 53.4%. Atrial fibrillation was the independent predictor of hemorrhagic stroke (AOR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.68). CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of stroke in this set up were similar to other low- and middle-resource countries. As stroke is a high priority chronic disease, large-scale public health campaign should be launched focusing on public education regarding stroke risk factors and necessary interventions.

Risk factors, clinical presentations and predictors of stroke among adult patients admitted to stroke unit of Jimma university medical center, south west Ethiopia: prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the second-leading global cause of death behind heart disease in 2013 and is a major cause of permanent disability. The burden of stroke in terms of mortality, morbidity and disability is increasing across the world. It is currently observed to be one of the commonest reasons of admission in many health care setups and becoming an alarming serious public health problem in our country Ethiopia. Despite the high burden of strokes globally, there is insufficient information on the current clinical profile of stroke in low and middle income countries (LMICs) including Ethiopia. So, this study was aimed to assess risk factors, clinical presentations and predictors of stroke subtypes among adult patients admitted to stroke unit of Jimma university medical center (JUMC). METHODS: Prospective observational study design was carried out at stroke unit (SU) of JUMC for 4 consecutive months from March 10-July 10, 2017. A standardized data extraction checklist and patient interview was used to collect data. Data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of stroke subtypes. RESULT: A total of 116 eligible stroke patients were recruited during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 55.1 ± 14.0 years and males comprised 62.9%. According to world health organization (WHO) criteria of stroke diagnosis, 51.7% of patients had ischemic while 48.3% had hemorrhagic stroke. The most common risk factor identified was hypertension (75.9%) followed by family history (33.6%), alcohol intake (22.4%), smoking (17.2%) and heart failure (17.2%). The most common clinical presentation was headache complained by 75.0% of the patients followed by aphasia 60.3% and hemiparesis 53.4%. Atrial fibrillation was the independent predictor of hemorrhagic stroke (AOR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.68). CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of stroke in this set up were similar to other low- and middle-resource countries. As stroke is a high priority chronic disease, large-scale public health campaign should be launched focusing on public education regarding stroke risk factors and necessary interventions.