Maternity waiting home utilization among women who gave birth in the pastoralist communities of Borana Zone, Ethiopia: A community-based mixed-method study design.

Background: Maternity Waiting Home (MWH) utilization is valuable for enhancing maternal and neonatal health service utilization. Although few studies have been conducted in non-pastoral areas, more evidence is needed from pastoralist communities. Hence, the study aimed to assess the utilization of MWH and its associated factors among women in pastoralist communities in Ethiopia. Methods: A concurrent mixed-method design was conducted from 10 Augustto15 September 2021. The cluster sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Multivariable logistic regression analysis is used to identify significant factors. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed and triangulated with quantitative findings. Results: Only 13 % (95%CI:10.5-15.6) of women had utilized MWHs. Husbands participation in antenatal care (AOR = 5.54, 95%CI: 2.14-14.35), having caregivers at home (AOR = 2.59, 95%CI: 1.14-4.86), attending pregnant-women conferences (AOR = 5.01, 95%CI: 2.17-11.49), the husband received information about MWH (AOR = 3.6, 95%CI: 1.54-8.49), favorable attitude towards MWH (AOR = 3.15, 95%CI:1.47-6.77), birth during the rainy season (AOR = 0.35, 95%CI: 0.15-0.81) and residing within 10 km of a health center (AOR = 0.15,95%CI:0.04-0.58) were significantly associated with MWH utilization. The main themes that emerged as barriers to MWH utilization were lack of awareness, availability and accessibility of the services, norms and perceptions, lack of decision-making power, family support and women's workload. Conclusion: The study found low utilization of MWHs. Husbands' involvement, having information about MWHs, a favorable attitude, the season of birth, and distance were significantly associated. Lack of transportation access, norms, and limited awareness of MWH were also found to be barriers to service utilization. Health education to raise awareness about the importance of MWHs, enabling transportation access, husbands' involvement, and encouraging women to take an active role in household decision-making are crucial to boosting MWH utilization.

Incidence and predictors of mortality among neonates admitted with birth asphyxia to neonatal intensive care unit of West Shewa Zone Public Hospitals, Central Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Birth asphyxia is still one of the primary causes of newborn mortality worldwide. Similarly, the risk of newborn asphyxia in Ethiopia remains unacceptably high. Thus, studies on the incidence and predictors of mortality among newborns admitted with birth asphyxia are crucial to addressing this problem. As a result, the purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and predictors of mortality among neonates admitted with birth asphyxia to the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of West Shewa Zone Public Hospitals in Central Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based retrospective cohort study was conducted among 760 asphyxiated neonates admitted to the NICUs of West Shewa Zone Public Hospitals between 30 March 2021 and 30 April 2023. The data were collected using CSEntry and analysed bu using Stata V.17. Bivariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were carried out, and significant predictors were found using a 95% CI and a p<0.05. RESULTS: A total of 760 asphyxiated neonates were followed for a total of 6880 neonatal days. At the end of follow-up, 263 (34.6%) of the neonates died (95% CI 31.3% to 38.1%), which resulted in a mortality incidence of 10.6/100 person-days of observation. Chewing khat (adjusted HR, AHR 2.21; 95% CI 1.13 to 4.31), home delivery (AHR 1.45, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.9), lack of antenatal care follow-up (AHR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.89), hypothermia (AHR 1.56, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.17), hypoglycaemia (AHR 2.23, 95% CI 1.91 to 2.25) and obstructed labour (AHR 1.4, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.91) were found to be the significant predictors of neonatal mortality among asphyxiated neonates at a p≤0.05. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The magnitude of neonatal mortality among asphyxiated neonates in the study area was high. Therefore, in order to significantly reduce the risks of birth asphyxia and subsequent newborn death, all interested stakeholders should take these predictors into consideration.

Concomitant use of medicinal plants and pharmaceutical drugs among pregnant women in southern Ethiopia.

Background: In several African nations, including Ethiopia, improving mother and child health is a top public health concern. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of study on pregnant women in Ethiopia who concomitantly utilize pharmaceutical drugs and medicinal plants. Hence, the objective of this research was to assess the concomitant use of pharmaceutical drugs and medicinal plants among pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia in 2021. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among systematically selected 400 pregnant women in Shashamane town, Southern Ethiopia, from July 1-30/2021. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Binary logistic regression was performed to examine the association between a dependent variable and independent variables. Results: According to this study, among those who self-medicated, 90 (22.5%) reported using at least one pharmaceutical drug, while 180 (45%) reported using at least one medicinal plant. Moreover, 68 (17%) of the participants who had taken drugs while pregnant also used pharmaceutical drugs and medicinal plants concomitantly. Having a medical condition during pregnancy (AOR = 5.6, 95% CI: 2.7-11.6), not having ANC follow up (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3-6.2), gestational age (AOR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.6-10.7), and not having a formal education (AOR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.3-13.4) were all significantly associated with concomitant use of pharmaceutical drugs and medicinal plants during pregnancy. Conclusion: This study showed that nearly one in five pregnant women used medicinal plants concomitantly with pharmaceutical drugs. Mother's educational status, medical illness during pregnancy, having ANC follow up and gestational period were significantly associated with concomitant use of medicinal plants and pharmaceutical drugs. Therefore, health care providers and concerned stakeholders should consider these factors to minimize the risks associated with drug use during pregnancy on both mother and fetus.

Time to initiate postpartum modern contraceptives among pregnant women in Ambo Town, Central Ethiopia; Cox-proportional hazard regression analysis.

BACKGROUND: Timing of postpartum family planning is crucial for maternal and child wellbeing by preventing unintended and closely spaced pregnancies. However, studies are limited on the time to use modern contraceptives in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to fill these gaps by assessing the time to initiate postpartum modern contraceptive and identifying its predictors among pregnant women in Ambo town, central Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 356 pregnant women in Ambo town, Central Ethiopia. The data were analysed using STATA-16 software. Kaplan-Meier estimates were performed to explain time-to- modern contraceptive use. A Cox-proportional hazard regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors. The adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) with a 95% confidence interval was considered to declare a statistically significant association. RESULTS: This study showed that the median survival time to initiate postpartum modern contraceptives was 6 months. In this study, the risk of modern contraceptive use was 2.13 times higher (AHR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.02-4.45) among younger women, 1.44 times higher (AHR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.09-2.66) among women with no desire for more children, and 2.25 times higher (AHR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.02-4.95) among nulliparous women. However, it is 57% times lower (AHR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.32-0.94) among pregnant women with current unintended pregnancy. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The median survival time to initiate postpartum modern contraceptive was 6 months. Age of the women, desire for more children, parity and pregnancy status were found to be the significant predictors of time to initiate postpartum modern contraceptive. Therefore health care providers and concerned stakeholders should consider these factors to increase the uptake of the postpartum contraceptive methods.

Compliance level toward COVID-19 preventive measures and associated factors among the Ambo University community, 2021.

Background: The coronavirus illness is a highly contagious viral infection with serious health consequences that has occurred all around the world. Application of COVID-19 prevention precautions and social interventions by the general public are critical to successfully combating the epidemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of compliance and associated factors with COVID-19 prevention strategies. Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 01 to August 30, 2021 on a sample of 380 randomly selected Ambo University community members. A self-administered structuralized questionnaire was used to collect the data. The determining factors with the level of compliance were finally identified using a multivariate logistic regression model. The association was reported using odds ratios with a 95% CI, and significance was declared using a P < 0.05. Results: A total of 378 respondents participated in the study with a response rate of 98.9%. Most of the respondents, 75.7%, 57.9%, 47.4%, 61.9% had good knowledge, favorable attitude, good practice and good compliance toward COVID-19 preventive measures, respectively. In participants aged between 18 and 30 [AOR = AOR = 2.23, 95% CI: (1.13, 4.41)], good knowledge [AOR = 2.64, 95% CI: (1.46, 4.78)], favorable attitude [AOR = 4.5, 95% CI: (2.63, 7.71)], and good practice [AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: (1.82, 4.89)] were significantly associated with good compliance toward COVID-19 preventive measures. Conclusion and recommendation: Despite the fact that COVID-19 is a global and national priority, the preventive measures were not sufficiently followed. Therefore, it is essential to continue working on the community's knowledge, practices, and attitude about COVID-19 preventive measures through media campaigns, which will ultimately increase compliance. Additionally, the concerned stakeholders should consider the required interventions for the strongly associated factors that have been discovered in this current study.

Human papillomavirus vaccination uptake and its associated factors among adolescent school girls in Ambo town, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2020.

BACKGROUND: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has offered a great promise to reduce the cervical cancer burden; its utilization (uptake) however has been lagging. However, the levels and factors associated with the uptake of the vaccine have not been well investigated, especially in the local context. OBJECTIVE: To assess the uptake of human papillomavirus vaccination and its associated factors among adolescent school girls in ambo town, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2020. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional quantitative study design supplemented with the qualitative inquiry was employed to assess Human Papillomavirus vaccination uptake and its associated factors among 422 adolescent school girls in Ambo town, central Ethiopia from December 1-30, 2020. The collected data were coded, entered, and cleaned by using Epi info 7.2.3 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to compute summary statistics and proportions. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake. Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were used for the strength and directions of association. A P-value of < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Qualitative findings have been analyzed with manual thematic analysis. RESULT: The proportion of HPV vaccination uptake among school girls in this study was 44.4%. Hearing about HPV vaccine [AOR = 2.50, 95%CI: (1.045-5.959)], availability of awareness creation [AOR = 2.53, 95%CI: (1.507-4.258)], and favorable attitude [AOR = 2.049, 95%CI: (1.153-3.64)] were the key identified factors associated with vaccination uptake. In addition, poor perception, fear of side effects, and misunderstanding were among the major factors identified by qualitative findings. CONCLUSION: There was low uptake of HPV vaccination among the school Adolescents in the study area. Availability of awareness creation programs, favorable attitude towards HPV vaccine, and hearing about HPV vaccine was significantly associated with the uptake of the HPV vaccination. Therefore, awareness creation and behavior change education are mandatory to scale up the vaccination.

Determinants of maternal satisfaction with focused antenatal care services rendered at public health facilities in the West Shewa Zone, Central Ethiopia: A multicentre cross-sectional study.

Background: Every woman has the right to receive quality care during pregnancy. It is proven that antenatal care (ANC) reduces maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The government of Ethiopia is also making intense efforts to increase the coverage of ANC. However, among pregnant women, the levels of satisfaction with the care provided are overlooked, as the percentage of women who complete all ANC visits is below 50. Therefore, this study aims to assess maternal satisfaction with ANC services rendered at public health facilities in the West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among women who were receiving ANC in public health facilities in Central Ethiopia between September 1 and October 15, 2021. A total of 411 women were selected using the systematic random sampling method. The questionnaire was pretested and the data were collected electronically using CSEntry. The collected data were exported to SPSS version 26. The characteristics of the study participants were described using frequency and percentage. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify the factors associated with maternal satisfaction with focused ANC service. Result: This study revealed that 46.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) (41.7%-51.6%)] of women were satisfied with ANC service. Factors such as the quality of the health institution [adjusted odd ratio (AOR) = 5.10, (95% CI: 3.33-7.75)], place of residence [AOR = 2.38, (95% CI: 1.21-4.70)], history of abortion [AOR = 0.19, (95% CI: 0.07-0.49)], and previous mode of delivery [AOR = 0.30, (95% CI: 0.15-0.60)] were significantly associated with women's satisfaction with focused ANC service. Conclusion: More than half of pregnant women who received ANC were dissatisfied with the service they received. This should be a cause for concern, as the level of satisfaction is lower than that of the findings of previous studies conducted in Ethiopia. Institutional variables, interactions with patients, and previous experiences of pregnant women have an impact on the level of satisfaction. Due attention should be paid to primary health and communication of health professionals with pregnant women to improve the levels of satisfaction with focused ANC service.

Dual Contraceptive Utilization and Associated Factors Among Reproductive-Age Women on Anti-Retroviral Therapy at Hospitals in Central Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia is one of the Sub-Saharan African countries with an increasingly risky sexual practice and mostly affected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic. Dual protection is an important preventive approach which can prevent both unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the dual contraceptive utilization and associated factors among reproductive-age women on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) in central Ethiopia. METHODS: An-institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 311 women on ART at public hospitals of West Shewa Zone from June to September 2019. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. A pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to IBM SPSS statistical software version 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were computed. Odds ratio along with 95% confidence interval was computed to ascertain the association. RESULTS: The prevalence of dual contraceptive utilization among women on ART was 21.4% (95% CI: 16.8-25.9). Age of respondents between 15 and 24 years [AOR=8.35, (95% CI: 3.12-17.78)], living in urban [AOR=2.59, 95% CI: 1.15-4.22], separated women [AOR=2.28, 95% CI (1.26-5.04)], had post-diagnosis counselling on family planning [AOR=5.33, 95% CI: 1.52-18.68], disclosed HIV status [AOR=5.98, 95% CI: 1.63-21.93], freely discuss with their husband [AOR=4.22, 95% CI, 1.84-12.36], have no fertility desire [AOR=2.46, (95% CI: 1.34-6.44)] were significantly associated with dual contraceptive utilization. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The overall magnitude of dual contraceptive utilization among women on ART was found to be low. Factors like age, residence, marital status, post-diagnosis counselling, disclosure of HIV status, and free discussion with husband were significantly associated with dual contraceptive method utilization. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the range of strategies and tools available to married and single women's for protecting themselves from being infected with other strains and pregnancy. The concerned stakeholders also should emphatically consider those identified factors for intervention.