ABSTRACT
Background: Street children are the most neglected segments of the society with limited access to healthcare services. The vulnerability of street children to various health risks has been found by previous studies but little is known about their perceived susceptibility, preventive behavior and illness responses. Hence, the purpose of this study was to identify the health seeking behavior of street children in Addis Ababa. The study focuses on perceived susceptibility to various health risks, sources of health risks, and behaviors pertaining to responding to perceived risks and experienced health problems among the most marginalized groups in Addis Ababa. Methods: Using a mixed research approach, quantitative and qualitative data were collected through survey and interview methods from selected street children. SPSS and NVivo software were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Results: Whereas the street children perceive to be susceptible for ill-health risks related with their living situations, responding to the perceived susceptibility mainly by maintaining personal hygiene and undertaking physical exercises have been identified. The study also revealed that street children were found to be vulnerable for the situations affecting their health and wellbeing mainly due to self-reported engagements in risky behaviors such as smoking cigarette (67.3%), sniffing glue or benzene (68.2%), sharing of personal materials having the potential of transmitting diseases from one person to another (25.5%), and unprotected sexual activities (14.1%). Experiences of visiting healthcare facilities in response to illness symptoms have also constituted an aspect of the health seeking behavior of the street children. Conclusion: Awareness of the presence of health risks and perceived susceptibility to the risks promoted both preventive behavior and positive compliance in relation to illness response among children of the street in Addis Ababa.
ABSTRACT
Background: The problem of childhood obesity is often associated with cultural values of body weight which includes the belief that voluptuous body size is a sign of good health status and better parental care. We examined the beliefs and behaviors of parents pertaining to preferred body weight of children, including practices of management of feeding and physical exercise patterns of children in southern Ethiopia. Methods: Using cross-sectional survey study design, a structured questionnaire was distributed to randomly selected parents. Quantitative data were collected from 215 respondents, inserted into SPSS software, and analyzed by frequency and percentage distributions, charts, and multinomial logistic regression techniques. Results: Most (59.1%) respondents want their child's body weight to be normal/neither fat nor thin. In addition, 58.2% of the study participants held the opinion that average body size is an indication of good health status. Furthermore, 72.6% of respondents revealed that they control the amount of food their child consumes with the aim of preventing obesity/overweight. Moreover, 79.5% of respondents encourage their children to sometimes walk on foot, instead of always relying on vehicles while 87% of them replied that they regulate the amount of time their children spend watching TV. Above all, parents' preference of voluptuous body size of children is significantly associated with age (OR=61.52.448, P < 0.001, 95%C.I: 57-66.14), educational status (OR = 35.605, P < 0.001; 95%C.I: 6.050-209.524), sex (OR = 0.237, P < 0.05; 95%C.I: 0.078-0.724) and grownup area (OR = 2.869, P < 0.05; 95%C.I: 1.062-7.749). Conclusion: Parents not only have adequate level of awareness regarding the health risks of children's heavy body weight but also engage in the body weight management practices of their children such as by regulating the food consumption patterns of children, encouraging them to undertake physical exercises, and by being role models while doing physical exercises for themselves.
ABSTRACT
Background: The purpose of the study was to identify the choice of mode of delivery and the factors associated with such preferences among pregnant women attending antenatal care services in Southern Ethiopia. Methods: Using an institutional-based cross-sectional survey, quantitative data were collected from randomly selected pregnant women in Southern Ethiopia. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to pregnant women who had been attending antenatal healthcare services in purposively selected public and private healthcare facilities in Shashemene town. The completed cases were inserted into SPSS version 26 in which both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. Results: It was found that 75.4% of respondents replied that they prefer vaginal delivery while 24.6% had chosen cesarean section. Personal conviction motivated by the need to experience the labor process, the belief in it being a natural method, the perception that it is better for the wellbeing of both the mother and the child, previous experience of delivery by vaginal method, fear or the need to avoid episiotomy, and economic concerns have been mentioned as reasons for the choice of vaginal delivery. Moreover, respondents' choice of the mode of delivery is significantly associated with religion, age, number of children, pregnancy experience, previous mode of delivery, self-rated social class status, autonomy to decide about mode of delivery, and type of healthcare organization of antenatal care attendance. Conclusion: Although vaginal delivery has remained the most preferred mode of delivery among most pregnant women, about a quarter of pregnant women have reported that they prefer to deliver by cesarean section, a prevalence rate which is higher than the national average, indicating that the choice of cesarean section is still increasing among women.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We examined the perceptions of healthcare workers about the side-effects of COVID-19 vaccine and the types of side-effects they experienced in the post-vaccination period. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional survey research design was used in which a semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to collect quantitative data from healthcare workers in Southern Ethiopia that were selected on the basis of a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. After inserting the completed cases into SPSS software, descriptive statistical techniques, such as frequencies, percentages, charts and inferential statistical tool, particularly binary logistic regression analysis, were used to analyze and present the data. RESULTS: Majority (43.6%) of respondents perceive that COVID-19 vaccine will have muscle pain around the injection site, followed by fever (39.9%), problems of blood clots (37.8%), headache (35.6%), fatigue (33.5%), and aching limbs (16%). And 63.6%) of them reported that they have experienced muscle pain around the injection site after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, followed by fatigue (42%), headache (37.2%), fever (34.2%), redness around the injection site (21.6%), and swelling around the injection site (17.8%). Moreover, 25% reported that the fear of potential side-effects of COVID-19 vaccine inhibited them from taking the vaccine. Above all, it is found that respondents' expectation of COVID-19 vaccine to have such serious side-effects is significantly associated to their educational status (OR = 0.229; P < 0.01; 95%C.I.: 0.080-0.651). CONCLUSION: While the expectations of most of the healthcare workers regarding the side-effects of the vaccine are parallel to the normal reactions of the vaccine, a significant proportion of the study participants have reported that they perceive COVID-19 vaccine will have life-threatening side-effects. Such fears have also played a role in affecting vaccine uptake. Therefore, the Ministry of Health, and other concerned government bodies should create further awareness on COVID-19 vaccine and related safety issues.
