Quality of childbirth care and its determinants along the continuum of care among pregnant women who gave birth vaginally in Gondar town public health facility, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: generalised structural equation modelling.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of childbirth care and its determinants along the continuum of care in Gondar town public health facility in Ethiopia. DESIGN: An institution-based, cross-sectional study was employed. Completed data were imported to Stata V.16 for cleaning and analysis. A generalised structural equation model was employed to examine the relationships along the continuum of childbirth care and to determine the factors affecting the quality of childbirth care. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This study was conducted among a total of 865 women who delivered in the public health facility of Gondar, Ethiopia, from 19 May to 30 June 2022. RESULTS: The study revealed the proportion of good-quality childbirth care during admission, intrapartum and immediate postpartum period was 59% (95% CI 55.7, 62.4), 76.8% (95% CI 73.8, 79.5) and 45% (95% CI 41.7, 48.5), respectively. Postsecondary educational status of mothers (ß=0.60, 95% CI 0.16, 1.04) and maternal age of 25-35 (ß=0.68, 95% CI 0.33, 1.02) were predictors of quality of care at admission. Referral hospital (ß=0.43, 95% CI 0.10, 0.76), presence of guidelines (ß=1.36, 95% CI 0.72, 1.99) and provider age of 25-35 (ß=0.61, 95% CI 0.12, 1.10) affected the quality of care during the intrapartum period. Urban residence (ß=0.52, 95% CI 0.12, 0.93), skilled birth attendant experience (ß=0.19, 95% CI 0.11, 0.28) and number of delivery couches (ß=-0.29, 95% CI -0.44, -0.13) had significant associations with the quality of childbirth care during the immediate postpartum period. CONCLUSIONS: Although our study found improvements in the quality of childbirth care along the continuum compared with previous studies, more workers are needed to alleviate the problem of poor-quality service. Different maternal, provider and facility factors were found to be predictors of the quality of childbirth care.

Improving cervical cancer continuum of care towards elimination in Ethiopia: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second-leading cause of death among all cancers in Ethiopia. Ethiopia plans to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030, following the World Health Organization's call for action. A scoping review was conducted on the status of the cervical cancer continuum towards elimination in Ethiopia. METHODS: We searched articles in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. All studies conducted on cervical cancer in Ethiopia, from first date of publication to March 15, 2023, type of article, or language of publication, were included. However, conference abstracts, commentaries, and letters to the editors were excluded. We used EndNote X9 software to merge articles from different databases and automatically remove duplicates. Screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts was performed independently by two co-authors. The cancer care continuum was employed as a framework to guide data synthesis and present the findings. RESULTS: Of the 569 retrieved articles, 159 were included in the review. They found that most of the articles focused on knowledge, attitude, and practice. However, there were few studies on health-seeking behavior, perception and acceptability of cervical cancer services, as well as the availability and readiness of a screening program. The review identified inadequate knowledge, attitude, and perception about cervical cancer, and highlighted that screening for cervical cancer is not widely utilized in Ethiopia. Knowledge, attitude, education status, and income were repeatedly reported as precursors influencing cervical cancer screening. Most studies concluded that there is a high prevalence of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer, as well as high mortality rates or short survival times. The review also identified significant heterogeneity in findings across time and geographic settings within each component of the cancer care continuum. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there is inadequate knowledge, perception, health-seeking behavior, screening, and treatment services, indicating that the country is falling behind its targets in eliminating cervical cancer, despite the availability of effective interventions and tools. We argue that implementation research is necessary to identify implementation issues, challenges, and strategies to scale up both primary and secondary prevention services. By doing so, Ethiopia can address cervical cancer as a public health problem and work towards its elimination.

Improving cervical cancer continuum of care towards elimination in Ethiopia: a scoping review.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second-leading cause of death among all cancers in Ethiopia. Ethiopia plans to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030, following the World Health Organization's call for action. A scoping review was conducted on the status of the cervical cancer continuum towards elimination in Ethiopia. Methods: We searched articles in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. All studies conducted on cervical cancer in Ethiopia, irrespective of date of publication, type of article, or language of publication were included. However, conference abstracts, commentaries, and letters to the editors were excluded. We used EndNote x9 software to merge articles from different databases and automatically remove duplicates. Screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts was performed by two co-authors independently. The cancer care continuum was employed as a framework to guide data synthesis and present the findings. Results: Of the 569 retrieved articles, 159 were included in the review. The found most of articles were about knowledge, attitude, and practice. There were few studies on health-seeking behaviour, perception and acceptability to cervical cancer services and availability and readiness of a screening programme. The review identified that there was inadequate knowledge, attitude and perception about cervical cancer. Screening for cervical cancer is not widely used in Ethiopia. Knowledge and attitude, education status, and income were repeatedly reported as precursors for cervical cancer screening. Most studies concluded a high prevalence of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer, as well as high mortality rates or short survival times. The review also identified that there is huge heterogeneity in findings under each component of the cancer care continuum across time and geographic settings. Conclusions: Overall, there is inadequate knowledge, perception, health seeking behaviour, screening and treatment services. This implies that the country is lagging behind the targets towards eliminating cervical cancer despite the availability of effective interventions and tools. We argue that an implementation research is needed to identify implementation issues, challenges and strategies to scale up both primary and secondary prevention services so that cervical cancer will not anymore be a public health problem.

Undiagnosed hypertension and its determinants among hypertensive patients in rural districts of northwest Ethiopia: a mediation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of hypertension is associated with improved blood pressure control and a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, in rural areas of Ethiopia, evidence is scarce where access to healthcare services is low. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of undiagnosed hypertension and identify its determinants and mediators among patients with hypertension in rural northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September to November 2020. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 2436 study participants. Blood pressure was measured using an aneroid sphygmomanometer two times, 30 min apart. A validated tool was used to assess participants' beliefs and knowledge of hypertension. The proportion, determinants, and mediators of undiagnosed hypertension were determined among patients with hypertension. The regression-based approach used to calculate the direct and indirect effects of determinants of undiagnosed hypertension. Joint significance testing was used to determine the significance of the indirect effect. RESULTS: The proportion of undiagnosed hypertension was 84.0% (95% CI: 81.4-86.7%). Participants aged 25-34 years (AOR = 6.03; 95% CI: 2.11, 17.29), who drank alcohol (AOR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.37, 4.20), were overweight (AOR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.98), had a family history of hypertension (AOR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.53), and had comorbidities (AOR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.54) were significantly associated with undiagnosed hypertension. The mediation analysis revealed that hypertension health information mediated 64.1% and 68.2% of the effect of family history of hypertension and comorbidities on undiagnosed hypertension, respectively. Perceived susceptibility to hypertensive disease mediated 33.3% of the total effect of age on undiagnosed hypertension. Health facility visits also mediated the effect of alcohol drinking (14.2%) and comorbidities (12.3%) on undiagnosed hypertension. CONCLUSION: A higher proportion of hypertensive patients remain undiagnosed. Being young, drinking alcohol, being overweight, having a family history of hypertension, and having comorbidities were significant factors. Hypertension health information, knowledge of hypertensive symptoms, and perceived susceptibility to hypertension were identified as important mediators. Public health interventions aimed at providing adequate hypertension health information, particularly to young adults and drinkers, could improve knowledge and perceived susceptibility to hypertensive disease and reduce the burden of undiagnosed hypertension.

High burden of hypertension amongst adult population in rural districts of Northwest Ethiopia: A call for community based intervention.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a serious public health issue in Ethiopia, but there is a paucity of evidence in the country's rural areas. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors among adults in rural districts in northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June to October 2020. The 1177 study participants were chosen using a multistage sampling procedure. A face-to-face interview was conducted using an adapted version of the WHO STEPwise approach questionnaire. Blood pressure was measured three times using an aneroid sphygmomanometer, and the mean of the last two readings were used for the analysis. Data was entered using Epidata and analyzed using STATA-16. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with hypertension. RESULTS: Of the total participants, 218 (18.5%) were found to be hypertensive. The prevalence of hypertension consistently increases with age. Hypertension was positively and significantly associated with female sex ((adjusted odd ratio (AOR) = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.53, 3.45)), age group 45-54 years (AOR = 4.63, 95% CI: 1.01, 21.37), 55-64 years (AOR = 14.40, 95% CI: 3.07, 67.63), ≥65 years (AOR = 19.37, 95% CI: 4.03, 93.09), having history of alcohol consumption (AOR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.17, 9.02), used much amount of salt (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.53, 3.60) and too much amount of salt (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.85, 7.72), sleeping for a short duration (AOR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.30, 3.24), and having family history of hypertension (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI; 1.32, 3.39). CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension was significantly high among the rural population we studied and is emerging as a public health problem. Female sex, advanced age, ever used alcohol, excessive salt intake, insufficient sleep, and a family history of hypertension were factors that were positively and significantly associated with hypertension. We recommend local health authorities integrate promotion of hypertension health education, lifestyle modification intervention on salt and alcohol reduction, and hypertension detection, particularly for the female and elderly population, at the health post level to avert the problem.

Perceived barriers and enablers influencing health extension workers toward home-based hypertension screening in rural northwest Ethiopia: interpretive descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension, a major but modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, is a global health problem including Ethiopia. In a limited infrastructure task sharing of hypertension screening for community health workers is a feasible strategy to improve hypertension management. Recent finding have shown that trained health extension workers (HEWs) can identify high blood pressure, which was effective and feasible. Identifying barriers and enablers for home-based hypertension screening by HEWs is crucial for its implementation. This study aimed to explore barriers and enablers that influence health extension workers' home-based hypertension screening in the community. METHODS: The interpretive descriptive design was implemented. In-depth interviews were conducted during October, 2020. A total of 26 participants including HEWs, supervisors, and heads of district health office were purposively selected. They were asked to describe their perception toward home-based hypertension screening by the HEWs. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim into Amharic, and translated into English. The transcripts were coded and themes were identified. Thematic approach was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The participants identified key perceived barriers and enablers of HEWs home-based hypertension screening. The most common barriers were a lack of hypertension training, blood pressure measuring devices, blood pressure guidelines and manuals, skilled HEWs, financial incentives, and poor community awareness of the disease. The most common enablers were support from community leaders, presence of functional development army and community trust for HEWs, presence of routine campaign on vaccination and community based health insurance, and an integrated health system. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings have implications for the HEWs' ongoing implementation of home-based hypertension screening. Successful implementation of this strategy requires scaling up of hypertension training programs for health extension workers and their supervisors, provision of standardized protocols, provision of adequate blood pressure measuring equipment, and regular supportive supervision.

Trained health extension workers correctly identify high blood pressure in rural districts of northwest Ethiopia: a diagnostic accuracy study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a public health issue in Ethiopia. The vast majority of cases remain undiagnosed and untreated. Early and accurate identification of hypertension can help with timely management and reduce the risk of complications. In resource-constrained rural settings where poor access to care and a shortage of healthcare providers are major barriers, task-sharing of some primary healthcare duties from well-trained healthcare workers to community health workers has been found to be a cost-effective strategy. This study aimed to assess the ability of trained health extension workers to correctly identify high blood pressure among adults in rural areas of northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of northwest Ethiopia from June to October 2020. Trained health extension workers and health professionals measured the blood pressure of 1177 study participants using a calibrated aneroid sphygmomanometer. A Kappa test statistic was used to compare the two sets of measurements for agreement. The sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values were used to assess the validity of health extension workers' ability to identify high blood pressure in comparison to health professionals. RESULTS: The trained health extension workers and health professionals identified 219 (18.6%) and 229 (19.5%) of the participants with high blood pressure, respectively. The inter-rater agreement between health extension workers and health professionals for high blood pressure detection was 91.2% (k = 0.912, 95% CI: 0.88, 0.94, p-value = 0.000). The sensitivity and specificity of high blood pressure detection by health extension workers were 90.8% (95% CI: 89.6, 92.0) and 98.8% (95% CI: 98.1, 99.5), respectively. While the positive and negative predictive values were 95.0% (95% CI: 92.1, 97.9) and 97.8% (95% CI: 97.3, 98.3), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The inter-rater agreement between the trained health extension workers and health professionals on high blood pressure detection was excellent. The findings indicate that training health extension workers is a reliable and valid strategy for early detection of hypertension. Thus, the strategy can be integrated with the essential services provided by primary health care units at the village and health post level in rural settings.

Effect of health extension workers led home-based intervention on hypertension management in Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Although hypertension is highly prevalent in Ethiopia, it is poorly diagnosed, treated and controlled. Poor access to care and a shortage of healthcare providers are major barriers. This study aims to evaluate the effects of health extension workers' led home-based intervention on hypertension management in patients with hypertension in rural districts of northwest Ethiopia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted among 456 hypertensive patients. Adults aged ≥25 years who have a diagnosis of hypertension both in the home-based hypertension screening study and at another measurement prior to recruitment will be eligible for the study. Randomisation will be done at the kebele level. In the intervention clusters, trained health extension workers will provide home-based intervention for hypertensive patients every 2 months for 9 months. The primary outcomes of the trial will be clinical linkage and blood pressure changes, whereas the secondary outcomes will be lifestyle modification, medication adherence and blood pressure control. Intention-to-treat analysis will be used for all primary analyses. A linear mixed-effect regression model will be used to model the change in blood pressure, while a mixed effect logistic regression model will be used to evaluate the intervention's effect on the binary outcomes. Effect sizes such as mean difference for the continuous outcomes and relative risk, attributable risk and population attributable risk for binary outcomes will be used. All statistical analyses are two sided and a p<0.05 will be used. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by institutional review board of the University of Gondar (Ref. No: V/P/RCS/05/2293/2020). The district's health office will grant permission for cluster randomisation, and each participant will provide written informed consent for participation. The findings will be presented at scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PACTR202102729454417.

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Hypertension Beliefs Assessment Tool Among Adult Population in Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, the majority of hypertension cases remain undiagnosed, untreated, and uncontrolled. Beliefs about hypertension and its complications play an important role in hypertension management behaviors. Accurate assessment of individuals' beliefs towards the disease is of paramount importance in the design of hypertension education. This study aimed to develop and validate a hypertension belief assessment tool based on the Health Belief Model for the general population among rural adults in northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: The study included item construction, face and content validation, factor analysis, and establishment of reliability and validity of the tool. A total of 308 rural adults participated in the study. Inter-item and item-to-total correlations were used to examine the items assessed with the same content on a scale. Principal component analysis with promax rotation was used to extract the factors. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed using average variance extraction and maximum shared variance. RESULTS: The median age of the participants was 41 (IQR: 31-55) years. Of the participants, 175 (56.8%) were female and 287 (93.2%) were farmers. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test value of 0.84 and significant Bartlett's test of sphericity (p=0.000) revealed that the data were suitable for exploratory factor analysis. The principal component analysis identified 6 factors, which explained 70.06% of the variation of the hypertension belief. Cronbach's alpha was 0.85 for the entire scale, ranging from 0.74 to 0.92 for the sub-domains. The average variance extracted was above 0.5 for all factors, indicating convergent validity. The maximum shared variance between the two constructs was lower than the average variance extracted from each factor, indicating that discriminating validity had been established. CONCLUSION: The hypertension belief assessment tool was found to be valid and reliable, which can be used to measure the health beliefs on hypertension for the rural adult population.

Occupational Health Problems among Seasonal and Migrant Farmworkers in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers are at increased risk for occupational fatalities and injuries. Although such employment-related geographical mobility is receiving increasing attention, there is limited evidence about occupational health problems among seasonal farmworkers. Therefore, this study aims to investigate occupational health problems among seasonal and migrant farmworkers in Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed from October to December 2019 among seasonal and migrant farmworkers. The study was carried out in two sites of Amhara regional state, northwest Ethiopia. A cluster sampling technique was used to recruit 990 study participants. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 20 to identify factors associated with injuries. The significance level was obtained at 95% CI and p-value ≤0.05. RESULTS: In this study, the period prevalence of work-related injury among seasonal and migrant farmworkers was 32.5% (95% CI: 29.7, 35.9). Being unemployed before migration (AOR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.91), working for >8 h/day (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.27), stress (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.88) and thermal discomfort (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.98) were the significant risk factors for work-related injury. In addition, nearly two-third (60.9%) of the study participants have shown three or more heat-related illness symptoms. Moreover, the prevalence of work-related stress among seasonal and migrant farmworkers was 67.6% (95% CI: 64.6, 70.7). CONCLUSION: Occupational health problems among seasonal and migrant farmworkers in northwest Ethiopia remain a major public health problem. Hence, implementing tailored preventive measures like training on health and safety, and hazard control measures would be supremely important to minimize the risk.

Spatial variation and determinants of childhood anemia among children aged 6 to 59 months in Ethiopia: further analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016.

BACKGROUND: The magnitude of childhood anemia was increased from time to time. Thus, Even if the Ethiopian government applied tremendous efforts, anemia in children continues as a major public health problem. There is limited evidence on the spatial variation of and determinant factors of childhood anemia at the national level. Therefore, this study aimed to explore spatial distribution and determinants of anemia among children aged 6 to 59 months in Ethiopia. METHOD: A stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique was used in Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2016 data. In this study 8602 children aged 6-59 months were included. Bernoulli model was used to explore the presence of purely spatial clusters of Anemia in children in age 6-59 months using Sat scan. ArcGIS version 10.3 was used to know the distribution of anemia cases across the country. A mixed-effects Logistic regression model was used to identify determinant factors of anemia. RESULTS: The finding indicates that the spatial distribution of childhood anemia was non-random in the country with Moran's I: 0.65, p < 0.001. The SaT scan analysis identified a total of 180 significant primary clusters located in the Somali and Afar regions (LLR = 14.47, P-value< 0.001, RR = 1.47). Age of child 12-23 months (AOR = 0, 68, 95%CI: 0.55, 0.85), 24-35 months (AOR = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.31, 0.47), and36-47 months (AOR = 0.25, 95%CI, 0.20, 0.31), working mother (AOR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.76, 0.99), anemic mother (AOR = 1.53, 95%CI, 1.35, 1.73), had fever in the last 2 weeks (AOR = 1.36,95%CI:1.13, 1.65), moderate stunting (AOR = 1.31,95%CI: 1.13, 1.50),Severely stunting (AOR = 1.82,95%CI: 1.54, 2.16), religion, wealth index, and number of under-five children in the household were statistically significant associated with childhood anemia. CONCLUSION: Spatial variation of childhood anemia across the country was non-random. Age of the child, wealth index, stunting, religion, number of under-five children in the household, fever in the last 2 weeks, anemic mother, and working status of the mother were determinants of childhood anemia. Therefore, interventions should be a priority concern for high-risk (hot spot) areas regarding allocation of resources and improved access to health facilities, and to reduce the consequence of anemia among the generation policymakers and concerned bodies should be implemented these specific determinant factors.

Recommended dietary practice and associated factors among patients with diabetes at Debre Tabor General Hospital, northwest Ethiopia: institutional-based cross-sectional study design.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess dietary practice and associated factors among patients with diabetes attending the Debre Tabor General Hospital. DESIGN: Institutional-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Amhara regional state, Debre Tabor General Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with diabetes attending the diabetics' clinic. MEASUREMENTS: The study was conducted from February to March 2016. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants and data were collected using a pretested structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Patients' dietary practice was assessed using the general advice for diabetic plan containing 11 items. The data were entered using Epi Info V.7 and analysed using SPSS V.20. Binary logistic regressions analysis was used to identify factors associated with poor dietary practice. Adjusted ORs (AORs) with corresponding 95% CI and p˂0.05 were used to identify significant factors affecting poor dietary practice. RESULTS: A total of 390 patients with diabetes were participated in the study making a response rate of 96.5%. The overall proportion of poor dietary practice was 55.4% (95% CI 50.8% to 60.5%). Respondents of rural residence (AOR 1.99, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.28), Not getting diabetic nutrition education (AOR 3.32, 95% CI 2.02 to 5.44), difficulty to determine what to eat (AOR 5.49, 95% CI 3.34 to 9.02), not having family/friends support (AOR 2.50, 95% CI 1.46 to 4.27), worried about high cost of foods (AOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.29 to 3.49) were significantly associated with poor dietary practice. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of patients with diabetes were had poor dietary practice. Rural dwellers, not getting nutrition education, difficulty of choosing foods, not getting family/friends support and worried about high cost of foods were positively and significantly associated with poor dietary practice. Hence, integration of diabetic based nutrition education with motivation particularly for rural patients is highly recommended.

Time to nutritional recovery and its determinants among children aged 6 to 59 months with severe acute malnutrition admitted to stabilization centers of WagHimra Zone, Northeast Ethiopia.

Severe acute malnutrition is a life-threatening condition that contributes to over half of under five deaths in developing countries. Urgent and specialized treatment to improve the time to recovery and recovery rate is very important. However, data regarding time to nutritional recovery is limited in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to determine the average time to recovery and its determinants among children aged 6 to 59 months admitted with SAM to the stabilization centers of Wag Himra zone, northeast Ethiopia. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 501 patients charts of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) admitted to stabilization centers (SCs) from September 2014 to August 2017. The charts were selected using the systematic random sampling technique. Data were extracted from the charts of each child using a pretested standard checklist and entered using Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed by STATA 14. A Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis was carried out to identify determinants of time to recovery. Any statistical test was considered significant at P-values < 0.05. In this study, the overall recovery rate from SAM was 80.4% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 76, 84) with the median nutritional recovery time of 11 (Inter Quartile Range [IQR]: 8-18) days. Patients aged 6-23 months (Adjusted Hazard Ratio [AHR] = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.60, 0.92), and had pneumonia (AHR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.59), anemia (AHR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.81) and vomiting (AHR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.82) at admission were less likely to recover quickly compared to those who did not have these conditions or were in other age categories, whereas edematous malnourished children (AHR = 2.85; 95% CI: 2.28, 3.56) were positively and significantly associated with early recovery. The median nutritional recovery time fell within the recommended international standards. However, the length of stay was significantly longer among children with severe wasting, aged 6-23 months, and had vomiting, pneumonia, and anemia at admission than their counterparts. Therefore, interventions should focus on young children with severe wasting, pneumonia, vomiting, and anemia to prevent prolonged stay in the SCs without recovery. Retrospectively registered.

Common mental disorders among seasonal migrant farmworkers in Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal migrant farmworkers in Ethiopia are a vulnerable segment of the population facing numerous threats to their mental health. This research aimed to determine the magnitude of common mental disorders (CMDs) and its associated factors among seasonal migrant farmworkers in the northwest of Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 950 seasonal migrant farmworkers were selected randomly. CMDs were assessed using the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) and a structured questionnaire was employed to collect the associated characteristics of socio-demographic data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariable binary logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence level was used to declare a statistically significant association with CMDs. RESULTS: The prevalence of CMDs was found to be 23.05% (219/950; 95% CI 20.47-25.84) among seasonal migrant farmworkers. The prevalence of psychological stress was 74.53% (708/950; 95% CI 71.65-77.20). Having a daily income below USD 5 (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.10-2.15), moderate perceived stress (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI: 1.18, 5.36), severe perceived stress (AOR = 16.15, 95% CI: 8.96, 29.11), and heat-related illness (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.11, 2.30) were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing CMD. On the other hand, those seasonal migrant farmworkers who migrated for the first time (AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.23-0.65) and those who received health related information (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.85) were less likely to have CMDs. CONCLUSION: In this study, CMDs were found to be prevalent among seasonal migrant farmworkers. These findings highlight the importance of systematic development of community-based mental health services in combination with rural primary health care centers and an integrated approach to the health care of farmworkers such as screening, early identification, and treatment of CMDs of seasonal migrant farmworkers.

Low Knowledge and Attitude Towards Visceral Leishmaniasis Among Migrants and Seasonal Farm Workers in Northwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: Ethiopia has the second highest burden of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) next to Sudan. North West Ethiopia alone accounts for 60% of the national burden. Migrant and seasonal farmworkers were the riskiest groups. Good knowledge and attitude on VL is a precursor for successful control of the disease. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine knowledge and attitude towards VL and its associated factors among migrants and seasonal farmworkers in West Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2018 in Metema and West Armachiho districts. Two-stage cluster sampling was used to select 950 migrant and seasonal farmworkers. A binary logistic regression model was fitted and variables having a P-value<0.05 were considered to have a significant association with the outcome variable. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as a measure of association. The goodness of fit test was assessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow test. RESULTS: Of the total participants, 33.2% (95% CI=30.2-36.2) and 30.2% (95% CI=27.4-33.2) were found to have good knowledge and favorable attitude towards VL, respectively. Factors associated with good knowledge include having health information (AOR=3.2, 95% CI=2.3-4.4), previous history of VL (AOR=6.8, 95% CI=3.7-12.8), and higher age (AOR=1.58, 95% CI=1.12-2.23). Moreover, factors associated with favorable attitude include having health information (AOR=2.8, 95% CI=2.0-3.9), previous history of VL (AOR=2.3, 95% CI=1.3-4.1), good knowledge (AOR=2.4, 95% CI=1.7-3.3), and larger number of visits to the farm area (AOR=2.5, 95% CI=1.5-4.1). CONCLUSION: In this study, knowledge and attitude of migrants and seasonal farmworkers towards VL were low. Having health information and previous history of VL had increased the odds of both knowledge and attitude. Tailored interventions for the migrant seasonal farmworkers focusing on knowledge and attitude of VL would be supremely important.

Prevalence and determinants of incomplete or not at all vaccination among children aged 12-36 months in Dabat and Gondar districts, northwest of Ethiopia: findings from the primary health care project.

OBJECTIVE: Ethiopia is one of the Africa's signatory countries for implementation of the primary healthcare strategy including immunisation. In Ethiopia, however, 16% of child death is due to vaccine-preventable disease. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of incomplete or not at all vaccination among children aged 12-36 months in Dabat and Gondar districts, Northwest Ethiopia. STUDY DESIGN: The study is community-based cross-sectional study. STUDY SETTING: Dabat and Gondar Zuria districts, Northwest Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: Mothers/caregivers with children aged 12-36 months were enrolled in the study. Participants were randomly selected through systematic sampling and a total of 603 participants were included in the analysis. METHODS: A binary logistic regression analysis was done. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, a p value of <0.05 and adjusted OR (AOR) with 95% CI were used to identify statistically associated factors with incomplete or not at all vaccination. OUTCOMES: Incomplete or not at all vaccination. RESULTS: The prevalence of incomplete or not at all vaccinated children was 23.10% (95% CI 16.50 to 29.70). The multivariable analysis revealed that the odds of incomplete or not at all vaccination were higher among mothers who had no antenatal care (ANC) visit (AOR: 1.81, 95% CI 1.21 to 4.03) and no postnatal care (PNC) visit (AOR=1.52, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.25). CONCLUSIONS: In the study area, nearly one-fourth of children are incompletely or not at all vaccinated. Our finding suggests that ANC and PNC visits are key determinants of incomplete or not at all vaccination. Thus, in low-resource settings like Ethiopia, the health system approaches to improved ANC and PNC services should be intensified with more effective advice on child immunisation to reduce vaccine preventable disease.

High Hidden Burden of Diabetes Mellitus among Adults Aged 18 Years and Above in Urban Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan African countries with a rapidly increasing burden of diabetes mellitus (DM). There is limited updated information about the community-based burden of the disease and its associated factors in Ethiopia which is very crucial to plan effective prevention and control measures against the disease. This study is aimed at determining the burden of DM and its associated factors in urban northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2019 among residents aged ≥ 18 years in Gondar town and urban kebeles (lowest administrative units of the country) of Health and Demographic Surveillance System site (HDSS) in Dabat district. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 773 participants. World Health Organization (WHO) stepwise approach for noncommunicable disease surveillance was used to collect the data. Fasting blood glucose (FBS) ≥ 126 mg/dl was used to diagnose DM. Descriptive statistics were done to describe the variables of the study. Prevalence with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated. Binary logistic regression model was fitted, variables with p value < 0.05 were considered to have a significant association with the outcome, and odds ratio (OR) was used to measure the strength of association. RESULT: Of the total participants, 6.34% (95% CI; 4.82, 8.29) were found to be diabetic. Of these, 40 (81.6%) were newly diagnosed. Besides, the prevalence of prediabetes was 9.31% (95% CI: 7.45, 11.58). Increased age (AOR = 1.06, 95% CI; 1.04, 1.09) and eating vegetables one to three days per week (AOR =0.29, 95% CI; 0.13, 0.65) were significantly associated with diabetes. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of DM is a bit higher than the national estimate, while the proportion of undiagnosed DM which can easily progress to disabling and life-threatening complications was alarmingly high. Age and frequency of eating vegetables per week were associated with diabetes. In light of this finding, future prevention and control measures against the diseases should consider the identified factors. There should also be improved access to screening services.

Epidemiology of preterm birth in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Globally, complications of preterm birth are among the most common cause of neonatal mortality. In Ethiopia, the neonatal mortality reduction is not worthy of attention. Hence, this study reviewed the prevalence of preterm birth and factors associated with preterm birth in Ethiopia. METHODS: The review protocol of this study has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42017077356). The PRISMA guideline was followed for this review. Studies that assessed the prevalence and/or associated factors of preterm birth in Ethiopia and published from Jan 01, 2009 to Dec 31, 2019 were considered. Studies were searched from the PubMed and Science Direct among medical electronic databases and Google Scholar. Random-effects model was used for detected heterogeneity among studies. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis were assessed. Pooled estimates with its 95% confidence interval were reported using forest plots. The quality of evidence from the review was assessed using GRADE approach. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies involving a total of 12,279 participants were included. The overall pooled prevalence of preterm birth in Ethiopia was 10.48% (95% CI: 7.98-12.99). Pooled odds ratio showed rural residence (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.35-4.05), being anemic (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.85-3.64), < 4 antenatal care visits (AOR = 2.34, 95%CI: 1.73-3.33), pregnancy induced hypertension (AOR = 3.49, 95% CI: 2.45-4.97), prelabor rapture of membrane (AOR = 4.42, 95% CI: 2.28-8.57), antepartum hemorrhage (AOR = 5.02, 95% CI: 2.90-8.68), multiple pregnancies (AOR = 3.89, 95% CI: 2.52-5.99), past adverse birth outcomes (AOR = 3.24, 95% CI: 2.53-4.15) and chronic illness (AOR = 4.89, 95%CI: 3.12-7.66) were associated with increased likelihood of preterm birth. Further, support during pregnancy was associated with reduced occurrence of preterm birth. CONCLUSION: The pooled national level prevalence of preterm birth in Ethiopia is high. Socio demographic, nutritional, health care, obstetric and gynecologic, chronic illness and medical conditions, behavioral and lifestyle factors are the major associated factors of preterm birth in Ethiopia. This evidence is graded as low grade. Thus, efforts should be intensified to address reported risk factors to relieve the burden of preterm birth in the study setting, Ethiopia.

Determinants of the Continuum of Maternal Healthcare Services in Northwest Ethiopia: Findings from the Primary Health Care Project.

BACKGROUND: The maternity continuum of care is the continuity of maternal healthcare services that a woman uses, which includes antenatal care (ANC 4+), skill birth attendant (SBA), and postnatal care (PNC) within 48 hours of delivery. It is one of the essential strategies for reducing maternal and newborn mortality. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with the completion of a continuum of maternal healthcare services among mothers who gave birth in the past five years. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 01 to June 29, 2019, among 565 randomly selected mothers who gave birth in five years before the study in primary healthcare project implementation districts of north Gondar zone, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were computed, and in the multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and a p value of less than 0.05 were used to identify the associated factors with completion of the continuum of maternal healthcare services. RESULTS: The study revealed that the overall completion of the continuum of maternal healthcare services was 21.60% (95% CI: 18.20, 24.90). Women who were able to read and write (AOR: 2.70, 95% CI: 1.22, 6.04), using car/motorcycle as a means of transportation to get the health facility (AOR: 5.59, 95% CI: 2.29, 9.50), travel time less than an hour to get the health facility (AOR: 4.98, 95% CI: 2.97, 8.38), being satisfied with the service delivery (AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.11), and getting health education on maternal healthcare services in the last 6 months (AOR: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.52, 5.05) were factors associated with the completion of the continuum of maternal healthcare services. CONCLUSIONS: The completion of the continuum of maternal healthcare services was relatively low, indicating that women were not getting the likely health benefit from the present health services. Therefore, interventions should focus on increasing women's awareness, improving the availability of services at nearby health facilities, and improving service delivery by considering women's preferences and needs to increase their satisfaction are essential to increase the completion of maternal healthcare services.

Predictors of CD4 count changes over time among children who initiated highly active antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection results in a gradual depletion of immune function, particularly CD4 cells. The CD4 assessment plays a significant role in assessing treatment responses and clinical decision-making for patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) in resource-limited settings. However, new data on CD4 count changes are scarce; the volatility of CD4 counts after initiation of ART over time remains largely uncharacterized. This study aimed to identify the predictors of CD4 changes over time among HIV-infected children who began ART in Amhara, Ethiopia. METHODS: A retrospective follow-up study was performed. A total of 983 HIV-infected children who initiated ART in government hospitals in the Amhara region between 2010 and 2016 were included using a simple random sampling technique. Data were extracted using a structured checklist. An exploratory data analysis was carried out to explain individual and average profile plots. The linear mixed model was used to identify the CD4 change count predictors over time. Variables with p value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant in a multivariable linear mixed regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean CD4 count of the participants was 465.1 cells/mm3 with an average CD4 count increase of 30.06 cells/mm3 over 6 months from baseline CD4 count and ART initiation. Childhood age (ß = - 0.015; 95% Cl - 0.021, - 0.009), opportunistic infection at ART initiation (ß = - 0.044, 95% CI - 0.085, - 0.004), hemoglobin level (ß = 0.013; 95% CI 0.004, 0.022), and baseline WHO clinical stage II (ß = - 0.046, 95% CI - 0.091, - 0.0003) were significant predictors of CD4 changes over time. CONCLUSIONS: The average CD4 count increase was sufficient in HIV patients who began combined antiretroviral therapy over time. The younger age of the infant, the higher baseline level of hemoglobin, the baseline WHO clinical stage II, and opportunistic infections led to changes in CD4 counts. As a result, timely diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections will reduce the risk of opportunistic infections.