Women's experiences with breast cancer during diagnosis and therapy, Wolaita, Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the most frequent cancer worldwide. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, women experience unexpected and stressful events. In Ethiopia, specifically in the study area, the experiences of women with breast cancer, the challenges they face during treatment and follow-up have not been thoroughly investigated. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study explores the experiences of women diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing therapy at a University-based hospital in Ethiopia. METHODS: A qualitative research design was used, to explore the experiences of women diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing therapy. A purposively selected sample of ten women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and were receiving therapy was recruited. Recruitment was conducted from August 1 to September 30, 2022. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data on their experiences. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a thematic analysis approach was employed utilizing open coding. The coded data were then analysed to reveal important insights and understandings about the participants' experiences with breast cancer during the diagnosis and therapy journey. RESULT: The thematic analysis of the data revealed four prominent themes: women's mixed emotions, characterized by a sense of high threat and hope upon receiving breast cancer diagnosis results; dealing with the changes, both physical and psychological, that the cancer and its treatment bring about in women's bodies and emotional well-being; dealing with the challenges associated with accessing therapy, including unfavourable hospital conditions and financial hardship; and experiencing care and supports from health care providers, family and friends, and faith-based communities. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of providing comprehensive support and care for women with breast cancer. Enhancing the hospital environment, addressing resource shortages, and prioritising patient well-being are crucial steps towards improving the experiences of breast cancer patients in the study area.

Usage of cervical cancer screening services among HIV-positive women in Southern Ethiopia: a multicentre cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the usage of cervical cancer screening services and associated factors among HIV-positive women on antiretroviral treatment in Southern Ethiopia in 2020. DESIGN: A multicentre cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted in Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital and Sodo Health Centre, Southern Ethiopia, from 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred and seventeen HIV-positive women on antiretroviral treatment attending public health facilities were approached during the study period. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was carried out to identify independent factors associated with the usage of cervical cancer screening services, and a p value<0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: The uptake of cervical cancer screening services among HIV-positive women was 27.8% with a 95% CI of 24.2% to 33.1%. Married women and women reporting a high level of perceived barriers were 75% and 66% less likely to receive cervical cancer screening services, adjusted OR (AOR)=0.25; 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.93, and AOR=0.34; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.98, respectively. Whereas, being a government employee, AOR=3.85; 95% CI: 1.31 to 11.3, sexual debut before the age of 20, AOR=2.39; 95% CI: 1.09 to 5.26, using modern contraceptives, AOR=2.43; 95% CI: 1.05 to 5.65, having a high perceived self-efficacy, AOR=4.42; 95% CI: 1.79 to 10.89 and having a high perceived benefit of cervical cancer screening services, AOR=12.23; 95% CI: 2.22 to 67.35 were significantly associated with the usage of cervical cancer screening services. CONCLUSIONS: The usage of cervical cancer screening services among HIV-positive women remains low in this setting. Married HIV-positive women and those with a high perceived barrier were associated with low uptake of cervical cancer screening services. Being a government employee, having an early sexual experience, using modern contraceptives, having a high perceived self-efficacy and having a high perceived benefit were identified as factors associated with increased uptake of cervical cancer screening services.

Prevalence of teenage pregnancy and associated factors among preparatory and high school students in Wolaita Sodo town, southern Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and associated factors among teenage schoolgirls aged 15-19 years in Wolaita Sodo town, southern Ethiopia. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: This study was conducted among teenage girls from preparatory and high schools in Wolaita Sodo town, southern Ethiopia, between 1 April and 30 May 2019. PARTICIPANTS: 588 (97.8%) of 601 randomly selected teenage schoolgirls aged 15-19 years (selected via a multistage random sampling technique) participated in the study. OUTCOME MEASURES: Teenage pregnancy and associated factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among schoolgirls in Wolaita Sodo town was 14.6% (95% CI 11.9% to 17.7%). The current pregnancy rate was 33.7% (95% CI 23.9% to 44.7%). Having a family history of teenage pregnancy (AOR 3.3; 95% CI 1.3 to 8.4) and access to mass media (AOR 2.5; 95% CI 1.1 to 6.2) were positively associated with teenage pregnancy, while condom use (AOR 0.1; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.5) and knowledge of where to get modern contraceptives (AOR 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9) were negatively associated. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among schoolgirls in Wolaita Sodo was high. Having a family history of teenage pregnancy and access to mass media were positively associated with teenage pregnancy, whereas reported condom use and knowledge of where to get modern contraceptives were negatively associated with teenage pregnancy among schoolgirls.

Effective Coverage of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care Services in Africa: A Scoping Review.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to map the evidence of effective coverage (EC) of EmONC (Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care) services and associated factors in Africa. Methodology: The review used PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist to select, appraise, and report the findings. We searched four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus) and grey literature published between Jan 01, 2011 - Dec 31, 2020. The search terms included "emergency", "obstetric", "newborn", "effective coverage", and "quality" with Boolean terms, AND and OR. The review was conducted using title, abstract, and full-article screenings. The results were analyzed thematically using NVivo v12 qualitative research data analysis software. Results: Of the 1811 searched studies, 32 met the eligibility criteria for review. The majority of the studies were from East (56.3%) and Western (28.1%) Africa. Most studies were cross-sectional, had targeted health facilities, and combined two or more data collection techniques. The thematic analysis yielded three themes: EmONC service utilization, quality of EmONC service, and factors associated with the quality of EmONC services. The review showed a scarcity of evidence and variations regarding the crude coverage, quality of care, and factors affecting the quality of EmONC services in Africa. Conclusion: The review reported that the utilization of EmONC services was below the WHO-recommended 100% in all studies, though some reported improvements over time. Disparities in EmONC services quality were paramount across studies and contexts. However, the methodological and analytical incongruity across studies brought difficulties in tracing and comparing the progress made in EmONC services utilizations. Registration: This scoping review protocol was first registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) on Aug 27, 2021 (https://osf.io/khcte/).

Association between iron-folic acid supplementation and pregnancy-induced hypertension among pregnant women in public hospitals, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia 2021: a case- control study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-induced hypertension is the new onset of high blood pressure after 20 weeks of gestation in women with previously normal blood pressure. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted in our country to investigate the association between this pregnancy problem and iron-folic acid supplementation. The aim of this study was to determine the association between iron-folic acid supplementation and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) in pregnant women at public hospitals in the Wolaita Sodo zone. METHODS: An institution-based case-control study was conducted among pregnant women who visited public hospitals in the Wolaita Sodo zone from March 3, 2022, to August 30, 2022. A consecutive sampling method was used to select the study participants. The total sample size was 492, of which 164 were cases and 328 were controls. The data were collected by conducting face-to-face interviews and measurements. The data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and exported to STATA 14 for analysis. Those variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Descriptive statistics and odds ratios were presented using texts, tables, and figures. RESULTS: A total of 471 women participated in this study, yielding a response rate of 96%. The cases had a mean age of 25 ± 4.43, while the controls had a mean age of 25 ± 3.99. The mean age at first pregnancy among cases was 20 ± 2.82 and among controls was 20 ± 2.97. The average number of deliveries for cases and controls was 1.97 ± 1.41 and 1.95 ± 1.38, respectively. There is no significant association between iron-folic acid supplementation and PIH. Pregnant women with high hemoglobin levels had higher odds of PIH as compared to those without it (AOR = 3.65; 95% CI: 1.0-12.9). Eating kocho (AOR = 14.4; 95% CI: 1.2-16.7) was positively associated with PIH. CONCLUSIONS: There is no association between iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Pregnant women with high hemoglobin levels had higher odds of PIH as compared to those without it. There is an association between kocho consumption and PIH. More research should be done using stronger designs.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of the rural community about cutaneous leishmaniasis in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by a Leishmania parasite and transmitted by the bite of infected female sandflies. Community awareness is an essential component of disease control and prevention. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the community's knowledge, attitude, and practice toward CL in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed to include 422 study subjects selected using a systematic sampling technique from two districts, Kindo Didaye and Sodo Zuria. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the household heads. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between the participants' knowledge about CL and socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Out of the 422 study participants, only 19% had good knowledge of CL in general. Most (67.1%) of the respondents knew CL by its local name ("bolbo" or "moora") though this knowledge varied highly over the study districts. The majority (86.3%) of respondents did not know how CL is acquired, though they considered CL a health problem. Most (62.8%) respondents believed that CL was an untreatable disease. Most (77%) participants responded that CL patients preferred to go to traditional healers for treatment. Herbal treatment was the most (50.2%) used to treat CL. Knowledge about CL was significantly associated with sex, age, and study districts. CONCLUSION: The overall knowledge, attitude, and practice about CL and its prevention in the study area were low. This emphasizes the need to implement health education and awareness campaign to reduce the risk of CL infection. Policymakers and stakeholders should also give due attention to the prevention and treatment of CL in the study area.

Prevalence of stillbirth and associated factors among deliveries attended in health facilities in Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Stillbirth is an unfavorable outcome of pregnancy, which is still prevalent in many countries despite remarkable efforts made to improve the care of pregnant women. While producing estimates consistent with other national reports, all are hindered by limited data and important causes of death are likely to be missed. However; there is a scarcity of data on stillbirth in Ethiopia particularly in the Wolaita zone. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of stillbirth among women giving birth at public hospitals in the Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals in the Wolaita zone. A stratified sampling technique was used to select 737 women. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were entered using Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were used and the crude and adjusted odds ratios at a 95% confidence interval with P-value <0.05 were considered to declare the result as statistically significant. RESULT: This study reported an 8.7% [95% CI: 6.5-10.8] prevalence of stillbirth. Women who lived in rural areas, had pregnancy and labor complications, a high number of pregnancies, a prior history of stillbirth, and a complicated delivery were associated with stillbirth. When compared to urban residents, being a rural resident increased the risk of stillbirth by 2.57 fold [adjusted OR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.23, 5.40]. When compared to their counterparts, women who experienced complications during pregnancy and labor increased 6.23 fold [AOR = 6.23, 95% CI: 2.67-14.58], having a previous history of stillbirth increased 6.89 fold [AOR = 6.89, 95% CI: 2.57-13.57], and the type of delivery increased 7.13 fold the risk of stillbirth [AOR = 7.13, 95% CI: 2.71-18.73]. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of stillbirth among women who gave birth in public hospitals in the Wolaita zone was found to be high compared to national and regional figures. Therefore, the federal and regional governments should strengthen inter-sectoral collaboration with health facilities to promote the maternal and health care services utilization. The zonal health department and other concerned bodies should focus on the implementation of the strategies and policies that address and reduce the causes of stillbirth.

Barriers and enablers to emergency obstetric and newborn care services use in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia: a qualitative case study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, 11.4 million untreated obstetric complications did not receive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) services yearly, with the highest burden in low and middle-income countries. Half of the Ethiopian women with obstetric complications did not receive EmONC services. However, essential aspects of the problem have not been assessed in depth. This study, therefore, explored the various aspects of barriers and enablers to women's EmONC services utilization in southern Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative case study research design was used in nine districts of the Wolaita Zone. A total of 37 study participants were selected using a purposive stratified sampling technique and interviewed till data saturation. Twenty-two key informant interviews were conducted among front-line EmONC service providers, managers, community leaders, and traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Individual in-depth interviews were conducted among 15 women with obstetric complications. The trustworthiness of the research was assured by establishing credibility, transferability, conformability, and dependability. NVivo 12 was used to assist with the thematic data analysis. RESULT: Five themes emerged from the analysis: service users' perception and experience (knowledge, perceived quality, reputation, respectful care, and gender); community-related factors (misconceptions, traditional practices, family and peer influence, and traditional birth attendants' role); access and availability of services (infrastructure and transportation); healthcare financing (drugs and supplies, out-of-pocket expenses, and fee exemption); and health facility-related factors (competency, referral system, waiting time, and leadership). CONCLUSION: Many women and their newborns in the study area suffered severe and life-threatening complications because of the non-utilization or delayed utilization of EmONC services. A key policy priority should be given to enhancing women's awareness, eliminating misconceptions, improving women's autonomy, and ensuring traditional practices' role in EmONC service utilization. Community awareness interventions are required to enhance service uptake. Furthermore, the health systems must emphasize improving the quality of care, inequitable distribution of EmONC facilities, and essential drugs. The financial constraints need to be addressed to motivate women from low socioeconomic status. Furthermore, intersectoral collaboration is required to maintain a legal framework to control and prohibit home deliveries and empower women.

Prevalence of Primary Dysmenorrhea, Its Intensity and Associated Factors Among Female Students at High Schools of Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study Design.

Introduction: Primary dysmenorrhea is a highly prevalent gynecological problem and one of the most common causes of school absenteeism among school adolescents. Nearly, half of females with primary dysmenorrhea missed school or work at least once per cycle. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea and its associated factors among female students in Wolaita soddo town high schools. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among female students at Wolaita soddo town high schools from October 1-30/2021. A total of 733 students were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The data were entered using Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was used. Variables with a p-value of <0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression analysis model were considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was 70% (95% CI (66.6%, 73.4%)). Factors such as age <18 years (AOR 2.55; 95% CI (1.77, 3.68)), long duration of menstrual flow (AOR 2.72; 95% CI (1.42, 5.17)), irregular menstrual cycle (AOR 2.39; 95% CI (1.68, 3.41)), family history of dysmenorrhea (AOR 2.46; 95% CI (1.67, 3.64)) and skipping breakfast (AOR 1.62; 95% CI (1.13, 2.33)) were associated with primary dysmenorrhea. Conclusion: The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was high among high school students in the study area. Being younger age, long menstrual flow duration, irregular monthly menstrual cycle, family history of dysmenorrhea, and skipping breakfast were determinants of primary dysmenorrhea.

Quality of emergency obstetric and newborn care services in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Globally, nearly 295,000 women die every year during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) can avert 75% of maternal mortality if all mothers get quality healthcare. Improving maternal health needs identification and addressing of barriers that limit access to quality maternal health services. Hence, this study aimed to assess the quality of EmONC service and its predictors in Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 14 health facilities. A facility audit was conducted on 14 health facilities, and 423 women were randomly selected to participate in observation of care and exit interview. The Open Data Kit (ODK) platform and Stata version 17 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Frequencies and summary statistics were used to describe the study population. Simple and multiple linear regressions were done to identify candidate and predictor variables of service quality. Coefficients with 95% confidence intervals were used to declare the significance and strength of association. Input, process, and output quality indices were created by calculating the means of standard items available or actions performed by each category and were used to describe the quality of EmONC. RESULT: The mean input, process, and output EmONC services qualities were 74.2, 69.4, and 79.6%, respectively. Of the study participants, 59.2% received below 75% of the standard clinical actions (observed quality) of EmONC services. Women's educational status (B = 5.35, 95% C.I: 0.56, 10.14), and (B = 8.38, 95% C.I: 2.92, 13.85), age (B = 3.86, 95% C.I: 0.39, 7.33), duration of stay at the facility (B = 3.58, 95% C.I: 2.66, 4.9), number of patients in the delivery room (B = - 4.14, 95% C.I: - 6.14, - 2.13), and care provider's experience (B = 1.26, 95% C.I: 0.83, 1.69) were independent predictors of observed service quality. CONCLUSION: The EmONC services quality was suboptimal in Wolaita Zone. Every three-in-five women received less than three-fourths of the standard clinical actions. The health system, care providers, and other stakeholders should emphasize improving the quality of care by availing medical infrastructure, adhering to standard procedures, enhancing human resources for health, and providing standard care regardless of women's characteristics.

Risky sexual behaviors and associated factors among high school students of Dawuro Zone, South West Ethiopia.

Risky sexual behavior still results in human health problems, especially affecting young people. So, this study aimed to determine the magnitude of risky sexual behavior and associated risk factors among high school and preparatory students in Dawro Zone, Southern Ethiopia. A total of 630 students participated in the study; making the response rate 99.5%. Among those students, 305 (48.4%) had started sexual intercourse before data collection. The mean and standard deviation of the age of study participants was 19.12 years (+SD 1.1827) respectively. Of those who started sex, 278 (91%) of them reported unsafe sexual practices. Being in the 20-25 age group (AOR=2.5, 95% CI=1.42, 4.49), having monthly pocket money (AOR=9.4, 95% CI=5.28, 16.81), rare church attendance (AOR=8.8, 95% CI=4.95, 15.73), living without families (AOR=2.37, 95% CI=1.26, 4.44), parental polygamous marriage type (AOR=5.41, 95% CI=1.55, 18.90), no access to information to unsafe sexual practice (AOR=3.60, 95% CI=2.11, 6.13) and poorly knowledgeable to unsafe sexual practice(AOR=4.59, 95% CI=2.630,8.018), were significantly associated with the unsafe sexual practice.

Utilization of Integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Illnesses at Health Posts in Southern Ethiopia.

PURPOSE: Even if strategic actions were undertaken to tackle common childhood illnesses, Ethiopia still stood as one of the six countries accounting for half of the global under-five deaths. So this study aimed to assess the utilization of integrated community case management during childhood illness at health posts in the study area. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a multistage sampling technique that includes 633 sick under-five children with common childhood illnesses. The data was entered into EpiData 3.1 and exported to SPSS 20 for further analysis. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were computed and adjusted odds ratio within 95% confidence interval was used to measure the statistical association between variables. RESULTS: Out of the planned 633 participant, 624 caregivers underwent all the study components making the response rate 98.6%. The study indicated that only 10.6% of the sick children sought care from health posts. Income (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.37-6.53), previous service utilization (AOR = 6.66, 95% CI: 1.81-24.04), awareness of service availability (AOR = 4.74, 95% CI: 1.39-12.10), ownership of health insurance (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.45-4.76), distance (AOR = 5.23, 95% CI: 1.69-10.19) and type of illness (AOR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.41-6.25) were the associated factors. CONCLUSION: The low utilization of integrated community case management insights to focus on availing additional well-equipped health posts, creating community awareness on services at health posts and at what time the services are given to address the problem of the majority.

Predictors of Neonatal Sepsis in Hospitals at Wolaita Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia: Institution-Based Unmatched Case-Control Study, 2019.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal sepsis plays a significant role in neonates' mortality in developing countries accounting for 30-50% of total deaths each year. Gaining insight into neonatal sepsis predictors will provide an opportunity for the stakeholders to reduce the causes of neonatal sepsis. This research is aimed at determining the predictors of neonatal sepsis at Wolaita Sodo University Teaching Referral Hospital and Sodo Christian General Hospital, Ethiopia, April-July 2019. METHOD: This study employed an institution-based unmatched case-control study by selecting neonates in selected hospitals through consecutive sampling technique. The cases of this study are neonates diagnosed with sepsis. The study used a pretested structured questionnaire for a face-to-face interview to collect data from index mothers. Besides, the review of the record was done using checklists. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 24.0 for analysis. The study used descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to measure the association's strength. p < 0.05 was the cut-off point for declaration of statistical significance for the multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Factors significantly associated with neonatal sepsis among neonates were maternal age of 15-20 years and 21-30 years, mothers with low income/wealth, history of urinary tract infections/sexually transmitted infections, presence of intrapartum infections, antenatal care follow-up < 3 visits, Apgar (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, and Respiration) score < 7, low birth weight, and the time in which breastfeeding started after delivery < 60 minutes. CONCLUSION: Maternal age, wealth/income, maternal urinary tract infections/sexually transmitted infections, intrapartum fever, antenatal care visit ≤ 3 times, Apgar score < 7, low birth weight, and starting time of breastfeeding were independent predictors of neonatal sepsis. Therefore, maternal health education during antenatal care visits, perinatal and newborn care, and early initiation of breastfeeding might decrease neonatal mortality and morbidity due to sepsis.

Prevalence and correlates of anemia among children aged 6-23 months in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Anemia, the world's most common micro-nutrient deficiency disorder, can affect a person at any time and at all stages of life. Though all members of the community may face the problem, children aged 6-23 months are particularly at higher risk. If left untreated, it adversely affects the health, cognitive development, school achievement, and work performance. However, little was investigated among young children in Sub-Saharan countries including Ethiopia. This research aimed to investigate its magnitude and correlates to address the gap and guide design of evidence based intervention. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May -June 2016 in rural districts of Wolaita Zone. Multi-stage sampling technique was applied and 990 mother-child pairs were selected. Socio-demography, health and nutritional characteristics were collected by administering interview questionnaire to mothers/care-givers. Blood samples were taken to diagnose anemia by using HemoCue device, and the status was determined using cut-offs used for children aged 6-59 months. Hemoglobin concentration below 11.0 g/dl was considered anemic. Data were analyzed with Stata V14. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were applied to identify candidates and predictor variables respectively. Statistical significance was determined at p-value < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The mean hemoglobin level of children was 10.44±1.3g/dl, and 65.7% of them were anemic. Among anemic children, 0.4% were severely anemic (<7.0g/dl), while 28.1% and 37.2% were mildly (10.0-10.9g/dl) and moderately (7.0-9.9g/dl) anemic, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, having maternal age of 35 years and above (AOR = 1.96), being government employee (AOR = 0.29), being merchant (AOR = 0.43) and 'other' occupation (AOR = 3.17) were correlated with anemia in children in rural Wolaita. Similarly, receiving anti-helminthic drugs (AOR = 0.39), being female child (AOR = 1.76), consuming poor dietary diversity (AOR = 1.40), and having moderate household food insecurity (AOR = 1.72) were associated with anemia in rural Wolaita. CONCLUSION: A large majority of children in the rural Wolaita were anemic and the need for proven public health interventions such as food diversification, provision of anti-helminthic drugs and ensuring household food security is crucial. In addition, educating women on nutrition and diet diversification, as well as engaging them with alternative sources of income might be interventions in the study area.

Health care decision making autonomy of women from rural districts of Southern Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Millions of women have little health care decision making autonomy in many cultures and tribes. African women are often perceived to have little participation in health care decisions. However, little has been investigated to identify factors contributing to decision making autonomy. Hence, it is important to obtain information on the contributing factors of decision making autonomy and disparities across different socio-cultural contexts. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Wolaita and Dawro zones, Southern Ethiopia from February to March 2015. A total of 967 women were selected through multistage sampling. A survey was administered face-to-face through an interview format. EpiData v1.4.4.0 and SPSS version 20 were used to enter and analyze data, respectively. Proportions and means were used to describe the study population. Variables with P-value <0.2 in bivariate analysis were selected for multivariable regression. Finally, variables with P-value <0.05 in multivariable logistic regressions were identified as independent predictors. Odds ratios along with confidence intervals were used to determine the presence of association. RESULT: It was determined that 58.4% of women have autonomy, while 40.9% of study participants' health care decisions were made by their husbands. The husband's education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =1.91 [1.10, 3.32]), wealth index (AOR =0.62 [0.42, 0.92]), age (AOR =2.42 [1.35, 4.32] and AOR =7 [3.45, 14.22]), family size (AOR =0.53 [0.33, 0.85] and AOR =0.42 [0.23, 0.75]), and occupation (AOR =1.66 [1.14, 2.41]), were predictors of health care decision making autonomy. CONCLUSION: Even though every woman has the right to participate in her own health care decision making, more than two fifths of them have no role in making health care decisions about their own health. Husbands play a major role in making health care decisions about their wives. A comprehensive strategy needs to be implemented in order to empower women, as well as to challenge the traditional male dominance. Special attention has to be given to women living in rural areas in order to reduce their dependency through education and income generating activities.