Intentions to leave and associated factors among laboratory professionals working at Amhara National Regional State public hospitals, Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Laboratory professionals play a vital role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Knowledge of workplace variables that either motivates staff to keep working or quit their jobs is important for decision making. Thus, this study aimed to assess intentions to leave workplace and associated factors among laboratory professionals working at public hospitals of the Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. RESULTS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 16 to March 14, 2016, among 336 randomly selected laboratory professionals. The study revealed that 65.5% (95% CI 60-70) of professionals had intentions to leave their hospitals. Dissatisfaction with the provision of educational opportunities (AOR: 3.59, 95% CI 1.61-7.99), poor pays and benefits (AOR: 3.89, 95% CI 1.53-9.89), lack of recognition (AOR: 2.69, 95% CI 1.35-5.38), poor working environments (AOR: 2.77, 95% CI 1.45-3.30), high workload (AOR: 1.94, 95% CI 1.04-3.63), low affective commitment (AOR: 2.05, 95% CI 1.10-3.82), and being unmarried (AOR: 2.46, 95% CI 1.32-4.58) were factors significantly associated with intentions to leave. Magnitude of laboratory professionals' intention to leave was so high. Healthcare policymakers and hospital managers need to develop and institutionalize evidence-based retention strategies to reduce the intention of laboratory professionals to leave their workplace.

Predictors of Stunting among School-Age Children in Northwestern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Stunting is a major public health problem in most developing countries, and it increases the risk of illness and death throughout childhood. It is also a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Most of the few studies done in Ethiopia were done in schools. However, the prevalence of stunting of school-age children at the community level is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalence and predictors of stunting among school-age children in Mecha District, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 28, 2017, to October 10, 2017. Target population for the study was school-age children (children of age 5-15). A total of 802 children were included in the study. The multistage sampling procedure was applied. Data were collected through face-to-face interview using the structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurement was performed and analyzed using ENA SMART software. Association was assessed using logistic regression (backward LR). Statistical significance was measured using adjusted odds ratio at 95% CI and P value less than 0.05. RESULTS: About 37.9%, with 95% CI (34.6, 41.3), of children were stunted. The predictors of stunting were child age with AOR (95% CI) 1.4 (1.02, 1.91), family size with AOR (95% CI) 1.83 (1.21, 2.75), mother's education with AOR (95% CI) 1.81 (1.01, 3.24), father's occupation with AOR (95% CI) 5.23 (1.55, 17.64), and child's immunization status with AOR (95% CI) 5.6 (2.90, 10.82). CONCLUSION: Stunting is still an important problem among children in the age of 5-15 years. Therefore, special attention should be given to child's full immunization, limiting of family size, continued promotion of female education, and appropriate feeding practice of children depending on their age.