Magnitude of meconium stained amniotic fluid and associated factors among women who gave birth in North Shoa Zone hospitals, Amhara Region, Ethiopia 2022.

BACKGROUND: The presence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid is one of the causes for birth asphyxia. Each year, over five million neonatal deaths occur worldwide because of meconium-stained amniotic fluid and other causes, of which 90% are due to birth asphyxia. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of meconium-stained amniotic fluid and associated factors among women who gave birth in North Shoa Zone Hospitals, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2022. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was employed. We used 610 women who gave birth at North Shoa Zone Hospitals, Amhara region, Ethiopia. The study was conducted from June 8 to August 8, 2022. Recruitment for the study was made using a multistage sampling procedure. Fifty percent of the study hospitals were randomly selected, and proportional allocation was done. Participants were selected from the sampling frame, labour and delivery register book, using a systematic random sampling approach. The first person was selected at random, while the remaining individuals were selected at every two "K" intervals across all hospitals. An interview-administered structured questionnaire and chart review checklist were used to gather the data that were entered into Epi-Data Version 4.6 and exported to SPSS. Logistics regression was employed, and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: The magnitude of meconium-stained amniotic fluid was 30.3%. Women with a normal hematocrit level were 83% less likely to develop meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Women whose mid-upper arm circumference value was less than 22.9cm (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.18-3.20), obstructed labour (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.48-8.83), prolonged labour ≥ 15 hr (AOR = 7.5; 95% CI: 7.68-13.3), premature rapture of membrane (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 3.22-7.40), foetal tachycardia (AOR = 6.2; 95% CI: 2.41-16.3), and Bradycardia (AOR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.93-5.28) showed a significant association with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that the magnitude of meconium-stained amniotic fluid in North Shoa Zone is nearly one-third. A normal hematocrit level is a preventive factor for meconium-stained amniotic fluid, and a MUAC value <22.9 cm, obstructed and prolonged labour, PROM, bradycardia, and tachycardia are factors associated with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

Perceived stress and its associated factors among people living in post-war Districts of Northern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: War and conflict environments result in long-term physical and psychological consequences. Sexual violence, displacement, malnutrition, death, illness, injury, torture, and disability are some of the physical effects, whereas stress, depression, aggressive behaviors, and anxiety are some of the emotional complications of war. Hence, evidence-based interventions are required particularly to monitor mental health disorders. Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of perceived stress and its associated factors among people living in post-war situations, Northern Ethiopia. METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 812 samples from April 1 to May 15, 2022. The study participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. The data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured and pre-tested tool. Data were cleaned and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and transferred to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify determinants of perceived stress. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit was applied to test for model fitness and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: The prevalence of perceived stress was 76.1%, 95% CI (72.9-78.8). Age above 45 years (AOR (CI) = 2.45 (1.07-5.62), poor educational level (AOR (CI) = 5.92 (2.36-14.8), large family size (AOR (CI) = 0.48 (0.31-0.74), alcohol consumption (AOR (CI) = 0.63 (0.42-0.94), smoking (AOR (CI) = 0.17 (0.06-0.56), and exposure to multiple traumatic events (AOR (CI) = 2.38 (1.23-4.62) have shown a statistically significant association with perceived stress. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that more than three-fourths of participants living in post-war settings were found to have perceived stress. Older age, poor level of education, large family size, alcohol consumption, smoking, and the number of traumatic events were significant associates of perceived stress. Psychotherapy that can effectively address the medical, social, and psychological well-being of the community is important to reduce the burden of perceived stress.

Determinants of Dental Health Problems Among Adult Patients at Dental Clinic, Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia: Unmatched Case-Control Study.

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to assess the determinants of dental health problems among adult patients at the dental clinic of Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted to recruit a total of 267 adults (cases = 134, and controls = 133) who received oral health screening service in Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, 2018. Data were collected by physical examination and pretested semi-structured questionnaire from March 1 to 31, 2018. Collected data were entered in EpiData 3.1 and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were done via the forward stepwise method. Variables were declared statistically significant when p-value <0.05. RESULTS: Of the total study participants, 75 (55%) of cases and 62 (46.6%) of controls were males. The mean age (± SD) of cases was 36.2 (± 14.2) years and that of controls was 31.4 (± 10.3) years. The classification table revealed that the sensitivity of cases was 70.7%, and the specificity of controls was 74.8%. This study showed that 28 (20.89%) of cases and 6 (4.5%) of controls had confirmed gastritis (P < 0.05). Regarding dental health information, 78 (58.2%) of cases and 123 (92.5%) of controls perceived that they had received dental health information from different sources. Access to dental health information and tooth brushing practice reduced dental health problems (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.64; and AOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.45), respectively, whereas study participants who had gastritis were at increased risk of developing dental health problems (AOR = 3.12; 95% CI: 1.14, 8.57). INTERPRETATION: Study participants who had adequate information on dental health had a reduced risk of developing dental health problems by 72% and participants who practiced tooth brushing were at reduced risk of developing dental health problems by 76%. However, individuals who had gastritis were 3 times more likely to develop dental health problems compared with their counterparts. CONCLUSION: In summary, health information, tooth brushing practice, and gastritis infection were the determinants of dental health problems. Thus, health information dissemination on dental health particularly on how to prevent and control dental health problems is very critical. Moreover, strategies to combat gastritis integrated with life course principles should be strengthened to improve dental health.

Assessment of Practice and Factors associated with Sunlight Exposure of Infants among Mothers in Debre Berhan Town, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is a common worldwide problem with its prevalence magnified in infants. Prevalence in infants is believed to range from 2.7% to 45% in different countries of the world. Appropriate sunlight exposure of skin is thought to be vital for the prevention of vitamin D deficiency. However, due to a dearth of study the practice of sunlight exposure is incompletely understood. Thus, assessing practice and factors affecting sunlight exposure of infants by mothers was relevant. OBJECTIVE: To assess practice level and factors associated with sunlight exposure of infants by mothers in Debre Berhan town, North Showa, Ethiopia, 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to collect relevant data among 530 mothers with infants at selected kebeles in Debre Berhan town. A simple random sampling technique was used to select kebeles and systematic sampling was complemented to identify study participant. Data were collected with interview using a pre-tested structured and semi-structured questionnaire. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were run to examine the association among dependent and independent variable. Significant association was declared at P value ≤0.05. RESULTS: All the mothers were interviewed and 65.7% of them had good practice in sunning of their infant. In multi-variable analysis, mothers who are housewives or government employees, have a maternal age of 33 and above, perceive that sunlight strengthen infant bones, perceive that sunlight makes their infants healthier, and who got information from health-care professionals were significantly associated with good practice in sunning of their infant. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Finding of this study indicated that 34.3% of participants have poor practice in sunning of infants. This is a pointer that sunlight exposure of infants still needs attention from the government and other concerned bodies.

Attitude, preparedness, and perceived self-efficacy in controlling COVID-19 pandemics and associated factors among university students during school reopening.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant public health problem globally. In Ethiopia, the number of infected peoples and deaths due to COVID-19 has increased dramatically in the past. Currently, students are resuming to face to face education with strict prevention measures. University students are more dynamic and more susceptible to acquiring and spreading the virus. OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitude, preparedness, and self-efficacy to prevent and control COVID-19 and associated factors among university students during school reopening, Northeast Ethiopia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Debre Berhan University (DBU) students from December 1 to 15/2020, when students return to campus. A multistage sampling technique was applied to recruit 682 participants. The ReadyScore criteria were used to classify the level of preparedness. Epi-Data version 4.6 was used for data entry, while SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive and Binary logistic regression analysis was computed, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: The overall level of favourable attitude, good preparedness, and high self-efficacy among students were 67.2%, 17.9%, and 50.4%, respectively. Only mothers' education was associated with attitude. Female gender, open relationships, health science faculty, heart disease, and favourable attitude were significant preparedness factors. Whereas being undergraduate, parents' education, residing in dorm being four and above, having kidney disease, having friend/family history of COVID-19 infection and death, favourable attitude, and good preparedness were predictors of self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: The level of attitude, preparedness, and self-efficacy towards COVID-19 among students during campus re-entry were low. Managing chronic illnesses and raising the attitude and preparedness of students is essential to reduce the burden of COVID-19 pandemics. Besides, emphasis should be placed on male, unmarried, postgraduate, and non-health science students to increase the level of preparedness and self-efficacy.

Maternofetal outcomes of obstructed labor among women who gave birth at general hospital in Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructed labor had different maternal outcomes such as uterine rupture, postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal sepsis, Vesico-Vaginal fistula (VVF), recto-vaginal fistula can leads to death. Besides fetal outcomes including birth asphyxia, still birth, neonatal jaundice and umbilical sepsis can occur. Identifying maternal and fetal outcomes of obstructed labor among women who gave birth at Suhul general Hospital, Shirie town, Tigray, Ethiopia has been done using a retrospective review of delivery charts and registration book. RESULTS: Majority of mothers 69 (75.8%) came from rural areas and 74.7% were married. Cephalo pelvic disproportion occurs in 59 (64.8%) and mal-presentation in 28 (30.8%) of obstructed labor. Fetal congenital anomaly (hydrocephalus) occurs in 3 (3.3%) of cases and pelvic mass constituted 1 (1.1%) of cause of obstructed labor. Above half of mothers delivered with obstructed labor had sepsis 23 (25.3%), post-partum hemorrhage 10 (11%), Vesico Vaginal Fistula 5 (5.5%) and anemia 15 (16.5%). From the well-known causes of obstructed labor; mal-presentation, Cephalo pelvic disproportion, fetal congenital anomaly, and pelvic mass were found to the common outcomes of obstructed labor in our study area. Besides Still birth, birth asphyxia, and birth injury were the others.