Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among primary school children in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dental caries (decay or cavities) is the breakdown of teeth as a result of bacteria. Dental caries is one of the most preventable oral health problems and the most common chronic disease in primary school children. Poor dental and oral health affects the quality of children's lives. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to synthesize the existing literature on the prevalence and associated factors of dental caries among primary school children in Ethiopia in 2024. METHODOLOGY: Studies were searched through the search engines of Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library. Searching was made using keywords and MeSH terms for dental caries, dental plaque, primary school children, and Ethiopia. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran Q test and I2 statistics. A random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval was used for prevalence and odds ratio estimations. RESULT: The result of seven studies disclosed that the overall prevalence of dental caries in primary school children in Ethiopia was 35% (26-45%). high intake of sweets (OR = 2.71,95%CI:1.968-3.451), a poor habit of tooth cleaning (OR = 2.46; 95% CI: 2.761-5.045), Grade level 1-4(OR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.523-3.397), having a history of toothache(OR = 2.99; 95% CI: 2.679-3.314), absence of toothpaste use(OR = 1.42; 95% CI: -1.278-4.109), reduction of the previous year's academic score(OR = 5.51; 95% CI: 1.952-9.066), had a significant microbial load(OR = 3.82, CI: 3.439-4.192) and have acid bacillary pH on their teeth(OR = 2.42, CI: 1.494-3.335) were independent variables associated with dental carries among primary school children. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of dental caries among primary school children in Ethiopia is 35%, ranging from 26 to 45%. However, variations in prevalence rates are observed based on sampling techniques. Studies using simple random sampling report a higher prevalence rate of 42%, while those employing multi-stage random sampling and systematic random sampling show lower rates of 30% and 35%, respectively. This indicates that the choice of sampling technique can impact reported prevalence rates, with simple random sampling yielding higher estimates compared to other methods.

Palliative care service utilization and associated factors among cancer patients at oncology units of public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Palliative care helps patients and their families deal with the hardships that come with a life-threatening illness. However, patients were not fully utilizing the palliative care services provided by healthcare facilities for a number of reasons. In Ethiopia, there hasn't been any research done on the variables that influence the utilization of palliative care services. OBJECTIVE: To assess palliative care service utilization & associated factors affecting cancer patients at public hospitals oncology units in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was carried out. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was administered to 404 participants at Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital and Saint Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College from July 4 to August 2, 2022. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. The data was collected by ODK-Collect version 3.5 software and exported to excel and then to SPSS version 25 for recoding, cleaning, and analysis. Logistic regression model was employed. P-values <0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. RESULT: About 404 participants' responded questionnaire giving a 97.6% response rate. The extent of Palliative care service utilization was 35.4% [95% CI: 31.4, 40.3%]. College or university education were 2.3 times more likely and living in a distance of <23 km from PC service centers were 1.8 times more likely to use palliative care services. Factors hindering palliative care service utilization were inability to read & write, treatment side effects, long distance to a health institution, and low satisfaction with the health care service. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The extent of palliative care service utilization which was low. Factors to palliative care service utilization were clients' education level, treatment side effects, distance to a health institution, and patients' satisfaction. Interventions to enhance health education and counseling of cancer patients, early detection and management of treatment side effects and accessibility of palliative care services for cancer patients should be emphasized and implemented by all concerned stakeholders.

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.

Preference of cesarean delivery and its associated factors among pregnant women attending ante natal care at public health facilities of Debrebrehan City, Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: A Caesarean section is a surgical procedure used to prevent or treat life-threatening maternal or fetal complications. Women's delivery preferences have become a global issue of interest to many researchers and clinicians, especially given the ever-increasing rate of cesarean sections. There is limited data on the preference for cesarean delivery and its associated factors for Ethiopian women, particularly in the study area. The aim of the study is to assess the preference for cesarean delivery and its associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia, in 2023. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was done from May 5-20, 2023, among 512 participants, and a multi-stage sampling technique was used. The data were collected by using interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires. The data were entered by Epi Data version 4.6 and then transferred to SPSS version 25 for analysis. With logistic regression, those variables with a p-value <0.25 in the bivariate analysis were candidates for multivariate logistic regression, and variables with a p-value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULT: The preference for a cesarean section was 26%, with a CI of 22.3% to 29.9%. Pregnant mothers who were not satisfied with their previous intrapartum care (AOR; 6.3 CI = (3.5-11), P = 0.01), had no knowledge about cesarean delivery (AOR; 2.9; 95% CI = 1.6-5.3), P = 0.01), had a previous history of spontaneous abortion (AOR; 3.1; 95% CI = (1.5-6.3), P = 0.001), lived in an urban area (AOR; 1.9; 95% CI = (1.0-3.5), P = 0.038), and had a current pregnancy-related problem (AOR; 4.8; 95% CI = 1.9-10), P = 0.001) were significantly associated with the preference for cesarean delivery. CONCLUSION: In this study, the preference for cesarean delivery was high as compared to the World Health Organization recommendation. Pregnant mothers who were not satisfied with their previous intrapartum care, had no knowledge about cesarean delivery, had a previous history of spontaneous abortion, had an urban residence, and had a current pregnancy-related problem were significantly associated with a preference for caesarean delivery. Clinicians who are working in the delivery room should improve their service provision by using patient-centered care to increase patient satisfaction.

Assessment of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and its associated factors in Debre Berhan City, Ethiopia, 2022.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread over the world. The ability to achieve sufficient immunization coverage to end the global pandemic depends on the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, but it has faced a major challenge around the world. In low-income and developing countries, 22.7% of the population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, which means that a large percentage of the population are unvaccinated, even though they have access to the Covid-19 vaccine so many countries do not accept the vaccine. The aim of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and its associated factors in Debre Berhan City, Ethiopia, 2022. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach comprising both qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey was used among participants in Debre Berhan City. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants. An in-depth interview was used for the qualitative data. Data was collected by a face-to-face interview questionnaire from June 08 to July 08, 2022. The collected data was entered using Epi Data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Variables with a p-value less than 0.25 at Bivariable logistic regression analysis were entered into multivariable logistic regression analysis. Logistics regression was employed, and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: A total of 765 participants were included in the study, with a response rate of 97.08%. More than half (52.9%) of the respondents had the willingness to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants who had Contact with COVID-19 patient (AOR = 3.98; 95% CI: (1.30-12.14), having good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccine (AOR = 4.63; 95% CI: (1.84-11.63), and positive attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine (AOR = 3.41; 95% CI: (1.34-8.69) were statistically significantly associated variables with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The present study revealed that the acceptance COVID-19 vaccine was 52.9, and a significant proportion of participants were hesitant to receive the vaccine and refused to get vaccinated. Significantly associated Variables for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were Contact with COVID-19 patient, having good knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine, and having a positive attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine. Various stakeholders to apprise the public about the cause of the disease and the scientific development of vaccine in order to enhance acceptance of the vaccine.