Factors associated with problematic internet use among University of Gondar undergraduate students, Northwest Ethiopia: Structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: For young adults and adolescents, excessive internet use has become a serious public health concern due to its negative impact on their health. It has been associated with detrimental effects on both physical and mental health. Negative academic outcomes were observed in the students, including missing classes, lower grades, and academic dismissal. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to identify factors associated with PIU among undergraduate students at the University of Gondar. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar among 1514 undergraduate students from June 1-20, 2022. The study participants were selected using a stratified simple random selection procedure. Using structural equation modeling, the degree of relationship was ascertained. A p-value of less than 0.05 and an adjusted regression coefficient with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to interpret the data. RESULTS: In our study, being from non-health departments [ß = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.037, 0.181], current alcohol use [ß = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.061, 0.187], depressive symptoms [ß = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.175, 0.291], insomnia symptoms [ß = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.060, 0.196], and ADHD symptoms [ß = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.049, 0.166] had a significant positive effect on PIU, while having a history of head injury had a significant negative effect [ß = -0.12, 95% CI: -0.226, -0.021] on PIU. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Factors such as current alcohol use, non-health department type, depressive symptoms, insomnia, and ADHD symptoms were positively associated with PIU. However, a history of head injuries was negatively associated with PIU. Therefore, strategies aimed at the early identification of PIU may lead to an improvement in the psychosocial health of university students.

Spatial variation of zero fruits/vegetables consumption and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in Ethiopia: geographical weighted regression analysis.

Background: After 6 months, nutrient-dense, varied diets containing fruits and vegetables are crucial to supplement breastfeeding. Like many other low-income countries, Ethiopia has very low FV consumption. Zero vegetable or fruit (ZVF) consumption has been shown to significantly raise the risk of non-communicable diseases and has been ranked among the top 10 risk factors for mortality. And it is associated with poor health, an increased risk of obesity, and a higher risk of non-communicable diseases. Thus, this study's goal was to investigate the spatial distribution of ZVF consumption and its spatial determinants among children aged 6-23 months in Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 1,489 weighted samples were included from kids' datasets from the 2019 Ethiopian mini-demographic and health survey. STATA version 16, ArcGIS version 10.8, Kuldorff's SaTScan version 9.6, and MGWR version 2.0 software were used for analysis. Spatial regression analyses (geographical weighted regression and ordinary least squares analysis) were conducted. Models were compared using AICc and adjusted R2. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistically significant spatial predictors, and the corresponding local coefficients were mapped. Results: The spatial distribution of ZVF consumption among children aged 6-23 months was non-random in Ethiopia. Spatial scan analysis revealed a total of 120 significant clusters. Maternal education, wealth status, age of the child, place of delivery, number of under-five children in the house, and current pregnancy status were significant predictors of the spatial variation of ZVF consumption. Conclusion: Significant geographic variation in ZVF consumption was found in this study throughout Ethiopia's regions. Significant predictors of the spatial variation in ZVF consumption were maternal education, wealth status, child age, place of delivery, number of under-five children in the home, and status as a pregnant woman at the time of birth. Therefore, in order to improve children's adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables, area-based interventions that can consider these significant factors into account are needed.

Dietary diversity practice and its associated factors among pregnant women in Eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study.

Micronutrient insufficiencies during pregnancy have a marked impact on the health of the woman and her offspring. Evidence about the dietary practice of pregnant women is limited in Ethiopia, particularly in drought-prone areas where food insecurity is widely seen. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the dietary diversity practice and associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, Eastern Ethiopia. We employed a community-based cross-sectional survey in Chiro district, Eastern Ethiopia. The data were collected from 417 randomly selected pregnant women using an interview-administered structured questionnaire. EpiData-3.1 and STATA-14 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. The binary logistic regression analysis was deployed to assess the association between dietary diversity practice and predictor variables. Out of 420 calculated sample size, 417 pregnant women completed the survey giving a response rate of 99.3%. The overall prevalence of optimal dietary diversity was 38.4% (95% CI: 33.7%, 43.2%). Educational status (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.08, 6.81), meal frequency (AOR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.11, 3.28), home gardening (AOR: 4.21, 95% CI: 2.48, 7.16), and household food security (AOR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.40) were independent predictors of dietary diversity practice.This study found that a substantial proportion of pregnant women had suboptimal dietary diversity, indicating a fundamental micronutrient inadequacy. Educational status, meal frequency, home gardening practice, and household food security were independent determinants of dietary diversity practice. The findings suggest that promoting maternal education and home gardening practice, and controlling food insecurity might enhance optimal dietary diversity.

Anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Anxiety and depression are among the common comorbidities of people diagnosed with cancer. However, despite the progress in therapeutic options and outcomes, mental health care and support have lagged behind for cancer patients. Estimating the extent and determinants of mental health disorders among cancer patients is crucial to alert concerned bodies for action. In view of this, we aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and determinants of anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia. Methods: Relevant literatures were searched on PubMed, African Journals Online, Hinari, Epistemonikos, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Gray literature sources. Data were extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using STATA 17 statistical software. The random effect model was used to summarize the pooled effect sizes with their respective 95% confidence intervals. The I2 statistics and Egger's regression test in conjunction with the funnel plot were utilized to evaluate heterogeneity and publication bias among included studies respectively. Results: A total of 17 studies with 5,592 participants were considered in this review. The pooled prevalence of anxiety and depression among cancer patients in Ethiopia were 45.10% (95% CI: 36.74, 53.45) and 42.96% (95% CI: 34.98, 50.93), respectively. Primary and above education (OR= 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.97), poor social support (OR= 2.27, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.98), occupational status (OR= 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.82), advanced cancer stage (OR= 2.19, 95% CI: 1.38, 3.47), comorbid illness (OR= 1.67; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.58) and poor sleep quality (OR= 11.34, 95% CI: 6.47, 19.89) were significantly associated with depression. Whereas, advanced cancer stage (OR= 1.59, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.20) and poor sleep quality (OR= 12.56, 95% CI: 6.4 1, 24.62) were the factors associated with anxiety. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicated that a substantial proportion of cancer patients suffer from anxiety and depression in Ethiopia. Educational status, occupational status, social support, cancer stage, comorbid illness and sleep quality were significantly associated with depression. Whereas, anxiety was predicted by cancer stage and sleep quality. Thus, the provision of comprehensive mental health support as a constituent of chronic cancer care is crucial to mitigate the impact and occurrence of anxiety and depression among cancer patients. Besides, families and the community should strengthen social support for cancer patients. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023468621.

Magnitude, relationship and determinants of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression among University of Gondar undergraduate students, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: Non-recursive structural equation modeling.

BACKGROUND: Up to 80% of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a concomitant psychiatric disorder. ADHD and depression, combined with the demands of University life, can pose serious challenges for students. However, there are limited studies conducted on this topic in our country. Therefore, the current study assessed the magnitude, relationship, and determinants of ADHD and depressive symptoms among students at the University of Gondar. METHOD: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed among 1514 undergraduate students at the University of Gondar from June 1-20, 2022. A stratified, simple random sampling technique was applied. Structural equation modeling was employed. The degree of relationship was interpreted based on the adjusted regression coefficient with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value (<0.05). RESULT: In our study, 37.6% [CI: 35.2-40.1%] and 20.01% [CI: 18.1-22.1%] of the participants had depressive and ADHD symptoms, respectively. Chronic illness [ß = 0.19, CI; 0.09, 0.30], alcohol use [ß = 0.10, CI; 0.03, 0.17], social support [ß = -0.23, CI; -0.29, -0.17], problematic internet use (PIU) [ß = 0.23, CI; 0.18, 0.27], and insomnia [ß = 0.24, CI; 0.17, 0.30] had a direct relationship with depressive symptoms. Mother education level [ß = -0.09, CI; -0.13, -0.06], birth order [ß = -0.09, CI; -0.11, -0.07], chat chewing [ß = 0.18, CI; 0.06, 0.30], and depressive symptoms [ß = 0.73, CI; 0.62, 0.86] had a direct relationship with ADHD. Chronic illness [ß = 0.14, CI; 0.06, 0.22], PIU [ß = 0.16, CI; 0.13, 0.21], social support [ß = -0.16, CI; -0.22, -0.12], and insomnia [ß = 0.17, CI; 0.13, 0.23] had an indirect effect on ADHD. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of ADHD and depressive symptoms was high. Chronic disease, alcohol use, social support, PIU, and insomnia had a direct effect on depressive symptoms and an indirect effect on ADHD. Mother education, birth order, chat chewing, and depressive symptoms had a direct effect on ADHD. Our study provided useful clues for clinical treatment and school-based interventions that aim to improve college students' mental well-being. It is better to design school-based intervention and prevention programs to achieve timely diagnosis and treatment of these disorders among university students.