Penile size in term newborns in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

AIM: To determine the normative value of stretched penile length (SPL) for Ethiopian newborns and to set a cut-off point for micropenis. METHODS: A total of 221 term newborns were included in the study. Stretched penile length was measured in the first 72 h of postnatal age in neonates with a gestational age of 37-42 completed weeks. SPL < -2 SD was taken as micropenis in this study. RESULTS: The minimum and maximum penile length were 2.5 cm and 5 cm, respectively, with a mean ± SD of 3.28 ± 0.42. SPL at -2 SD and +2 SD were 2.43 and 4.12 cm respectively. A significant correlation was observed between penile length and body length (p = 0.005). Neonates born via instrumental delivery had larger SPL compared to those who were delivered by caesarean section (p = 0.01) or by vaginal delivery (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: The mean stretched penile length in our study mirrors findings from other African studies. SPL < 2.43 cm can be considered as micropenis in our setting. Therefore, routine genital examination and interpretation at birth is crucial to identify micropenis which might herald a serious underlying condition that needs further investigation.

High prevalence of overweight, obesity, and hypertension with increased risk to cardiovascular disorders among adults in northwest Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are components of a defined cluster of risk factors for non-communicable diseases, once problems for only the high-income countries, in recent days became rampant in developing countries. Despite the lack of extensive data on metabolic and cardio vascular disorders in Ethiopia, the prevalence of obesity among young adults (15-24 years), in a cross sectional study conducted in 1997, was 0.7% for men and 6% for women. The prevalence of hypertension (HTN) was found to be 7.1% of the population. The objective of this study was to see the prevalence and association of overweight, obesity and HTN and to check if there was any agreement among the various anthropometric measurements in detecting overweight and obesity. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia. A total of 68 participants with age >18 year were randomly selected and included. Data were collected using questionnaires and through physical measurements of weight, height and blood pressure, using the WHO recommendations. RESULT: The prevalence of hypertension was 13.3% (9/68). The prevalence of overweight based on calculated body mass index (BMI) was 32.4% (22/68) while the prevalence of obesity was 16.2% (11/68). Body fat percentage (BFP) effectively classified all of the 'overweight' and 'obese' values according to the BMI as 'overweight/obese' (P = 0.016). Risk level classification with waist circumference enabled to correctly classify most (90.9%) and all of the 'overweight' and 'obese' BMI values as 'increased risk/substantially increased risk' (P < 0.001). Similarly, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was able to classify all 'overweight' and 'obese' BMI values as 'increased risk/substantially increased risk' (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the current study was able to detect a high prevalence of overweight, obesity, and HTN among adult population in Gondar town. There is a prevalent high level of general adiposity and central obesity. WHtR and BFP were the most efficient measurements to identify all 'high risk' groups of individuals as 'high risk' irrespective of their gender. Further study is recommended to elucidate the risk factors and complications of obesity and overweight in the study area and beyond.

Women's willingness for cervical cancer screening and associated factors among women attending health services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality globally. In developed countries, effective screening programs reduced its burden. However, in Ethiopia, cervical cancer remains a major public health problem despite the screening service being available free of charge. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess women's willingness for cervical cancer screening services and associated factors among women attending health services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Design: An institutional-based, analytic, cross-sectional study was conducted among sexually active women attending health facilities from August to September 2022. Methods: A pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Logistic regression was used to determine different variables' frequencies and associated factors. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: Four hundred twenty-two women were approached, and 394 (93.4%) met the study inclusion criteria. Study participants had a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 sexual partners in their lives. A total of 256 (64.9%) study participants had heard about cervical cancer. Among those who heard about cervical cancer, only 22 (8.6%) had been tested for cervical cancer. Of those who did not receive cervical cancer screening, only 175 (47.0%) are willing to receive cervical cancer screening. Age, religion, marital status, place of residence, educational level, occupation, and hearing about cervical cancer were found to be statistically significant. Women who heard about cervical cancer were 15.2 times more likely to take the test compared to those who never heard about cervical cancer before the study. Conclusion: Women's willingness to be screened for cervical cancer is low despite many of the study participants having more than one partner in their lives and being at risk for cervical cancer. Only a few participants had been screened for cervical cancer. Women who had heard about cervical cancer were more likely to take the screening service compared to those who had never heard it before. This highlights the need to prioritize raising awareness about the benefits of cervical cancer screening services.

Long-term monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and variants in Ethiopia provides prediction for immunity and cross-immunity.

Under-reporting of COVID-19 and the limited information about circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants remain major challenges for many African countries. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in Addis Ababa and Jimma, Ethiopia, focusing on reinfection, immunity, and vaccination effects. We conducted an antibody serology study spanning August 2020 to July 2022 with five rounds of data collection across a population of 4723, sequenced PCR-test positive samples, used available test positivity rates, and constructed two mathematical models integrating this data. A multivariant model explores variant dynamics identifying wildtype, alpha, delta, and omicron BA.4/5 as key variants in the study population, and cross-immunity between variants, revealing risk reductions between 24% and 69%. An antibody-level model predicts slow decay leading to sustained high antibody levels. Retrospectively, increased early vaccination might have substantially reduced infections during the delta and omicron waves in the considered group of individuals, though further vaccination now seems less impactful.

Nutritional status, intestinal parasite infection and allergy among school children in northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Parasitic infections have been shown to have deleterious effects on host nutritional status. In addition, although helmintic infection can modulate the host inflammatory response directed against the parasite, a causal association between helminths and allergy remains uncertain. The present study was therefore designed to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status, parasite infection and prevalence of allergy among school children. METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed involving school children in two elementary schools in Gondar, Ethiopia. Nutritional status of these children was determined using anthropometric parameters (weight-for-age, height-for-age and BMI-for-age). Epi-Info software was used to calculate z-scores. Stool samples were examined using standard parasitological procedures. The serum IgE levels were quantified by total IgE ELISA kit following the manufacturer's instruction. RESULT: A total of 405 children (with mean age of 12.09.1 ± 2.54 years) completed a self-administered allergy questionnaire and provided stool samples for analysis. Overall prevalence of underweight, stunting and thinness/wasting was 15.1%, 25.2%, 8.9%, respectively. Of the total, 22.7% were found to be positive for intestinal parasites. The most prevalent intestinal parasite detected was Ascaris lumbricoides (31/405, 7.6%). There was no statistically significant association between prevalence of malnutrition and the prevalence of parasitic infections. Median total serum IgE level was 344 IU/ml (IQR 117-2076, n=80) and 610 IU/ml (143-1833, n=20), respectively, in children without and with intestinal parasite infection (Z=-0.198, P>0.8). The prevalence of self reported allergy among the subset was 8%. IgE concentration was not associated either with the presence of parasitic infection or history of allergy. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malnutrition, intestinal parasitism and allergy was not negligible in this population. In addition, there was no significant association between the prevalence of allergy and their nutritional status, and parasite infection. Further research prospective observational and intervention studies are required to address the question of causality between nutritional factors, parasites, and allergy.

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profile of patients presenting with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) in Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Data regarding patients presenting with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) illness have not adequately been documented which provides distinct insights into low-resource settings like Ethiopia. Thus, the study aimed to compare epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profiles of patients presenting with acute respiratory syndrome illness in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. METHODS: We used a comparative cross-sectional study design among patients with SARS-CoV-2 illness at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from October 2020 to September 2021. Using a structured questionnaire a consecutive sampling technique was applied to collect socio-demographic data. Additionally, nasal swabs were collected to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection using a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Blood samples were also collected from the participants for laboratory profiles (hematological tests like; white blood cell count, hematocrit, and platelet count; and biochemical and enzymatic tests like; aspartate transaminase (AST), creatinine, etc) analysis. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and p-values ≤0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the total 413 participants presenting with SARS-CoV-2 illness, 250 (60.5%) participants tested positive for COVID-19 disease. COVID-19 patients were less likely to use an alcohol-based method of hand washing (12.5% vs 87.5%; p = 0.048). The COVID-19 patients had a higher proportion of headache (67.3% vs 32.7%, p = 0.001), sore throat (72.5% vs 27.5%, p = 0.001), and loss of sense of taste (74.4% vs 25.6%, p = 0.002). Patients with COVID-19 have significantly higher neutrophil than their counterparts (68.2% vs 31.8%; p = 0.001). Similarly, creatinine (64.9% vs 35.1%, p = 0.001) from renal function and alkaline phosphatase (66.8% vs 33.2%, p = 0.046) in the liver function tests were significantly higher in the COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the need to substantially consider headache, sore throat, and loss of taste as potential clinical diagnostic symptoms for early screening and testing. Elevation of neutrophil, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase profiles are also used for potential diagnostic biomarkers in screening and testing suspected patients.

Baseline and early changes in laboratory parameters predict disease severity and fatal outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become the worst catastrophe of the twenty-first century and has led to the death of more than 6.9 million individuals across the globe. Despite the growing knowledge of the clinicopathological features of COVID-19, the correlation between baseline and early changes in the laboratory parameters and the clinical outcomes of patients is not entirely understood. Methods: Here, we conducted a time series cross-sectional study aimed at assessing different measured parameters and socio-demographic factors that are associated with disease severity and the outcome of the disease in 268 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 Patients. Results: We found COVID-19 patients who died had a median age of 61 years (IQR, 50 y - 70 y), which is significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to those who survived and had a median age of 54 years (IQR, 42y - 65y). The median RBC count of COVID-19 survivors was 4.9 × 106/µL (IQR 4.3 × 106/µL - 5.2 × 106/µL) which is higher (p < 0.05) compared to those who died 4.4 × 106/µL (3.82 × 106/µL - 5.02 × 106/µL). Similarly, COVID-19 survivors had significantly (p < 0.05) higher lymphocyte and monocyte percentages compared to those who died. One important result we found was that COVID-19 patients who presented with severe/critical cases at the time of first admission but managed to survive had a lower percentage of neutrophil, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, higher lymphocyte and monocyte percentages, and RBC count compared to those who died. Conclusion: To conclude here, we showed that simple laboratory parameters can be used to predict severity and outcome in COVID-19 patients. As these parameters are simple, inexpensive, and radially available in most resource-limited countries, they can be extrapolated to future viral epidemics or pandemics to allocate resources to particular patients.

Micronutrient levels and nutritional status of school children living in Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Several micronutrients are essential for adequate growth of children. However, little information is available on multiple micronutrient status of school children in Ethiopia. The present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between multiple micronutrient levels and nutritional status among school children. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric data, blood and stool samples were collected from 100 children at Meseret Elementary School in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Serum concentration of magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and molybdenum were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Anthropometric indices of weight-for-age, height-for-age and BMI-for-age were used to estimate the children's nutritional status. Stool samples were examined by standard microscopic methods for intestinal parasites. RESULTS: The prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting and intestinal parasitoses among school children was 23%, 21%, 11% and 18%, respectively. The mean serum levels of magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and molybdenum were 2.42±0.32 (mg/dl), 15.31±2.14 (mg/dl), 328.19±148.91 (µg/dl), 191.30±50.17 (µg/dl), 86.40±42.40 (µg/dl), 6.32±2.59 (µg/dl), and 0.23±0.15 (µg/dl), respectively. Selenium deficiency, zinc deficiency and magnesium deficiency occurred in 62%, 47%, and 2% of the school children, respectively. Height-for-age showed significant positive correlation with the levels of copper and molybdenum (p = 0.01) and with the levels of magnesium (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Deficiencies of selenium and zinc were high among the school children although the deficiencies were not significantly related with their nutritional status. The prevalence of both malnutrition and intestinal parasitism was not negligible. These calls for the need to undertake multicentre studies in various parts of the country to substantiate the data obtained in the present study so that appropriate and beneficial strategies for micronutrient supplementation and interventions on nutritional deficiencies can be planned.

Nutritional status and dietary intake of urban residents in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: There is paucity of data on the dietary intake and nutritional status of urban Ethiopians which necessitates comprehensive nutritional assessments. Therefore, the present study was aimed at evaluating the dietary intake and nutritional status of urban residents in Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: This cross-sectional community based nutrition survey was conducted by involving 356 participants (71.3% female and 28.7% male with mean age of 37.3 years). Subjects were selected by random sampling. Socio demographic data was collected by questionnaire. Height, weight, hip circumference and waist circumference were measured following standard procedures. Dietary intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire and 24-h dietary recall. The recommended dietary allowance was taken as the cut-off point for the assessment of the adequacy of individual nutrient intake. RESULTS: Undernourished, overweight and obese subjects composed 12.9%, 21.3% and 5.9% of the participants, respectively. Men were taller, heavier and had higher waist to hip ratio compared to women (P < 0.05). Fish, fruits and vegetables were consumed less frequently or never at all by a large proportion of the subjects. Oil and butter were eaten daily by most of the participants. Mean energy intakes fell below the estimated energy requirements in women (1929 vs 2031 kcal/day, P = 0.05) while it was significantly higher in men participants (3001 vs 2510 kcal/day, P = 0.007). Protein intake was inadequate (<0.8 g/kg/day) in 11.2% of the participants whereas only 2.8% reported carbohydrate intake below the recommended dietary allowances (130 g/day). Inadequate intakes of calcium, retinol, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid were seen in 90.4%, 100%, 73%, 92.4%, 86.2% and 95.5% of the participants. CONCLUSIONS: The overall risk of nutritional inadequacy among the study participants was high along with their poor dietary intake. Hence, more stress should be made on planning and implementing nutritional programmes in urban settings aimed at preventing or correcting micronutrient and some macronutrient deficiencies which may be useful in preventing nutrition related diseases in life.

Thyroid abnormalities in children with Down syndrome at St. Paul's hospital millennium medical college, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is the commonest thyroid abnormality in patients with Down syndrome (DS). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of thyroid abnormalities, to assess the age at diagnosis, and to examine the screening practice in children with DS in a resource limited setting. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study was conducted in children with DS seen at endocrine follow-up clinic. Data were collected from patients' registration book and medical records. RESULT: A total of 115 patients with DS were included in the study out of which 64 (59.8%) were males. Their median age at diagnosis was 9 months (range 4-15 years). Thyroid function test (TFT) was done at least once for 107 (93%) patients. Abnormal thyroid function was observed in 51 (47.7%) patients. The commonest thyroid abnormality was SCH (30/107, 28%) followed by congenital hypothyroidism (11/107, 10.3%), overt hypothyroidism (9/107, 8.4%) and hyperthyroidism (1/107, 0.9%). Most of the patients (86/107, 80.4%) were tested initially in the first 2 years of life. From those who were tested between the age of 2-6 months (n = 22 patients), seven (31.8%) patients had thyroid abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Thyroid abnormalities were seen in a remarkable proportion of DS patients. The detection of abnormalities in the patients with age range of 2-6 months demands the need for additional TFT in this age category apart from the standard recommendation. Early diagnosis and management of thyroid abnormalities are important to decrease further impairment of cognition function in children with DS.

Glycemic control among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and its determinants in a resource-limited setting.

OBJECTIVES: Glycemic control is an important parameter that can predict long-term complications of diabetes mellitus. It can be affected by many factors. Hence, identifying those factors for improving disease outcomes is essential. The purpose of this study was to assess glycemic control in children who were treated with a conventional insulin regimen and to identify its associated factors. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among children with type one diabetes mellitus (T1DM) who had follow-up from November 2015 to November 2020 at the pediatric endocrinology clinic of St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Glycemic control was assessed by measuring glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and children who had HbA1C within three to six months of the data collection were recruited. RESULTS: A total of 106 children with TIDM who were on conventional insulin therapy were included in this study. Their median age at diagnosis was nine years, 47.2% were females, and 57.5% were from urban areas. The average HbA1c of the children was 9.7%. The majority (85.2%) of the children had poor glycemic control (>7.5%). Younger age, longer disease duration, and urban residence were found to be significant predictors of good glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS: A significant majority of children with T1DM had poor glycemic control. This calls for the need to create access to intensive diabetes care by health authorities and stakeholders to prevent the long-term complications of T1DM.

Delayed Diagnosis of McCune-Albright Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is a rare heterogeneous genetic disorder that is characterized by a triad of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (FD), café au lait spots (CAL), and multiple hyperfunctional endocrinopathies. In general, it is diagnosed clinically. From the triads, two of the findings are enough to make the diagnosis, but genetic testing can be done if it is available. Case Presentation. We report a female child who was symptomatic since the neonatal period with skin hyperpigmentation, breast enlargement, and vaginal bleeding. She was diagnosed with MAS at the age of five years. She had pathological fractures at multiple sites and had raised thyroid hormones since the age of 3½ years. The child developed severe morbidity as the result of delayed diagnosis and currently became wheelchair dependent. CONCLUSION: Thorough patient evaluation and appropriate interpretation of findings are crucial steps for timely diagnosis of MAS and better patient care outcomes.

Evaluation of Hypoglycemia and Associated Factors among Patients with Type 1 Diabetes on Follow-Up Care at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Hypoglycemia is one of the most common acute complications of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The knowledge of the factors associated with hypoglycemia will help in the prevention and management of the problem. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess hypoglycemia and its associated factors among T1DM patients who attended the diabetes outpatient clinic of St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the diabetes clinic of SPHMMC. Data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics including duration of diabetes, type of insulin they have been taking, the factors associated with hypoglycemia, and the severity stage of hypoglycemia was obtained. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and chart review. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with hypoglycemia. RESULT: Out of the 247 participants who were recruited into the study, 233 (94.3%) of them experienced hypoglycemia. A total of 6.9 events of hypoglycemia per patient per year happened. Particularly, the events were categorized as 3.1 mild events, 2.3 moderate events, and 0.93 severe events of hypoglycemia. Shorter duration of diabetes history (<1 year) was significantly associated with less experience of hypoglycemia (AOR = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-0.90). However, blood glucose monitoring at home was found to be significantly associated with more report of hypoglycemia (AOR = 5.77, 95% CI: 1.16-28.66). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypoglycemia among T1DM patients was found as substantially high. Self/family blood glucose monitoring at home could not guarantee to minimize the occurrence of hypoglycemia events. Finger stick home blood glucose monitoring should be given a special attention. Therefore, the involvement of health care providers in diabetes care should be encouraged to address the occurrence of hypoglycemia in T1DM patients.

Effect of Insulin-Induced Lipodystrophy on Glycemic Control among Children and Adolescents with Diabetes in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Lipodystrophy is one of the clinical complications of insulin injection that affects insulin absorption and leads to poor glycemic control. OBJECTIVE: To assess insulin-induced lipodystrophy and glycemic control. METHODS: A cross sectional study was done on 176 diabetic children and adolescents who inject insulin for a minimum of one year. First, anthropometric and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded in questionnaire, and then observation and palpation techniques were used in assessing lipodystrophy. RESULT: Out of the total 176 participants, 103 (58.5%) had insulin-induced lipodystrophy, of them 100 (97.1%) had lipohypertrophy and 3 (2.9%) had lipoatrophy. Being younger, failure to rotate the injection site every week and multiple reuse of insulin syringe had significant influence in development of insulin-induced lipohypertrophy. Lipohypertrophy in turn was associated with the use of higher dose of insulin and nonoptimal glycemic control. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study revealed that in spite of using recombinant human insulin, the magnitude of the lipohypertrophy still remained high. Therefore, a routine workup of insulin-injecting patients for such complication is necessary, especially in the individuals who have a nonoptimal glycemic control.

Pediatric diabetic retinopathy: experience of a tertiary hospital in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the micro vascular complications of diabetes mellitus. To date there are no studies that show the magnitude of diabetic retinopathy in the pediatric population of Ethiopia with only very few in Africa. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in children and adolescents at a tertiary center in Ethiopia. METHODS: This cross-sectional hospital based descriptive study included children aged between 9 and 17 years attending the endocrine follow-up clinic of Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital. A structured questionnaire was used for evaluating sociodemographic data and information pertinent to diabetes. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was determined by fundus photography of each eye. RESULTS: A total of 86 patients were examined with a mean age of 13.7 (SD = 1.8) years. At onset of diabetes, 95.6% of children presented with diabetic ketoacidosis(DKA); 22 children (25.6%) had at least two episodes of DKA, and 45 children (52.3%) had poor glycemic control. Background retinopathy was present in four children (4.7%) with a mean age of 14.25 (SD = 1.89) years and two of them also had maculopathy. CONCLUSION: Although there are some methodological limitations, this study highlights the difficulties of achieving good glycemic control and the early occurrence of diabetic retinopathy in Ethiopian diabetic children.

Determination of trace elements in Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and Japanese women using high-resolution IC-PMS.

OBJECTIVES: Humans and other living organisms require small quantities of trace elements throughout life. Both insufficient and excessive intakes of trace elements can have negative consequences. However, there is little information on serum level of trace elements in different populations. This study examines serum levels of trace elements in Ethiopian, Japanese, and Vietnamese women. METHODS: Random samples of healthy women who were referred for routine hospital laboratory examinations in the cities of Hanoi, Sapporo, and Gondar were invited to participate in the study. Serum levels of magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and calcium were determined using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Furthermore, body mass index of each study participant was determined. RESULTS: The mean ± SD serum concentrations of zinc (µg/dL), copper (µg/dL), iron (µg/dL), selenium (µg/dL) and calcium (mg/dL), respectively, were 76.51 ± 39.16, 152.20 ± 55.37, 385.68 ± 217.95, 9.15 ± 4.21, and 14.18 ± 3.91 in Ethiopian women; 111.49 ± 52.92, 105.86 ± 26.02, 155.09 ± 94.83, 14.11 ± 3.41, and 11.66 ± 2.51 in Vietnamese women; and 60.69 ± 9.76, 107 ± 156, 268 ± 128, 8.33 ± 3.65, and 11.18 ± 0.68 in Japanese participants. Ethiopian women had significantly higher level of serum calcium than Vietnamese and Japanese women (both P < 0.05). Although the mean calcium concentration in Vietnamese women was higher than in women from Japan, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Furthermore, compared with Japanese women, Ethiopian women had significantly high iron and copper concentrations (P < 0.05). Serum selenium and zinc levels were higher in Vietnamese than Ethiopian women. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a remarkable difference in serum concentrations of trace elements in women from different countries, implying differences in trace elements in the food or soil.