Factors contributing to the high prevalence of intimate partner violence among south Sudanese refugee women in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence is a universally occurring form of violence against women which is perpetrated by a husband or other intimate partner. It is a common public health problem during humanitarian crisis. Despite this, little is known about the problem among South Sudanese refugee women in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence and identify its contributing factors among married refugee women in Pinyudo refugee camp, Gambella, Ethiopia in 2021. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2021. A random sample of 406 refugee women was included in the study. A structured, pretested, and interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were entered into epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 22 for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was run to identify factors associated with intimate partner violence. Statistical significance was affirmed using Adjusted Odds Ratio with its 95% Confidence Interval at a p-value ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 406 married refugee women participated in the study making a response rate of 96.2%. The overall prevalence of intimate partner violence in the past 12 months was 48.3% 95% CI= (43.6-53.2). Low-income contribution [AOR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.2-5.5], and attitudinal acceptance [AOR = 2.1, 95%CI: 1.2-3.8] were significantly associated with the problem. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of intimate partner violence is alarmingly high as half of participating women reported facing the problem in the year preceding the study. Low-income contribution and attitudinal acceptance were associated with a higher probability of experiencing violence. The government, humanitarian organizations, and other stakeholders should enable refugee women to generate income. There should be continuous women empowerment and behavioral interventions to improve refugee women's attitudes towards intimate partner violence.

Effect of community based nutritional education on knowledge, attitude and compliance to IFA supplementation among pregnant women in rural areas of southwest Ethiopia: a quasi experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Compliance with the iron folic acid supplementation is low and not at the required level to prevent anaemia during pregnancy in many countries, including Ethiopia, even though an iron-folic acid supplementation program is being implemented. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of community-based nutritional education on knowledge, attitude, and compliance to IFA supplementation in Ilu Aba Bor zone of southwest Ethiopia. METHOD: A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study design consisting of intervention and control group was conducted among pregnant women. The total sample size of 472, therefore, 236 pregnant women for each interventional and control group from 16 kebeles were randomly selected in two districts. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Then, individual study units were selected using a simple random sampling technique and followed until the end of the study period. Effect of community-based nutritional education on knowledge, attitude, and compliance to IFA supplementation among pregnant women in rural areas were measured. RESULTS: A total of 472 pregnant women participated in the study during the baseline and 437 (92.6%) were in the study until the end. The majority (49.2%) of respondents were 21-25 years of age, with a mean age of 23.4 (SD = 3.7) years. Community-based nutrition has resulted in a statistically significant increase in levels of maternal knowledge of IFAS by 15.2% in the intervention group compared to 5.1% in the control group. Similarly, the intervention group had odds of developing a positive attitude toward IFA 5.6 (4.01, 7.85) times higher than the control group. Moreover, in this study, the odds of compliance towards IFA supplementation were 3.9 (2.67, 5.57) times higher among those who received nutrition education than those women who did not. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that community-based nutritional education can result in a significant change in knowledge, attitude, and compliance towards IFA supplementation and supports the literature suggesting the importance of the intervention to overcome the problem of poor compliance and its associated consequences.

Theory-based nutrition education intervention through male involvement improves the dietary diversity practice and nutritional status of pregnant women in rural Illu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A quasi-experimental study.

Maternal undernutrition is a major public health problem that disproportionately affects women in low-income countries. Despite attempts to address maternal nutritional needs, Ethiopia still has a high rate of undernutrition. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of theory-based nutrition education through male engagement on dietary practice and the nutritional status of pregnant women. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted among 403 pregnant women selected from 22 kebeles of Illu Aba Bor zone, Southwest Ethiopia from July to December 2019. A pre-tested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. A qualitative 24-h dietary recall was used to assess dietary diversity, and the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference was used to assess nutritional status. The intervention effect was evaluated using difference-in-difference, generalized estimating equation, and linear mixed-effects models. The mean dietary diversity score differed significantly between the couple group, women-alone and the control group (p < 0.001). According to the multivariable generalized estimating equations model, couples were 3.9 times; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.91, 95% CI: (2.57, 6.88) and women alone were 2.8 times; AOR = 2.86, 95% CI: (2.17, 3.88) more likely to consume a diverse diet than the control group. The nutritional status of the women in the couple group improved significantly by the end of the intervention (p < 0.001). This study showed that involving males in nutrition education intervention was effective in improving the dietary diversity practice and nutritional status of pregnant women. The findings imply the need for targeting couples in designing nutrition education interventions.

COVID - 19 related knowledge and preventive practices early in the outbreak among health care workers in selected public health facilities of Illu aba Bor and Buno Bedelle zones, Southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Novel-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease is currently a worldwide health risk and public health emergency concern. The virus is transmitted from an infected person to another person through close contact and droplets. Frontline health care workers are the most at risk of infection, and so a WHO interim guidance document was issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) which underscores the importance of proper sanitation and waste management practices for COVID- 19 in health-care settings. This study aimed at assessing knowledge and preventive practices towards Covid-19 among health care providers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno Bedele zones, Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2020 among 330 health workers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno-Bedelle Zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of preventive practices towards Covid-19. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. RESULT: The majority of respondents (93.3%) demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, and the mean (SD) knowledge score was 9.04 ± 1.06. Nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of the study participants had good infection prevention practices. Being male (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI: (1.96, 6.80)), education level (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI (1.02, 3.22)), profession (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI (1.08, 9.33)), service year (5-10 years) (AOR = 2.00 (1.02, 3.92)) and more than 10 years (AOR = 3.14 (1.51, 6.52)), availability of personal protective equipment (AOR = 1.96 (1.06, 3.61)) and Knowledge level (AOR = 2.61 (1.48, 4.62)) were independent predictors of COVID-19 preventive practices. CONCLUSION: The overall level of knowledge of HCWs was good. However, the practice was relatively low. Gender, educational status, profession, year of service, knowledge towards COVID-19, and availability of personal protective equipment were independent predictors of good infection prevention practices. Optimizing the infection prevention and control loop of the health facilities is recommended.

Food-related taboos and misconceptions during pregnancy among rural communities of Illu Aba Bor zone, Southwest Ethiopia. A community based qualitative cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Poor maternal nutrition adversely affects pregnancy and birth outcomes. In many societies, there are dietary restrictions due to misconceptions or food taboos during pregnancy which consequently results in the depletion of important nutrients. These cultural malpractices and beliefs can influence the dietary intake of pregnant women which subsequently affects the birth outcome. The study aimed at exploring the extent of food taboos and misconceptions during pregnancy in rural communities of Illu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted using an in-depth interviews of key informants and focus group discussions among purposively selected pregnant women and their husbands, health care workers, health extension workers, and elderly people. Data were transcribed verbatim, thematized; color-coded, and analyzed manually using the thematic framework method. RESULT: Thorough reading and review of the transcripts generated three major themes. The primary theme was the belief and practice of taboos related to the intake of certain food items during pregnancy. Pregnant women, their husbands, and mothers-in-law believed that certain foods should be avoided during pregnancy. The second theme was foods that were held as taboo and the reason attached to it. The most common food items held as taboo were related to the consumption of vegetables like cabbage, pumpkin, milk and milk products, sugar cane, fruits like bananas and avocado and egg. The main reasons to avoid these foods were beliefs that it can be plastered on the fetal head, making fatty baby which is difficult for delivery. The third theme was the reasons underlying adherence to food taboos which is deeply embedded in the person's believes and attitudes of the pregnant women, who were nested within the influence of the social environment surrounding them and the traditional beliefs and values of the society in general. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed a widespread practice of food taboos during pregnancy in the study area. The finding suggested that there is a need for strengthening the nutrition counseling components of antenatal care follow-up and planning comprehensive nutrition education through involving important others to dispel such traditional beliefs and prevent food taboo practices in the study community.

A critical mini-review on doping and heterojunction formation in ZnO-based catalysts.

This mini-review on doping and heterojunctions for catalysis applications provides a comprehensive overview of key aspects. Doping, when carried out adequately with a uniform distribution, creates a new energy level that significantly enhances charge transfer and light absorption. This new level alters the material's morphology and enhances intrinsic defects. For instance, ZnO, despite its exceptional band edge concerning oxygen reduction and water oxidation redox potentials, faces the issue of electron-hole recombination. However, forming a heterojunction can effectively aid charge transfer and prolong electron-hole relaxation without recombination. This is where the role of doping and heterojunctions becomes crucial. Additionally, incorporating noble metals with S- and Z-scheme heterojunctions offers a promising mechanism for charge transfer and visible light harvesting, further amplifying the catalytic properties.

Spatial analysis and mapping of intensity and types of agricultural salt-affected soils around Abaya and Chamo Lakes, South Ethiopia Rift Valley.

Purpose: Salt-affected soils have significant enough salt concentrations to impact other land and soil resource uses, plant health, soil characteristics, and water quality. Consequently, a study was carried out in the South Ethiopian Rift Valley area around the lakes of Abaya and Chamo to determine the intensity and the types of salt-affected soil and map their spatial distributions. Methods: At 0-20 cm depths, a grid soil sampling scheme was employed to gather data from agricultural soils affected by salt. An adequately spaced grid cell of 200 m*200 m or seven transects, with seven samples collected every 200 m on each sampling site, was generated by the QGIS software's Fishnet tool, and an auger collected 226 soil samples from the proposed 245 soil sampling points. The analysis and interpretation of the data were done using both statistical and geostatistical methods. The un-sampled surface was predicted and mapped from laboratory point data using the standard Kriging algorithm in QGIS. Results: According to the results, the soil in the study area was rated as strongly alkaline and moderately alkaline in the reaction. The coefficient of variation (CV) was the lowest for soil pH. Except for the Ganta Kanchama site, low CV (<10 %) confirmed the similarity of pH values throughout all research areas. The EC values depicted that the study area is slightly saline except for the Ganta Kanchame site, which rated moderately saline to strongly saline. The variability of soil EC rated moderate to strong variation for the studied area. The exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) values distribution between the study sites demonstrates considerable variability and difference. The area is dominated by low to high-risk rate soil sodicity, as evidenced by the soil ESP CV of the studied area, which was >100 % and showed significant variability among the samples. Out of 2274.65ha of the studied area, the type of salt 62.28 %, 26.09 %, 10.99 %, and 0.63 % were categorized as non-saline non-sodic, saline-sodic, sodic, and saline, respectively. Following saline-sodic, sodic, and saline soils, respectively, non-saline and non-sodic soils comprise most of the investigated areas. Conclusions: The result indicates almost all the salt-affected areas were situated in relatively lower slope areas exhibiting a flat to almost flat slope (0-2%). The study's findings are that the studied area needs specific soil management strategies to boost the salinity and sodicity problems around the study area and recommended reclamation techniques as the extent of the problems.

Elucidating Amendment Resources for Reclaiming Efficacy of Sodic Soils around Abaya and Chamo Lakes, South Ethiopia Rift Valley.

BACKGROUND: Sodic soils are harmful to agricultural and natural environments in Ethiopia's semi-arid and arid regions, leading to soil degradation and reduced productivity. This study investigated how amendment resources could help improve the chemical properties of sodic soils around the Abaya and Chamo Lakes in the South Ethiopia Rift Valley. METHODS: A factorial experiment was conducted to study the effects of gypsum (GYP) and farmyard manure (FYM) on sodic soil reclamation. The experiment had four levels of GYP (0, 50, 100, and 150%) and four levels of FYM (0, 10, 20, and 30 tons ha-1), with three replications. The pots were incubated for three months and leached for one month, after which soil samples were collected and analyzed for chemical properties. ANOVA was performed to determine the optimal amendment level for sodic soil reclamation. RESULTS: The study found that applying 10 ton FYM ha-1 and gypsum at 100% gypsum required (GR) rate resulted in a 99.8% decrease in exchangeable sodium percentages (ESP) compared to untreated composite sodic soil and a 1.31% reduction over the control (GYP 0% + FYM 0 ton ha-1). As a result, this leads to a decrease in soil electrical conductivity, exchangeable sodium (Ex. Na), and ESP values. The results were confirmed by the LSD test at 0.05. It is fascinating to see how different treatments can have such a significant impact on soil properties. The prediction models indicate that ESP's sodic soil treatment effect (R2 = 0.95) determines the optimal amendment level for displacing Ex. Na from the exchange site. The best estimator models for ESP using sodic soil treatment levels were ESP = 1.65-0.33 GYP for sole gypsum application and ESP = 1.65-0.33 GYP + 0.28 FYM for combined GYP and FYM application, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study found that combined GYP and FYM applications reduced ESP to less than 10% in agriculture, but further research is needed to determine their effectiveness at the field level.

Effect of a theory-based nutrition education intervention during pregnancy through male partner involvement on newborns' birth weights in Southwest Ethiopia. A three-arm community based Quasi-Experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Low birth weight is one of the most serious public health issues affecting newborns, with estimates ranging from 15% to 20% of all births worldwide. According to the Ethiopian demographic health survey report, the prevalence of Low Birth Weight rose from 11% in 2011 to 13% in 2016. The high proportion of birth weight in Ethiopia is hypothesized to be due to inadequate maternal diet which is associated with poor nutrition education during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess the effect of theory-based nutrition education during pregnancy through male partner involvement on birth weight in rural parts of the southwest Ethiopia. STUDY DESIGN: A community-based quasi-experimental study was conducted. METHODS: A total of 403 pregnant women were selected from 22 rural kebeles of Illu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia from June to December 2019. Participants were assigned to one of the three study arms: Couple group:-husband and wife received nutrition education together, women alone:-pregnant women received the nutrition education alone and control group:-received the routine care during Antenatal care. The nutrition education was guided by theory of planned behavior. Monthly home visits were made to the pregnant women in the intervention groups and leaflets with key counseling messages were distributed to each woman in the intervention arms. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. A qualitative 24-h dietary recall was used to assess dietary data, and the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference was used to assess nutritional status. Birth weight was measured within 24 hours of birth. Analysis of variance, linear mixed-effects model, and mediation analysis were used to assess effect of the intervention on birth weight. RESULTS: A higher proportion of the newborns in the control group had low birth weight as compared to the couple group and the women alone group (18.1% vs 7.0% vs 11.5%, p = 0.037) respectively. The mean birth weight of babies born to women from the couple group was 0.42 kg greater than that of newborns born to women in the comparison group (3.34 vs 2.92 kg, p< 0.001). The linear mixed effect model showed that the average birth weight of babies born from women in the couple group was 0.40 kg higher than that of the control group (ß = 0.400, P<0.001). The direct effect of the intervention on birth weight of babies born from women in the couple group was 0.23 (ß = 0.227, P<0.001) whereas the indirect effect mediated by maternal dietary diversity practice was 0.18 (ß = 0.178, P<0.001), accounting for 43.9% of the total effect of the intervention. CONCLUSION: The involvement of males and the application of the theory of planned behavior in nutrition education interventions during pregnancy resulted in improved birth weight. Maternal dietary diversity mediated the effect of nutrition education on birth weight. The findings highlight the implication of improving pregnant women's nutrition education through male involvement and the application of theories to improve birth weight.

Cu/CuO-Doped ZnO Nanocomposites via Solution Combustion Synthesis for Catalytic 4-Nitrophenol Reduction.

The synthesis of optoelectrically enhanced nanomaterials should be continuously improved by employing time- and energy-saving techniques. The porous zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper-doped ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized by the time- and energy-efficient solution combustion synthesis (SCS) approach. In this SCS approach, once the precursor-surfactant complex ignition point is reached, the reaction starts and ends within a short time without the need for any external energy. The TGA-DTA analysis confirmed that 500 °C was the point at which stable metal oxide was obtained. The doping and heterojunction strategy improved the optoelectric properties of the NCs more than the individual constituents, which then enhanced the materials' charge transfer and optical absorption capabilities. The porosity, nanoscale crystallite size (15-50 nm), and formation of Cu/CuO-ZnO NCs materials were confirmed from the XRD, SEM, and TEM/HRTEM analyses. The obtained d-spacing values of 0.275 and 0.234 nm confirm the formation of ZnO and CuO crystals, respectively. The decrease in photoluminescence intensity for the doped NCs corroborates a reduction in electron-hole recombination. On the Mott-Schottky analysis, the positive slope for ZnO confirms the n-type character, while the negative and positive slopes of the NCs confirm the p- and n-type characters, respectively. A diffusion-controlled type of charge transfer process on the electrode surface was confirmed from the cyclic voltammetric analysis. Thus, the overall analysis shows the applicability of the less expensive and more efficient SCS for several applications, such as catalysis and sensors. To confirm this, an organic catalytic reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol was tested. Within three and a half minutes, the catalytic reduction result showed the great potential of NCs over ZnO NPs. Thus, the energy- and time-saving SCS approach has a great future outlook as an industrial pollutant catalytic reduction application.

Time to Nutritional Recovery and Its Predictors Among Undernourished Adult Patients Living with Human Immune Deficiency Virus Attending Anti-Retroviral Therapy at Public Health Facilities in Southwest Ethiopia. A Multicenter Study.

Background: Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus is one of the factors that contribute to malnutrition. Several initiatives have been launched in Ethiopia to improve HIV patients' nutritional status and achieve early recovery when malnourished patients are found. Despite these efforts, adult HIV patients' malnutrition recovery remains poor. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the time to recovery from undernutrition and associated factors among adult HIV patients on ART at public health facilities in Ilu Aba Bor zone, Southwest Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: An institution-based retrospective cohort study of 374 adult HIV patients with undernutrition receiving ART at public health institutions in Southwest Ethiopia was conducted. Data were extracted from the patient's record and entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 before being exported to STATA version 14. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the time to recovery, and the difference in survival time between predictor variables was tested using the Log rank test. Weibull regression models, both bivariable and multivariable, were fitted. A p-value of 0.05 was declared statistically significant. Results: The recovery rate was 67.7% and the median recovery time was 65 days (95% CI = 61.6-68.4) and 145 days (95% CI = 130.7-159) for MAM and SAM, respectively. Marital status (Married) (AHR = 0.61; CI = (0.43,0.86)), ART status (pre ART) AHR = 0.492; CI = (0.305,0.793), CD4 (200-350c/m3, AHR = 2.116;CI = (1.447,3.21), type of malnutrition (AHR = 0.22; CI= (0.156,0.307)), ART adherence level (AHR = 3.33, CI = (1.997,5.56)) WHO clinical staging (AHR = 0.685, CI = (0.485,0.948)), sex (male), (AHR = 0.678; CI = (0.509,0.901)) and age (35-54), (AHR = 1.86; CI = (1.408,2.47)) were predictors of recovery time. Conclusion: Compared to previous studies, the recovery rate was high. SAM, advanced clinical stage, sex, and marital status were all negatively associated with nutritional recovery time, whereas ART adherence, CD4 count, and age were predictors. As a result, a therapeutic feeding program should focus on factors that slow recovery time.

Insight into nanocrystal synthesis: from precursor decomposition to combustion.

Nanotechnology-based synthesis of nanoscale materials has appealed to the attention of scientists in the modern scientific community. In the bottom-up approach, atoms start to aggregate/agglomerate and form nuclei within the minimum and maximum supersaturation range. Once nuclei are generated above the critical-free energy/radius, the growth is initiated by obeying the LaMar model with a slight extra simple growth by diffusion advancement. The in situ real-time liquid phase analysis using STEM, AFM, and XAS techniques is used to control precursor decomposition to the nanocrystal formation process and should be a non-stoppable technique. Solution combustion synthesis (SCS) is a time-/energy-efficient self-sustained process that produces mass-/ion transport active porous materials. SCS also permits the synthesis of evenly distributed-doped and hybrid-nanomaterials, which are beneficial in tuning crucial properties of the materials. The growth and development of nanocrystals, dehydrating the sol in the presence of a surfactant or/and fuel results in combustion once it arrives at the ignition temperature. Besides, the kinetic and thermodynamics controlled architecture-directing agent-assisted SCS offers colloidal nanocrystal framework formation, which is currently highly applicable for energy devices. This short review provides insightful information that adds to the existing nanocrystal synthesis process and solution combustion synthesis and recommends future directions in the field.

Influences of parental monitoring and school connectedness on age at first sexual debut among unmarried female youth in Bedele town, Ethiopia: A survival analysis of timing using accelerated failure time model.

BACKGROUND: The age of first sexual debut among youth continues to attract interest as it marks the start of their exposure to a variety of sexual and reproductive health problems. Parental monitoring (PM) and school connectedness (SC) has been found to have an effect on this problem. Despite this fact, there is a dearth of literature on implications of PM and SC on age at first sexual debut in Ethiopia. Therefore, this paper examined the influences of PM and SC age at first sexual debut among female youth. METHODS: A retrospective follow-up study was conducted on 470 randomly selected female youth in Bedele town, Oromia regional state, southwest Ethiopia from February 1 to March 30, 2021. The age at first sexual debut was asked in full years for respondents who ever engaged in sexual debut at a time of data collection. Data were entered using Epi-Data version 4.6 and analyzed using Stata version 14. All variables at P-values less than 0.2 in bivariable analysis were exported to multivariable analysis. Multivariable Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) regression analyses using Weibull distribution were used to examine the association of age at first sexual debut with PM and SC at 5% level of significance. RESULTS: Overall, 132(28.1%) youths were begun sexual activities of which 79.54% was an early (vaginal penetrative sex before 18 years old). The incidence rate was 15.58/1000 PY with 95% CI of [13.14, 18.47]. The result shows that, female youth start first sexual debut as early as 10 year and mean age was 16.89±2.82. Only 27.97% of those who began sexual debut used contraception during first sex. Multivariable Weibull AFT regression analyses adjusted for different variables showed that high PM (Adjusted Time Ratio (ATR) 1.13: 95%CI; [1.04, 1.21]) and good SC (ATR: 1.14: 95% CI; [1.06, 1.22] significantly delays the age at first sexual debut. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, four out of every five premarital sexual activities were early sexual debuts. High PM and high SC significantly decrease early sexual debut by delaying the age of sexual initiation. Therefore, family and school involvement focused on PM and SC of the youth is recommended as an important mechanism for preventing youths' risky sexual behaviour, including early sexual debut.

Determinants of neonatal near-miss among neonates delivered in public hospitals of Ilu Abba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: An unmatched case-control study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The neonatal period is the time with the highest risk of neonatal and infant mortality. The COVID-19 pandemic diverted resources from routine maternal health services, which raises the possibility of neonatal near misses (NNMs). To implement prompt treatments that could improve the standard of infant care and lower neonatal mortality, it has been theorized that pinpointing the determinants of NNM during this outbreak is crucial. In light of this, the current study identified the determinants of NNM in neonates delivered in public hospitals of Ilu Abba Bor Zone, South West Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among randomly selected 303 (101 cases and 202 controls) neonates admitted to Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (MKCSH) and Darimu Primary Hospital (DPH) from 1 November to 28 December 2020. Data were collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and checklist. The collected data were coded and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) along with a 95% confidence interval was used to assess the strength of the association, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered to declare the statistical significance in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Result: A total of 303 (101 cases and 202 controls) neonates admitted to MKCSH and DPH were included in the study making a 97.4% response rate. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, no formal maternal education [AOR = 3.534, 95% CI: (1.194-10.455)], Breech presentation during birth [AOR = 3.088, 95% CI: (1.029-9.268)], < 4 antenatal care (ANC) visits [AOR = 1.920, 95% CI: (1.065-3.461], cesarean section delivery [AOR = 4.347, 95% CI: (1.718-10.996)], antepartum hemorrhage (APH) [AOR = 3.37, 95% CI: (1.23-9.24)], and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) [AOR = 4.05, 95% CI: (2.36-11.05)] were independent determinants of NNM. Conclusion: The study's result revealed that factors such as education level, birth presentation, ANC visit, mode of delivery, APH, and HDP continued to be important determinants of the NNM in Ethiopia during this pandemic. Therefore, much work is needed to improve neonatal health by providing adequate ANC services and other identified potential determinant factors that predispose the newborn to life-threatening (near-miss) conditions especially during this pandemic.

Prevalence of Diabetes Related Distress and Associated Factors Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients Attending Hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia, 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes related distress is the most common psychological co-morbid condition among type 2 diabetes patients. However, although the number of people living with diabetes has continued to increase over the last 10 years, information regarding diabetes related distress is limited in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of diabetes related distress and associated factors among type 2 diabetes patients attending hospitals in Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was employed on 360 type 2 diabetes patients attending hospitals from January 1 to March 30, 2020. Convenient sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were entered into EpiData manager version 4.2.2 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. The statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Out of a total 360 patients recruited, 321 (89.2%) patients (201 male and 120 female) were involved in the study. The mean age of the participants was 41.3 (SD = 12.8) years. The prevalence of diabetes related distress was 118 (36.8%) in which emotional distress was the most prevalent (43.6%) domain. Level of education [AOR 4.55; 95% CI: 1.28-16.19], family or social support [AOR 0.62; 95% CI: 0.33-1.06], duration of diabetes [AOR 0.75; 95% CI: 0.35-1.55], having diabetes complications [AOR 1.98; 95% CI: 1.0-3.86], smoking status [AOR 1.6; 95% CI: 1.12-2.97] and alcohol consumption status [AOR 1.4; 95% CI: 1.07-2.53] were the identified factors of diabetes related distress. CONCLUSION: Diabetes related distress was highly prevalent in type 2 diabetes patients. Healthcare providers need to address this through integrating psychosocial care with collaborative medical care.

Prevalence of Depression and Its Associated Factors among Orphan Children in Orphanages in Ilu Abba Bor Zone, South West Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Orphans are the special group of children who are generally deprived and prone to develop psychiatric disorders even those reared in well-run institutions. These children and adolescents living as orphans or in stigmatized environments are vulnerable because of the loss of parent figures. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has contributed to a drastic increase in the number of orphans and vulnerable children and other causes in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about the prevalence of depression and associated factors among orphanage children in areas such as Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among orphans in Ilu Abba Bor Zone orphanages, 2016. METHODS: An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among orphan children in orphanages at Mettu and Gore. A total of 220 orphans were included from the two orphanages and make the response rate of 98.2%. Pretested semistructured questionnaire was used for interviewing the study participants. The collected data were coded, entered into EPI-INFO 7.0. Software, and exported to SPSS version 20 for statistical analysis. The strength of association between variables was assessed using crude and Adjusted Odds Ratio by running logistic regression and the cut-off point for declaring statistical significance was P- value <0.05 or 95% confidence interval which does not contain the null value. RESULTS: A total of 216 orphan children were interviewed with response rate of 98.2%. The overall prevalence of depression was 24.1%. The mean age of participants was 14.2 years ± 9.90 SDs and range from 11 to 17 years. Sex [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 3.29, 95% CI (1.41, 7.46)]; age [Adjusted Odds Ratio=2.09,95% CI (3.7; 5.01)]; duration of stay in foster care [Adjusted Odds Ratio= 2.08 (1.01; 8.33)]; previous physical abuse [Adjusted Odds Ratio= 3.1 (2.1; 5.06)]; having medical illness [Adjusted Odds Ratio=1.94,95% CI (2.01;3.56)]; orphan status [Adjusted Odds Ratio=2.5,95% CI (1.62; 3.56)]; and suicidal tendency [Adjusted Odds Ratio= 4.8 (3.41; 9.03)] were independent predictors of depression among orphans in orphanages. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Prevalence of depression was high among orphans and this finding suggests that screening for depression and mental and psychological care should be integrated into routine health care provided to orphans and that there is a further need to establish preventive measures against depression.