Determinants of suboptimal birth spacing among reproductive-age women in Adama district, Ethiopia: a community-based unmatched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Birth spacing is crucial for ensuring the health of mothers and their children, as well as determining population growth. Short birth intervals represent a universal public health problem associated with adverse maternal, fetal, neonatal, and child outcomes. However, there is limited information in the study area regarding the determinants of suboptimal birth spacing. Thus, this study aimed to identify the determinants of suboptimal spacing among women of reproductive age in the Adama district, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among 568 randomly selected reproductive-age women using the multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epi Info version 7.2 and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to model the association between suboptimal birth spacing and independent variables. Adjusted odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine the strength of the association. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance. RESULT: Educational status (no formal education) (AOR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.23-1.75), inadequate knowledge of optimal birth space (AOR = 2.60; 95% CI; 1.80-3.90), non-use of modern contraceptives (AOR = 3.00; CI: 1.90-4.20), short breastfeeding duration (AOR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.50-3.40), and having female index child (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.13-2.50) were independent determinants of suboptimal birth spacing practice. CONCLUSION: Encouraging women's education, contraceptive use, and breastfeeding is crucial for birth spacing. Community health initiatives should also focus on preventing sex-based birth intervals.

Indoor air pollution prevention practices and associated factors among household mothers in Olenchiti town, Oromia, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Most households in low- and middle-income countries still cook using solid fuels in poorly ventilated dwellings. Indoor air pollution causes various health problems, like pneumonia, lung cancer, stillbirth, low birth weight, impaired cognitive development, and cataracts. Nevertheless, a few evidences are available in Africa, including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of indoor air pollution prevention practices and associated factors among household mothers in Olenchiti town, Oromia, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Four hundred twenty mothers were randomly selected by systematic random sampling. Data was collected through an interview and observation checklist. The collected data entered into Epi-Info version 7.2.5 was cleaned, edited, and then exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the findings. Binary logistic regression was computed to analyze the effect of each variable on the outcome variable. Model adequacy fitness was checked with the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. The multicollinearity of independent variables was checked with the variance inflation factor. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and P -value <0.05 was used as cutoff points to declare significance in the final model. RESULTS: The overall good practices of mothers towards the prevention of indoor air pollution was 188 (45.0%). Mothers who had under-five children (AOR = 0.49, 95%CI (0.31-0.76), mothers in grade 9-12 (AOR = 0.51, 95%CI (0.28-0.92)) were significantly associated with indoor air pollution prevention practices. CONCLUSION: The overall good practices of mothers towards indoor air pollution were low compared to different findings. Under-five children and educational status were significantly associated with indoor air pollution prevention practices in the final model. Therefore, the high school curriculums should include indoor air pollution topics.

Survival Patterns and Predictors of Mortality among COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Treatment Centers in Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

Purpose: To assess survival patterns and predictors of mortality among patients admitted with COVID-19 to treatment centers in the Oromia region of Ethiopia from April 1 to August 31, 2021. Methods: A prospective cohort study design was employed, taking a sample of 854 patients selected from eight treatment centers in the region. The follow-up duration was the time interval from admission to the treatment center until the final disposition of patients at discharge (death, recovery, or failed to recover). Data were collected by computer tablet with an interviewer-administered questionnaire and checklist designed using CSPro 7.5 and exported to Stata 13 for analysis. Descriptive analysis was used to explore the characteristics of patients. The mortality rate was estimated by number of deaths per 1,000 person-days of observation. The survival duration was estimated by medians with IQR. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the survival experiences of patients. To identify the predictors of time to death after hospitalization, a Cox proportional-hazard model was used. The magnitude of association was estimated using HRs with 95% CIs, and statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results: The mortality rate among hospitalized patients was 9.9 per 1,000 person-days of observation and the median survival time after admission was 9 (IQR 9-10) days. Higher hazard of death was observed among patients who drank alcohol (AHR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.3), required anticoagulants (AHR 10, 95% CI 1.2-91.5), glucocorticoids (AHR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.8), and oxygen (AHR 4.7, 95% CI 1.1-22.0), those with acute respiratory distress syndrome (AHR 2.9, 95% CI 1.7-5.1), and critical patients admitted to intensive care units (AHR 3.4, 95% CI 2.0-5.9). Conclusion: The hazard of death is significantly predicted by alcohol use, requiring anticoagulants, glucocorticoids, or oxygen medication, acute respiratory distress syndrome complication, and being critical when admitted to intensive care units.