Partner notification service utilization and associated factors among clients attending anti-retroviral therapy clinics of public health facilities in Gimbi Town, West Ethiopia, 2023: a facility-based mixed-method cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Partner Notification Service is among the strategies used to conduct targeted Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing Service by obtaining information about sexual contacts of index clients to refer for testing. But most people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus are still unaware of their status, including Ethiopia. Limited studies are available on the magnitude of partner notification service utilization and associated factors in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of partner notification service utilization and associated factors among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus attending anti-retroviral therapy clinics of public health facilities in Gimbi town, West Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based mixed-method cross-sectional study design was used. Total of 455 study participants were selected by systematic random sampling for quantitative data and health workers were purposively selected for qualitative data until saturation of ideas was reached. The study was conducted from December 1, 2022 to January 30, 2023. Structured questionnaires and key informant interview guides were used for data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 25. Open code 4.02 software was used for qualitative data analysis. Frequencies and proportions were used to summarize descriptive statistics. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associated factors then variables with a p value < 0.05 were declared to have an association with the dependent variable. RESULT: Exactly 298 (65.5%) of the study participants were notified their HIV status to their sexual partners. Factors associated with Partner Notification Service Utilization were depression AOR: 0.12 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.20), urban settlers AOR: 2.21 (95% CI: 1.2, 3.83), fear of support loss AOR: 0.24 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.40) and intimate partner violence AOR: 0.55 (95% CI: 0.31, 0.97). From qualitative part of this study, factors associated to Partner Notification service utilization were fear of stigma, discrimination and fear of divorce. CONCLUSION: Two-third of the study participants were utilized partner notification service, and efforts are important to prevent depression and intimate partner violence. Local government bodies and stakeholders should implement economic strengthening and strategies to address the rural community for HIV/AIDS prevention. Promotion of supportive and inclusive environment for PLHIV should also considered as way to increase PNS utilization.

Therapeutic communication and its associated factors among nurses working in public hospitals of Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia: application of Hildegard Peplau's nursing theory of interpersonal relations.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic communication can assist nurses in achieving their goals. Effective nurse-patient communication can improve clinical outcomes and boosts patient satisfaction. But, there is an arming gap in therapeutic communication between nurses and patients in Ethiopia, which hinders the quality of nursing care. Some studies have been done on therapeutic and its barriers. Nevertheless, those studies did not fully address factors from different perspectives and were supported by nursing theories or models. Therefore, this study aimed to fill these gaps in the study setting. METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 408 nurses working in public hospitals of Gamo zone from December 1, 2021, to January 30, 2022. Out of the six hospitals in the Gamo zone, three were selected by simple random sampling method. The data were collected by an interview-administered Open Data Kit survey tool and analyzed by SAS version 9.4. Descriptive statistics were computed and a generalized linear model was used to identify associated factors. RESULTS: In this study, a standardized percentage of the maximum scale of therapeutic communication was 52.32%. Of the participants, 40.4% had high, 25.0% moderate, and 34.6% had low levels of therapeutic communication. Age, marital status, and qualification showed significant and positive relationships with the overall therapeutic communication. However, sex, working unit, nurse burnout, lack of empathy from nurses, challenging nursing tasks, lack of privacy, use of technical terms by nurses, lack of confidence in nurses, stress, unfamiliarity with the nursing job description, shortage of nurses, insufficient knowledge, lack of participation in decision making, and having contagious disease showed a significant and negative relationship with overall therapeutic communication. CONCLUSIONS: This finding indicates a gap in therapeutic communication between nurses and patients, and modifiable factors are identified. Therefore, giving opportunities for nurses to improve their qualifications, a special attention to nurses working in stressful areas, sharing the burden of nurses, involving nurses and patients in decision-making, and motivating and creating a positive working environment is vital to improving therapeutic communication.

Burden of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among pregnant women in East Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The ultimate goal of preventing intestinal parasites among pregnant women is to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Numerous primary studies were conducted in East Africa presented intestinal parasite infection and associated factors among pregnant women. However, the pooled finding is not known. Therefore, this review aimed to identify the pooled prevalence of intestinal parasite infection and its determinants among pregnant women in East Africa. METHODS: Articles published from 2009 to 2021 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and HINARI databases. The search for unpublished studies such as thesis and dissertations was checked in Addis Ababa University and Africa Digital Library. PRISMA checklist was used to report the review. Articles published in the English Language were considered. The data were extracted by two authors using data extraction checklists on Microsoft excel. Heterogeneity among the included studies was checked using I2 statistics on forest plots. Sensitivity and sub-group analyses were conducted to assess the presence of primary studies, and study characteristics responsible for the observed heterogeneity. RESULTS: Of the 43 identified articles, about 23 articles were removed due to duplications. Then, by assessing the abstracts and full texts, four articles were removed because they failed to meet the eligibility criteria. Finally, 16 articles were included in the systematic and meta-analysis.The pooled prevalence of intestinal parasites among pregnant women in East Africa was 38.54 (28.77, 48.32). In this study, variables like residing in rural areas (OR: 3.75; CI: 1.15,12.16), availability of latrine(OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 2.22, 3.91), eating raw fruits/vegetables (OR: 2.44; 95% CI: 1.16, 5.11). and sources of water as unprotected sources (OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.11,4.35) show statistically significant association with the increased burden of intestinal parasites among pregnant women. CONCLUSION: The burden of intestinal parasite infection among pregnant women in East Africa was high. Therefore, efforts should be made in deworming pregnant women at the community and institutional level by stakeholders to reduce the burden of intestinal parasite infections and related complications.

First-line virologic-based ART treatment failure and associated factors among adult HIV Positives in Southwest Shoa, Central Ethiopia.

Background: The function of antiretroviral therapy is to enhance immunity and prevent the occurrence of opportunistic infection. But antiretroviral therapy showed a failure to manage infection after a time. Nowadays, an accepted criterion to confirm Antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment failure is a virologic failure. Regarding this virologic failure, there are no well-addressed findings, especially in this study area. Therefore in this research, the magnitude and factors that contribute for virological ART treatment failure have been identified. Methods: Facilitybased cross-sectional study was conducted on adult patients taking ART. Data entry was conducted using Epi Data Version3 and exported to Stata SE version 14 for analysis. Bivariable logistic regression was used to find covariates significantly associated with firs line ART treatment failure. In this case, variables with P-value ≤ .25 were a candidate for multiple logistic regressions. A backward logistic regression model was used. Finally, variables with P-value ≤ .05 were considered as factors significantly associated with first-line ART treatment failure and the result was presented with a description, graph, and tables. Results: In this study, three hundred and fifty peoples were a candidate for the study and all have been involved. The magnitude of first-line ART treatment failure based on virologic criteria was 20.85%. Greater than three-fourth (84.29%) of study participants have support from somebody. Those patients who have initiated first-line ART with NVP based regimen have 1.83 times more likely to face first-line ART treatment failure as compared with those who have started with Efeverence (EFV) based regimen [AOR = 1.83, 95% CI (1.035, 3.245)]. Patients who have initiated first-line ART at the health center were 3.093 times more likely to face first-line ART treatment failure as compared those who have initiated ART at hospitals [AOR = 3.093, 95% CI (1.101, 8.685)]. Patients who have not developed a common opportunistic infection after ART initiation was 47.3% less likely to encounter first-line ART treatment failure as compared with those who have opportunistic infection [AOR = 0.527, 95% CI (0.289, 0.961)]. Conclusion: Based on virologic criteria, NVP based ART initiation, having history recorded opportunistic infection after ART initiation, being male, Institution where initiate ART, are significantly associated with the occurrences of first-line ART treatment failure. The action has to be directed on those identified factors to maintain the patient stay on First-line ART by concerned stakeholders.

Self-reported turnover intention and associated factors among health professionals in Kafa Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess turnover intention and its associated factors among health professionals in Kafa Zone, Southwest, Ethiopia, 2018. Methods: Cross-sectional study design relied on institution that was employed from 1-30 May 2019. Questionnaires were distributed to 427 participants who were selected by simple random sampling technique from selected health facilities. Epi Data Statistical software version 3.1 for data entry and Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 21.0 for data analysis were used. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with turnover intention. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to examine associations, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Result: Overall, 427 questionnaires were distributed, and 389 were returned making 91.1% response rate. Majority of the respondents were between the age of 21 and 30 years and more than half were male. More than half, 219 (56.3%), of the participants reported that they intended to leave their institution. Being female (adjusted odds ratio 2.65, 95% confidence interval (1.62-4.33)), married (adjusted odds ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval (0.34-0.96)), degree holders (adjusted odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval (0.34-0.89)), autonomous (adjusted odds ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval (0.31-0.84) and not satisfied with living place condition (adjusted odds ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval (1.0-2.83)) were found to have statistically significant association with intention to leave among health professionals in Kafa Zone. Conclusion: Turnover intention of health professionals was high in study area. Sex, educational status, marital status, autonomous, and living place condition were the identified predictors of turnover intention among health professionals. The health managers and stakeholders at different levels should have a discussion session with staff to cut the intention to leave the organization.

Nurses are leaving the nursing profession: A finding from the willingness of the nurses to stay in the nursing profession among nurses working in selected public hospitals of Wollega Zones, Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background: The willingness of nurses to stay in nursing profession is nurses stay in the nursing profession without having intention to shift their works to other professions. In healthcare systems, nurses are currently leaving their work. To give quality of health, nurses have to stay in their work. The aim of this study was to find the willingness of the nurses to stay in the nursing profession and associated factors. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed among nurses in selected hospitals. After checking for completeness, the data were interred into Epi Data version 3 and exported to Stata SE version 14 for analysis. Then, the descriptive statistics were computed. To find association, logistic regression was computed. Covariates from binary logistic regression were a candidate for multivariate logistic regression at p-value ⩽ 0.25. Variables in the final model were selected by the stepwise backward selection procedure. In the end, variables with a p-value ⩽ 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results: In this study, 349 nurses have participated with a 100% response rate and more than half of the participants were male 188 (53.87%). The proportion of nurses who have the willingness to stay in the nursing proportion is 54.44% (95% confidence interval = 0.491, 0.59). Getting relatively high salary (adjusted odd ratio = 1.81 (95% confidence interval = 1.05, 3.11)), no presence of support among colleagues (adjusted odd ratio = 0.10 (95% confidence interval = 0.05, 0.22)), not having participation in training (adjusted odd ratio = 0.49 (95% confidence interval = 028, 0.86)), having relative low experience in nursing profession that is less than 6 years (adjusted odd ratio = 0.46 (95% confidence interval = 0.26, 1.81)), having good autonomy in the nursing profession (adjusted odd ratio = 0.41 (95% confidence interval = 0.23, 0.70)), and having a good sense of self-calling for the nursing profession among nurses (adjusted odd ratio = 2.85 (95% confidence interval = 1.64, 4.97)) are the factors related with willingness of the nurses to stay in the nursing profession. Conclusion and recommendation: To bring development in the nursing profession, it is a must to staying experienced nurses in the nursing profession. Therefore, to increase the willingness of nurses in the nursing profession, it is better to increase the salary of nurses, giving frequent training for the nurses, initiate the nurses to support one another, and encourage the nurses to have sense of self-calling for nursing profession. This is accomplished if there is a harmonious relationship between the governments, nurses, and other stakeholders in the healthcare delivery system.

Are the Things Told to Care Providers Kept Confidential?: Perceived Breaches of Confidentiality and Associated Factors Among HIV/AIDS Clients on ART at Nekemte Specialized Hospital, Western Ethiopia, 2021.

INTRODUCTION: HIV clients' mistrust in providers' handling of their medical information can be a reason for them not to utilize services. Compromised confidentiality of HIV clients can affect the entire community, as other people may become reluctant to seek HIV testing and counseling. In Ethiopia, there are few data on perceived breaches of confidentiality among HIV/AIDS clients. Thus, this study aimed to assess perceived breaches of confidentiality and associated factors among people living with HIV (PLHIV) on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) at Nekemte Specialized Hospital, Western Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 HIV/AIDS clients at Nekemte Specialized Hospital from January 15 to February 20, 2021. Data were collected by an investigator-administered questionnaire. Collected data were entered into EpiData version 3.1, and Stata version 14.0 was used for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Variables with a P-value of <0.2 in the bivariable analysis were exported to the multivariable analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and P-values of <0.05 were used to report significantly associated variables. RESULTS: A total of 423 PLHIV were included in the study. Nearly one-fourth of the respondents (23.60%) had perceived breaches of confidentiality (95% CI 19.8-27.9%). Delayed ART start [(AOR 1.97) 95% CI (1.05-3.71)], being female [(AOR 4.03) 95% CI (2.14-7.59)], being widowed [(AOR 4.11) 95% CI (1.50-11.20)], college education and above [(AOR 10.89) 95% CI (3.93-30.14)], normal BMI [(AOR 2.72) 95% CI (1.06-6.99)], substance use [(AOR 1.93) 95% CI (1.04-3.58)], not knowing other ART user(s) [(AOR 2.89) 95% CI (1.53-5.47)], and CD4 count ≤200 cells/mm3 [(AOR 2.63) 95% CI (1.22-5.68)] were significantly associated variables. CONCLUSION: One in four HIV/AIDS clients reported experiencing perceived breaches of confidentiality. Thus, early ART initiation, further HIV serostatus disclosure, and encouraging patients to decide on the type of care and information they want need to be strengthened in order to reduce breaches of confidentiality.

Time to Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation and Its Predictors Among Newly Diagnosed HIV-Positive People in Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia: Claim of Universal Test and Treat.

BACKGROUND: HIV continuum of care demands early ART initiation for all HIV-infected individuals. Early ART initiation reduces onward HIV transmission facilitating rapid viral suppression. Despite this, delayed ART use is a challenge among newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals, and there is limited evidence on time to ART initiation among this group in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to assess time to ART initiation and its predictors among newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals in Nekemte town, Western Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted on 518 newly diagnosed HIV-positive people from September 5, 2016 to December 20, 2020 at Nekemte town, Western Ethiopia. Data were collected from ART intake forms, registration log books and patient charts. The collected data were entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and STATA version 14.0 was used for analysis. Survival probability was checked graphically by Kaplan-Meier curve and statistically by Log rank test. Both bivariable and multivariable Cox Proportional hazards regression models were conducted to identify the predictors of ART initiation. Hazard ratio with 95% CI and p-value of <0.05 was used to declare a statistical significance. RESULTS: By the end of the follow-up, 371 (71.6%) individuals had initiated ART with an overall incidence rate of 51.9 per 1000 [95% CI: 54.07-66.32] person days; median time to ART initiation was 4 [IQR: 1-9] days. Being female (AHR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.06-1.67), urban dwellers (AHR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.37-2.97), having baseline OIs (AHR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.60-4.30); being tested via VCT (AHR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02-1.74); linked from OPD (AHR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.47-0.85); disclosing HIV sero-status (AHR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.17-3.68); and college and above education level (AHR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.00-2.0) were identified as significant predictors of early initiation of ART. CONCLUSION: The proportion and incidence of ART initiation was high; a short median time to ART initiation was revealed in this study. Strictly screening OIs, encouraging HIV sero-status disclosure and voluntary HIV testing are recommended to increase early ART initiation.

Neonatal Mortality and Its Associated Factors among Neonates Admitted to Wollega University Referral Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, East Wollega, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has a high neonatal mortality rate in spite of dearth of study. Therefore we aimed to assess magnitude and associated factors of neonatal mortality among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units of Wollega University Referral Hospital. Accordingly, a facility based cross-sectional study was conducted on 289 by reviewing medical records of neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. The collected data were entered in to Epi data version 3.1 and Stata version 14 used for analysis. Variables with P-value < 0.25 at with 95% confidence interval in binary logistic regression analysis were taken to the multiple logistic regression analysis. Finally, variables with Likewise, variable with P-value < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval in multiple logistic regression analysis were considered as statistically significant. Among 289 neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit, 53 (18.34 %) were died. Majority 42(79.25%) of those deaths occurred at ≤ 7 days of birth. Preterm [AOR 4.15, 95% CI (1.67-10.33)], neonates faced birth asphyxia [AOR 3.26, 95% CI (1.33-7.98)], neonates who developed sepsis [AOR 2.29 95% CI (1.01-5.20)] and neonates encountered with jaundice [(AOR 11.08, 95% CI (1.03-119.59)] were more at risk to die. In general, the magnitude of neonatal mortality among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit was high. Gestational age (maturity of new born), birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis and neonatal jaundice were predictors of neonatal mortality. Neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit with sepsis, jaundice, and birth asphyxia demand special attention to reduce neonatal mortality.