Birthweight data completeness and quality in population-based surveys: EN-INDEPTH study.

BACKGROUND: Low birthweight (< 2500 g) is an important marker of maternal health and is associated with neonatal mortality, long-term development and chronic diseases. Household surveys remain an important source of population-based birthweight information, notably Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS); however, data quality concerns remain. Few studies have addressed how to close these gaps in surveys. METHODS: The EN-INDEPTH population-based survey of 69,176 women was undertaken in five Health and Demographic Surveillance System sites (Matlab-Bangladesh, Dabat-Ethiopia, Kintampo-Ghana, Bandim-Guinea-Bissau, IgangaMayuge-Uganda). Responses to existing DHS/MICS birthweight questions on 14,411 livebirths were analysed and estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) associated with reporting weighing, birthweight and heaping reported. Twenty-eight focus group discussions with women and interviewers explored barriers and enablers to reporting birthweight. RESULTS: Almost all women provided responses to birthweight survey questions, taking on average 0.2 min to answer. Of all babies, 62.4% were weighed at birth, 53.8% reported birthweight and 21.1% provided health cards with recorded birthweight. High levels of heterogeneity were observed between sites. Home births and neonatal deaths were less likely to be weighed at birth (home births aOR 0.03(95%CI 0.02-0.03), neonatal deaths (aOR 0.19(95%CI 0.16-0.24)), and when weighed, actual birthweight was less likely to be known (aOR 0.44(95%CI 0.33-0.58), aOR 0.30(95%CI 0.22-0.41)) compared to facility births and post-neonatal survivors. Increased levels of maternal education were associated with increases in reporting weighing and knowing birthweight. Half of recorded birthweights were heaped on multiples of 500 g. Heaping was more common in IgangaMayuge (aOR 14.91(95%CI 11.37-19.55) and Dabat (aOR 14.25(95%CI 10.13-20.3) compared to Bandim. Recalled birthweights were more heaped than those recorded by card (aOR 2.59(95%CI 2.11-3.19)). A gap analysis showed large missed opportunity between facility birth and known birthweight, especially for neonatal deaths. Qualitative data suggested that knowing their baby's weight was perceived as valuable by women in all sites, but lack of measurement and poor communication, alongside social perceptions and spiritual beliefs surrounding birthweight, impacted women's ability to report birthweight. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial data gaps remain for birthweight data in household surveys, even amongst facility births. Improving the accuracy and recording of birthweights, and better communication with women, for example using health cards, could improve survey birthweight data availability and quality.

Termination of pregnancy data completeness and feasibility in population-based surveys: EN-INDEPTH study.

BACKGROUND: Termination of pregnancy (TOP) is a common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Population-based surveys are the major data source for TOP data in LMICs but are known to have shortcomings that require improving. The EN-INDEPTH multi-country survey employed a full pregnancy history approach with roster and new questions on TOP and Menstrual Restoration. This mixed methods paper assesses the completeness of responses to questions eliciting TOP information from respondents and reports on practices, barriers, and facilitators to TOP reporting. METHODS: The EN-INDEPTH study was a population-based cross-sectional study. The Full Pregnancy History arm of the study surveyed 34,371 women of reproductive age between 2017 and 2018 in five Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites of the INDEPTH network: Bandim, Guinea-Bissau; Dabat, Ethiopia; IgangaMayuge, Uganda; Kintampo, Ghana; and Matlab, Bangladesh. Completeness and time spent in answering TOP questions were evaluated using simple tabulations and summary statistics. Exact binomial 95% confidence intervals were computed for TOP rates and ratios. Twenty-eight (28) focus group discussions were undertaken and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Completeness of responses regarding TOP was between 90.3 and 100.0% for all question types. The new questions elicited between 2.0% (1.0-3.4), 15.5% (13.9-17.3), and 11.5% (8.8-14.7) lifetime TOP cases over the roster questions from Dabat, Ethiopia; Matlab, Bangladesh; and Kintampo, Ghana, respectively. The median response time on the roster TOP questions was below 1.3 minutes in all sites. Qualitative results revealed that TOP was frequently stigmatised and perceived as immoral, inhumane, and shameful. Hence, it was kept secret rendering it difficult and uncomfortable to report. Miscarriages were perceived to be natural, being easier to report than TOP. Interviewer techniques, which were perceived to facilitate TOP disclosure, included cultural competence, knowledge of contextually appropriate terms for TOP, adaptation to interviewee's individual circumstances, being non-judgmental, speaking a common language, and providing detailed informed consent. CONCLUSIONS: Survey roster questions may under-represent true TOP rates, since the new questions elicited responses from women who had not disclosed TOP in the roster questions. Further research is recommended particularly into standardised training and approaches to improving interview context and techniques to facilitate TOP reporting in surveys.

Perceived quality of essential newborn care implementation among health facility deliveries in North Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Quality of essential newborn care is defined as the extent of health care services to improve the health of newborns. However, studies are scarce regarding the quality of newborn care implementation. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the magnitude and factors associated with essential newborn care implementation perceived quality among health facility deliveries in Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data from 370 randomly selected deliveries in 11 health facilities from November 2018 to March 2019. Essential newborn care implementation perceived quality was assessed in two domains (delivery and process) from clients' perspectives. A pre-tested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was adopted from different kinds of literature and guidelines. The research data were collected by trained midwives and nurses. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify associated factors with newborn care implementation perceived quality. Odds ratio with 95% CI was computed to assess the strength and significant level of the association at p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: About 338 mothers completed the interview with a response rate of 97.1%. The mean age of the study participants was 26.4 (SD = 5.7) with a range of 12 and 45 years. Most mothers, 84.3%, have attended antenatal care. The overall implementation perceived quality of essential newborn care was found to be 66.3%. The implementation perceived quality of cord care, breast-feeding and thermal care was 75.4, 72.2 and 66.3% respectively. Newborn immunization and vitamin K administration had the lowest implementation perceived quality i.e. 22.4 and 24.3% respectively. Friendly care during delivery (AOR = 5.1, 95% CI: 2.4, 11.0), partograph use (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 8.6), child immunization service readiness (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5, 5.7), BEmEONC service readiness (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.9) and facing no neonatal illness at all (AOR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.6, 10.9) were significantly associated with good essential newborn care implementation qualities. CONCLUSIONS: The perceived quality of essential newborn care implementation was low in the study area. This is associated with poor readiness on BEmEONC and child immunization services, unfriendly care and not using partograph during delivery. Hence, availing the BEmEONC and the child immunization service inputs, continuous training and motivation of healthcare workers for friendly care are vital for improving essential newborn care implementation perceived quality.

Essential newborn care is a set of practices provided by healthcare workers and mothers to every newborn during delivery. Studies are scarce regarding the quality of newborn care implementation. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the magnitude and factors associated with essential newborn care implementation perceived quality among health facility deliveries in Northwest Ethiopia.A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data from 370 randomly selected deliveries in 11 health facilities. A pre-tested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was adopted from different kinds of literature and guidelines. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to assess the strength and significant level of the association at p-value < 0.05.The overall implementation perceived quality of essential newborn care was found to be 66.3%. The implementation perceived quality of cord care, breast-feeding and thermal care was 75.4, 72.2 and 66.3% respectively. Newborn immunization and vitamin K administration had the lowest implementation perceived quality i.e. 22.4 and 24.3% respectively. Friendly care during delivery (AOR = 5.1, 95% CI: 2.4, 11.0), partograph uses (AOR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 8.6), child immunization service readiness (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5, 5.7), BEmEONC service readiness (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.9) and facing no neonatal illness at all (AOR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.6, 10.9) were significantly associated with good essential newborn care implementation qualities.The perceived quality of essential newborn care implementation was low in the study area. This is associated with poor readiness on BEmEONC and child immunization services, unfriendly care and not using partograph during delivery. Hence, availing the BEmEONC and child immunization service inputs, continuous training and motivation of healthcare workers for friendly care are vital for improving essential newborn care implementation perceived quality.

Assessing the quality of care in sick child services at health facilities in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Quality of care depends on system, facility, provider, and client-level factors. We aimed at examining structural and process quality of services for sick children and its association with client satisfaction at health facilities in Ethiopia. METHODS: Data from the Ethiopia Service Provision Assessment Plus (SPA+) survey 2014 were used. Measures of quality were assessed based on the Donabedian framework: structure, process, and outcome. A total of 1908 mothers or caretakers were interviewed and their child consultations were observed. Principal component analysis was used to construct quality of care indices including a structural composite score, a process composite score, and a client satisfaction score. Multilevel mixed linear regression was used to analyze the association between structural and process factors with client satisfaction. RESULT: Among children diagnosed with suspected pneumonia, respiratory rate was counted in 56% and temperature was checked in 77% of the cases. A majority of children (92%) diagnosed with fever had their temperature taken. Only 3% of children with fever were either referred or admitted, and 60% received antibiotics. Among children diagnosed with malaria, 51% were assessed for all three Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) main symptoms, and 4% were assessed for all three general danger signs. Providers assessed dehydration in 54% of children with diarrhea with dehydration, 17% of these children were admitted or referred to another facility, and Oral Rehydration Solution was prescribed for 67% while none received intravenous fluids. The number of basic amenities in the facility was negatively associated with the clients' satisfaction. Private facilities, when the providers had got training for care of sick children in the past 2 years, had higher client satisfaction. There was no statistical association between structure, process composite indicators and client satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The assessment of sick children was of low quality, with many missing procedures when comparing with IMCI guidelines. In spite of this, most clients were satisfied with the services they received. Structural and process composite indicators were not associated with client's satisfaction. These findings highlight the need to assess other dimensions of quality of care besides structure and process that may influence client satisfaction.

Institutional delivery services utilization and its determinant factors among women who gave birth in the past 24 months in Southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Institutional delivery is a delivery that takes place at any medical facility staffed by skilled delivery assistance. It is estimated that using institutional delivery could reduce 16 to 33% of maternal deaths. Despite the importance of delivering at health institutions, in Ethiopia, mothers prefer to give birth at home. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors among rural and urban mothers in Mana district, Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia, 2017. METHODS: A community based comparative cross sectional study was conducted in Mana district, Southwest Ethiopia from March to June, 2017. A stratified probability sampling technique was used to select a total of 1426 (713 urban, 713 rural) study participants. Data were collected from mothers who gave birth in the past 24 months by using a structured and pretested questionnaire. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of institutional delivery service utilization was 86.4%. Higher number of antenatal care visits, having good knowledge on the danger signs of labor, increased wealth index, primary and above educational level of the husband, mothers age below 40-year, and less than 30-min travel time to the nearby health institutions had significantly increased the rate of institutional delivery service utilization. CONCLUSION: Institutional delivery service utilization is high in the study area. Maternal awareness of danger signs of labor, frequent ANC visit and better education of husband, and household wealth predicted the utilization of the service. Therefore, due attention need to be given to enhancing education, expanding health institutions and creating awareness on advantage of antenatal care follow up and danger signs to make all pregnancies delivered at health institutions.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among bank workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are dramatically increased in the world due to the advancement of technology and competitiveness of markets. There were limited studies carried out regarding WMSDs among bank workers in Africa particularly in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among bank workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed in the study. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select 838 bank workers from 62 banks in Addis Ababa. Self-administered standard Nordic questionnaires were used as well. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with WMSDs. Moreover adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 95% confidence interval (CI) and p value < 0.05 was used to show the strength of association between explanatory variables and dependent variable. RESULTS: Out of 838 total numbers of participants, 755 bank workers returned their questionnaires responding with a rate of 90%. Of these, 77.6% (N = 586) suffered WMSDs with a 95% CI [75-81%]. Based on the final multivariate logistic regression analysis being female [AOR = 2.98, 95% CI 1.91-4.65], sitting back in a twisted position [AOR = 3.59, 95% CI 2.13-6.08], sitting back bent [AOR = 4.06, 95% CI 2.48-6.66], work on fixed position [AOR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.17-2.71], no work time break [AOR = 3.33, 95% CI 1.44-7.71], type of chairs [AOR = 2.62, 95% CI 1.19-5.75] and job stress [AOR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.19-4.54] were factors significantly associated with WMSDs. CONCLUSION: From the study's findings, the magnitude of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among bank workers was high. Being female, awkward posture, no work time break, fixed position, type of chairs, and job stress are the factors significantly associated with WMSDs. So bank workers should use proper types of chairs, practice proper work posture, increase healthy working conditions, and create awareness programs on how to maintain beneficial health conditions which may lead to increased leisure time.

Magnitude and factors associated with adherence to Iron and folic acid supplementation among pregnant women in Aykel town, Northwest Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Physiological changes during pregnancy, foetal growth and development increase the requirement for Iron and Folic Acid. The increased demand of these nutrients is not meet through diet alone due to decreased bioavailability of nutrients during pregnancy. In 2004, Ethiopia adopted the global Iron and Folic Acid supplementation strategy targeting to reduce the prevalence of Iron deficiency anemia in women of reproductive age and children under five, by one third. However, the prevalence of anemia remains high and only 5% of pregnant women took Iron and Folic Acid tablets for 90 days or more during their most recent pregnancy in Ethiopia. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the magnitude and associated factors of adherence to Iron and Folic Acid supplementation during pregnancy. METHODS: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted from February to May, 2018 among pregnant women in Northwest Ethiopia. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 418 study subjects. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed to identify predictor variables. RESULTS: Rate of adherence to Iron and Folic Acid supplementation among pregnant women was 47.6%. Pregnant women who had a past history of abortion, knowledge of anemia and received health education were more likely to be adherent with Iron and Folic Acid supplementation. Furthermore, knowledge about benefits of the supplement and not facing any problem in the health facilities during Iron and Folic Acid tablet collection were factors associated with Iron and Folic Acid supplementation adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Rate of adherence to Iron and Folic Acid supplementation was low in Aykel town. Therefore, strengthening and promoting health education, creating awareness and avoiding discouraging conditions in health facilities during tablet collection are very crucial to improve and increase the low rate of Iron and Folic Acid supplementation adherence in the study area.

Parent's food preference and its implication for child malnutrition in Dabat health and demographic surveillance system; community-based survey using multinomial logistic regression model: North West Ethiopia; December 2017.

BACKGROUND: A Shortage or excessive intake of the nutrient is malnutrition; affecting every aspect of human beings. Malnutrition at childhood has long-lasting and multiple effects. In Ethiopia significant numbers of children were suffering from malnutrition that might be associated with parents' food preference; the fact not yet investigated. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess parents' food preferences and its implication for child malnutrition. METHODS: The study was conducted among 7150 mothers/caretakers in Dabat demographic and health surveillance site. Data were collected by experienced data collectors working for the surveillance centers after extensive training. A multinomial logistic regression model was fitted to determine the effect of factors on the dependent variable and model fitness was checked using a likelihood ratio test. RESULTS: About 62.55% of mothers/caretakers prefer to feed children with a family and 16.45% of them prefer to feed children with a specific type of food. Mothers/caretakers who introduce semisolid food after 6 months 2.34(1.50-3.96) were times more likely prefer to feed with family food for their children than a balanced diet. Regarding the specific type of food preference mothers who introduce semisolid food after 6 months and those obtain food from the market were 6.53(3.80-11.24) and 4.38(3.45-5.56) times more likely to prefer to feed specific types of than balanced diet respectively. CONCLUSION: Food preference had contributed to the increased and persistent magnitude of child malnutrition as 62.55% of mothers prefer to feed children with family and only 21% of them prefer to feed a balanced diet for under-five children. Therefore we recommended integration of child dietary diversity, acceptability and safety counseling session for mothers visiting health institutions for child vaccination, ANC and PNC services.

Sanitation predictors of childhood morbidities in Ethiopia: evidence from Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System.

BACKGROUND: Failure to provide adequate sanitation services to all people is perhaps the greatest development failure. Globally, billions of people have no access to improved sanitation facilities. Though the link between sanitation and childhood morbidities is established globally, the evidence is limited in rural parts of Ethiopia. This survey was, therefore, designed to determine the prevalence of common childhood morbidities and to identify sanitation predictors in rural parts of northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A re-census reconciliation, which is a cross-sectional design, was employed from October to December 2014. All households found in the research and demographic sites were included as study subjects. A questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to collect data. Households' sanitation performances, house type, illumination, household energy sources, water supply, and waste management were assessed. The occurrence of childhood morbidities was determined from the occurrence of one or more water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) preventable diseases. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was done to identify the association of sanitation factors with childhood morbidities on the basis of adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p value < 0.05. RESULTS: About 575 (7.00%) of under-five children had hygiene- and sanitation-related diseases. Gastrointestinal and respiratory health problems accounted for 287 (49.91%) and 288 (50.09%), respectively. Childhood morbidities among under-five children were associated with poor housing condition [AOR = 1.27, 95% CI = (1.04, 1.54)], dirty cooking energy sources [AOR = 1.52, 95% CI = (1.22, 1.89)], volume of water below 20 l/p/d [AOR = 1.95, 95% CI = (1.19, 3.18)], and narrow-mouthed water storage containers [AOR = 0.73, 95% CI = (0.56, 0.96)]. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of under-five children had childhood morbidities in the study area. Housing condition, cooking energy sources, volume of water collected, and type of water storage containers were factors associated with the occurrence of childhood morbidities. Enabling the community to have the access to a safe and continuous supply of water and proper disposal of wastes, including excreta, is necessary with particular emphasis to the rural communities and semi-urban areas to reduce the occurrence of childhood morbidities.

Stunting and Its Determinants among Adolescent Girls: Findings from the Nutrition Surveillance Project, Northwest Ethiopia.

Under nutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in Ethiopia and its causes are under investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of stunting and its determinants among adolescent girls in Dabat district. A total of 1556 adolescent girls were included in the study. The WHO's Anthro-plus software was used to generate the height for age z-scores. Variables having a p-value<0.2 in the simple logistic regression were entered into multiple logistic regression and a p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. About 47.4%(95%CI; 45.0, 49.6%) of adolescent girls were stunted. Being in the early (AOR = 0.027, 95%CI: 0.08, 0.09) and middle age (AOR = 0.21, 95%CI: 0.06, 0.71) were less likely to be stunted compared with the late adolescent. The odds of stunting were found to be higher among adolescent of rural area (AOR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.01, 2.10) and from household food in-secured (AOR = 1.33; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.73)families. Higher numbers of adolescent girls are stunted in Dabat district, suggesting severe public health importance of the problem. Age, residence and food security were associated with adolescent stunting. Thus, improving food security strategies targeting rural and food insecure households is recommended. Abbreviations: AOR= Adjusted Odd Ratio,CI= Confidence Interval, COR= Crude Odd Ratio, ENSSPI=Establishing Nutrition Surveillance System and Piloting Interventions HAZ=Height for Age, HDSS=Health and Demographic Surveillance System, HFSS=Household Food Security Status, INDEPTH=International Network of Demographic Evaluation of Population and Their Health, IQR=Inter Quartile Range, NNP=National Nutrition Program, NSHFP=National School Health and Feeding Program, SPSS=Statically Package for Social Science, WHO= World Health Organization.

Prevalence and determinants of contraceptive utilization among married women at Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System site, northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Despite the enormous benefits of family planning services, the contraceptive utilization still remains low in Sub-Saharan Africa. There is regional variation in modern contraceptive utilization in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of modern contraceptive utilization and determinants in Dabat demographic and health surveillance system site, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A re-census was carried out in Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site from October to December 2014. Data of 8271 married women collected in the re-census was used. The outcome variable was current utilization of any modern contraceptive methods whereas socio demographic and economic variables were the potential determinants considered. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression along with odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were used to describe the strength of association. RESULTS: Prevalence of modern contraceptive utilization among married women in Dabat DHSS site was found to be 32.5% (95%CI: 31.5, 33.5%). After adjusting for covariates; the odds of using modern contraceptive were 2.35 times, 1.91 times, and 1.39 times higher among women of secondary and above educational level, urban residents, and women having six and above living children, respectively. CONCLUSION: Modern contraceptive utilization was found to be very low. Effort has to be applied to improve women's educational level that increases their understanding of reproductive health issues. It is also important to give special emphasis for rural residents, those aged 20-40 years, and those with six or more living children while serving for modern contraceptive methods.

Reasons for delay in decision making and reaching health facility among obstetric fistula and pelvic organ prolapse patients in Gondar University hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Obstetric fistula and pelvic organ prolapse remain highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, where women have poor access to modern health care. Women having these problems tend to stay at home for years before getting treatment. However, information regarding the reasons contributing to late presentation to treatment is scarce, especially at the study area. The objective of this study was to assess the reasons whywomen with obstetric fistula and pelvic organ prolapse at Gondar University Hospital delay treatment. METHOD: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 women. Delay was evaluated by calculating symptom onset and time of arrival to get treatment at Gondar University Hospital. Regression analysis was conducted to elicit predictors of delay for treatment. RESULT: Of the total 384 participants, 311 (80.9%) had pelvic organ prolapse and 73(19.1%) obstetric fistula. The proportion of women who delayed treatment of pelvic organ prolapse was 82.9% and that of obstetric fistula 60.9%. Fear of disclosing illness due to social stigma (AOR = 2; 1.03, 3.9) and lack of money (AOR = 1.97; 1.01, 3.86) were associated with the delay of treatment for pelvic organ prolapse,while increasing age (AOR =1.12; 1.01, 1.24) and divorce (AOR = 16.9; 1.75, 165.5) were were responsible for delaying treatment forobstetric fistula. CONCLUSION: A large numberof women with pelvic organ prolapse and obstetric fistula delayed treatment. Fear of disclosure due to social stigma and lack of moneywere the major factors that contributed to thedelay to seek treatment for pelvic organ prolapse,while increasing age and divorce were the predictors for delaying treatment for obstetric fistula.

High burden of hypertension across the age groups among residents of Gondar city in Ethiopia: a population based cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: According to a report on the worldwide trends in blood pressure from 1975 to 2015, mean blood pressure is increasing in low and middle income countries while it is either decreasing or stabilizing in high income countries. Few studies have been published on the prevalence of hypertension in Ethiopia demonstrating an increased trend; however, these studies had small sample size and were limited to participants older than 35 years; which left the burden among adolescents and young adults unaddressed. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of hypertension (HTN) and associated factors in Gondar city. METHOD: A population based cross-sectional study was conducted among 3227 individuals in Gondar city. A multistage cluster random sampling was used. The Kish method from World Health Organization (WHO) STEPS instrument of random sampling method was used for selecting one individual older than or equal to 18 years from each household. WHO and International Diabetic Association (IDA) criterion was used to classify HTN. RESULT: The overall prevalence of HTN was 27. 4% [95% CI: (25. 8-28.9)]. The prevalence for participants in the age group of ≥35 years was 36. 1%. It consistently increased from 9.5% in the age group of 18-25 years to 46.3% in the age group of ≥65 years (P-value < 0. 001). Only 47% of the participants had ever had any kind of blood pressure measurement. Being elderly (AOR = 5. 56; 95% CI: 3. 71-8. 35), obese (AOR =2. 62; 95%CI: 1. 70-4. 03), widowed (AOR = 1. 87; 95%CI: 1. 27-2. 75), separated (AOR = 1. 87; 95%CI: 1. 27-2. 75), daily alcohol user (AOR = 1. 51; 95%CI: 1. 02-2. 23), male gender (AOR = 1. 42; 95%CI: 1. 18-1. 72) and born in urban area (AOR = 1. 31; 95%CI: 1. 10-1. 56) were found to be independently associated with HTN. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of hypertension in Gondar city and is showing increasing trend compared to previous reports. Interventions to raise awareness and to improve both capacity and accessibility of facilities for screening hypertension are highly recommended.

Rural households at risk of malaria did not own sufficient insecticide treated nets at Dabat HDSS site: evidence from a cross sectional re-census.

BACKGROUND: Malaria is the leading cause of disease burden across the world, especially in African countries. Ethiopia has designed a five year (2011-2015) plan to cover 100% of the households in malarious areas with one insecticide treated net (ITN) for every two persons, and to raise consistent ITN utilization to at least 80%. However, evidence on ownership of ITN among malarious rural households in northwest Ethiopia is quite limited. Hence, the present study aimed at assessing ownership of ITN and associated factors among rural households at risk of malaria at Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System site, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross sectional re-census was carried out in Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System site during peak malaria seasons from October to December, 2014. Data for 15,088 households at Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System site were used for the analysis. Descriptive measures and binary logistic regression were carried out. RESULTS: Among those who owned at least one ITN, 53.4% were living at an altitude >2500 m above sea level. However, out of households living at an altitude <2000 m above sea level, 15.8% (95% CI 14.4%, 17.3%) owned ITN at an average of 4.3 ± 2.1 persons per ITN. Of these, 69.5% (95% CI 64.7%, 74.1%) used the ITN. Among utilizing households at malarious areas, 23.7% prioritized pregnant women and 31.4% children to use ITN. The availability of radio receiver/mobile (AOR 1.60, 95%CI 1.08, 2.35) and secondary/above educational status of household member (AOR 1.54, 95%CI 1.19, 2.04) were predictors of ownership of ITN. CONCLUSION: Rural households at risk of malaria did not own a sufficient number of ITN though the utilization is promising. Moreover, prioritizing children and pregnant women to sleep under ITN remains public health problems. Programmers, partners and implementers should consider tailored intervention strategy stratified by altitude in distributing ITN. ITN distribution should also be accompanied by using exhaustive promotion strategies that consider people without access to any source of information, and educating households to prioritize pregnant and under five children to sleep under ITN.

Diabetes mellitus in North West Ethiopia: a community based study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is recognized as one of the emerging public health problems in developing countries. However, its magnitude has not been studied at community levels, making the provision of appropriate services difficult in such countries. Hence, this study aimed to compare the magnitude and associated risks of diabetes mellitus among urban and rural adults in northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional population based survey was performed using the WHO STEPwise method on adults aged 35 years and above. A multistage cluster random sampling strategy was used to select study participants from urban and rural locations. Fasting blood glucose levels were determined using peripheral blood samples by finger puncture. Prevalence was computed with a 95% confidence interval for each residential area. Selected risk factors were assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus among adults aged 35 years and above was 5.1% [95% CI: 3.8, 6.4] for urban and 2.1% [95% CI: 1.2, 2.9] for rural dwellers. The majority (69%) of the identified diabetic cases were not diagnosed prior to the survey. The highest proportion (82.6%) of the undiagnosed cases was noted among the rural population and 63% among the urban population. Family history of diabetes (AOR = 5.05; 2.43, 10.51), older age (AOR = 4.86; 1.99, 11.9) and physical inactivity (AOR = 1.92; 1.06, 3.45) were significantly associated with diabetes mellitus among the urban population. Alcohol consumption (AOR = 0 .24, 0 .06, 0.99) was inversely associated with diabetes mellitus in rural areas. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is considerably high among the urban compared to the rural population. Diabetes is largely undiagnosed and untreated, especially in rural settings. Appropriate actions need to be taken to provide access to early diagnosis and treatment in order to reduce associated complications.

Food consumption score and predictors among pregnant women attending antenatal care services in health centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Using ordinal logistic regression model.

BACKGROUND: Poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy creates a stressful environment that can lead to long-term effects on tissue development. Understanding the food consumption score can be used to prevent problems associated with poor dietary intake of pregnant mothers. In Ethiopia, the food consumption score ranges from 54% to 81.5%, which is far below the World Food Program (WFP) recommendation. Thus, this study aimed to assess food consumption score and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care services in health centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: This study has used institution based cross sectional study. Overall, 999 pregnant women were selected for this study. A multistage sampling technique followed by systematic random sampling was used to include pregnant women coming for antenatal care services in the selected health centers of Addis Ababa from June 07 to July 08, 2022. We used interviewer administered questionnaire using the Kobo toolbox. Food consumption score (FCS) was assessed after collecting data on frequency of eight food groups consumed over the previous seven days, which were weighted according to their relative nutritional value. STATA 14 was used to analyse the data. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of food consumption score. Those variables having p value < 0.25 in the bivariable ordinal logistic regression were considered for the final model. Crude and Adjusted Odds Ratio were used to assess the strength of the association. In the final model, p value < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was used to declare statistical significance. RESULT: From the total of 949 pregnant women a little over half (51.20% (95%CI: 48.00%-54.40%) had acceptable food consumption score, while just over two fifth (42.60% (95% CI: 39.40%-45.70%)) and a small proportion (6.2% (95%CI: 4.84%-7.94%)) of the study participants had borderline and poor food consumption score, respectively. No meal skip (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI:1.03-1.81), able to read and write (AOR = 3.99, 95% CI: 1.33-11.96), poorest wealth status (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.34-0.78), positive attitude towards consumption of a diversified diet (AOR = 1.52,95% CI: 1.17-1.98) were independent predictors of acceptable food consumption score. CONCLUSION: In this study, considerably low level of acceptable food consumption score among the study participants was observed. Besides, not skipping meal, having better educational status, wealth status and attitude towards consumption of a diversified diet were associated with acceptable food consumption score. Therefore, nutritional education considering important dietary modifications should be intensified targeting vulnerable groups.

An Interpretative Study of LARCs Discontinuation in Ethiopia: The Experiences of Women Accessing Contraceptives in Selected Public Health Facilities.

Background: Discontinuation of contraception for reasons other than wanting to become pregnant is a public health concern as it affects women's autonomy in sexual and reproductive health decision making as well as gender equality. Studies identified various factors, including community perception and users' dissatisfaction that limited the reach and impact of contraceptives, primarily LARCs, on women's wellbeing. In Ethiopia, however, the reasons for early discontinuation of LARCCs are not adequately explored. Against this backdrop, this study explores the main reasons for the early discontinuation of LARCs among Ethiopian women in selected public health facilities. Methods: This study used an institution-based qualitative study design and covered selected university hospitals and health centers in Addis Ababa, Gondar, Mekelle, and Jimma. It involved in-depth interviews with 29 women aged 15-49 to gather data and explore the decision-making processes involved in the early discontinuation of LARCs. It used description, narration and thematic interpretation as data analysis procedures. Results: Interviewees reported several reasons for early discontinuation of LARCs, including side effects (eg, weight gain/loss, heavy menses, tiredness, and reduced libido), desire to conceive, and husbands' disapproval. This study found that women were sufficiently aware of alternative contraceptives, including LARCs. Many reported experimenting before deciding on an option. Conversely, others' reports reveal the influences of gender roles and community misconceptions on women's decisions to discontinue LARCs. Discussion and Implications: The common threads in interviewees' narratives highlight the significance of traditional values, gender roles, community perception, and experience with side effects to women's early discontinuation of LARCs. This study concludes with remarks on how to improve the effectiveness of family planning programming by adopting the gender transformative approach (GTA) in their design and implementation.

Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Amharic Version of the World Health Organization's Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) Screening Tool Among Pregnant Women in North West Ethiopia, 2022: A Psychometric Validation.

Background: The prevalence of prenatal common mental disorders afflicting the global community, including Ethiopia, is thriving. Therefore, a time-efficient and valid screening tool is required. This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the self-reporting questionnaire-20 tool developed by the World Health Organization among pregnant mothers in Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 310 pregnant women completed the questionnaire at two selected health centers in the regional state of Amhara. The World Health Organization's Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 tool was first translated into Amharic by two experts. The back translation was done by two English experts. Internal consistency and reliability were assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed using composite reliability and extracted mean variance. SRQ-20 was tested for reliability and validity using principal components analysis and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sample adequacy with a cutoff value of 0.50 for each item. Results: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (KMO = 0.733) for sample adequacy and the Bartlett's sphericity test for the identity matrix indicated that the data were amenable to exploratory factor analysis. Principal components analysis identified six factors that explained 64% of the variation in the self-report questionnaire 20. Cronbach's alpha was 0.817 for the entire scale and the extracted mean variance was greater than 0.5 for all factors, indicating convergent validity. The extracted mean variance, composite reliability, and factor loadings were all greater than 0.75 for all factors in this study, indicating that convergent validity was satisfactory and that discriminatory validity was also satisfied. The composite factor reliability scores ranged from 0.74 to 0.84, and the square roots of the mean variances were greater than the factor correlation scores. Conclusion: The interview-based, culturally-adapted 20-item Amharic version of the SRQ-20 tool demonstrated good cultural adaptation and was also found to be valid and reliable in the present context.

Contraceptive dynamics among women with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Contraceptive dynamics is the use of contraception, unmet need, discontinuation, and/or switching of contraception. Women with disabilities (WWDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face a common problem: a low prevalence of contraceptive usage and a high unmet need. Even though certain studies have been conducted in high-income countries, research is scarce on the degree of contraceptive method mix, unmet needs, contraception discontinuation, and switching among WWDs in LMICs. As a result, the scoping review's goal is to investigate, map available evidence, and identify knowledge gaps on contraceptive dynamics within LMICs WWDs. METHODS: The scoping review is guided by the six-stage Arksey and O'Malley methodology framework. Published articles will be retrieved from databases such as PubMed (MEDLINE), the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Global Health. Grey literature databases will be searched using electronic search engines such as Google Scholar, Google, OpenGrey, and Worldcat. In addition, a manual search of reference lists from recognized studies will be conducted, as well as a hand search of the literature. Any type of study design (e.g., randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-control or nested case-control studies, qualitative, cross-sectional studies) will be included in this scoping review. There will be no restrictions on publication year. Two independent reviewers will screen relevant publications, and data will be charted accordingly. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist and reporting guidelines will be used to report all parts of the protocol and scoping review. DISCUSSION: When compared to non-disabled women, WWDs had a lower prevalence of contraceptive usage and a higher unmet need in LMICs. Despite these facts, they are the most marginalized people on the planet. This is, therefore, critical to map available evidence and identify knowledge gaps on contraceptive dynamics. As a result, the findings of this scoping review will be significant in terms of the contraceptive dynamic among WWDs in LMICs. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework (OSF), with registration number; DOI/10.17605/OSF.IO/XCKPT.

An Evaluation of Community Health Workers' Knowledge, Attitude and Personal Lifestyle Behaviour in Non-Communicable Disease Health Promotion and Their Association with Self-Efficacy and NCD-Risk Perception.

Community health workers, also known as health extension workers (HEWs), play an important role in health promotion. This study evaluates HEWs' knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy for non-communicable diseases (NCD) health promotion. HEWs (n = 203) completed a structured questionnaire on knowledge, attitude, behaviour, self-efficacy and NCD risk perception. Regression analysis was used to determine the association between self-efficacy and NCD risk perception with knowledge (high, medium, low), attitude (favourable/unfavourable) and physical activity (sufficient/insufficient). HEWs with higher self-efficacy were more likely to have high NCD knowledge (AOR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.21. 4.07), favourable attitude towards NCD health promotion (AOR: 6.27; 95% CI: 3.11. 12.61) and were more physically active (AOR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.08. 4.74) than those with lower self-efficacy. HEWs with higher NCD susceptibility (AOR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.04. 3.47) and perceived severity (AOR: 2.69; 95% CI: 1.46, 4.93) had higher odds of NCD knowledge than their counterparts. Moreover, sufficient physical activity was influenced by HEWs' perceived NCD susceptibility and perceived benefits of lifestyle change. Therefore, HEWs need to adopt healthy lifestyle choices to become effective role models for the community. Our findings highlight the need to include a healthy lifestyle when training HEWs, which might increase self-efficacy for NCD health promotion.