Hidden cost of hospital-based delivery and associated factors among postpartum women attending public hospitals in Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Since 2005, the healthcare system in Ethiopia has implemented policies to promote the provision of free maternal healthcare services. The primary goal of these policies is to enhance the accessibility of maternity care for women from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, the aim is to increase the utilization of maternity services, such as institutional deliveries, by removing financial obstacles that pregnant women may face. Even though maternity services are free of charge. The hidden cost has unquestionably been a key obstacle in seeking and utilizing health care services. Significant payments due to delivery services could create a heavy economic burden on households. OBJECTIVES: To determine the hidden cost of hospital-based delivery and associated factors among postpartum women attending public hospitals in Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia 2023. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 411 postpartum women in Gamo Zone Public Health Hospitals from December 1, 2022, to January 30, 2023. The systematic sampling technique was applied to reach study units. Data was collected using the Kobo Toolbox Data Collection Tool and exported to SPSS statistical software version 27 for analysis. Simple linear regression and multiple linear regression were done to see the association of variables. The significance level was declared at a P-value < 0.05 in the final model. RESULT: The median hidden cost of hospital-based delivery was 1142 Ethiopian birr (ETB), with a range (Q) of 2262 (504-2766) ETB. Monthly income of the family (ß = 0.019), obstetrics complications (ß = 0.033), distance from the health facility (ß = 0.003), and mode of delivery (ß = 0.072), were positively associated with the hidden cost of hospital-based delivery. While, rural residence (ß = -0.041) was negatively associated with the outcome variable. CONCLUSION: This study showed the hidden cost of hospital based delivery was relatively high. Residence, monthly income of the family, obstetric complications, mode of delivery, and distance from the health facility were statistically significant. It is important to take these factors into account when designing health intervention programs and hospitals should prioritize the availability of essential drugs and medical supplies within their facilities to address direct medical costs in hospitals.

Causes and trends of adult mortality in southern Ethiopia: an eight-year follow up database study.

BACKGROUND: Broad and specific causes of adult mortalities are often neglected indicators of wellbeing in low-income countries like Ethiopia due to lack of strong vital statistics. Thus, this database study aimed to assess the causes of adult mortality using demographic surveillance data. METHODS: An 8-year (12 September 2009-11 September 2017) surveillance data from the Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Site was used for this study. Verbal autopsy methods and ICD codes were used to identify the causes of the adult deaths. The collected data were entered to the database by data clerks. We used Microsoft Excel and STATA version 16 software for data cleaning and analysis. Chi-squared test was used to see the significances of the trend analyses. RESULT: From the 943 adult deaths from 2009 to 2017 in the Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in southern Ethiopia, more than half of them were females. The specific leading cause of death in the adults were tuberculosis (16.8%), malaria (9.7%), and intestinal infectious diseases (9.6%). Communicable diseases (49.2%, 95% C.I 45.7, 52.7) accounted for about half of the deaths followed by non-communicable diseases (35%, 95% C.I 31.7, 38.4) where both categories showed an increasing trend. CONCLUSION: Although pieces of evidences are showing the shift from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases as the major causes of adult death in developing countries, this study showed that communicable diseases are still the major causes of adult deaths. Efforts and emphasis should be given to control infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria.

Perceived barriers to the practice of preventive measures for COVID-19 pandemic among health professionals in public health facilities of the Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia: a phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND: Novel coronavirus is a global pandemic and killed many individuals, including health care professionals. It caused stress on the health care system of all countries. Presently, studies are emerging regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in different aspects. However, a few have explored barriers that affecting the practice of preventive measures for the COVID-19. As such, the study aimed to fill these research gaps in the study setting. METHODS: A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct this phenomenological study among 16 key informants. Key informants were recruited by the purposive sampling method. To analyze that data, thematic content analysis was employed by using an inductive approach in NVivo 12 Pro software. RESULTS: In this study, six main themes were identified with the sub-themes. Overview of COVID-19 pandemic (with the six sub-themes), consequences (with the two sub-themes), perceived practice (with four sub-themes), perceived barriers (with four sub-themes), newfangled activities (with three sub-themes), and suggestion for improvement (with seven sub-themes) were the major themes. The participants perceived the influence of shortage of personal protective equipment and solutions for hand hygiene, negligence and ignorance, inadequate infrastructure, lack of training, and lack of attention and recognition for the staff on the practice of preventive measures. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a gap in preventive measure practices for the COVID-19 in the health care system. Community influences, health care provider related barriers, institutional barriers, and lack of communication and support affect the practice. Hence, attention should give to fulfill the necessary supplies in the health facilities, improve the infrastructures, and equip health professionals by providing capacity-building activities. Besides, health care workers must recognize, and attention is needed.

Tobacco use and associated factors among adults reside in Arba Minch health and demographic surveillance site, southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is one of the world-leading preventable killers. There was a varied prevalence of tobacco use and cigarette smoking across different areas. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with current tobacco use among adults residing in Arba Minch health and demographic surveillance site (HDSS). METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adults residing in Arba Minch HDSS in 2017. The estimated sample size was 3368 individuals which were selected by simple random sampling techniques using Arba Minch HDSS dataset. Data collection tools were obtained from the WHO STEPwise. Current use of tobacco, which defined as the current use of smoked and/or smokeless tobacco, was considered as the dependent variable. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify candidate variables for the multivariable logistic regression model. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a p-value of less than 0.05 was used to determine a statistically significant association between independent and dependent variables. RESULT: The prevalence of tobacco use among adults was 20.2% (95% CI: 18.9-21.6%). The current use of smoked and smokeless tobacco were 17.1% (95%CI: 15.8-18.4%) and 9.7% (95%CI: 8.8-10.8%), respectively. The current use of tobacco was significantly associated with sex (female [AOR 0.54; 95%CI: 0.42-0.68] compared to men), age group (35-44 [AOR 1.57; 95%CI: 1.14-2.17], 45-54 [AOR 1.99; 95%CI: 1.45-2.74], and 55-64 [AOR 3.26; 95%CI: 2.37-4.48] years old compared to 25-35 years old), physical activity (moderate physical activity level [AOR 0.65; 95%CI: 0.44-0.96] compared with low) and residency (highland [AOR 4.39; 95% CI: 3.21-6.01] compared with at lowlander). Also, heavy alcohol consumption (AOR 3.97; 95% CI: 3.07-5.12), and Khat chewing (AOR 3.07(95%CI: 1.64-5.77) were also associated with the use of tobacco among the study participants. CONCLUSION: Nearly one in five adults used tobacco currently in the study area, which is more than the national reports. Interventions for the reduction of tobacco use need to give due attention to men, older adults, uneducated, poor, and highlanders.

Trend of declining bed net utilization among pregnant women in Ethiopia: new data from the Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance System, 2010-2016.

BACKGROUND: Bed net utilization is one of the important methods of malaria prevention. Malaria during pregnancy is one of the fatal diseases which mostly leads to the death of the mother and the fetus. Some of the complications of malaria during pregnancy are: intrauterine growth restrictions, intrauterine fetal death, and stillbirth. The main challenge of malaria treatment is that most of the anti-malarial drugs are not safe to use during pregnancy. The use of bed net is the most effective method of prevention of malaria during pregnancy. There is a paucity of information on bed net utilization among pregnant women in the study setting. Hence, this study aims to assess the trends of bed net utilization among pregnant women in Arba Minch Health and Demography Surveillance Site (HDSS), Southern Ethiopia. METHODS: The study was conducted in the Arba Minch HDSS. The observation started in 2010 till 2016, using a repeated cross-sectional study design. The data was collected using interviewer administered questionnaire biannually with a total of 14 rounds of data collection from 2010 to 2016. A total of 2657 pregnant women were included in the study. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and proportion were used to present the findings of each variable. RESULTS: Out of 2657 mothers included in the study, more than half, 1521 (63.6%), of the study participants were in the age group between 20 and 29 years. About one-third of the study population 793 (29.8) were having no schooling. The trend of bed net utilization decreased from 83.6% in 2010 to 36.5% in 2016. CONCLUSION: The trends of bed net utilization decreased from 2010 to 2016 in Arba Minch HDSS. Utilization of bed net by pregnant women in the area need to be increased as it is malaria endemic. The government should strengthen the existing bed net distribution strategy. Further research is needed to investigate the cause of decreasing bed net utilization.

Predictive capacity of obesity indices for high blood pressure among southern Ethiopian adult population: a WHO STEPS survey.

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization (WHO) consultation experts recommend countries to have guidance to identify public health action points suitable for their country. The objective of the study was to evaluate different obesity indices to predict high blood pressure and its optimal cutoff values among the adult population. METHOD: A total of 3368 individuals age from 25 to 64 years were included in this study. Data was collected based on the WHO Stepwise approach. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WstC), waist to hip ratio (WHpR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were measured and calculated. High blood pressure was considered for those with systolic blood pressure above 135 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure above 85 mmHg or taking antihypertensive medications. To generate cutoff values, the receiver operator characteristic curve was generated with the maximum Youden index. RESULT: Women had a significantly higher hip circumference (P = 0.003), BMI (P = 0.036) and WHtR (P < 0.001) than men. Men had significantly higher WHpR (P = 0.027) than women. There were significantly higher BMI, WstC, WHpR, and WHtR among those with high blood pressure. The cutoff values for BMI, WstC, WHpR and WHtR were 22.86 kg/m2, 84.05 cm, 0.91 and 0.50 for men and 24.02 kg/m2, 79.50 cm, 0.91 and 0.51 for women, respectively. CONCLUSION: BMI, WstC, WHpR, and WHtR are a useful predictor of high blood pressure among adults' rural residents of southern Ethiopia. As the sensitivity for the cutoff values of most of indices were low, further surveys in different settings may need to be done before a conclusion can be drawn on whether or not to review the anthropometric cut offs for high blood pressure in Ethiopia.

Association between maternal age and adverse perinatal outcomes in Arba Minch zuria, and Gacho Baba district, southern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, delayed childbearing to the advanced age is a growing option. It is an emerging public health issue in developing countries. Currently, adverse perinatal outcomes significantly increased. A few studies showed the effect of advanced maternal age on adverse perinatal outcomes. However, most used secondary data or chart reviews, and this increases the risk of biases. Besides, there are limited studies in-country Ethiopia as advanced maternal age steadily increased. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the status of advanced maternal age and its effect on perinatal outcomes in the study setting. METHODS: A community-based prospective cohort study was conducted among 709 study participants from October 15, 2018, to September 30, 2019, in Arba Minch zuria, and Gacho Baba district, southern Ethiopia. The data were collected by a pretested interviewer-administered structured Open Data Kit survey tool and analyzed by SPSS version 25. The log-linear regression model was used to compare perinatal outcomes among women aged 20-34 years and ≥ 35 years. The log-likelihood ratio tested for the goodness of fit. In this study, P-value < 0.05 was considered to declare a result as a statistically significant association. RESULTS: In this study, 209(29.5%) of the women were age group ≥35 years old, and 500(70.5%) were age group from20-34 years old. Stillbirth (ß = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.05, 0.52), and neonatal mortality (ß = 0.11, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.21) were significantly associated with the advanced maternal age. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal outcomes such as stillbirth and neonatal mortality were independently associated with advanced maternal age after controlling for possible cofounders. Therefore, different strategies should design for the women who planned to bear child, and information should provide for women who are advanced age or delayed childbearing to alert them.

Prevalence of heavy episodic drinking and associated factors among adults residing in Arba Minch health and demographic surveillance site: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is associated with different types of illnesses; particularly heavy episodic drinking is one of the risk factors for the disease burden of alcohol intake. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking and associated factors in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS). METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among adult residents of Arba Minch HDSS. Using Arba Minch HDSS database, 3368 individuals were selected by simple random sampling techniques. From WHO STEPS instruments, step one was applied for this study. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.10 for bivariate analysis entered into a multivariable logistic regression model to outline the independent predictors of the heavy episodic drinking. To assess the presence of an association between dependent and independent variables, a p-value of less than 0.05 was considered. RESULTS: The prevalence of heavy episodic drinking was 13.7% (95% CI: 12.6-14.9). The study has shown that heavy episodic drinking was significantly associated with occupation (daily laborer [AOR = 0.49; 95% C.I: 0.29-0.85] and housewives [AOR = 0.63; 95% C.I: 0.45-0.88] compared with farmers), wealth index (2nd quintiles [AOR =0.55; 95% C.I: 0.41-0.74) and 3rd quintiles [AOR = 0.66; 95% C.I: 0.46-0.93] compared with 1st quintiles), and climatic zone (midland [AOR = 1.80;95% CI: 1.11-2.93), highland [AOR = 1.95;95% CI: 1.19-3.18] compared with lowland). In addition, tobacco use [AOR = 4.28;95% CI: 3.38-5.43], and khat use [AOR = 4.75; 95% CI: 2.66-8.50) were also associated with heavy episodic drinking among the study participants. CONCLUSIONS: More than one in ten adults reported heavy episodic drinking in the study area. Intervention programs that aim to prevent heavy episodic drinking should be designed appropriately for individuals from lower wealth status, and for highlander.

Expanded program of immunization coverage and associated factors among children age 12-23 months in Arba Minch town and Zuria District, Southern Ethiopia, 2013.

BACKGROUND: Immunization averts an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths every year globally. In Ethiopia only quarter of children are fully immunized; the rest are remained at risk for vaccine-preventable mortality. To increase the immunization, its coverage and predictors has to be identified. This study has measured immunization coverage and identified the predictors. METHODS: Cross-sectional community based study has been conducted within 630 age 12-23 months children in 15 districts of Arba Minch town and Arba Minch Zuria district, Southern Ethiopia in March 2013. Census was done to identify eligible children. The 2005 world health organization expanded program of immunization cluster sampling method has been used. Data were collected using semi-structured pretested Amharic version questionnaire by interviewing index children's mothers/caretakers, copying from vaccine card and observing BCG vaccine scar. Data were processed using SPSS version 16. Associations between dependent and independent variables has been assessed and presented using three consecutive logistic regression models. RESULT: Nearly three fourth (73.2%) of children in Arba Minch Town and Arba Minch Zuria district were fully immunized. The rest 20.3% were partially immunized and 6.5% received no vaccine. Mother education, mothers' perception to accessibility of vaccines, mothers' knowledge to vaccine schedule of their site, place of delivery and living altitude were independent predictors of children immunization status. CONCLUSION: Expanded program of immunization (EPI) coverage at Arba Minch town and Arba Minch Zuria district is better than the national immunization coverage but still below the goal. Educating mother, promoting institution delivery could help to maintain and enhance current immunization coverage. More emphasis should be given to the highland areas of the area.

Regulatory problems and associated factors among infants in Arba Minch health and demographic surveillance system sites, southern Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Infant regulatory problems are a common source of concern for parents, and they increase the risk of impaired infant-caregiver bonding. Despite their impact, they are often overlooked in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of infant regulatory problems in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance System sites in southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 451 mother-infant pairs from February 15 to March 15, 2022. Regulatory problems were assessed using diagnostic interviews for regulatory problems. The data was collected using an open data kit Android application and analyzed with Stata version 17.0. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were computed to identify factors associated with each infant regulatory problem. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: In this study, four hundred forty-nine mother-infant pairs were involved, with a response rate of 99.5%. The prevalence of excessive crying, feeding problems, and sleeping difficulties was 14.03% [95% CI: 10.95, 17.59], 20.04% [95% CI: 16.44, 24.05], and 13.59% [95% CI: 10.55, 17.11], respectively. Attending primary education (AOR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.22, 5.32), high perceived social support (AOR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.89), feeding problems (AOR: 5.0, 95% CI: 2.65, 9.45), and depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) symptoms (AOR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.19, 5.98) were associated with excessive crying. In addition, a family size of above five (AOR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.22), excessive crying (AOR: 3.76, 95% CI: 1.85, 7.65), sleeping problems (AOR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.13, 4.65), comorbid DAS symptoms (AOR: 3.42, 95% CI: 1.64, 7.11), alcohol abuse (AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.04, 3.42), and late initiation of complementary feeding (AOR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.22, 5.88) were associated with feeding problems. Furthermore, attending primary education (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.16, 4.77), feeding problems (AOR: 3.47, 95% CI: 1.86, 6.48), and comorbid DAS symptoms (AOR: 3.23, 95% CI: 1.53, 6.84) were associated with sleeping problems. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-third of infants encountered at least one regulatory problem. Level of education, perceived social support, feeding problems, and DAS symptoms were associated with excessive crying. Large family sizes, excessive crying, sleeping problems, comorbid DAS symptoms, alcohol abuse and, late initiation of complementary feeding increase the likelihood of feeding problems. Moreover, attending primary education, feeding problems, and comorbid DAS symptoms increase the odds of sleeping problems. Continuous guidance and support on infant soothing techniques, cognitive and behavioral therapy, and counselling on appropriate coping strategies for postpartum women are imperative to reduce the burden of infant regulatory problems.

Community perceptions and experiences on caring for the premature babies in Arba Minch health and demographic surveillance site, southern Ethiopia: Interpretive Husserlian phenomenological study.

INTRODUCTION: Premature birth is the leading cause of under-5 child mortality, accounting for 18%. More attention is needed for premature babies. Myths, misconceptions, and negative attitudes stigmatize premature births and slow prevention and care efforts. In Ethiopia, studies have been conducted on premature birth and its risk factors. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the perceived causes of premature birth, caring aspects, and community challenges. This qualitative study aims to address these research gaps. METHODS: This interpretive Husserlian phenomenological study was conducted from January 1-30, 2022. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 32 participants for focus group discussions and 10 participants for in-depth interviews. Participants included women, grandmothers, grandfathers, men, traditional birth attendants, and traditional healers. Interview and focus group data were analyzed using NVivo 12 Plus software and a thematic content analysis approach. RESULTS: In this study, the participants recognized premature babies by physical features such as transparent and bloody bodies, small and weak bodies, a limited range of motion, and bizarre behaviors. They perceived the causes of premature birth to be being young, carrying heavily loaded materials, accidents, illnesses, sin, social influence, and witchcraft. Participants provide warmth to premature babies by wearing cotton wool, making skin-to-skin contact, exposing to sunlight, and wrapping them in clothes. They also feed them boiled alcohol, muk, and formula, as well as fresh cow milk and butter. They frequently bathe the babies, wash and change their clothes, limit visits, and provide physical protection. The main challenges that the women faced were difficulty feeding and bathing the babies, limited social participation, psychosocial and economic impact, spirituality, and husband negligence. CONCLUSIONS: The community has a gap in providing care for premature babies, and women with premature babies face many challenges. Therefore, we need to raise awareness of accurate information about the causes and care of premature babies, and we need to support women who have premature babies.

Prevalence of insomnia and associated factors among postpartum mothers in Southern Ethiopia, a community-based cross-sectional study.

Insomnia has become a global public health concern, particularly among postpartum women. Minimal sleep interruption related to newborn care is normally expected, insomnia, however has negative impact during the postpartum period. Although its causes and contributing factors are poorly understood, it has a wide-ranging impact on the mother and her infant. So far, studies in Ethiopia have focused on the general community, neglecting mothers in the postpartum period. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of insomnia and the factors associated with it. A community-based cross-sectional study included 451 study participants who were chosen using a simple random sampling technique. A structured, pretested, and interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. After entering the data into EpiData version 3.1, it was exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were carried out. Variables with a P-value of 0.2 in the bivariable analysis were included in the multivariable analyses. Those with a P-value of 0.05 were declared statistically significant in the final model. The current study included 444 mothers in total. Insomnia was prevalent among 23.2% (95% CI: 19.3%, 27.4%) of mothers who had given birth within the previous 12 months. Insomnia was associated with unplanned index pregnancy [AOR = 4.4, 95% CI (2.2, 8.7)], alcohol consumption [AOR = 3.0, 95% CI (1.4, 6.5), low social support [AOR = 9.7, 95% CI (4.4, 21.1)], medium social support [AOR = 2.2, 95% CI (1.1, 4.3)] and depression [AOR = 10.7, 95% CI (5.7, 20.0). A planned index pregnancy, abstaining from alcohol, and recognizing and treating postpartum depression were all advised.

Factors associated with age at first sexual initiation among youths in Gamo Gofa, south west Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Early sexual initiation increases the risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. This study aimed to determine age at first sexual initiation and associated factors among youths in south west Ethiopia. METHODS: Cross-sectional study was conducted in South west Ethiopia from January 15 - March 20, 2012. A sample of youths aged 15-24 years was taken from six health centers and three hospitals using systematic sampling technique. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to assess the association between the outcome and explanatory variables. RESULT: A total of 405 youths participated in the study and the mean ( ±SD ) age of sexual initiation was 17.07 years (±2.12). Age at first sexual initiation was positively associated with lack of employment [Adj. HR & (95% CI) = 7.372 (1.455, 37.357)], lack of comprehensive knowledge on HIV [Adj. HR & (95% CI) = 8.247 (2.121, 32.067)], alcohol use [Adj. HR & (95% CI) = 3.815 (1.315, 11.070)] and khat use [Adj. HR & (95% CI) = 7.241 (1.871, 28.016)]. CONCLUSION: Majority of the study participants experienced sexual initiation. Strategies should be designed to control the use of substances like alcohol and khat which were found to be responsible for first sexual initiation.

Factors associated with Khat use among youths visiting HIV testing and counseling centers in Gamo Gofa, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The use of khat among youths can be harmful leading to decreased academic performance, increased risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases or other psychiatric symptoms. It is believed to be one of the factors associated with unprotected risky sexual behavior predisposing the youth for HIV infection and transmission. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in South West Ethiopia. A total of 410 participants were recruited in the study using stratified sampling technique. Data were collected by using interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression and Cox regression were used to assess the association of independent variables with the outcome variable. RESULT: Khat use was positively associated with male gender (OR 2.9; C.I. 1.4 to 6.0), alcohol use (OR 4.8; C.I. 2.1 to 10.6), no education level (OR 2.6; C.I. 1.1 to 6.2) and not having communication with parents about khat chewing (OR 2.6; C.I. 1.1 to 6.2). CONCLUSION: Strategies should be designed to increase awareness of factors associated with khat use among youths and their parents in order to reduce the prevalence of khat use and its adverse social and health consequences.

Knowledge of postpartum complications and associated factors among women who gave birth in the last 12 months in Arba Minch Town, Southern Ethiopia, 2019: A community-based cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The knowledge of women about obstetric complications can helps them to seek health care earlier before obstetric complications arise. Most maternal deaths occur due to the poor health care seeking behavior after childbirth, but little is done on maternal knowledge of postpartum complications. Therefore this study aimed to assess knowledge of postpartum complications and associated factors among women who gave birth in the last 12 months in Arba Minch Town, Sothern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 418 women from December 01 to 15, 2019. A multi-stage sampling method was applied to reach study units. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data using face-to-face interviews. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was applied to examine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Statistical significance was declared at a P-value ≤ 0.05 with the corresponding 95% confidence level. RESULTS: Knowledge of women on postpartum complications was 23.9%. Secondary and above educational level (AOR = 3.82, 95% CI: [1.70, 8.65]), Grand multiparity (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI: [1.13, 4.71]), having four and above ANC visit (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: [1.10, 3.81]) and self-decision making power to seek care (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI: [2.21, 6.11]) were statistically significant factors. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Mothers' knowledge of postpartum complications was low in this study area. Improving women's educational level, decision-making power to seek health care, and counseling during ANC follow-up may be useful approaches to increase their knowledge of postpartum complications.

Why people die of active tuberculosis in the era of effective chemotherapy in Southern Ethiopia: A qualitative study.

Background: High TB mortality is increasingly understood as an indicator of different problems in the health system and community. Limited awareness of TB in the community, restricted accessibility and/or quality of health services can hamper survival. Exploration and analysis of death among TB patients can lead to a clearer and specific understanding of why the deaths happened and where interventions are likely to make a difference in a specific context. Objective: The study aimed to assess why people die of active tuberculosis in the era of effective chemotherapy. Methods: The study was conducted from October to December 2020 in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance System (AM-HDSS) by applying phenomenological study design. A total of 27 family members of people who had died of TB, 9 health extension workers (HEW) and 8 health care professionals working in TB clinics were participated in open in-depth interview. A total of 130 individuals participated in 16 focus group discussion which composed of patient survived from TB, religious leader, health development army (HAD) and HEWs. Adequacy of information (saturation) was considered as an adequate sample size to create the intended qualitative product. All the interviews and FGD were tape recorded and recordings were transcribed immediately. ATLAS TI 9 software was used to analyse and process qualitative data. From data set codes were created then by identifying pattern among them themes were created. Then, generated themes were compared and some of them were split, combined, discarded and new ones created after returning to data set. Finally, themes were defined and a concise and easily understandable name was given for each theme. Result: Luck of sufficient knowledge about TB was considered to be a reason for cause of death. Most of the time, TB patients underestimate and ignore when the symptoms first emerge and will not relate it with any diseases. The low level of community awareness about the cause, transmission, treatment and prevention highly contributed to increased transmission rate and death due to TB. The study identified misconceptions in the community; they prefer traditional medicine to the scientific way. First, they try different herbal medicine to get relief from their illness. At the end, if the disease is getting worse, they visit health facilities. Participants mentioned high transportation cost, poor health seeking behaviours, inadequate food consumption and lack of TB awareness as reasons for low treatment adherence. The health facilities were inaccessible for the community. Most of them indicated that health facilities were too far to reach. In some health institution, right amount and combination of medication were not delivery on time and Diagnostic facilities for TB were reported to be inadequate. Conclusion: Poor treatment adherence, lack of TB awareness, stigma, inadequate food consumption, poor health care seeking behaviour and inaccessibility of health facility were identified as major reasons for death. To prevent death of TB patients all sectors such as education, health, and agriculture should work to address health education, infrastructures, nutritional supplementation needs of TB patients, caregivers and the community as a whole.

Adherence with COVID-19 Preventive Measures and Associated Factors Among Residents of Dirashe District, Southern Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is one of the huge general wellbeing crisis for the planet. Since its first recognition, over 90.2 and 1.9 million people are infected and dead, respectively. Although it is not easily available for low-income countries, after many trials vaccination is initiated by some industrialized nations. However, still now there is no effective treatment for the infection. Henceforth, adherence with COVID-19 preventive and control measures is the only option to stop its spread and minimize its disastrous impact, especially, in developing nations like Ethiopia. Knowledge and behavior change are pillars to engage with preventive measures. Thus, the motivation behind this study was to assess communities' adherence with COVID-19 preventive measures and its associated factors among inhabitants of Dirashe district, Southern Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was directed among 648 inhabitants in Dirashe district from June 20 to July 5, 2020. A multistage sampling technique was applied to select the participants. A pretested, validated and reliable interviewer-administered survey tool comprising the socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge (α = 0.78), and adherence with COVID-19 preventive measures (α = 0.73) was used. The data were assorted electronically using Open Data Kit (ODK) collect version 1.17.2 android application and exported to Stata version 15.0 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% CI was used to identify variables associated with the community's adherence with COVID-19 preventive measures. RESULTS: An aggregate of 644 inhabitants were participated in this study; of them, only 12.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.8, 15.1] adhered to the recommended COVID-19 preventive measures. Likewise, 63.51% [95% CI: 59.7, 67.2] and 54.5% [95% CI: 50.6, 58.4] of the participants had good knowledge and favorable attitude towards COVID-19 preventive measures, respectively. Urban residence [aOR: 9.74, 95% CI: 4.72, 20.10], favorable attitude [aOR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.68] and concerned about COVID-19-related stigma [aOR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.02, 5.79] were independently associated with communities adherence with COVID-19 preventive measures. CONCLUSION: In general, communities' adherence to the recommended COVID-19 preventive measures was very low in the area. Addressing underprivileged population groups, disseminating teaching aids in local languages, behavioral change communications, and law enforcement is imperative to strengthen COVID-19 prevention practice.

Health-Related Quality-of-Life and Associated Factors Among Post-Partum Women in Arba Minch Town.

BACKGROUND: It is generally accepted that pregnancy and childbirth are natural physiological processes. However, these significantly affect the quality of mothers' lives. Little is known about the level of quality-of-life and associated factors among postpartum women in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 409 randomly selected post-partum women who were living in Arba Minch town. Systematic random sampling was employed to select the study participants. The standard quality-of-life assessment tool which is known as the short-form SF 36 tool was used to assess health-related quality-of-life. The logistic regression model was used to identify associated factors. Statistically significant variables at a p-value<0.25 in the bi-variable analysis were candidate variables for multi-variable analysis and statistical significance which was declared at a p-value<0.05. RESULTS: Among the study participants, 255 (62.3%) had lower level health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). About 46.2% of the study participants had lower physical HRQoL and about 79% of the study participants had lower mental HRQoL. The overall mean score of HRQoL was 45.15 (±8.13). Factors associated with lower overall HRQoL were age group 17-24 years (AOR=2.73, 95% CI=1.22-6.10), no formal education [AOR 2.02, 95% CI (1.05-3.89)], and cesarean delivery (AOR=0.49, 95% CI=0.24-0.97). A factor associated with lower physical HRQoL was cesarean delivery (AOR=0.34, 95% CI=0.13-0.88). Factors associated with lower mental HRQoL were age group 17-24 (AOR=3.37, 95% CI=1.60-7.04), not receiving antenatal care (AOR=3.65, 95% CI=1.45-9.16), and having postpartum depression (AOR=2.27, 95% CI=1.30-3.93). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the majority of post-partum women had a lower HRQoL, particularly women's mental health was compromised. In this study, a suggestion is made that the respective bodies need to give particular attention to mothers during the post-partum period to prevent poor quality-of-life.

Health professionals practice and associated factors towards precautionary measures for COVID-19 pandemic in public health facilities of Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease, which caused by a novel coronavirus. The disease disrupts health systems and resulting in social, political, and economic crises. Health professionals are in front of this pandemic and always work in a high-risk environment. The best prevention for COVID-19 is avoiding exposure to the virus. Some studies reported health professional's practice of precautionary measures for COVID-19. Nevertheless, a few have identified factors affecting. As such, this study aimed to fill those research gaps in the study setting. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 428 health professionals involved from the public health facilities of the Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia. A simple random sampling method employed, and the data collected by the interviewer-administered Open Data Kit survey tool and observational checklist. The data analyzed in Stata version 15, and a binary logistic regression model used to identify factors. In this study, a statistically significant association declared at P< 0.05. RESULTS: In this study, 35.3% (95%CI: 30.7%, 39.8%) of health professionals' had a good practice on precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. Use hand sanitizer or wash hands continuously with soap and water (68.9%), cover nose and mouth with a tissue during sneezing or coughing (67.3%), and use facemask in crowds (56.8%) were the most common practice reported by study participants. Marital status, being married (AOR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.06, 3.18), good knowledge on the COVID-19 pandemic (AOR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.02, 3.18), and positive attitude towards precautionary measures for the COVID-19 were factors showed significant association with the practice. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of good practice of precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic among health professionals was low. As such, different interventions to improve the knowledge and attitude of health professionals in the health care system are highly needed to boost the practice and to advance service delivery.

The Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension among Adults in Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a growing public health problem in many developing countries including Ethiopia. Determining the prevalence of hypertension and identifying the associated factors is crucial. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of hypertension and associated factors, among adult population of Arba Minch town, Gamo Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was conducted from December 1 to 30, 2017 among adults. Study participants were selected using a multistage systematic sampling method. Data were collected by face-to-face interview after getting written informed consent by using a structured questionnaire. Additionally, weight, height, and blood pressure of participants were measured following standard procedures. Data were entered into a computer using EPI INFO 7 and exported into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to explore the association between hypertension and associated factors. Multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to control the effect of confounders. RESULTS: A total of 784 study participants were included in this study. The overall prevalence of hypertension in Arba Minch Town was 35.2%, (95% CI: 32.4%, 38.4%). Nearly 90% of hypertensive patients were screened for the first time. Age ≥55 years [AOR = 7.74; 95% CI: 2.19, 27.23], income level which is greater than 2501 Ethiopian Birr [AOR = 9.5; 95% CI: 4.5, 20.20], working hour less than seven hours per day [AOR = 12.5; 95% CI: 4.3, 36.1], and chewing "khat" [AOR = 11.06: 95% CI: 4.3, 27.7] were the independently associated factors with hypertension. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension is found to be high. Increasing awareness on control use of "khat," increasing physical activity, and strengthening community-based periodic screening programs of high-risk populations are recommended.