Undiagnosed hypertension and associated factors among long-distance bus drivers in Addis Ababa terminals, Ethiopia, 2022: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is a major public health problem that is often unrecognized, and its detection and control should be prioritized. The level of undiagnosed hypertension and its associated factors among long-distance bus drivers in Ethiopia is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the magnitude of undiagnosed hypertension and its associated factors among long-distance bus drivers in Addis Ababa bus terminals. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 391 long-distance bus drivers from December 15, 2021, to January 15 2022 at five cross-country bus terminals in Addis Ababa. A standardized and structured questionnaire was adapted based on the WHO stepwise approach to a non-communicable disease study and translated into Amharic. Data were coded, cleaned, and entered using Epi-data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 26. Logistic regression analysis was performed. Variables with a P-value < 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were selected for multivariable logistic regression analysis. Independent variables with a P-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The magnitude of association between independent and dependent variables was measured by odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: In this study, 391 study participants were involved with a response rate of 97.1%. The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension was 22.5% (CI: 18.7%, 26.6%). Poor level of knowledge (AOR: 2.00, CI: 1.08, 3.70), long duration of driving per day (AOR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.37-4.56), habit of chewing of chat (AOR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.44, 4.73), regular alcohol consumption (AOR = 3.46; 95% CI: 1.70, 7.05), overweight (AOR:3.14, 95%CI: 1.54,6.42) obesity (AOR: 3.21, 95% CI 1.35, 7.61) and regular physical exercise (AOR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.29) were statistically significantly associated with undiagnosed hypertension. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension among long-distance bus drivers was 22.5%, which was associated with modifiable behavioral factors, lack of regular physical exercise, lack of adequate awareness and high body mass index. RECOMMENDATION: Stakeholders must implement the necessary preventive measures. These include increasing the level of awareness of hypertension among long-distance drivers and developing prevention of hypertension strategies and policies focusing on lifestyle and behavioral modifications.

The effect of unemployment and post-natal care on the exclusive breast-feeding practice of women in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Promoting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is a major child survival strategy in developing countries like Ethiopia. Studies in EBF are found in a fragmented and inconclusive way in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine evidences on the effect of post natal care counseling and maternal employment status on exclusive breastfeeding practice of women in Ethiopia. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted from PubMed (contains MEDLINE), CINAHL (EBSCO), Global Health, Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA) (EBSCO) and Grey literature sources such as Google and Google scholar. All primary studies on the effects of employment status and/or post-natal care utilization on EBF practices of women in Ethiopia were included. Data analyses were performed using STATA software. Forest plot, I2 test and the Cochrane Q statistics were used to detect heterogeneity among studies. Heterogeneity was considered significant when the I2 value was ≥ 50%, with p-value < 0.05. Publication bias was checked by looking the asymmetry of funnel and confirmed by Egger's regression test at a 5% significant level. The pooled odds ratio (POR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to report the measures of associations. RESULT: A total of 622 studies were identified in the initial search of which 42 articles were included this systematic review and meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of 24 studies indicated that maternal employment status was significantly associated (POR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.16, 0.86) EBF practice in that employed mother were less likely to practice to practice EBF. Post-natal care service utilization significantly increases (POR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.32, 2.34) the EBF practice in Ethiopia and it was computed using 25 eligible articles. Besides, the pooled estimates of EBF practice was found to be 62.58% (95% CI 56.98, 68.19, I2 = 96.4%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This review found that post-natal care service utilization and maternal employment status has a significant effect on EBF practice. The findings from this review may be used to inform for better supportive and promotive strategies for EBF practice in Ethiopia.

Promotion of EBF in developing countries including Ethiopia is very crucial strategy to improve the survival of children. Despite this, several factors prohibit women from practicing EBF of which post-natal care service utilization and employment status are the main determinants. The previous studies in Ethiopia are inconsistent and inconclusive to policy makers. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis underpinned the effects post-natal care service and maternal employment status on the EBF practice of women in Ethiopia. The findings of this study will be vital to forward recommendations on the duration of maternal leave and design promotion strategies of post-natal care, the most unaddressed maternal health care service in Ethiopia. The original studies were retrieved systematically from reputable databases and grey literature sources. The data were extracted using standardized data extraction sheet. Analyses were performed using STATA software. Fixed and random effect models were utilized to compute pooled estimates. Heterogeneities were computed and the sources of heterogeneities were explained. In the current study, the pooled prevalence of EBF was 62.6%. Likewise, post-natal care service utilization and employment status were found to have significant association with the EBF practice. Unemployed women had a better EBF practice as compared to the employed ones. This could be due to the fact that most employed women in Ethiopia are governmental employees where the maximum duration of maternal leave is four months after birth. This is before the due date of commencement of complementary feeding. Post-natal care should also be promoted to improve the EBF practice.

Self-care knowledge, attitude and associated factors among outpatients with diabetes mellitus in Arsi Zone, Southeast Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical care and ongoing patient self-management, education and support to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Therefore, this study aims to assess the self-care knowledge, attitude and associated factors among outpatients with diabetes mellitus in Arsi Zone, Southeast Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was employed in Arsi Zone, Southeast Ethiopia from April to June 2017 among 290 patients with diabetes mellitus. Structured questionnaire was employed through face to face interview. Bivariate and multivariate regression was done and a statistical significance was declared at p value < 0.05. RESULTS: Among 290 respondents, 64.8% and 27.6% of them had good knowledge and good attitude towards self-care in this study respectively. Being married (AOR: 3.41, 95% CI: 1.480-8.095), being employed in occupation (AOR: 5.8, 95% CI: 2.26-14.67) and living in higher socioeconomic status (AOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.096-3.322) are the independent factors associated to good knowledge of respondents towards self-care whereas living in lower socioeconomic status(AOR: 0.478, 95% CI: 0.262-0.874), having informal education (AOR: 4.002, 95% CI: 1.941-8.254), not having family history of diabetes mellitus (AOR: 0.422, 95% CI: 0.222-0.803) and having short duration of diagnosis (AOR: 3.209, 95% CI: 1.537-6.779) were significantly associated factors to have poor attitude towards self-care. CONCLUSION: Majority of the study participants had good knowledge towards diabetes self-care practice while a significant number of the participants had unfavorable attitude towards diabetes self-care. Being married, being employed and living in higher socioeconomic status were the determinant factors of knowledge towards the diabetes self-care practice while having informal education and having short duration of diagnosis were the significant factors associated to the unfavorable attitude towards diabetes self-care practice. Therefore, efforts should be made on enhancing patients' socioeconomic status and equipping with diabetic self-care centered health information particularly for those patients with short duration of diagnosis.