Determinants of malaria infection in Dembia district, Northwest Ethiopia: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the progress in reducing malaria infections and related deaths, the disease remains a major global public health problem. The problem is among the top five leading causes of outpatient visits in Dembia district of the northwest Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the determinants of malaria infections in the district. METHODS: An institution-based case-control study was conducted in Dembia district from October to November 2016. Out of the ten health centers in the district, four were randomly selected for the study in which 370 participants (185 cases and 185 controls) were enrolled. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Factors associated with malaria infections were determined using logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio with 95% CI was used as a measure of association, and variables with a p-value of ≤0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The median age of all participants was 26 years, while that of cases and controls was 22 and 30 with a range of 1 to 80 and 2 to 71, respectively. In the multivariable logistic regression, over 15 years of age adjusted odds ratio(AOR) and confidence interval (CI) of (AOR = 18; 95% CI: 2.1, 161.5), being male (AOR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.9), outdoor activities at night (AOR = 5.7; 95% CI: 2.5, 12.7), bed net sharing (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI: 2.0, 7.7), and proximity to stagnant water sources (AOR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.3, 5.4) were independent predictors. CONCLUSION: Being in over 15 years of age group, male gender, night time activity, bed net sharing and proximity to stagnant water sources were determinant factors of malaria infection in Dembia district. Additional interventions and strategies which focus on men, outdoor work at night, household net utilization, and nearby stagnant water sources are essential to reduce malaria infections in the area.

Prevalence of unintended pregnancy and associated factors among married women in west Belessa Woreda, Northwest Ethiopia, 2016.

BACKGROUND: Unintended pregnancies can have adverse physical, mental, social, and economic outcomes. Illegal abortions and associated complications often follow unintended pregnancies and claim the lives of many women in developing countries. To better understand how unintended pregnancy impacts married women, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of unintended pregnancies and associated factors among married pregnant women in West Belessa woreda, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to September 2015.. A multistage stratified sampling technique was used to select nine kebeles, to participate in the study. A total of 619 married pregnant women were selected from these kebeles by the simple random sampling technique and data were collected with a structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the unintended pregnancies. A p-value of < 0.05 in the multi-variable model was used to identify significance. RESULT: A total of 592 married pregnant women were surveyed regarding their intention to become pregnant. The prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 13.7%. Age at pregnancy (AOR: 15.2, 95% CI (1.9, 125.2)), history of stillbirth (AOR: 3.3, 95% CI (1.4, 7.9)), discussing pregnancy related issues with husbands (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI (1.1, 5.0)), making family planning decisions on their own (AOR: 0.4, (0.2, 0.8)), and making family planning decisions with their husbands (AOR: 95% CI 0.2 (0.1, 0.4)) were significantly associated with unintended pregnancies in this group. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of unintended pregnancy in the study area was low. Age at pregnancy, history of stillbirth and involvement of partners in making reproductive health choices were associated with unintended pregnancies. Empowering women to make family planning decisions and increasing partner involvement in reproductive health could decrease unintended pregnancies.

Prevalence of disability and associated factors in Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System site, northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high burden of disability in Ethiopia, little is known about it, particularly in the study area. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with disability at Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site, northwest Ethiopia. METHOD: A population-based study was conducted from October to December 2014 at Dabat HDSS site. A total of 67,395 people were included in the study. The multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with disability. The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was estimated to show the strength of association. A p-value of <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred twenty-eight individuals were reported to have a disability giving a prevalence rate of 1.82%, of which, about 39% was related to a vision disability. The high odds of disability were observed among the elderly (≥50 years) [AOR: 4.49; 95% CI: 1.95, 10.33], severely food in-secured [AOR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.59, 2.80], and separated marital status [AOR: 7.52; 95% CI: 1.18, 47.84]. While having a paid job [AOR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.77], being in the richest quintile [AOR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.75], and high engagement in work-related physical activities [AOR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.49] were inversely associated with the disability. CONCLUSION: Disability is a major public health problem, and the burden is noticeable in the study area. Vision disability is the highest of all disabilities. Thus, efforts must be made on educating the public about disability and injury prevention. Measures that reduce disability should target the elderly, the poorer and the unemployed segment of the population.

Attitude, Willingness, and Associated Factors in Organ Donation Among Health Professionals in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Organ transplantation is considered one of the greatest advances of modern science, and it has given many patients a renewed lease on life. The demand for organs far exceeds the supply. Health professionals are fundamental in the process of organ procurement. OBJECTIVE: To assess the attitude, willingness, and associated factors in organ donation among health professionals of Gondar, Ethiopia. METHODS: Our cross-sectional study was conducted among 382 randomly selected health professionals in Gondar using a self-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze the data. RESULTS: Among health professionals, 79.1% had favorable attitude toward organ donation and 74.6% were willing to donate their organs. After adjusting for covariates, the odds of having a favorable attitude about organ donation were 3.2 and 11.9 times higher in the professions of laboratory technologists and medical doctors, respectively. By keeping all other variables constant, attitude was found to be positively associated with awareness (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 12.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.71-43.8) and being a member of the Red Cross Association (aOR 5.24, 95% CI 1.46-18.96). Willingness was positively associated with awareness (aOR 6.25, 95% CI 2.0-19.53), a member of the Red Cross Association (aOR 5.09, 95% CI 1.5-17.22), a laboratory technologist (aOR 3.57, 95% CI 1.37-9.29), and a medical doctor (aOR 6.52, 95 % CI 1.93-22.01). CONCLUSIONS: The main findings indicated that the majority of health professionals in Gondar had a favorable attitude toward organ donation and were willing to donate their organs in times of need.

Self-medication during pregnancy and associated factors among pregnant women in Goba town, southeast Ethiopia: a community based cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The use of self-medications during pregnancy results in serious structural as well as functional adverse effects on mothers and unborn children. But little is known about the practice of self-medication used during pregnancy in Ethiopia. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the prevalence of self-medication practice and associated factors during pregnancy among pregnant women in Goba town, southeast Ethiopia. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-medication was 15.5% (95% CI 0.116, 0.195) in Goba town. Women who had health problems during pregnancy (AOR = 6.1, 95% CI 2.67, 13.9), women unable to read and write (AOR = 8.87, 95% CI 1.84, 41.95), those who can read and write (AOR = 5.26, 95% CI 1.34, 20.66) and had primary education (AOR = 3.57, 95% CI 1.42, 9.02) were more likely to use self-medication, while women who visited ANC for pregnancy (AOR = 0.028, 95% CI 0.09, 0.87) were less likely to indulge on such practices. In conclusion, the prevalence of self-medication noted in this work is medium compared to the react of other studies. Health institutions have to give health education to all pregnant women attending ANC services regardless of gestational age and types of health problem.

Household flood preparedness and associated factors in the flood-prone community of Dembia district, Amhara National Regional State, northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Flood preparedness empowers the community to respond effectively to related hazards. However, there was no research done in the country concerning household flood preparedness. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess household flood preparedness and associated factors in the flood-prone community of Dembia district, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2014 in the Dembia district. A two-stage sampling technique was used. The study was conducted using 806 flood-prone participants. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data were entered using Epi info version 3.5.1 and transported into SPSS version 16 for further analysis. Descriptive and analytic statistics were computed. Variables having association with the outcome variable were reported using odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI). Model fitness was checked by Hosmer and Lemeshew chi-square test. RESULTS: Household flood preparedness was found to be 24.4%. The age group of ≥ 46 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.62; 95% CI: 1.12, 6.00) above, monthly household income >893 Ethiopian Birr, (AOR=6.72; 95% CI: 2.2 7, 19.88) attending primary level education (AOR=22.08; 95% CI: 8.16, 59.74), warning system in household (AOR=5.41; 95% CI: 2.38, 12.32), knowledge of flood prevention, (AOR=2.52; 95% CI: 1.43, 5.57) were positively associated with household flood preparedness. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: This study has demonstrated that household flood preparedness was found to be low in the study area. Household flood preparedness was significantly associated with the older age group, attending primary level education, having a higher monthly income, receive household level warning messages, having knowledge on preparedness, prior exposure to a flood, and length of flood >6 days. Strengthening household flood preparedness in advance is important in order to prevent flood and its related consequences.

Incidence and Predictors of Pregnancy among Women on ART in Debre Markos Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

Globally, death of women due to HIV/AIDS related causes during pregnancy or within 42 days after pregnancy was estimated to be 37,000. In Ethiopia, 42,900 pregnant women living with HIV gave birth in the year 2011. This study was aimed to assess incidence and predictors of pregnancy among women on ART in Debre Markos Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data recorded from September 2011 to August 2015. Data was extracted from February to March, 2016, from 1,239 records and analyzed using SPSS version 16. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the probabilities of being pregnant. The Cox proportional hazards model was done and results were expressed using hazard ratios with 95% CI. A total of 1,239 women on ART were included in the study. The incidence of pregnancy was 49.2 per 1,000 person-years. Living in rural, being married, being widowed, being unemployed, and having <2 children at enrollment were found to be positively associated with being pregnant. The incidence of pregnancy among women on ART was found to be considerable. Provision of family planning and other reproductive health interventions have to be coupled with the ART service to address the problem.

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases in northwest Ethiopia: survey of Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude and associated factors of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) at the Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System (DHDSS) site in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. DESIGN: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2014. SETTING: HDSS site, Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: A total population of 67 397 living in 16 053 households was included in the study. MEASURES: Structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Self-reported morbidity was used to ascertain NCD. A binary logistic regression model was employed to identify the determinants of NCDs. RESULT: One thousand one hundred sixty (1.7%) (95% CI 1.62 to 1.82) participants were found with at least one type of NCD. Heart disease and hypertension which accounted for 404 (32.2%) and 401 (31.9%), of the burden, respectively, were the most commonly reported NCDs, followed by 347 (27.7%) asthma, 62 (4.9%) diabetes mellitus and 40 (3.2%) cancer cases. Advanced age (≥65 year) (adjusted OR (AOR)=19.6; 95% CI 5.83 65.70), urban residence (AOR=2.20; 95% CI 1.83 to 2.65), household food insecurity (AOR=1.71; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.12) and high income (AOR=1.28; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.59) were significantly associated with the reported history of NCDs, whereas low (AOR=0.36; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.42) and moderate (AOR=0.33; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.48) alcohol consumption, farming occupation (AOR=0.72; 95% CI 0.57 to 0.91), and work-related physical activities (AOR=0.66; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.88) were inversely associated with NCDs. CONCLUSION: There is a high burden of NCDs at the Dabat HDSS site. Promotion of regular physical exercise and reducing alcohol consumption are essential to mitigate the burden of NCDs. In addition, preventive interventions of NCDs should be strengthened among urban dwellers, older age people and people of higher economic status.

Mothers' education and ANC visit improved exclusive breastfeeding in Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System Site, northwest Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Despite its proven benefit in reducing child mortality and morbidity, the coverage of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) remains sub-optimal. In Ethiopia, about 52% of infants under six months of age were exclusively breastfed, implying the need for further identification of the barriers to optimal EBF practice. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate EBF and its determinants in the predominantly rural northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: The study was conducted at the Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site, which is located in Dabat District, northwest Ethiopia. A total of 5,227 mothers with children under five years of age were included for analysis. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with EBF. The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was estimated to show the strength of association. A P-value of <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: About 54.5% [95% CI: 51.9, 57.1] of the mothers practiced EBF. Mothers' education [AOR = 2.10; 95% CI: 1.63, 2.71], age (20-35 years) [AOR = 1.39; CI: 1.07, 1.80], urban residence [AOR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.54], at least one ANC visit [AOR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.23,1.61], initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth [AOR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.15,1.50], richer household [AOR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.65], and withholding prelacteal feeds [AOR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.53] were found important determinants of EBF. CONCLUSION: In this study area, the prevalence of EBF is lower than the national as well as the global recommendation for universal coverage of EBF. Therefore, strengthening the implementation of Infant and Young Child Feeding strategy (IYCF) and maternal health care utilization are essential for stepping up EBF coverage. Moreover, attention should be given to uneducated, rural resident, and adolescent mothers.

Correlates of early neonatal feeding practice in Dabat HDSS site, northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Delaying the start of breastfeeding and giving prelacteal feeding leads to a significant increase in neonatal and infant deaths, particularly in a resource limited countries, like Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess early neonatal feeding practice and its determinants in Dabat HDSS site, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: The census for the reconciliation of the surveillance of the Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site was conducted from October to December 2014. Data were entered into the Household Registration System (HRS) version 2.1 and analyzed using Stata version 14. A total of 6,761 mother-child pairs were included in the study. Sociodemographic factors, maternal health care and early neonatal feeding practices (early initiation of breastfeeding and prelacteal feeding) were collected by interviewing the mothers. The prevalence of early/timely initiation of breastfeeding was computed as the ratio of children put to the breast within one hour of delivery to the total number of children. Prelacteal feeding was defined as giving anything to drink other than breast milk in the first three days following birth. Binary logistic regression models were used to identify variables which were associated with the dependent variable. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding. RESULTS: The prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding was 43.9% (95% CI, 41.6, 46.2). More than half (56%) of the mothers gave prelacteal feeds. An urban residence (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 1.47, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.25. 1.73) and antenatal care (AOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.24, 1.59) were correlated with early initiation of breastfeeding. Similarly, increased odds of timely initiation of breastfeeding were observed among mothers who didn't give prelacteal feeds (AOR 5.72; 95% CI, 5.12, 6.40). CONCLUSION: Delayed initiation of breastfeeding and prelacteal feeding still remain public health concerns in this community. The promotion of improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and the utilization of antenatal care services should be intensified.