Psychological impact and associated factors of the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women in Fafan Zone health institutions, Somali Region, Eastern Ethiopia, 2021.

BACKGROUND: Despite pregnant women's vulnerability to respiratory illnesses and pregnancy complications during the COVID-19 pandemic, research on its psychological impact in the study area, is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to fill this gap by examining the prevalence and factors linked to the psychological impact among pregnant women in the Fafan zone, Somali region of Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted from April 1st to April 30th, 2021, randomly selected health facilities for inclusion. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) assessed psychological impact, and data were analyzed using SPSS V 22. Variables with a p-value ≤ 0.25 in bivariate analysis were considered for multivariate analysis via multiple logistic regressions with the backward elimination method. RESULTS: The study involved 294 pregnant women, constituting 73% of the respondents. The prevalence of psychological impact attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic was 27.2%. Factors such as being in the first trimester of pregnancy (AOR: 5.32), travel history to infected areas (AOR: 3.71), obtaining COVID-19 information from television (AOR: 4.81), and using social media for 1 to 2 hours daily for updates (AOR: 1.35) were significantly associated with this impact. CONCLUSION: While the psychological impact among pregnant women in this study was relatively lower compared to other research, factors such as gestational age, TV media exposure, travel history, and social media usage for COVID-19 updates were strongly linked to this impact, highlighting the necessity for psychological support services for pregnant women during challenging times.

Prevalence and correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder among internal displaced people in Qoloji Camps, Somali regional state, eastern Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the prevalence and correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among internally displaced people (IDP) in the Qoloji Camp, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 20 to November 5, 2021. The study utilized systematic random sampling to identify 410 IDP participants from the Qoloji Camp. PTSD was measured using the PTSD Check-list for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Bivariate analysis was performed to determine the crude odds ratio, and multivariate analysis was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios for associations between PTSD and independent variables. RESULTS: A total of 404 participants were interviewed (98.5% response rate). The estimated prevalence of PTSD symptoms was 41.1%. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, several factors were significantly associated with PTSD: being female (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.39-4.44), lack of food and water (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.17, 4.23), destruction of personal property (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.62-6.09), and experiencing torture or beatings (AOR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.01-3.28). CONCLUSION: This study found a high prevalence of PTSD symptoms among IDPs, with factors such as female sex, property destruction, deprivation of essential goods and services, and experiences of torture or beatings significantly associated with those symptoms. To address these findings, prioritizing the well-being of IDPs with a specific focus on women, on-site screening, and the establishment of a referral system to facilitate access to specialized care are essential to enhance the overall mental health of such persons.