Modeling determinants of time-to-premarital cohabitation among Ethiopian women using parametric shared frailty models.

BACKGROUND: Premarital cohabitation is rampant and currently practiced worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a known cause of marital instability and divorce. It is also associated with intimate partner violence and harms the psychology of children in later life. However, in Ethiopia, there has been limited attention given to premarital cohabitation. OBJECTIVE: The main goal of this study was to identify the determinants of time-to-premarital cohabitation among Ethiopian women. METHODS: The 2016 EDHS data was used to achieve the study's goal. The survival information of 15683 women was analyzed based on their age at premarital cohabitation. The regional states of the women were used as a clustering effect in the models. Exponential, Weibull, and Log-logistic baseline models were used to identify factors associated with age at premarital cohabitation utilizing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The median age of premarital cohabitation was found to be 18 years. Surprisingly, 72.7% of participants were cohabitated in the study area. According to the Log-logistic-Gamma shared frailty model, place of residence, occupation, educational status, and being pregnant were found to be factors determining the time to premarital cohabitation. CONCLUSION: Premarital cohabitation among Ethiopian women was higher compared to women in the sub-Saharan Africa and East Africa. Place of residence, occupation, educational status, and being pregnant were found to be factors determining the time for premarital cohabitation. Therefore, we recommend the concerned bodies set out strategies to educate women about the influencing factors and dangers of premarital cohabitation.

Prevalence and associated factors of stunting among under-five children in Ethiopia: Application of marginal models analysis of 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey data.

BACKGROUND: Stunting, short for age, affects the overall growth and development of the children. It occurs due to chronic under nutrition. Stunting vastly occurs in impoverished regions of the world, including Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of stunting among under-five children in Ethiopia using marginal models. METHODS: Data were taken from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, which is a nationally representative survey of children in the 0-59 month age group. For marginal models, generalized estimating equations and alternating logistic regression models were used for the analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of stunting among the under-five children was 34.91% in the area. The proportion was slightly higher among male (36.01%) than female (33.76%) child. The Alternating Logistic Regression model analysis revealed that the child's age, the mother's education level, the mother's body mass index, the place of residence, the wealth index, and the previous birth interval were found to be significant determinants of childhood stunting, and the result shows that children born with a lower previous birth interval (less than 24 months) were more likely to be stunted than those born within a higher birth interval. Children in rural Ethiopia were more likely to be stunted than children in urban Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: This study found that more than one third of children were stunted in the area. The study also determined that child's age, the mother's education, the mother's body mass index, the place of residence, the wealth index, and birth interval influence stunting. Therefore, it is better enhancing the nutritional intervention programs.

Prevalence of Tuberculosis and the Determinants of Lose to Follow-Up the Treatment for Tuberculosis Patients in Case of Buno Bedele and Ilu Ababor Zones, Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of tuberculosis and determinants of lose to follow-up from TB treatment. Methods: A retrospective study design is used to analyze the prevalence of tuberculosis and the determinants of lose to follow-up from TB treatment who follow the treatment from 2006 to 2017. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical model. Results: The study showed that among 375 TB patients, who started TB treatments, about 24.8% were lost to follow-up from TB treatment and 75.2% were censored at the end of the study. The median survival time of TB patients was 199 days. The results from the Log rank test showed that marital status, HIV co-infection, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and anemia cases had a significant difference between the survival experiences at a 5% level of significance. The result of the Cox-proportion hazard model showed that age (p-value=0.002; CI: (0.9831144, 0.9962526)), HIV co-infection (p-value=0.016; CI: (1.112293, 2.774715)), and anemia (p-value=0.021; CI: (1.089895, 2.938783)) had a significant effect on tuberculosis patients' lose to follow-up from TB treatment at a 5% level of significance. Conclusion: From 375 patients who started TB treatments, about 24.8% were lost to follow-up from TB treatment, and 75.2% were censored at the end of the study. The median survival time of TB patients was 199 days. The variables marital status, HIV co-infection, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and anemia cases had a significant difference between the survival experiences survival time of TB patients at a 5% level of significance. The result also showed that age, HIV co-infection, and anemia had a significant effect on tuberculosis patients.