Multilevel analysis on prevalence and associated factors of modern contraceptive uptake in Somaliland: based on The Somaliland Health and Demographic Survey 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Contraception is the deliberate prevention of unwanted pregnancy through various contraceptive methods. Its uptake is low in Sub-Saharan African countries, particularly in east Africa. This might be linked to the high prevalence of unwanted pregnancies and the high fertility rate in the area. Although studies reporting the prevalence and associated factors of modern contraceptive uptake are available in other African countries, no study has been conducted in Somaliland. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess its prevalence and associated factors in Somaliland using Somaliland Health and Demographic Survey (SLHDS) data. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study used Somaliland Demographic Health Survey (SLDHS) 2020 data. The survey was a national-level survey using a cross-sectional study design. A total of 3656 reproductive-age women were included in the current study. To determine independent predictors of modern contraceptive uptake, a multi-level multivariable logistic regression analysis was done. Random effect analysis, standard error (SE) and intra-cluster correlation (ICC) were computed. RESULTS: The proportion of modern contraceptive uptake among reproductive age groups in Somaliland is 1%. Modern contraceptive uptake is significantly associated with the residence, educational level and wealth index of participants. Women from nomadic communities had lower odds (AOR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.66) of modern contraceptive uptake compared to those from urban areas. Being in the highest wealth quintiles (AOR: 17.22; 95% CI: 1.99, 155.92) and having a tertiary educational level (AOR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.29, 9.11) had higher odds of using the modern contractive method compared to those with the lowest wealth quintiles and non-formal education, respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of modern contraceptive uptake in Somaliland was very low. It is associated with the level of education, wealth index and residence of the women.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health care and people with mental health conditions in Ethiopia: the MASC mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects on the mental health of populations around the world, but there has been limited focus on the impact on people with existing mental health conditions in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine impact of the pandemic on mental health care and people with mental health conditions in Ethiopia. METHODS: A convergent mixed methods study was conducted. We systematically mapped information from publicly available reports on impacts of the pandemic on mental health care. Monthly service utilisation data were obtained from Amanuel Mental Specialised Hospital, the main psychiatric hospital, and analysed using segmented Poisson regression (2019 vs. 2020). In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 purposively selected key informants. Framework analysis was used for qualitative data. Findings from each data source were integrated. RESULTS: In the early stages of the pandemic, participants indicated a minimal response towards the mental health aspects of COVID-19. Mental health-related stigma and discrimination was evident. Scarce mental health service settings were diverted to become COVID-19 treatment centres. Mental health care became narrowly biomedical with poorer quality of care due to infrequent follow-up. Households of people with pre-existing mental health conditions in the community reported worsening poverty and decreased access to care due to restricted movement, decreased availability and fear. Lack of reliable medication supplies increased relapse and the chance of becoming chained at home, abandoned or homeless. Caregiver burden was exacerbated. Within mental health facilities, prisons and residential units, infection control procedures did not adequately safeguard those with mental health conditions. Meanwhile, the needs of people with mental health conditions in COVID-19 quarantine and treatment facilities were systematically neglected. Only late in the day were integrated services developed to address both physical and mental health needs. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic had substantial negative impacts on the lives of people with mental health conditions in Ethiopia. Future emergency response should prioritise the human rights, health, social and economic needs of people with mental health conditions. Integration of mental and physical health care would both expand access to care and increase resilience of the mental health system.

Predictors of Uterine Rupture After One Previous Cesarean Section: An Unmatched Case-Control Study.

Background: Uterine rupture is a rare occurrence but has catastrophic complications during pregnancy. The incidence is relatively higher in scarred uteri because there is a promotion of labor after cesarean section. There is a scarcity of evidence from low-income countries regarding the predictors of uterine rupture after trial labor. Objective: To assess factors determining uterine rupture during labor after the previous cesarean section among mothers delivered at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from September 2017 to September 2022. Methods: A facility-based unmatched case-control study was done by reviewing 105 patients, which included 35 cases and 70 controls in a 1:2 case-to-control ratio. The association between dependent and independent variables was sought with running binary and multivariate analyses by using the cut point of a p value < 0.05 and 95% CI. Results: The prevalence of uterine rupture is 1.6%. The factors significantly associated with uterine rupture after trial of labor are fetal weight >3.8 kg (AOR: 5.21), antenatal care 4 (AOR: 3.6), labor duration >15 hours (AOR: 10.7), and previous successful vaginal delivery (AOR: 3.4). Poor fetal-maternal outcomes like 91.4% fetal death, 29 hysterectomies, 22 blood transfusions, and 1 death. Conclusion: The prevalence is relatively higher than in developed countries. The number of antenatal care, labor duration, and lower fetal weight are not common findings associated with uterine rupture after trial of labor across the literature, so large-scale studies are needed to develop guidelines for the Ethiopian setup. Improving the quality of obstetrics care given in each level of health system.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Poststroke Depression among Outpatient Stroke Patients Who Have a Follow-Up at the Outpatient Neurology Clinic of Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Poststroke depression is the most common and burdensome poststroke psychiatric complication. Studies showed discrepancies in reporting frequencies and risk factors for poststroke depression. Updated local data are relevant for efficient strategies of poststroke depression screening and prevention. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and associated factors of poststroke depression among outpatient stroke patients from the outpatient neurology clinic of Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 249 stroke patients. Data was collected through structured questionnaire using interviews and a review of medical charts. PHQ-9 depression questionnaire was used to diagnose poststroke depression. Descriptive analysis was used to see the nature of the characteristics of interests. Bivariate analysis was used to sort out variables at p values less than 0.05 for multivariate logistic regression. Significance level was obtained using an odds ratio with 95% CI and p value < 0.05. Results: Point prevalence for poststroke depression was 27.5 percent. Female gender, unemployment, low social support level, diabetes mellitus, and poststroke period under 2 years were statistically significant and independent predictors for poststroke depression. Conclusions: The point prevalence estimate of poststroke depression was comparable with other studies. Low social support levels increased the odds for poststroke depression by more than eight folds. It appeared that external factors are more important in the pathogenesis of poststroke depression in the African population. Detection and prevention programs should consider disparities of poststroke depression incidence and risk factors.

Effect of starter nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rates on yield and yield components, grain protein content of groundnut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) and residual soil nitrogen content in a semiarid north Ethiopia.

Increasing costs of chemical fertilizers, environmental concerns of their application and demand for protein foods, placed an extensive interest in growing of legume crops for human nutrition, and soil fertility replenishment. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers on parameters of phenology, growth performance, grain yield, yield components, grain protein content of groundnut, and residual soil nitrogen content in the northern Ethiopia during the growing season of 2017. Three levels of N (0, 15 and 30 kg ha-1) and four levels of P2O5 (0, 23, 46 and 69 kg ha-1) were set in factorial combinations of randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that an average total biomass yield increased by 22.5% for separate individual application of 15 kg N ha-1 and by 16.6% for 46 kg P2O5 ha-1 compared to control plots. Haulm yield increased by 29.17% for plots treated with N fertilization compared to control plots. Average pod yield increased by 85.4% for a combined application of 15 kg N ha-1 and 46 kg P2O5 ha-1 fertilizers compared to the control plots. Plots fertilized with the highest combined rates of N and P have attained lower grain yield compared to the combined application of 15 kg N ha-1 and 46 kg P2O5 ha-1. The highest grain protein contents were obtained for a combined application of 30 kg N ha-1 and zero P, and 15 kg N ha-1 plus 46 kg P2O5 ha-1. The highest N harvest index was obtained for control treatments and for plots treated with combined application of 15 kg N ha-1 and 46 kg P2O5 ha-1. Residual soil N content increased by 119% on plots with combined application of 15 kg N ha-1 and 46 P2O5 ha-1 compared to control plots. Based on our results, combined application of 15 kg N ha-1 and 46 kg P2O5 ha-1 was recommended for increasing grain yield, grain protein content and residual soil nitrogen. The results of this study are crucial to improve groundnut productivity, grain protein content and also to provide implication on soil fertility management in a crop rotation system.

Quantifying the socio-economic impact of leg lymphoedema on patient caregivers in a lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis co-endemic district of Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Lymphoedema caused by lymphatic filariasis (LF) or podoconiosis can result in physical disability and social exclusion, which is exacerbated by painful acute dermatolymphangioadenitis (ADLA) episodes. These conditions have a significant impact on patients, however, little is known about the indirect effects on their caregivers. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the impact on caregivers for patients with leg lymphoedema in a co-endemic district of Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional survey of lymphoedema patients and their caregivers was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires in the Southern Nation Nationalities Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. Lymphoedema patient information on clinical severity (mild, moderate, severe), frequency of ADLAs, their socio-demographic characteristics and the identity of main caregiver(s) was collected. Caregiver information on socio-demographic characteristics, types of care provided, their quality of life (QoL) measured across nine domains, and productivity was collected, with key indicators compared in the presence and absence of patients' ADLAs. A total of 73 patients and 76 caregivers were included. Patients were grouped by mild/moderate (n = 42, 57.5%) or severe (n = 31, 42.5%) lymphoedema, and reported an average of 6.1 (CI± 2.18) and 9.8 (CI± 3.17) ADLAs respectively in the last six months. A total of 48 (65.8%) female and 25 (34.2%) male patients were interviewed. Caregivers were predominately male (n = 45, 59.2%), and spouses formed the largest caregiving group for both female and male patients. In the absence of an ADLA, most caregivers (n = 42, 55.2%) did not provide care, but only one caregiver did not provide care during an ADLA. In the absence of an ADLA, the average time (hour:minute) spent by mild/moderate (00:17, CI: ± 00:08) and severe (00:10, CI: ± 00:07) patient caregiver per task was minimal. The time mild/moderate (00:47, CI: ± 00:11) and severe (00:51, CI: ± 00:16) patient caregivers spent per task significantly increased in the presence of an ADLA. In addition, caregivers' QoL was negatively impacted when patients experienced an ALDA, and they had to forfeit an average of 6 to 7 work/school days per month. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Lymphoedema and ADLAs impact negatively on patients' and their caregivers' lives. This emphasises the importance of increasing access to effective morbidity management and disability prevention services to reduce the burden and help to address the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, target 5.4, which seeks to recognise and value unpaid care and domestic work.

Internalized stigma among patients with schizophrenia in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional facility-based study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the potential impact on treatment adherence and recovery, there is a dearth of data on the extent and correlates of internalized stigma in patients with schizophrenia in low income countries. We conducted a study to determine the extent, domains and correlates of internalized stigma amongst outpatients with schizophrenia in Ethiopia. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional facility-based survey conducted at a specialist psychiatric hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Consecutive consenting individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were recruited and assessed using an Amharic version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale. RESULTS: Data were collected from 212 individuals, who were mostly single (71.2%), unemployed (70.3%) and male (65.1%). Nearly all participants (97.4%) expressed agreement to at least one stigma item contained in the ISMI; 46.7% had a moderate to high mean stigma score. Rural residence (OR = 5.67; 95% CI = 2.30, 13.00; p < 0.001), single marital status (OR = 3.39; 95% CI = 1.40, 8.22; p = 0.019) and having prominent psychotic symptoms (OR = 2.33; 95% CI = 1.17, 4.61; p = 0.016) were associated independently with a higher stigma score. Almost half of those who discontinued their treatment reported that they had done so because of perceived stigma. Those who had attempted suicide (45.3%) were more likely to have a high stigma score (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.27, 4.11; p = 0.006). Over 60% of the variation in the experience of stigma was explained by four factors: social withdrawal (16.7%), perceived discrimination (14.1%), alienation (13.9%) and stereotype endorsement (12.7%). CONCLUSION: Internalized stigma is a major problem among persons with schizophrenia in this outpatient setting in Ethiopia. Internalized stigma has the potential to substantially affect adherence to medication and is likely to affect the recovery process.