Willingness to take human papillomavirus vaccine and its associated factors among school adolescent girls: A case of school-based dose one human papillomavirus vaccine campaign in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the willingness of human papillomavirus vaccine and its associated factors in Dire Dawa in 2022. Ethiopia is undergoing human papillomavirus vaccine implementation in the country with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. However, there is a scarcity of data on problems encountered and the receiver's acceptance of the vaccine. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 634 female adolescents from 1 April to 1 May 2022. A simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Pretested structured self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered into EPI-data 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23.00 software for analysis. Descriptive analysis was conducted to summarize data with text, tables, and figures. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with the willingness of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals and p-values less than 0.05 were used to determine the association between independent and dependent variables. Hosmer and Lemeshow test was used to determine model fitness. Results: The magnitude of human papillomavirus vaccine willingness among adolescent girls was 56% with 95% CI (52.1%-59.9%). Discussion on sexual and reproductive health issues (AOR = 7.67, 95% CI: 3.82, 15.42), adolescent girls who were received permission from their family to take human papillomavirus vaccine (AOR = 4.49, 95% CI: 2.40, 8.43), adolescent girls who had good knowledge on human papillomavirus vaccine (AOR = 5.78, 95% CI: 3.18, 10.15), and adolescent girls who had favorable attitude toward human papillomavirus vaccine (AOR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.73, 5.43) were positively associated with willingness to take human papillomavirus vaccine. Conclusion: Knowledge about cervical cancer and the human papillomavirus vaccine as well as willingness to take the human papillomavirus vaccine was low. Factors such as maternal education, adolescents' discussion on sexual and reproductive health issues, parent approval of human papillomavirus vaccine, and knowledge and attitude toward human papillomavirus vaccine were significantly associated with willingness to take the human papillomavirus vaccine. Therefore, public health education regarding cervical cancer and human papillomavirus vaccination is still needed and has to be targeted at not only respondents but also their families.

Copper nanoparticles embedded fungal chitosan as a rational and sustainable bionanozyme with robust laccase activity for catalytic oxidation of phenolic pollutants.

Despite their potential for oxidation of persistent environmental pollutants, the development of rational and sustainable laccase nanozymes with efficient catalytic performance remains a challenge. Herein, fungal-produced chitosan-copper (CsCu) is proposed as a rational and sustainable bionanozyme with intrinsic laccase activity. The CsCu nanozyme was prepared by in situ reduction of copper on chitosan extracted from Irpex sp. isolate AWK2 a native fungus, from traditional fermented foods, yielding a low molecular weight chitosan with a 70% degree of deacetylation. Characterizations of the nanozyme using SEM-EDX, XRD, and XPS confirmed the presence of a multi-oxidation state copper on the chitosan matrix which is consistent with the composition of natural laccase. The laccase memetic activity was investigated using 2,4-DP as a substrate which oxidized to form a reddish-pink color with 4-AP (λmax = 510 nm). The CsCu nanozyme showed 38% higher laccase activity than the pristine Cu NPs at pH 9, indicating enhanced activity in the presence of chitosan structure. Further, CsCu showed significant stability in harsh conditions and exhibited a lower Km (0.26 mM) which is competitive with that reported for natural laccase. Notably, the nanozyme converted 92% of different phenolic substrates in 5 h, signifying a robust performance for environmental remediation purposes.

Male partner involvement in postnatal care service utilization and associated factors: A community-based cross-sectional study in Motta district, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Male partner involvement during the postpartum period is an effective strategy to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. However, since reproductive health has been viewed as only a woman's issue, it remains a major challenge in developing countries, including Ethiopia. The current study aimed to assess male partner involvement in postnatal care service utilization and associated factors in the Motta district of North West Ethiopia in 2020. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 16 to 30, 2020, among male partners whose wives gave birth in the last twelve months in Motta district. A systematic random sampling technique was used to obtain 612 study participants. Data entry was carried out by using Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package of Social Science version 23 for analysis. A binary and multiple logistic regression method were employed to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratios with a confidence interval of 95% and a P value of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The findings from this study highlight that the overall male partner involvement in postnatal care service utilization was 20.8% at 95%CI (17.6%, 24.1%). The regression results indicated that male partners residing in urban areas, attending primary and secondary education, having good knowledge of postnatal care services, having good knowledge of danger signs and complications during the postnatal period, having a favorable attitude toward male partner involvement in postnatal care, and a short distance to health care facilities were shown to be significantly and positively associated with male partner involvement in postnatal care services. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of male partner involvement in postnatal care service utilization was low as compared to other studies. Community-based awareness creation through health education and expanding educational and health care service institutions are essential to increase the involvement of male partners in postnatal care services.

Breast self-examination and its associated factors among women who attended anti-retroviral therapy clinic in Bahir Dar city administration, North West Ethiopia.

Objective: Although breast self-examination has been shown to be the least-expensive, less time-consuming, and non-invasive screening method, still there is a gap in practice. Furthermore, the information among more risky population which attends anti-retroviral therapy is too limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess breast self-examination practices and its associated factors among women who attended the anti-retroviral therapy clinic in Bahir Dar city administration, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 660 women who attended anti-retroviral therapy clinics from March 1 to March 30, 2020. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered in to EPI data 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23.00 software for analysis. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with self-breast examination. Variables with a p value less than 0.2 in bivariable regression were candidates for multivariable regression. Adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence intervals and p values less than 0.05 were used to determine the association between independent and dependent variables. Hosmer-Lemeshow Test was used to determine model fitness. Result: Among 641 study participants, 224 (34.9%) have ever practiced breast self-examination. Women who attended college or above (adjusted odds ratio = 4.04, 95% confidence interval (1.65,9.90)), rich (adjusted odds ratio = 6.64, 95% confidence interval (2.72,16.20)), knowledgeable about signs and symptoms of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 5.13, 95% confidence interval ( 2.55,10.31)), risk factors for breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 3.62, 95% confidence interval (1.85,7.07)), positive attitude toward breast self-examination (adjusted odds ratio = 2.76,95% confidence interval (1.41,11.84)), family history of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 3.68,95% confidence interval (1.14,11.84)), and knowledge about breast self-examination technique (adjusted odds ratio = 2.64, 95% confidence interval (1.23,5.66)) had higher odds of breast self-examination practice. Conclusion: The practice of breast self-examination was low. During their regular visits for other issues, education and information dissemination about the benefits and techniques of self-breast examination is recommended.

Determinants of Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid at Hadiya Zone Hospitals, Southern Ethiopia; Unmatched Case-Control Study.

Background: Meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) refers to an amniotic fluid that is green in color or mixed with meconium. MSAF leads to a serious maternal complication that increases the likelihood of operative delivery and poses a hazard to the fetus or the neonate. This in turn enhances the chances of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. So, the identification of determinants helps to breach this vicious cycle. The current study aimed to assess the determinants of MSAF. Methods: An institution-based, unmatched case-control study with a sample size of 363 participants (121 cases and 242 controls) was conducted on mothers who gave birth at Hadiya zone public hospitals between March and April 2020. A proportionate distribution was made to each facility depending on the volume of patients, and cases and control mothers were chosen sequentially. The data was gathered through in-person interviews and secondary data extraction. In multivariable logistic regression, variables with (p < 0.25) in bivariate analysis were included. After multivariable logistic regression was finished, statistical significance was declared at (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 121 cases and 242 controls were included in this study Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age ≥ 41 week (AOR = 3.44, 95% CI: 1.02-11.63), premature rupture of membrane (AOR = 3.71, 95% CI: 1.98-6.93) obstructed labor (AOR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.15-7.33) preeclampsia (AOR = 4.16, 95% CI: 1.29-13.35) and non-reassuring fetal heart rate (AOR = 6.75, 95% CI: 3.45-13.19) were significantly associated with MSAF. Conclusion: Advanced gestational age, an early membrane rupture, an obstructed labor, preeclampsia, and non-reassuring fetal heart rate all increase the incidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid in laboring mothers. Making every effort to prevent, identify, and treat those obstetric determinants as early as feasible should be taken into consideration throughout follow-up of pregnancy, labor, and delivery could assist to lower the incidence of MSAF.

Factors associated with neonatal near miss among neonates admitted to public hospitals in dire Dawa administration, Eastern Ethiopia: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: The neonatal near-miss cases are subject to factors that are major causes of early neonatal deaths. For every death, more newborns suffer a life-threatening complication. Nearly 98% of neonatal death unduly existed in developing countries. Though there were few prior studies in other regions, they failed in identifying the factors of NNM. Besides, there has been no prior study in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess factors associated with neonatal near-miss. METHODS: A case-control study was employed on a total of 252 cases and 756 controls using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested and interview administered questionnaires adapted from similar studies and medical records from December 2020 -March 2021. Pragmatic and management criteria definition of neonatal near miss were utilized. Epi-Data version 3.1 and SPSS version 23 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were done to identify factors associated with a neonatal near-miss by using COR and AOR with a 95% confidence interval. Finally, the statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: There were a response rate of 100% for both cases, and controls. Factors that affects neonatal near miss were non-governmental/private employee (AOR, 1.72[95%CI: 1.037, 2.859]), referral in (AOR, 1.51[95%CI: 1.079, 2.108]), multiple birth (AOR, 2.50[95%CI: 1.387, 4.501]), instrumental assisted delivery (AOR, 4.11[95%CI: 1.681, 10.034]), hypertensive during pregnancy (AOR, 3.32[95%CI: 1.987, 5.530]), and male neonates (AOR, 1.71[95%CI: 1.230, 2.373]), paternal education of secondary school (AOR, 0.43[95%CI: 0.210, 0.868]) and college/above (AOR, 0.25[95%CI: 0.109, 0.578]), monthly income (1500-3500 birr) (AOR, 0.29[95%CI: 0.105, 0.809]) and >3500 birr (AOR, 0.34[95%CI: 0.124, 0.906]). CONCLUSION: Maternal occupation, paternal education, income, referral, multiple births, mode of delivery, hypertension during pregnancy, and sex of the neonate have identified factors with neonatal near-miss. Better to create job opportunities, improving education, and income generation. Counseling on multiple birth and hypertension, and minimizing instrumental delivery should be done at the health facility level.

Lithium Oxalate as a Lifespan Extender for Anode-Free Lithium Metal Batteries.

Anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs) have been extensively studied due to their intrinsic high energy and safety without a metallic Li anode in cell design. Yet, the dendrite and dead-Li buildup continuously consumes the active Li upon cycling, leading to the poor lifespan of AFLMBs. Here, we introduce lithium oxalate into the cathode as an electrode additive providing a Li reservoir to extend the lifespan of AFLMBs. The AFLMB using 20% lithium oxalate and a LiNi0.3Co0.3Mn0.3O2 composite cathode exhibits >80 and 40% capacity retention after 50 and 100 cycles, respectively, outperforming the poor cycle life of fewer than 20 cycles obtained from the cell using a pure LiNi0.3Co0.3Mn0.3O2 cathode. Surprisingly, the average Coulombic efficiency of AFLMBs is found to improve as the amount of lithium oxalate increases in the composite cathode. This abnormal phenomenon could be attributed to the as-formed carbon dioxide after the first activation cycle forming a Li2CO3-rich solid-electrolyte interphase and improving the Li deposition and stripping efficiency. The findings in this work provide a new strategy to delay the capacity roll-over of AFLMBs from an electrode engineering perspective, which can be coupled with other approaches such as functional electrolytes synergistically to further improve the cycle life of AFLMBs for practical application.

Respectful maternity care among laboring women in public hospitals of Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia: A mixed cross-sectional study with direct observations.

OBJECTIVES: Promoting respectful maternity care is a fundamental strategy for enhancing facility birth, which significantly reduces maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. Despite these effects, disrespect and abusive childbirth care remain a challenge in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of respectful maternity care and its associated factors among laboring women in public hospitals of Benishangul Gumuz region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed, and trained external assessors observed the care provided to 404 laboring women in public hospitals using structured observation checklists. A focus group discussion and two key informant interviews were also conducted. A structured pre-tested questionnaire and a semi-structured guide were used to generate quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Seven verification criteria were employed, and the mean value and above for each criterion were used to measure respectful maternity care. RESULTS: Of the 404 client-provider interaction observations during childbirth, only 12.6% (n = 51) participants received respectful maternity care. Being from an urban area (adjusted odds ratio = 3.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.39, 8.08), giving childbirth at daytime (adjusted odds ratio = 2.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.26, 5.33), receiving the service from compassionate and respectful care trained provider (adjusted odds ratio = 4.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.63, 12.66), giving childbirth at general hospital (adjusted odds ratio = 3.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.39, 6.65) were positively associated with respectful maternity care. Staff workload, shortage of supply and equipment, partiality in providing timely care, yelling and insulting at clients and birth companions were also barriers to respectful maternity care. CONCLUSION: The observed respectful maternity care practices were low in the study area. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that addressing respectful maternity care would require increased compassionate and respectful care trained providers, and sustained efforts to improve access to basic equipment and supply for maternity care with an emphasis on primary hospitals. Tailored interventions aimed at improving respectful maternity care should also target rural residents and nighttime parturients.

Decoupling the origins of irreversible coulombic efficiency in anode-free lithium metal batteries.

Anode-free lithium metal batteries are the most promising candidate to outperform lithium metal batteries due to higher energy density and reduced safety hazards with the absence of metallic lithium anode during initial cell fabrication. In general, researchers report capacity retention, reversible capacity, or rate capability of the cells to study the electrochemical performance of anode-free lithium metal batteries. However, evaluating the behavior of batteries from limited aspects may easily overlook other information hidden deep inside the meretricious results or even lead to misguided data interpretation. In this work, we present an integrated protocol combining different types of cell configuration to determine various sources of irreversible coulombic efficiency in anode-free lithium metal cells. The decrypted information from the protocol provides an insightful understanding of the behaviors of LMBs and AFLMBs, which promotes their development for practical applications.

Practice of COVID-19 Prevention Measures and Associated Factors Among Residents of Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia: Community-Based Study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 is a current health concern in the world. People applying the prevention methods of COVID-19 are vital determinants of curbing the spread of the coronavirus. This study aimed to assess the practices and associated factors of the COVID-19 preventive measures among Dire Dawa residents. METHODS: A community-based, cross-sectional mixed method was used. We conducted the study between June 15th and July 15th, 2020. The subjects of the study were selected by using systematic random sampling. We collected data through face-to-face and in-depth interviews. Both bivariate and multiple logistic regression were employed to determine the predictor variables with the practice of COVID-19 prevention measures. Thematic content analysis analyzed qualitative data. RESULTS: The practice of COVID-19 preventive measures was 40.7% (95% CI: 37-44.4%). Being female [AOR= 1.8; 95% CI: 1.17-2.72], married [AOR=2.75; 95% CI: 1.68-4.48], family income >10,000 Ethiopia birr [AOR=7.3; 95% CI: 3.8-13.9], having history of a chronic disease [AOR=3.46 (1.69, 7.08)], not chewing khat [AOR= 2.15; 95% CI: 1.1-4.2], had a good knowledge about COVID-19 [AOR=5.23; 95% CI: 3-9], and had a favorable attitude about COVID-19 [AOR=3.87; 95% CI: 2.4-6.14] were significantly associated with practice of COVID-19 preventive measures. The qualitative result revealed the communities are not willingly practicing prevention measures because of carelessness and ignorant of the consequences of COVID-19, and some communities believed that COVID-19 is not a real pandemic rather government uses it merely to gain political profit. CONCLUSION: The proportion of practice of COVID-19 preventive measures was low. Sex, marital status, income, history of chronic disease, history of khat chewing, knowledge, and attitude about COVID-19 were associated factors with COVID-19 preventive practices. The communities were not practicing the COVID-19 prevention method because of poor knowledge and a negative attitude.

Clinical Practice Competence and its Associated Factors Among Midwifery and Nursing Students at Dire Dawa Health Sciences Colleges, East Ethiopia, 2020.

BACKGROUND: Competence is defined as the ability to perform a task with desirable outcomes. Globally, an estimated 530,000 women and 2 million newborns die each year, because of no access to competent health professionals. But half of those deaths can be prevented with competent health professionals. However, the existing literature shows that most new graduates have a lack of competence in the clinical environment, none of them have assessed whether student or preceptor factors have an association with clinical competence or not. So, this study is crucial to fill data scarcity. OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical practice competence and associated factors among midwifery and nursing students at Dire Dawa. METHODS: Institutional cross-sectional study was conducted on nursing and midwifery students from February 10/2020 to February 30/2020. Self-administered questionnaires were given to 318 students through a simple random lottery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done for variables with a p-value <0.2 in binary logistic regression. The odds ratio was used to measure the degree of association. RESULTS: Only 19.2% are clinically competent. Students who were oriented about assessment methods were 4 times more likely competent [AOR = 4.096 p-value 0.035]. Students who have staff encouragement and have preceptors were 5 times [AOR = 4.900 p-value 0.12] and 11 times [AOR = 11.052 p-value 0.00] more likely competent, respectively. Confident students were 4 times more likely competent [AOR = 4.460, p-value 0.005]. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of clinical competence is very minimal. This is due to assessment methods orientation, staff encouragement, clinical preceptor support and students' confidence. This finding contributes to the federal ministry of health should work closely with teaching institutions, health facilities, and other stakeholders to overcome those gaps.

Voluntary Blood Donation Among Bahir Dar University Students: Application of Integrated Behavioral Model, Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020.

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization recommends that 1% to 3% of a country's population should donate blood to meet its demand and should focus on young people to achieve 100% voluntary blood donation. The aim of this study was to assess voluntary blood donation among Bahir Dar University students by using an integrated behavioral model. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on Bahir Dar University students from March 1-21, 2020. A multi-stage sampling technique was applied to select 625 study participants. Data were entered in Epi data version 3.1 and then exported to SPSS version 23.0 for analysis. Path analysis was done using Stata 15 to check the causal effect of the integrated behavioral model constructs on voluntary blood donation. Internal consistency and validity of constructs were checked using Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis, respectively. Multivariable linear and logistics regression were used to predict independent predictors on intention and voluntary blood donation, respectively. The significant independent predictor was declared at 95% confidence interval and P-value < 0.05. RESULTS: One hundred and four (16.8%) university students donated blood voluntarily. Being female (AOR = 1.92 (1.15-3.22)), being third year (AOR = 2.88 (1.55-5.35)), knowledge (AOR = 1.53 (1.32-1.77)), descriptive norm (AOR = 1.10 (1.01-1.12)) and intention (AOR = 1.42 (1.28-1.57)) were positively associated with blood donation. Injunctive norm (B = 0.06) and self-efficacy (B = 0.36) have significant association with intention. Intention, descriptive norm and knowledge have significant effect on blood donation with path coefficient 0.0, 0.09 and 0.48, respectively. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of voluntary blood donation was low as compared to other similar studies. Descriptive norm, intention, knowledge, sex, year of study were significant predictors associated with voluntary blood donation. Therefore, behavioral change health communication strategies should develop to address these factors among the students. Researchers should conduct prospective analytical study design to examine the causal relationship of constructs of the model to develop better interventional strategy.