Coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination acceptance and associated factors among residents of Dire Dawa Administration, Eastern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an extremely contagious viral infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Understanding the willingness of the community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will help in the development and implementation of effective COVID-19 vaccination promotion programs. Therefore, we aimed to assess the level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and associated factors among residents of Dire Dawa Administration, Eastern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 840 residents in Dire Dawa Administration from May 18th to June 18th, 2021. Multistage cluster sampling followed by systematic random sampling was used to select respondents. A pretested interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from respondents. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The odds ratio (OR), along with a 95% confidence interval (CI), was used to estimate the strength of the association. RESULTS: Out of 840 respondents recruited, the proportion of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was found to be 54.4% (457/840); (95% CI: 51.0%, 57.7%) Being male [AOR = 1.85, 95% CI: (1.35, 2.54), P < 0.001], not having a current habit of substance use [AOR = 2.38, 95% CI: (1.73, 3.26), P < 0.001], having a monthly income of less than 51.31 USD [AOR = 0.19, 95% CI: (0.04, 0.88), P = 0.001]; and not having a prior history of vaccination experience [AOR = 0.40, 95% CI: (0.29, 0.54), P < 0.001] were significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the proportion of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among residents of Dire Dawa Administration, Eastern Ethiopia, was 54.4%. Factors like being male and not having a current habit of substance use were positively associated, whereas having a monthly income of less than 51.31 USD and not having a prior history of vaccination experience were negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Health information dissemination and economic empowerment are crucial to improving COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the community. This study provides valuable data for policymakers to plan early vaccination programs and tackle the challenges identified in the study.

Magnitude of child sexual abuse and its associated factors among high school female students in Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Child sexual abuse (CSA) refers to the involvement of a child (< 18 years) in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or that violates the laws or social taboos of society. It is a serious public health problem affecting millions of people each year worldwide but the most neglected and least documented form of violence in Ethiopia among school girls. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of child sexual abuse and its associated factors among female high school students in the Dire Dawa administration, Eastern Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among female high school students in Dire Dawa administration between March 1 and 23/2021. We employed stratified and multistage sampling techniques to include 794 participants from selected high schools. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 24. RESULTS: The proportion of students who reported at least one form of sexual abuse was 384 (48.9%) and approximately 19% of the students reported rape from the total respondents. Students who live alone 4.3 times (AOR 4.30; 95% CI 1.81-10.24), those who live with their friends five times (AOR 5.02; 95% CI 2.24-8.04), and those who live with their single parent three times (AOR 3.31; 95% CI 1.23-8.89) more likely to experience sexual abuse than those living with both parents. The odds of experiencing sexual abuse among students of rural residence were 3.2 times higher than their urban counterparts (AOR 3.2; 95% CI 2.02-4.51). Students who didn't drink alcohol were 70% more protective than those who drank alcohol (AOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.28-0.97). Among rape survivors (64, 37.9%) developed unwanted pregnancies, 26.0% of them underwent an abortion, and (39, 26.0%) developed STI as an outcome of sexual abuse. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the magnitude of child sexual abuse among female students in Dire Dawa was high. Lack of discussion about sexual issues with parents, living without both parents, drinking alcohol, and being a rural residence had a significant association with child sexual abuse. Unwanted pregnancy, abortion, and STIs have been reported as reproductive health outcomes of rape. Therefore, policymakers should introduce and strengthen comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education both in school and out of school, in addition to formal education to reduce the magnitude of the problem. Parents should discuss all sexual and reproductive health issues with their children to reduce the magnitude and consequences of child sexual abuse.