Determinants of home delivery among reproductive age women in Bore District, East Guji Zone, Ethiopia: a case-control study.

Introduction: Home delivery, which is the process of childbirth at one's residence rather than in a health facility, is a major reason for maternal mortality caused by obstetric complications, such as sepsis, hypertensive disorders, and hemorrhage. Maternal and child mortality remains high in developing countries despite efforts made to reduce these outcomes. This is mainly due to poor utilization of institution-based healthcare services. Moreover, there is a limited number of studies that have addressed the determinants of home delivery in Ethiopia, including the study area. This study aims to identify the determinants of home delivery in Bore District, East Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia, in 2022. Methods: A community-based unmatched case-control study was conducted from 18 May to 5 July 2022 among 498 women (249 cases and 249 controls) who gave birth in Bore District. The case group included women who gave birth at home, while the control group included those who gave their last birth at health institutions. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. Data were collected using the KoboToolbox digital software and exported to SPSS Version 26.0 for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to declare the statistical significance of the association of the the independent variables and home delivery. Results: The study included a total of 496 respondents with a mean age of 32.5 (SD = ±5.5) for the case group and 33.7 (SD = ±5.2) for the control group. Among the assessed determinants of home delivery were not attending antenatal care (ANC) visits [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 5.6, 95% CI: 2.0-15.16], missing pregnant women's conferences (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.65-8.32), not receiving health education on pregnancy-related complications (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1-4.3), inadequate knowledge of pregnancy-related danger signs (AOR = 6.0, CI: 3.0-11.9), inadequate knowledge about pregnancy-related complications (AOR = 3.0, CI: 1.55-6.13), and unfavorable attitude (AOR = 6.9, 95% CI: 2.16-22.6). Conclusion: In this study, not attending ANC visits, missing pregnant women's conferences, not receiving health education on pregnancy-related complications, inadequate knowledge of pregnancy-related danger signs, inadequate knowledge about pregnancy-related complications, and unfavorable attitudes were identified as determinants of home delivery. The district health office and other stakeholders should work on strengthening maternal health service delivery through appropriate ANC visits and participation in pregnant women's conferences and improving community awareness about pregnancy at all levels.

Determinants of defaulter to full vaccination among children aged 12-23 months in Siraro district, West Arsi zone, Oromia, Ethiopia: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective global public health interventions to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality. Defaulters to full vaccination can put children at greater risk of acquiring vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. The reason for not receiving full vaccination is not well explored, and hence, there is limited evidence about defaulters of vaccination in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVES: To identify determinants of defaulter to full vaccination among children aged 12-23 months in Siraro District, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among children aged 12-23 months from March 20 to April 30, 2022, with a total sample size of 444 (148 cases and 296 controls). Cases were children aged 12-23 months who had missed at least one routine vaccination dose, while controls were children who had received all of the recommended routine vaccinations. Consecutive sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to select representative cases and controls respectively. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, entered into Epi-data version 4.6, and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 for analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify determinants of the defaulter to full vaccination and the variables with p-value < 0.25 were recruited for multivariable analysis, and an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and a p-value of ≤ 0.05 was used to declare the statistical significance of the association. RESULT: Of the assessed determinants of the defaulter to full vaccination; inadequate knowledge of mothers/caretakers (AOR = 4.32, 95% CI:2.78-6.70), educational status of a father unable to read and write (AOR = 3.66, 95% CI:1.29-10.39), time to reach health facility ≥ 30 minutes (AOR = 2.45, 95% CI:1.51-3.97), not told about the type of vaccine received (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI;1.27-4.45), no parents discussion on vaccination (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI:1.24-3.79), home delivery (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI:1.39-4.25) and not participated in pregnant mother conference (AOR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.35-4.49) were the identified determinants of the defaulter to full vaccination. CONCLUSION: Mother's' knowledge, father's education, place of delivery, time to reach a health facility, health workers who told the type of vaccine received, participation in pregnant mother conference, and parents' discussion on vaccination were the determinants of the defaulter to full vaccination status. Thus, the district health office should work on defaulters of vaccination by strengthening immunization service delivery and improving maternal knowledge on vaccination through pregnant mother conference participation.

Health related quality of life of HIV-positive women on ART follow-up in north Shewa zone public hospitals, central Ethiopia: Evidence from a cross-sectional study.

Background: Evidence revealed that there is a statistically significant gender difference in Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among HIV-positive people on Antiretroviral therapy (ART). Consequently, HIV-positive women have low scores in all HRQoL domains than men. Despite this fact, previous studies in Ethiopia focused on general HIV-positive people and paid less attention to HIV-positive women. Therefore, this study was intended to measure HRQoL and associated factors among HIV-positive women on ART follow-up in north Shewa zone public hospitals, central Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 01-April 30, 2022. Four hundred twenty-six women on ART were included using a systematic random sampling technique. Face-to-face interviews and medical record reviews were used to collect data. Both bivariable and multiple linear regressions were computed to identify the factors associated with HRQoL. A p-value <0.05 was used to assert statistically significant variables in multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The overall mean (SD) score of the HRQoL was 11.84 (2.44). And, 44.7% [95% CI: 40.3, 49.5] of the women have poor HRQoL. In multiple linear regression analysis, factors like depression (ß = -0.35), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (ß = -0.16), age (ß = -0.07), rural residence (ß = -0.52), and bedridden functional status (ß = -1.02) were inversely associated with HRQoL. Oppositely, good treatment adherence (ß = 0.46) was positively associated with overall HRQoL, keeping other factors constant. Conclusion: This study reveals a high magnitude of poor HRQoL among HIV-positive women. Therefore, as HRQoL domains are comprehensive indicators of living status, healthcare service providers should be dedicated to screening and supporting HIV-positive women with poor HRQoL. Additionally, healthcare providers should also pay special attention to routine PTSD screening and management for HIV-positive women due to its detrimental effect on HRQoL.

Safe menstrual hygiene management practice and associated factors among female adolescent students at high schools in central Ethiopia: A mixed-method study.

Background: Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is a much-neglected issue in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Menstruating women and girls are forced into isolation, prevented from movement, dietary restrictions, and can be prevented from participating in daily routine activities. Furthermore, the way almost all previous studies conducted in Ethiopia measured the practice of MHM did not meet standard definition of safe MHM. This study aimed to assess safe management of menstrual hygiene practice and associated factors among female adolescent students in public high schools in central Ethiopia. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed in this study. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 846 study participants. The collected data were entered through EPI INFO version 7 and exported to SPSS version 23 for cleaning and analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the association between MHM and independent variables. Finally, AOR, 95% CI, and p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The qualitative data was analyzed by ATLAS.ti in order to extract the main themes and categories. Direct quotations were presented with a thick description of the findings. Results: The safe management of menstrual hygiene was 28.20%. Living with parents (AOR = 2.51, 95% CI:1.11-5.68), living with relatives (AOR = 7.41, 95% CI:2.55-21.54), having a merchant mother (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI:1.14-2.9), having a mother who has private work (AOR = 4.56, 95% CI:1.31-5.90), having a farmer father (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI:1.1-2.31), rural resident (AOR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.17-2.21) and realizing the absence of container for storing sanitary napkins in the toilet of the school latrine (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.1-0.94) were factors associated with MHM. Findings from a qualitative study were discussed under four themes to explore barriers to menstrual hygiene management, and three themes emerged as enablers to menstrual hygiene management. Conclusions: The safe management of menstrual hygiene was low among adolescent girls. People with whom adolescent girls live, the occupational status of mother and father, residence, the availability of a container to dispose of sanitary napkins in school toilets were factors associated with menstrual hygiene management. Behavioral change communications must be provided to female students about menstrual hygiene.

Magnitude and Factors Associated with Ambulance Service Utilization Among Women Who Gave Birth at Public Health Institutions in Central Ethiopia.

Background: Effective and well-organized ambulance services system forms the link between household and health facility for providing basic or comprehensive emergency obstetric care. Therefore, the establishment of a strong ambulance services network across the country based on evidences from local study is necessary for the improvement of ambulance service utilization among mothers who gave birth. This study aimed to assess magnitude and factors associated with ambulance service utilization among women who gave birth at public health institutions in central Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study supplemented by a qualitative method was employed. Data were collected via face-to-face interview. A simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select study participants. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors associated with ambulance services utilization, and variables with a p-value <0.25 were entered in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI and a P-value <0.05 were used to declare statistically significant associations. Results: Among study participants, only 214 (46%) utilized ambulance service. Mother who had no formal education (AOR=0.03, 95% CI [0.01, 0.07]), husband who completed primary school and above (AOR=7.03, 95% CI [1.83, 27.16]), rural residence (AOR=2.27, 95% CI [1.11, 4.65]), decision maker to get ambulance service (AOR=0.03, 95% CI [0.01, 0.07]), multigravida (AOR=4.8, 95% CI [2.48, 9.34]), having ambulance phone number (AOR=0.36, 95% CI [0.19, 0.68]), antenatal care attendance (AOR=0.07, 95% CI [0.04, 0.16]), and having discussion with health extension worker (AOR=0.14, 95% CI [0.084, 0.24]) were significantly associated with ambulance service utilization. Conclusion: The magnitude of ambulance service utilization was low. Hence, health sector should improve the awareness of pregnant mothers on benefit of ambulance utilization through provision of information. Health care providers should provide antenatal services for pregnant mothers as early as possible.

Level of Adequate Knowledge of Non-communicable Diseases and Associated Factors Among Adult Residents of North Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia: A Mixed-Method Approach.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are currently the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, posing significant challenges to global healthcare systems. Particularly, the prevalence of NCDs is rising in Ethiopia, resulting in a triple burden of diseases on the health system that disproportionately affects all age groups. Hence, this study aims to determine the level of adequate knowledge of NCDs and associated factors among adult residents of the North Shewa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study with a concurrent mixed-method approach was conducted from April 1, 2021 to May 30, 2021 among 846 residents using the multistage sampling technique. Interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data and a guiding checklist was used to collect qualitative data. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to compute the association between explanatory variables and knowledge of NCDs. Adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence interval with a p-value < 0.05 were used to decree statistical significance in multivariable analysis. Also, a thematic framework analysis was used for qualitative data analysis. Results: A total of 823 subjects have participated in this study making a response rate of 97.3%. The level of adequate knowledge was 33.9% (95%CI: 30.67, 37.13). Higher-income, receiving information from health professionals, owning a TV, having a family member with NCD(s), and marital status were factors significantly associated with adequate knowledge of NCDs. Conclusion: This study reveals a high level of inadequate knowledge of NCDs despite its foundational ability in tackling the burden of NCDs. As a result, broadening a wider and more comprehensive health promotion strategy for the prevention of triple burden of NCDs would benefit the population. Additionally, special efforts are needed both at the practice and policy levels targeting the disadvantaged groups, such as low-income people, those who do not receive information from health professionals, those who do not own a television, and those who are widowed/divorced, who were found to have less knowledge of NCDs.

Exploring Enablers and Barriers to Utilize Printed Information, Education, and Communication Materials Among Healthcare Providers of North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background: Information, education, and communication (IEC) materials have paramount relevance in primary health care which mainly focused on disease prevention and control. They are a cost-effective approach for achieving better health outcomes in all clinical and public health interventions. This study aimed to explore enablers and barriers to utilize printed IEC materials among healthcare providers of North Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2020. Methods: A descriptive, qualitative study was conducted from December 1, 2020, to December 30, 2020, among health care providers. A judgmental sampling technique was used and 20 key informants were recruited considering their educational level, professional categories, working units, work experience, and types of health facilities. The data were collected by using a semi-structured interview guide. The transcribed data were uploaded into ATLAS. ti version 7.5.18 software. Then, the inductive process of thematic analysis was employed and the data were coded, categorized, and thematized. Direct quotations were presented with a thick description of the findings. Results: The findings of the study were discussed under four themes of enablers and four themes of barriers. The four themes of enablers were availability of printed IEC materials, distribution of printed IEC material, perceived usefulness of printed IEC materials, and support from the non-government organization. The four themes of barriers were printed IEC materials-related factors, patients related factors, health care provider's related factors, and government-related factors. Conclusion: In this study, we found that the utilization of IEC materials was influenced by a number of facilitators and barriers. Thus, all concerned bodies need to give due attention to IEC materials and work towards the improvement of the quality of IEC materials, provide training for health care providers, work to increase the availability of IEC materials, and distribute them to the health facilities.

Return of Sexual Activity Within Six Weeks of Childbirth Among Married Women Attending Postpartum Clinic of a Teaching Hospital in Ethiopia.

Introduction: Postpartum sexual health gets very little attention compared to pregnancy and childbirth, even though most maternal deaths and disabilities occur during this time. Therefore, the study aimed to assess return of sexual activity within 6 weeks of childbirth among married women attending postpartum clinic of a teaching hospital in Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: The hospital-based cross-sectional study design was implemented from September to October 2021. Eligible postpartum women were sampled by systematic random sampling technique. The data was entered into EPI-info and exported to SPSS version 24 for further analysis. All variables with a p-value < 0.05 in multivariable analyses were taken as associated factors with the return to sexual activity before 6 weeks of childbirth. Results: A total of 421 postpartum women participated in the study. The prevalence of women who return to sexual activity 6 weeks after childbirth was 31.6%. The study revealed that monogamy (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.4, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (2.1, 9.4)), parity (AOR= 0.11, 95% CI (0.02-0.81)) and (AOR = 0.1, 95% CI (0.015-0.72)), postnatal care (AOR= 1.8, 95% CI (1.01-3)) and infants feeding status (AOR=2.3, 95% CI (1.3-4)) were significantly associated with return of sexual activity before 6 weeks of childbirth. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested that, nearly one-third of postpartum women engaged to sexual activity within 6 weeks of childbirth. Return of sexual activity within 6 weeks of childbirth associated with monogamy type of marriage, parity, postnatal care, and child feeding status. Strengthening postpartum counseling regarding the appropriate time to resume sexual activity is crucial. Regular postpartum visits following deliveries should also be encouraged by health care providers.

What Factors Encourage Young People to Engage in Substance Use? Substance Use and Associated Factors Among Youth in Southwest Ethiopia: A Community-Based Study.

Background: Substance use indicated the use of psychoactive substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, khat, and illegal drugs. Substance use has varying impacts on the health and socio-economics of countries, and is a major public health concern globally. Currently, substance use is a common public health problem among Ethiopian youth mainly in the city of Jimma. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of Cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, khat chewing, and associated factors among the youth of Jimma town in 2019. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among youth of Jimma town from March 2019 to April 2019. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 423 study participants. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EPI data manager version 4.4.1 and transported to SPSS version 23 for data cleaning and analyses. The disruptive study was carried out to determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and khat chewing. Binary and multivariable analyses were carried out to identify factories associated with cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and khat chewing. Finally, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to determine the presence and strength of association. Results: The current prevalence of cigarette use, alcohol use, and khat use was 16.0, 30.6, and 45.7%, respectively. Factors associated with current smoking use were substance use by siblings, subjective norm factors, and perceived benefits of substance use. Factors associated with current alcohol consumption were youth who highly perceived substance use as important. Factors associated with current khat use were male, substance use by siblings, out-of-school youth, and subjective norms. Concussion: The study findings indicated that the prevalence of khat, alcohol, and cigarettes was high among the youth of the city of Jimma. To reduce the prevalence of khat, alcohol, and cigarettes among youth, coordinated efforts from the youth, the government, health professionals, and the community at large are needed.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Attending Health Facilities in Central Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, cervical cancer ranked as the second leading cause of female cancer and also stands as the most common cancer among women aged from 15 to 44 years old. Hence, this study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice toward cervical cancer screening among women attending health facilities in central Ethiopia. METHODS: Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 study participants. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EPI data 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Binary and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical cancer screening. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI and a P-value < .05 were used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: Half, 50.7% of study participants had good knowledge. Less than half, 46.1% had a positive attitude toward cervical cancer screening. Only 6.3% of women have been screened for cervical cancer. Diploma and above education (AOR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.32, 6.157), no idea about cervical cancer curable at an early stage (AOR: 6.23, 95% CI: 6.23 (2.77, 15.13) were significantly associated with knowledge of cervical cancer screening. Diploma and above education (AOR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.19, 0.74) and multiple sexual partners (AOR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.62) were factors associated with a negative attitude toward cervical cancer screening. Positive attitude about cervical cancer screening (AOR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.91, 6.20) was significantly associated with the practice of being screened. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical cancer screening knowledge and attitudes were moderate, but practice was low. Educational status, considering cervical cancer is not curable at an early stage and not having an idea about its curability at an early stage, was significantly associated with knowledge of cervical cancer screening. Sexual partner status and educational status showed significant association with an attitude toward cervical cancer screening and having a positive attitude toward cervical cancer screening were significantly associated with the practice of cervical cancer screening. Health professionals need to disseminate cervical cancer screening information and offer cervical cancer treatment during health-care appointments.

Evaluation of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of COVID-19 Prevention Methods Among Hypertensive Patients in North Shoa, Ethiopia.

Introduction: The occurrence of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) has affected more than 247 million populations around the world. People with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, elderly people, and people with weak immunity develop severe types of COVID-19 if exposed to the disease. Therefore, this study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice of COVID-19 prevention methods among hypertensive patients in North Shoa, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 5/2020 to June 5/2020 in public hospitals in the North Shoa zone, Ethiopia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and study participants were recruited using a simple random sampling technique. The data were checked for completeness and entered into the EpiData manager version 4.4.1 and transferred to SPSS version 23 for analysis purposes. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were computed and a significant association was declared with a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of 360 (97.0%) hypertension patients responded. This study revealed that 210 (58.3%) study participants had good knowledge of COVID-19 prevention methods, 199 (55.3%) had a favorable attitude towards COVID-19 prevention methods, and 210 (58.3%) hypertension patients at follow-up practiced COVID-19 prevention methods. Respondents who received less than two thousand Ethiopian birrs monthly and respondents who followed electronic news media were significantly associated with the use of sanitizer, respondents who had a favorable attitude towards the COVID-19 prevention method were significantly associated with mask-wearing, and respondents who received less than two thousand Ethiopian birrs monthly were significantly associated with maintaining a physical distance. Conclusion: Generally, this study finding revealed that the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 prevention among hypertension patients was low. Therefore, increasing knowledge, attitude, and practice on COVID-19 among hypertension patients requires a coordinated effort from the government, non-government, and health professionals.

Insecticide-Treated Bed Net Utilization and Associated Factors Among Households in Ilu Galan District, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are often used as a physical barrier to prevent infection of malaria. In sub-Saharan Africa, one of the most important ways of lowering malaria burden is the utilization of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). However, there is no sufficient information on ITN utilization and its associated factors in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the utilization of insecticide-treated bed nets and its associated factors among households in Ilu Galan district, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ilu Galan district to select 550 households using systematic random sampling techniques. Interviewer-administered questionnaire and observational checklists were used to collect data. The collected data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. The results were presented by texts, tables, and graphs. Both binary and multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with ITN utilization. RESULTS: A total of 532 study participants responded to the questionnaire making a response rate of 96.7%. About 72.2%, [95% CI: 68.4%, 75.8%] of the respondents utilized insecticide-treated nets in the night before the day data was collected. Being female [AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.81], age less than 25 years [AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.95], monthly income >1000 ETB [AOR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.69], and having more than 3 beds [AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.51] were significantly associated with ITN utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Insecticide-treated nets utilization was found to be low in this study. There is a gap between the ownership and ITN utilization. Sex, age, monthly income, and number of beds were factors associated with ITN utilization. The provision of behavioral change communication to the community on the importance of ITN utilization is compulsory.

Assessment of vaccination timeliness and associated factors among children in Toke Kutaye district, central Ethiopia: A Mixed study.

INTRODUCTION: Age inappropriate vaccination of children increases the rate of mortality and morbidity. All studies conducted in some areas of Ethiopia were only quantitative in nature and focused on the main cities ignoring rural communities. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess vaccination timeliness and associated factors among children in Toke Kutaye district, central Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study with quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used, for which simple random sampling was used to select 602 mothers/caregivers who have vaccinated children aged 12 to 23 months in the district. The collected data were entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate analysis with a P-value of < 0.25 was used to select candidate variables for multivariate logistic regression. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% CI and p-value < 0.05 were used to declare a significant association. Qualitative data responses were classified and then organized by content with thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 590 respondents responded to the interviews, making a response rate of 98%. In this study, 23.9% (95% CI: 20.4-27.7) of children aged 12-23 months had received all vaccines in the recommended time intervals. Urban residence (AOR: 3.15, 95% CI: 1.56-6.4), participation of pregnant women in conferences (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.2-4.57), institutional delivery (AOR: 2.5: 95% CI: 1.32-4.20), and sufficient knowledge of mothers (AOR: 3, 95% CI: 1.82-5.10) were significantly associated with the timeliness of childhood vaccination. Qualitative findings revealed that lack of knowledge and lack of information from mothers or caregivers, and inadequate communication with health workers hindered timely vaccination. CONCLUSION: The overall timeliness of the child's vaccination was low in this study. Residence, participation in a conference, place of delivery, and knowledge of the mothers were predictors of vaccination timeliness. Hence, promoting institutional delivery and increasing pregnant mothers awreness on vaccination timeliness through conference participation is compulsory.

Determinants of Low Birth Weight Among Women Who Gave Birth at Public Health Facilities in North Shewa Zone: Unmatched Case-Control Study.

Globally, more than 20 million newborns are born with low birth weight (LBW) every year. Most of the LBW occurs in low- and middle-income countries. It is the most critical risk of neonate mortality. Therefore, this study aims to identify determinants of low birth weight among women who gave birth in public health facilities in the North Shewa zone. Institutional-based unmatched case-control study was conducted from February to June 2020 to select 180 cases and 380 controls. Interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered through EPI Info and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for analysis. Text, percentage and tables were used to present data. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to see the association and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence interval (CI), and P-value < .05 was considered to declare statistical significance. Lack of nutritional counseling (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.14; 95% CI = [1.13, 4.04]), unable to take iron-folate supplement (AOR = 2.3.78; 95% CI = [2.1, 6.85]), insufficient additional meal in take (AOR = 6.93; 95% CI = [3.92, 12.26]), restriction of foods (AOR=2.29; 95% CI =[1.81, 4.09]), maternal mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 23 cm (AOR=2.85; 95% CI = [ 1.68, 4.85]), maternal height ≤155 cm (AOR=3.58; 95% CI = [1.92, 6.7]), anemia (AOR = 2.34; 95% CI = [1.21, 4.53]), pregnancy-related complications (AOR=3.39; 95% CI = [2.02, 5.68]), and alcohol drinking during pregnancy (AOR = 2.25; 95% CI = [1.24, 4.08]) were significantly associated with LBW. Nutritional counseling, iron-folate supplementation, additional meal intake, restriction of some foods in pregnancy, MUAC of the mother, maternal stature, maternal anemia status, pregnancy-related complications, and a history of alcohol drinking during pregnancy were identified as determinants of low birth weight. The intervention-targeted nutritional counseling, early detection and treatment of anemia, and behavioral change communication to pregnant women are mandatory.

Anxiety and depression symptoms in older adults during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A community-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has caused high morbidity and mortality in older adults over the world. Because the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic greatly affects older adults who have a preexisting health condition, they are generally susceptible to a high incidence of severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Therefore, we aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in older adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. METHODS: Community-based cross-sectional study was completed in August 2020. Standardized and pretested General Anxiety Disorder-7 and Geriatric Depression Scale were used to screen the symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. Data were entered into EpiData (version 4.3.2) and transferred to SPSS (version 24) for further analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the significantly associated variables with a 95% confidence interval at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Of the total older adults interviewed, 68.7% had developed symptoms of anxiety and 59.9% had symptoms of depression during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Female participants, having a chronic disease and poor knowledge of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms. Age category of 81 to 90 and above 90, lack of social support, and having a chronic disease were significantly associated with symptoms of depression. CONCLUSION: The symptoms of anxiety and depression among older adults in the North Shoa Zone during coronavirus disease 2019 were higher than before the coronavirus disease 2019 happened. The results were evidence points for developing a psychological intervention to tackle the older adults' mental health needs in the community during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Nutritional-Related Predictors of Preterm Birth in North Shewa Hospitals, Central Ethiopia: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of newborn death and the second cause of mortality among under-five children. Globally, about 15 million infants are born preterm every year. However, there is a lack of data on the nutritional-related predictors of preterm birth among Ethiopian women. The objective of the study was to identify nutritional-related predictors of preterm birth among women who gave birth at North Shewa public Hospitals in central Ethiopia. METHODS: A case-control study was undertaken in public hospitals in the North Shewa zone, central Ethiopia. Interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to gather data, which was then entered into EPI INFO version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Data were presented using texts, tables, and proportions. To find predictors of preterm birth, researcher used binary and multiple logistic regression models. The presence of a relationship between PTB and predictor factors was determined using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and p-value <0.05. RESULTS: A total of 161 cases and 322 controls participated in the study making a response rate of 97.6%. Unable to get iron folic acid (IFA) (AOR=2.26, 95% CI: 1.22, 4.18), not eating additional meals (AOR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.1, 4.62), restriction of foods (AOR=2.85, 95% CI: 1.58, 5.12), not taking dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV), (AOR=4.46, 95% CI: 1.72, 11.61), and mid upper arm circumference of mother (MUAC) <23 centimeters (AOR=3.7, 95% CI: 2.25, 6.11) had statistically significant association with premature birth. CONCLUSION: IFA supplementation, additional meals, food taboo, frequency of DGLV, and MUAC were identified predictors of preterm birth. Encouraging such women to eat additional meals, varieties of diets like vegetables, and fruits during pregnancy, and adhering to culturally appropriate nutrition education to reverse food taboo is compulsory.

Psychological Distress, Early Behavioral Response, and Perception Toward the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Health Care Workers in North Shoa Zone, Oromiya Region.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant psychological impact on health care workers (HCWs). Therefore, this study inspects the mental health status, behavioral response, and perception among HCWs (nurses, physicians, and medical laboratory workers) during the COVID-19 pandemic in public health care facilities. Methods: A facilities-based cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2020. A simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected by self-report administered questionnaires using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for insomnia, Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) for psychological distress, Perceived Threat Scale for perception, and Behavioral Response Inquiry for the behavioral response. Moreover, bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions analysis was used to identify the association between dependent and independent variables at p-value <0.05. Results: A total of 417 (98.6%) HCWs responded to a self-administered questionnaire. The proportion of HCWs who had moderate to severe symptoms of psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic were 58, 16.3, 30.7, and 15.9%, respectively. Three-fifth of the nurses, medical laboratory professionals (62.2%), and physicians (59.2%) had reported good behavioral responses toward the COVID-19 pandemic. More than three-fifths of the nurses had reported poor perception toward the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, 61.2% of physicians and three-fourths (75.5%) of medical laboratory professionals had reported good perception toward the COVID-19 pandemic. Female and married participants, those working in the emergency unit, those with poor behavioral responses, and those with poor perception toward the COVID-19 pandemic were significantly associated with symptoms of psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Conclusions: Psychological impacts among physicians, nurses, and medical laboratory professionals are high during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health should aim to protect all HCWs' psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic with appropriate interventions and accurate information response.

Self-Reported Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Healthcare Workers in Ethiopia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency that has affected many world nations, including Ethiopia. Aside from its implications on the community as a whole, COVID-19 has also been associated with a variety of mental health problems among healthcare workers (HCWs). In this study, we aim to assess the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs in central Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey from June 25, 2020, to July 25, 2020, in Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-reported Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data were cleaned, coded, and analysed using SPSS Version 23. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify the associated factors for mental health outcomes at a p-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 816 HCWs completed the self-report questionnaire. The percentage of HCWs who had moderate to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were 60.3%, 78%, and 33.8%, respectively. Female participants, HCWs in the Oromiya Special Zone, medical laboratory professionals, and HCWs working in the COVID-19 treatment isolation centers were significantly more likely to have symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSION: In this study, HCWs reported a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Female participants, HCWs in the Oromiya Special Zone, medical laboratory professionals, and HCWs working in the COVID-19 treatment isolation centers were significantly more likely to have symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. It is imperative that the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health should develop psychological interventions to address the specific needs of HCWs who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maternal Satisfaction and Factors Associated with Institutional Delivery Care in Central Ethiopia: a Mixed Study.

BACKGROUND: Women satisfaction recognized as an important outcome of the maternal health care delivery system. Despite the Ethiopian federal ministry of health implemented compassionate, respectful, and caring as one of the health sector transformation agendas to increase health service utilization, the level of maternal satisfaction of institutional delivery is still low. This study aimed to assess maternal satisfaction and factors associated with institutional delivery care in central Ethiopia. METHODS: Community-based cross-sectional study, which involved quantitative study supplemented with qualitative methods were employed. Mothers were proportionally allocated to each selected kebele according to the number of their size. Data were collected by a face-to-face interview using a standardized questionnaire to determine the level of maternal satisfaction with birth care. The result was presented using texts, percentages, and tables. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed between dependent and independent variables at 95% confidence intervals and a P-value < 0.05 to show a significant association. In the qualitative part, data were transcribed carefully and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: The overall a total of 451 respondents participated in this study making a response rate of 98%. The level of maternal satisfaction was 36.6% in this study. Spontaneous vaginal deliveries (SVD) (AOR: 7.33, CI: 2, 26.79), being attended by female sex health workers (AOR: 1.54, CI: 1.04, 2.28), receiving ambulance service to arrive at health facilities (AOR: 7.84, CI: 2, 61.63), utilizing of maternal waiting areas AOR: 1.72, CI: 1.09, 2.66), and respectful care (AOR=1.55, CI: 1.03, 2.34) were factors associated with maternal satisfaction. From qualitative study, three themes and ten categories have emerged. CONCLUSION: Maternal satisfaction towards the delivery service was low. SVD, being attended by female sex health workers, ambulance service, cleaned delivery room, and respectful care were factors associated with maternal satisfaction. The health facilities in the study areas need to work on improving health facility cleanliness, health workers' compassionate and respectful care, and providing ambulance service as a main means of transportation for laboring mothers.

Prevalence of Cervical Cancer and Associated Factors Among Women Attended Cervical Cancer Screening Center at Gahandi Memorial Hospital, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that cervical cancer is preventable disease, it is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and leading cause of cancer death in women. An estimated 604 000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and 342 000 women died from the disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with cervical cancer among women attended cervical cancer screening center in Gahandi memorial Hospital. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Gahandi Memorial Hospital in which simple random sampling technique was used to select 422 registration books of women who visited the hospital between May 2015 and May 2019. Texts, tables, and graph were used to present results. Binary logistic regression with a P-value of <.25 and multivariate logistic regression with a P-value of <.05 were used to determine the association between independent variables and outcome variable. RESULTS: In this study, from the total of 422 women screened with visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening test, 23.5% of them were found to be positive for VIA test. From those who were diagnosed positive with VIA screening test, about 10.1 % were identified with high grade lesions. Having multiple sexual partners (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.21-3.29), being HIV-positive (AOR = 2.22, 95% CI:1.10-4.69), having a history of Sexual Transmitted Infection (STI) (AOR = 6.76, 95% CI: 1.14-3.90), and beginning sexual intercourse at early age (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.20-5.13) were factors associated with cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that the high prevalence of cervical cancer. Having multiple sexual partners, being Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) positive, having STI history and early initiation of sexual intercourse were factors associated with cervical cancer. Therefore, avoiding multiple sexual partners, delaying of early sexual contact, and self-protection from STI infections might help to prevent cervical cancer.