Handwashing Practices among Public Primary School Students in East Dembiya District, Ethiopia.

Poor water sanitation and hygiene is a public health problem in developing and underdeveloped countries, including Ethiopia, and remains an important public health issue among primary school students. Students have been repeatedly exposed to various communicable diseases associated with water sanitation and hygiene. The objective of this study was to assess predictors of handwashing practice among second-cycle public primary school students in East Dembiya District, northwestern Ethiopia, 2022. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 752 second-cycle primary school students. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and observational checklists adopted and modified from different sources of literature. The data were checked further by visualizing and computing rates with the SPSS version 26 statistical software. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors. The prevalence of washing practices among second-cycle primary school students was 57.6% (95% CI 53.90-61.10). Residency (urban) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.30-2.87), access to media (aOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.11-2.49), hygiene and sanitation club membership (aOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.26-2.80), good knowledge about handwashing (aOR = 3.93, 95% CI: 2.34-6.60), and a positive attitude toward handwashing (aOR = 3.63, 95% CI: 2.01-5.584) were predictors of handwashing practice among second-cycle primary school students. This study showed that handwashing practice among primary school students was low. Availing handwashing facilities, better media access, formation of a hygiene and sanitation club in the school, celebration of "Handwashing Day" with students, and leading behavior change communication are all important for improving students' handwashing practice.

Prevalence and risk factors of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage in healthy children attending kindergarten, in district of Arsi Zone, South East, Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: S. pneumoniae responsible for a range of respiratory infections from uncomplicated to severe invasive pneumococcal disease. Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from children attending kindergarten and aged ≤ 6 years from February, 2017 to June, 2017 to assess the nasopharyngeal carriage and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of S. pneumoniae. Parents of children interviewed using questionnaire and check list to identify associated factors. An antimicrobial susceptibility test performed using disk diffusion method. RESULTS: Overall pneumococcal carriage were 18.4% (88/477). No significant variation in colonization based on sex and age of children. Children living with siblings (1-2) < 6 years in household (adjusted odd ratio = 16.06; 95% confidence interval 6.21-41.55) and > 5 person per household (adjusted odd ratio = 3.27; 95% confidence interval 1.50-7.14) were associated with higher S. pneumoniae carriage. Non- exclusive breast feeding (adjust odd ratio = 6.00; 95% confidence interval 3.33-10.80) and horse cart transportation (adjusted odd ratio = 2.75; 95% confidence interval 1.05-7.22) increases carriage. S. pneumoniae showed 21 (23.9%) resistance to erythromycin, 18 (20.4%) to amoxicillin, 13 (15.0%) to penicillin, and the least 1 (1.1%) to augmentin.