Factors affectinsg the utilization of Xpert MTB/RIF assay among TB clinic health workers in Addis Ababa.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnostic accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF is well documented but underutilization is a major challenge in most high burden countries. This appears to be linked with insufficient knowledge of health professionals of using the tool. However, this has not been well studied. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the knowledge of health professionals on Xpert MTB/RIF assay and associated factors in detecting TB/TB drug resistance. METHODS: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 4 to June 5, 2015, in Addis Ababa that involved 209 healthcare providers working in TB clinics. Structured questionnaire through self-administered interview technique was used to collect the data. We asked them about Xpert on whether they are aware of its place in TB diagnosis, when and for whom it shall be used, its role in treatment monitoring, result interpretation and patient's registration that are diagnosed by Xpert MTB/RIF. We used binary logistic regression analysis to identify associated factors. Odds ratio with 95% CI was computed to assess the strength of the associations. RESULTS: Of the 209 participants interviewed, the majority 151 (72.2%) were nurses. More than a half of the respondents 114 (54.6%) had poor knowledge. Health professionals with age above 35 years (AOR = 6.253, 95% CI (1.1995, 19.604)) and those who read the Xpert guideline (AOR = 4.231, 95% CI (2.011, 8.900)) were more likely to have good knowledge on Xpert. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: This study revealed that the overall magnitude of knowledge status was found to be low. Health workers above 35 years and those who read the guideline on Xpert had higher knowledge status on Xpert. Distribution of national guideline on Xpert and assigning experienced clinicians in TB DOTs clinics are recommended.

Awareness of occupational hazards and associated factors among welders in Lideta Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Welding is a manufacturing industry where workers could be exposed to several hazards. However, there is a dearth of studies clarifying the situation in Ethiopia. The present study determined the level of awareness of occupational hazards and associated factors among welding employees at Lideta Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: A work site-based cross-sectional study was conducted among welding employees Lideta Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from April to May 2015. Stratified sampling followed by simple random sampling techniques was used to select the study participants. A pilot tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Multivariable analyses were employed to see the effect of explanatory variables on workers' awareness of occupational hazards. RESULTS: According to our criteria of awareness 86.5 % of surveyed workers were aware of occupational hazards. A higher work experience, presence of work regulation, job satisfaction, being married, being single, and a higher educational status were factors significantly associated with workers' awareness of occupational hazards. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the level of awareness of occupational hazards among welders was high. However, this does not mean that there will be no need for further strengthening of the safety measures as significant proportions of the workers still had low awareness. Interventions to boost workers awareness of occupational hazards should focus on areas, such as provision of safety trainings, promotion of safety advocacy, and enforcement of appropriate workplace safety regulation.

Utilization of personal protective equipment and associated factors among textile factory workers at Hawassa Town, Southern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Use of personal protective equipment is one of the important measures to safeguard workers from exposure to occupational hazards, especially in developing countries. However, there is a dearth of studies describing personal protective equipment utilization in Ethiopia. The present study has determined the magnitude of personal protective equipment utilization and identified associated factors among textile factory workers at Hawassa Town, southern Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among textile factory workers at Hawassa Town, southern Ethiopia from January to March 2014. Stratified sampling followed by simple random sampling techniques was used to select the total of 660 study participants. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Multivariate analyses were employed to see the effect of explanatory variables on dependent variable. RESULTS: The magnitude of personal protective equipment utilization was 82.4 %. Service duration of >10 years [AOR: 0.23, 95 % CI: (0.09, 0.58)], availability of personal protective equipments [AOR: 21.73, 95 % CI: (8.62, 54.79)], shift work [AOR: 2.28, 95 % CI: (1.12, 4.66)], alcohol drinking [AOR: 0.26, 95 % CI: (0.10, 0.66)], and cigarette smoking [AOR: 0.20, 95 % CI: (0.05, 0.78)] were factors significantly associated with use of personal protective equipment. CONCLUSION: In this study a relatively higher personal protective equipment utilization rate was reported compared to other studies in developing countries. However, this does not mean that there will be no need for further strengthening the safety programs as there are significant proportion of the workers still does not use all the necessary personal protective equipment during work. Interventions to promote use personal protective equipment should focus on areas, such as service duration, availability of protective equipment, presence of shift work, and control of substance abuse.