Vitamin A supplementation coverage and its associated factors among children aged 6-59 months in West Azernet Berbere Woreda, South West Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A deficiency is one of the major public health problems in low and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. Despite this fact, little attention was given to routine vitamin A supplementation in hard-to-reach rural areas and districts. Therefore, this study aimed to assess vitamin A supplementation coverage and its associated factors among children aged 6-59 months in West Azernet Berbere woreda, southern Ethiopia, 2021. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2021. A total sample size of 471 study participants was involved in the study area. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit the study subject. A pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify variables having a significant association with vitamin A supplementation. The variables having a p-value ≤ 0.05 with 95% CI were used to declare an association between factors and a dependent variable. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 471 respondents were successfully interviewed with a response rate of 97.3%. The coverage of vitamin A supplementation was found to be 58.0%. Family monthly income [AOR = 2.565, 95% CI(1.631,4.032)], having PNC visit [AOR = 1.801, 95% CI (1.158, 2.801)], husbands disapproval about vitamin A supplementation [AOR = 0.324, 95% CI (0.129, 0.813)], information about vitamin A supplementation [AOR = 2.932, 95% CI (1.893, 4,542)] and ANC follow-up [AOR = 1.882, 95% CI (1.084, 3.266)] were factors significantly associated to vitamin A supplementation. CONCLUSION: Vitamin A supplementation was found to be low and it is strongly associated with family monthly income, postnatal care, husband's disapproval of vitamin A supplementation, antenatal care follow-up, and information about vitamin A supplementation. Based on our findings, it is recommended to improve the monthly income of the household by actively engaging in various income-generating activities, enhance health information dissemination among mothers, particularly those who are underprivileged by using different strategies like local health campaigns, and mass media, advocacy of antenatal, and postnatal follow-up and promote the involvement of males/husband in childhood immunization service.

A Quantitative Study on Stigma and Statistically Correlated Factors Among Women Living with Genital Fistula in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Identification of Urgent Corrective Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Two-to-three million women worldwide live with a genital fistula, with Asian and sub-Saharan African countries including Ethiopia accounting for the greatest percentage. Genital fistula is a devastating health problem due to the stigma associated with constant incontinence and bad-odor. Thus, this study aimed to determine the magnitude of the stigma towards women living with genital fistula in Oromia region, Ethiopia, and to highlight the factors associated with it, identifying potential strategies for corrective interventions. METHODS: This quantitative study was conducted among 422 women living with genital fistula in five fistula treatment centers of Oromia region using a cross-sectional study design from August 30, 2019 to February 28, 2020. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire, entered into Epi-data version 4.2, and analyzed by SPSS version 23. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was done. P-value <0.05 was used to ascertain statistical significance with an adjusted odds ratio at 95% confidence interval (CI). The results were presented by text and tables. RESULTS: The response rate for this study was 100%. The magnitude of perceived high stigma related to genital fistula was 178 (42.2%). The factors associated with it were the respondents' father's educational level of being able to write and read compared to unknown fathers' educational level (AOR=0.09; 95% CI=0.03-0.34), and duration of living with a genital fistula of less than 2 years compared to living with a genital fistula for 5 years or more (AOR=0.52; 95% CI=0.31-0.86). CONCLUSION: The perceived level of stigma among women living with a genital fistula in Oromia region was significantly high. To reduce the perceived level of stigma and therefore to prevent the severe negative consequences of it, fathers, but also mothers, husbands, family members, and all the persons close to women living with genital fistulas should provide care and psychological support and all the necessary means to strongly encourage them to seek health care quickly, and to make them feel that they are beloved, and that there is hope for a healthy life in their near future.

Unintended Pregnancy and Associated Factors Among Women Attending Antenatal Care in Public Hospitals During COVID-19 Pandemic, Southwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic directly or indirectly increases the burden of unintended pregnancy by limiting women's access to family planning and other reproductive health services. COVID-19 results in extra 15 million unintended pregnancies over a year. Almost all previous studies conducted about unintended pregnancy were before COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of unintended pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic among women attending antenatal care in public hospitals of southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: This study was cross-sectional and conducted among women attending antenatal care at public hospitals of southwest Ethiopia from June 14 to July 14, 2021. Data were collected using a face-to-face interview. Factors associated with unintended pregnancy were analyzed using binary and multiple logistic regressions with an adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. Finally, the p-value was used as a graded measure of evidence to quantify the degree of significance. RESULTS: A total of 405 women participated in this study. The overall prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 19.5% (95% CI: 1.44-6.92) among women attending antenatal care during COVID-19 pandemic. Of which, 50.6% were mistimed and 49.4% unwanted. Urban residence (AOR: 3.1 95% CI: 1.44-6.92) and not being primary decision-maker (AOR: 2.85 95CI: 1.18-6.88) had high significance with unintended pregnancy. Not having ANC in a previous pregnancy (AOR: 3.40; 95% CI: 1.02-11.94) and not being exposed to community education about maternal health care (AOR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.06-5.27) had medium significance with unintended pregnancy. CONCLUSION: One-fifth of women attending antenatal care had unintended pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to scale up women's decision-making power on family planning services and access to community education are needed to prevent unintended pregnancy.

Unintended Pregnancy and Associated Factors Among HIV Positive Women in Ilu Aba Bora zone, South Western Ethiopia: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Unintended pregnancy reflects the existence of unprotected sex. Understanding factors associated with unintended pregnancy among HIV-positive women is very important to design strategies for the prevention of further transmission and infection with the virus. However, there is scarce information in this regard. Given the degree of HIV prevalence among women and the current antiretroviral therapy scale up in Ethiopia, it is important to understand factors associated with un-intended pregnancy in order to prevent mother to child HIV transmission (MTCT). METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed. The sample size was 353; all HIV/AIDS sero-positive reproductive age group (15-49) women having any pregnancy history after their diagnosis and having started HAART were included and simple random sampling was used to select study participants. Data collection period was from March 9 to April 13, 2019. RESULTS: The prevalence of unintended pregnancy among the participants was 40.9%. In the multivariate logistic regression, unemployment (AOR, 3.36; 95% CI: 1.55-7.26), not being knowledgeable on MTCT and prevention of MTCT (PMTCT) (AOR, 3.18; 95% CI: 1.92-5.24), and having had no discussion on reproductive health issues (AOR, 1.83; 95% CI: 1.09-3.07) are factors significantly associated with unintended pregnancy occurrence among HIV-positive women on antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The prevalence of unintended pregnancy among the women in the study is high. To avoid unintended pregnancies, HIV-infected women need access to effective family planning services and risk reduction discussions during routine care visits.

Magnitude of postpartum depression and associated factors among women in Mizan Aman town, Bench Maji zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The first 12 months after childbirth may represent a high-risk time for depression. In Ethiopia there is a paucity of evidence about its magnitude and associated factors during that period. So, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of depression and associated factors among postpartum women in Mizan Aman town, Bench Maji Zone, Southwest Ethiopia 2017. METHODS: A community based cross- sectional study design was employed from March 15 to April 15, 2017. Four hundred sixty women were selected using multistage random sampling technique. Face to face interview were conducted using structured questionnaires and standardized scales. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was done to see crude association between each independent variable and outcome variable. Variables with p value < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were entered to multivariable logistic regression analysis to control for confounding. Adjusted odd ratios with 95%CI were calculated to identify independent predictors of postpartum depression. RESULT: Four hundred fifty-six postpartum women participated in the study giving a response rate of 99%. The magnitude of postpartum depression among the study population was 102 (22.4%, 95% CI: 19.84-24.96). Postpartum depression is relatively higher in the first 6 weeks after birth. Postpartum depression is higher among mothers with age range between 18 and 23 years (aOR 3.89 95%CI: 1.53-9.90), unplanned pregnancy (aOR 3.35 95% CI: 1.701-6.58), child having sleeping problems (aOR 3.72 95%CI: 1.79-7.72), domestic violence (aOR 2.86 95%CI 1.72-8.79), unsatisfied marital relation (aOR 2.72 95% CI 1.32-5.62), poor social support (aOR 4.30 95% CI 1.79-10.30), history of previous depression (aOR 7.38 95% CI 3.12-17.35) and substance use (aOR 5.16 95% CI 2.52-10.60). CONCLUSION: The magnitude of postpartum depression was high. This underlines health care planners' needs to incorporate screening strategies for depression following childbirth.

Satisfaction with focused antenatal care service and associated factors among pregnant women attending focused antenatal care at health centers in Jimma town, Jimma zone, South West Ethiopia; a facility based cross-sectional study triangulated with qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Client satisfaction is essential for further improvement of quality of focused antenatal care and to provide uniform health care services for pregnant women. However, studies on level of client satisfaction with focused antenatal care and associated factors are lacking. So, the purpose of this study is to assess satisfaction with focused antenatal care service and associated factors among pregnant women attending focused antenatal care at health centers in Jimma town. METHODS: A facility based cross-sectional study involving both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection was used from Feb 1-30/2013. Three hundred eighty nine pregnant women those come to the health centers were included in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion guide was employed to obtain the necessary information for this study. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS for windows version 16.0. Logistic regression model was used to compare level of satisfaction by predictors' variables. Qualitative data was analyzed based on thematic frameworks to support the quantitative results. RESULT: More than half of the respondents (60.4%) were satisfied with the service that they received. As to specific components, most of the respondents (80.7%) were satisfied with interpersonal aspects, and 62.2% were satisfied with organization of health care aspect. Meanwhile, 49.9% of the respondents were not satisfied with technical quality aspect and 67.1% were not satisfied with physical environment aspect. Multivariate logistic regression analysis result showed that type of health center, educational status of mother, monthly income of the family, type of pregnancy and history of stillbirth were the predictors of the level of satisfaction. The study found out that dissatisfaction was high in mothers utilizing service at Jimma health center, in mothers with tertiary educational level, in mothers with average monthly family income >1000 birr, in mothers with unplanned pregnancy and in mothers with history of stillbirth. CONCLUSIONS: Even though greater percentages of women (60.4%) were satisfied with the focused antenatal care service, the level of satisfaction was lower compared to other studies. The investigator recommends that patient feedback should be recognized as a legitimate method of evaluating health services in the health center as a whole.