Determinants of breast cancer among women attending oncology units in selected health facilities of Hawassa City, Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia, 2023: case-control study.

Background: The incidence of breast cancer (BC) is rampantly increasing in developing countries particularly Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the morbidity and mortality rates are sharply increasing, and because of this, families are suffering from socioeconomic crises. Despite this, there is limited evidence on the determinants of breast cancer in Ethiopia as well as in the study area. Objective: To identify the determinants of BC among women attending oncology units in selected hospitals in Hawassa City, Ethiopia, in 2023. Method: A hospital-based, case-control study with 300 patients (75 cases and 225 controls) was carried out in Hawassa from June to July 2023. A simple random sampling technique was used to select cases and controls. Data were collected via pretested and structured digitally installed questionnaires with Kobo collection/smartphones. The data were exported from the server to SPSS version 27 for analysis. Descriptive analysis of univariate, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression data was conducted to determine the associations between breast cancer incidence and independent factors. Results: A total of 300 women participated in this study for a response rate of 100%. The mean ( ± SD) ages of the respondents were 37.2 ( ± 14.8) and 36.6 ( ± 15.1) years for the cases and controls, respectively. According to the multivariate logistic regression model, postmenopausal status [AOR: 2.49; 95% CI (1.18, 5.23)], family history of cancer [AOR: 2.33; 95% CI (1.12, 4.82)], oral contraceptives [AOR: 2.74; 95% CI (1.34, 5.99)], overweight and/or obesity [AOR: 2.29; 95% CI: (1.14, 4.59)], and consumption of solid oil [AOR: 2.36; 95% CI (1.20, 4.67)] were independently associated with BC risk. Conclusion: This study revealed important risk factors for BC. Therefore, women should adopt healthier lifestyles through healthy nutrition and regular exercise to reduce the risk of developing BC. In addition, early detection and regular screening are proactive approaches for detecting BC.

Compliance to iron folic acid supplementation and its associated factors among pregnant women attending Antenatal clinic in Wondo district: a cross-sectional study.

Pregnant women are at high risk for iron deficiency anemia due to increased nutrient requirements during pregnancy. Despite high coverage of iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS), low compliance is reported. The study aimed to assess compliance with IFAS and its associated factors among antenatal care (ANC) attendees in Wondo District, Southern Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 pregnant women. Pregnant women were selected through systematic random sampling. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data through face to face interview. Data were entered into Epi-info and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences for analysis. The variables with p-value < 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were entered into the multivariable logistic regression model. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results were reported as crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence of compliance to IFAS was (177, 44.3%). Factors significantly associated with compliance to IFAS were maternal age ≥ 25 years [AOR 2.27, 95% CI (1.21, 4.28)], maternal education [AOR 2.62, 95% CI (1.43, 4. 79)], husband's education [AOR 3.60, 95% CI (2.07, 6.25)], knowledge of anemia [AOR 4.40, 95% CI (2.65, 7.30)], and knowledge of IFA [AOR 2.21, 95% CI (1.40, 3.50)]. This study showed that compliance to IFAS was low. Maternal age, maternal education, husband's education, knowledge about anemia and iron folic acid was found to be significantly associated with adherence to IFAS. Emphasis should be placed on young, uneducated mothers and their husbands.

Factors associated with maternal near-miss at public hospitals of South-East Ethiopia: An institutional-based cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Maternal near-miss precedes maternal mortality, and women are still alive indicating that the numbers of near-misses occur more often than maternal mortality. This study aims to assess the prevalence of maternal near-miss and associated factors at public hospitals of Bale zone, Southeast Ethiopia. METHODS: Facility-based cross-sectional study design was carried out from 1 October 2018 to 28 February 2019, among 300 women admitted to maternity wards. A structured questionnaire and checklist were used to collect data. Epi-info for data entry and statistical package for social science for analysis were used. The descriptive findings were summarized using tables and text. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and p-value < 0.05 were used to examine the association between the independent and dependent variables. RESULT: The prevalence of maternal near-miss in our study area was 28.7%. Age < 20 years, age at first marriage < 20 years, husbands with primary education, and being from rural areas are factors significantly associated with the prevalence of maternal near-miss. The zonal health department in collaboration with the education department and justice office has to mitigate early marriage by educating the community about the impacts of early marriage on health.

Predictors of Late Presentation for HIV/AIDS in West Arsi Zone Public Health Institutions, South Ethiopia: Unmatched Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Late presentation for HIV/AIDS care is defined as individuals newly presenting for HIV/AIDS care with a CD4 count below 350 cells/µl or presenting for care with WHO clinical staging of stage III or IV. Globally, around 21.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS were receiving ART in 2017, with an increase of 2.3 million since 2016. Despite this progress, most people start ART late in their disease progression. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify predictors of late presentation for HIV/AIDS among people living with HIV and attending ART clinics in West Arsi Zone public health institutions, South Ethiopia, 2019. METHODOLOGY: A facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among people living with HIV attending ART clinics in West Arsi Zone public health institutions, with a total sample size of 500 (167 cases and 333 controls). The sample size was calculated using Epi info version 7 and participants were selected using the case-based control selection sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were carried out to summarize the data. Bi-variate binary logistic regression analysis was carried for selecting candidate variables for multivariate binary logistic regression. A p-value of <0.05 was taken to declare the presence of a statistical association between outcomes and explanatory variables. RESULTS: Rural residence (AOR=7.74 95% CI (3.4-17.6)), being single (AOR=0.18 95% CI (0.06-0.49)) symptom(s) at first HIV diagnosis (AOR=7.69 95% CI (4.09-14.4)), no private house (AOR=5.09 95% CI (2.47-10.45)), fear of losing job (AOR=4.12 95% CI (2.04-8.31)), alcohol consumption (AOR=4.35 95% CI (2.18-8.69), and having chronic medical illness (AOR=5.04 95% CI (2.48-10.24)) were identified as having significant associations with late presentation of HIV/AIDS care. CONCLUSION: Rural residence, fear of losing a job, and chronic medical illness were potential risk factors for late presentation of HIV/AIDS care. Being single is the only protective factor for the late presentation of HIV/AIDS care.

Adverse birth outcomes and associated factors among mothers who delivered in Bale zone hospitals, Oromia Region, Southeast Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: Adverse birth outcomes, which include stillbirth, preterm birth, low birthweight, congenital abnormalities, and stillbirth, are the leading cause of neonatal and infant mortality worldwide. We assessed adverse birth outcomes and associated factors among mothers who gave birth in Bale zone hospitals, Oromia, Southeast Ethiopia. METHODS: We used systematic random sampling in this cross-sectional study. We identified factors associated with adverse birth outcomes using bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The proportion of adverse birth outcomes among participants was 21%. Of 576 births, 70 (12.2%) were low birthweight, 49 (8.5%) were preterm birth, 45 (7.8%) were stillbirth, and 18 (3.1%) infants had congenital anomalies. Inadequate antenatal care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.25-13.32), multiple pregnancy (AOR = 4.74, 95% CI 1.55-14.45), premature rupture of membranes in the current pregnancy (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.26-4.21), hemoglobin level < 11 g/dL (AOR = 3.22, 95% CI 1.85-5.58), and mid-upper arm circumference less than 23 cm (AOR = 5.93, 95% CI 3.49-10.08) were all significantly associated with adverse birth outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one in five study participants had adverse birth outcomes. Increasing antenatal care uptake, ferrous supplementation during pregnancy, and improving the quality of maternal health services are recommended.