Effect of nutrition education intervention to improve dietary diversity practice and nutritional status of the older people: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

The growing aging population raises nutrition and health concerns, with malnutrition in the elderly linked to negative health outcomes. Our objective was to implement theory-based nutritional education interventions to improve the nutritional status of the elderly through diversified dietary practices. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted from December 1, 2021, to May 30, 2021, among 782 older persons randomly selected from two urban and 12 semi-urban areas in southwest Ethiopia. We used Social cognitive theory (SCT) in guiding the nutritional education intervention. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) tool was used to assess nutritional status, and a qualitative 24-h eating recall was used to evaluate dietary diversity. Difference-in-difference and generalized estimating equation models were used to assess the intervention effect. In total, 720 participants (361 in the intervention group and 359 in the control group) were included for analysis. The mean dietary diversity score differed significantly between the intervention group and the control group (p < .001). According to the multivariable generalized estimating equations model, the intervention group was 7.7 times (AOR = 7.746, 95% CI: 5.012, 11.973) more likely to consume a diverse diet than the control group. The nutrition status of the elderly in the intervention group improved significantly at the end of the intervention (p < .001). SCT-based nutritional education interventions can effectively improve healthy eating and nutritional status. For older adults, with its convenient approach and low cost, SCT should be considered an effective and efficient nutritional education approach for behavior change.

Reproductive health service use and associated factors among youths in Becho district, southwest Ethiopia.

Background: Young people are less informed, less experienced, and less at ease when it comes to accessing reproductive health services than adults. Though youth-friendly services are designed to accommodate the unique needs of youth, in developing countries like Ethiopia, studies on the level of utilization of reproductive health services are limited. Objectives: This study determined the level of reproductive health (RH) service use and associated factors among youths. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Becho district, Illubabor zone, southwest Ethiopia. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 702 youths, regardless of their marital status. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire includes questions on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual and reproductive health characteristics, knowledge, and components of RH assessment. The data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 22. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the utilization of reproductive health services at a p < 0.05. Results: A total of 647 youths participated in the study, constituting a response rate of 92.1%. Male youths made up 51.5% of the respondents, with an average (±SD) age of 19.38 (±2.69) years. Reproductive health (RH) services were utilized by 43.9% of youths. Knowledge of RH services (AOR = 4.11; 95% CI: 2.77, 6.09), discussion with family (AOR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.45), history of sexual exposure (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI: 1.95, 4.43), shorter distance from a health facility (AOR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.63, 3.57), and history of reproductive health problems (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.34, 4.31) were associated with RH service utilization. Conclusion: The use of reproductive health services among youths is found to be low. Knowledge about reproductive health services, discussion with parents, sexual exposure, distance, and previous experience with reproductive health problems shaped the utilization of RH services by youth. Improving knowledge through information dissemination, creating awareness to increase parent-child intimacy, and expanding health services should be emphasized.

Fear of COVID-19 and poor accessibility of comprehensive care has caused delay in initiation of antenatal care among pregnant women in Southwest Ethiopia: the need for disaster resilient and accessible maternal health care.

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is care provided to pregnant women in order to ensure positive health outcomes for both mother and baby. Late ANC contact lacks the opportunity to provide interventions that are effective early in the pregnancy. A huge proportion of pregnant women present late. The aim of this study was to identify determinants of late enrollment in the ANC among pregnant women in public health centers in Ilu Ababor Zone, South-West Ethiopia. Design and methods: A facility-based case-control study was conducted on 270 randomly selected pregnant women (135 cases and 135 controls). A pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Multi-variable logistic regression was run to identify the determinants of late ANC initiation. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to determine statistical significance at a P-value of 0.05. Result: A total of 270 pregnant women were interviewed, making a response rate of 97%. Unplanned pregnancy [AOR: 2.8; 95% CI: (1.3, 6.0)], lack of information on time of ANC initiation [AOR: 2.7; 95% CI:(1.02, 5.0)], older age [AOR: 2.2; 95% CI:(1.01, 4.7)], not attending ANC in the previous pregnancy [AOR: 4.07; 95% CI: (1.8, 9.5)], and fear of COVID-19 were determinants of late initiation of ANC in the study area. Conclusion: Age, pregnancy and care-related factors, and fear of COVID-19 were determinants of late initiation of ANC. Community-based provision of comprehensive information on planned pregnancy and the ANC is important. A resilient system has to be built to deliver essential health services during emergencies like COVID-19.

Nutritional status and its associated factors among elderly people in Ilu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and its associated factors among elderly people. DESIGN: A community-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted in urban and semiurban areas. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 620 elderly community dwellers in Southwest Ethiopia from 3 October 2021 to 10 November 2021. Those who were seriously ill, could not get around or were on special diets were excluded from the study. OUTCOME MEASURE: The Mini Nutritional Assessment was used to evaluate nutritional status and the STEPwise approach was used to collect data on backgrounds and lifestyle. SPSS V.22.0 was used for data analysis. Logistic regression was computed. The level of significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Elderly people who were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition were found to make up 48.1% (44.1%) and 17.4% (14.5%) of the population, respectively. Those aged 80 years and older had a chance of being at risk of malnutrition (adjusted OR (AOR)=22.555; 95% CI: 7.963 to 63.881), while the odds of being malnourished were 11.5 times higher (AOR=11.755; 95% CI: 4.825 to 28.638). Informal education was a significant predictor of being at risk of malnutrition (AOR=6.102; 95% CI: 2.684 to 13.871). Urban dwellers were 8.9 times more likely to be malnourished. Inadequate financial resources make people 3.7 times more likely to be malnourished. A lower wealth index was a significant predictor of being at risk of malnutrition (AOR=4.156; 95% CI: 1.361 to 12.692). Single elderly people had a 3.4-fold higher risk of malnutrition. Elderly people with chronic pain, who were smokers and alcoholics, and who had depression were all at risk of nutritional problems. CONCLUSION: The risk of malnutrition and malnourishment was high. Age, urbanisation, finances, education, economics, being a woman, smoking and alcohol are associated factors. Interventional studies are warranted to minimise malnutrition challenges in the study population.

Seroprevalence of syphilis and its predictors among pregnant women in Buno Bedele zone, southwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of syphilis and associated factors among pregnant women with antenatal care follow-up. DESIGN: A health facility-based, cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted in 12 health facilities in Buno Bedele zone, southwest Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected 920 pregnant women who came to health facilities in the Buno Bedele zone for antenatal care services from May to August 2021 were included in the study. Women with previously diagnosed syphilis and those on treatment were excluded from the study. OUTCOME MEASURES: Blood samples and data on sociodemographic and other risk factors for syphilis were collected. Sera were screened for syphilis using the one-step rapid syphilis diagnostic test kit, and positive tests were retested using the rapid plasma reagin test. Data were analysed using SPSS V.22. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for maternal syphilis at a p value less than 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women was found to be 1.4% (95% CI: 0.8% to 2.3%, p=0.002). Women with no formal education (adjusted OR (AOR)=3.6; 95% CI: 1.02 to 13.2, p=0.047), husbands with a history of substance use (AOR=3.3, 95% CI: 1.04 to 10.7, p=0.042), more than one antenatal care visit (AOR=3.5, 95% CI: 1.07 to 10.5, p=0.038), age at marriage under 18 years (AOR=4.3, 95% CI: 2.2 to 7.9, p=0.045) and a woman's poor knowledge of syphilis (AOR=3.3, 95% CI: 1.04 to 10.4, p=0.042) were significantly associated with syphilis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of maternal syphilis in this study area was found to be comparable with the national prevalence. Women's educational status, husbands' history of substance use, antenatal care, age at marriage and knowledge about syphilis were the independent predictors of syphilis. Emphasis shall be given to screening all pregnant women, education of women, lifestyle factors and avoiding early marriage.

Magnitude of central obesity and associated factors among adults working in government offices in Bedele town, Buno Bedele zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

Objective: Central obesity is an emerging public health problem globally and an independent risk factor for heart, blood vessels, and metabolic disorder. This study aimed to assess the central obesity and associated factors among adults working in government offices in Bedele town, Southwest Ethiopia, 2021. Methods: An institutional survey was conducted among randomly selected government offices. Anthropometric measurements were carried out. Face-to-face interview using standard questionnaires were also used to collect data. A total of 403 respondents were selected from the list of public office workers employed in Bedele Town. Data were entered into Epi data 3.1 then exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Each variable with a p value less than 0.25 in the bivariate analysis was entered into logistic regression and p value 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The response rate was 373 respondents (92.6%). The overall prevalence of central obesity among public office workers of Bedele town was 54.7%. Sitting for more than 5 h at workplace adjusted odds ratio = 2.911 (95% confidence interval = 1.644, 5.156), being a female adjusted odds ratio = 3.258 (95% confidence interval = 1.744, 6.047), age range of 40-49 (adjusted odds ratio = 4.520, 95% confidence interval = 1.798, 11.363), age ⩾ 50 years (adjusted odds ratio = 5.907, 95% confidence interval = 1.808, 19.297), being physically inactive (adjusted odds ratio = 4.594, 95% confidence interval = 2.313, 9.125), consumption of snack (adjusted odds ratio = 4.521, 95% confidence interval = 2.583, 7.913), and alcohol consumption (adjusted odds ratio = 2.324 95% confidence interval = 1.210, 4.463) were factors significantly associated with central obesity among office workers in Bedele town. Conclusion: The magnitude of central obesity was high among office workers in Bedele town and being female gender, older age, physical inactivity, consumption of snacks, and alcohol were associated with it. Physical exercise and a healthy lifestyle should be promoted to minimize the problem.

COVID - 19 related knowledge and preventive practices early in the outbreak among health care workers in selected public health facilities of Illu aba Bor and Buno Bedelle zones, Southwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Novel-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease is currently a worldwide health risk and public health emergency concern. The virus is transmitted from an infected person to another person through close contact and droplets. Frontline health care workers are the most at risk of infection, and so a WHO interim guidance document was issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) which underscores the importance of proper sanitation and waste management practices for COVID- 19 in health-care settings. This study aimed at assessing knowledge and preventive practices towards Covid-19 among health care providers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno Bedele zones, Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2020 among 330 health workers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno-Bedelle Zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of preventive practices towards Covid-19. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. RESULT: The majority of respondents (93.3%) demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, and the mean (SD) knowledge score was 9.04 ± 1.06. Nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of the study participants had good infection prevention practices. Being male (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI: (1.96, 6.80)), education level (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI (1.02, 3.22)), profession (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI (1.08, 9.33)), service year (5-10 years) (AOR = 2.00 (1.02, 3.92)) and more than 10 years (AOR = 3.14 (1.51, 6.52)), availability of personal protective equipment (AOR = 1.96 (1.06, 3.61)) and Knowledge level (AOR = 2.61 (1.48, 4.62)) were independent predictors of COVID-19 preventive practices. CONCLUSION: The overall level of knowledge of HCWs was good. However, the practice was relatively low. Gender, educational status, profession, year of service, knowledge towards COVID-19, and availability of personal protective equipment were independent predictors of good infection prevention practices. Optimizing the infection prevention and control loop of the health facilities is recommended.