Utilization of cervical cancer screening service among female health workforces in public health institutions in south east Ethiopia, a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer, accounting for 6.6%of all female cancers, and ranks as the second leading cause of female cancer deaths. Cervical cancer can be avoided if asymptomatic women are screened for precancerous cervical lesions and treated before they progress to invasive disease. Female health workforces are expected to be in a better position to be motivated and initiate society towards the screening by being role models, but there have been few studies done in Ethiopia to assess the utilization of cervical cancer screening services and its associated factors among female health workforces. Objective: To assess utilization of cervical cancer screening service and associated factors among female health workforces in public health institutions Bale zone, Sothern Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 266 female health workforces from May 1 st to May 30th, 2021 using a self-administered questionnaire. Data was entered on Epi data 3.1 software and exported to Statistical package for social science (SPSS) software version 25 for analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify the independent predictors of cervical cancer screening. Statistical significance for the multivariable logistic regression analysis was set at p < 0.05. Result: Out of the total sample size (n = 266), 258 have responded to the questionnaire completely, making the response rate 97 %. The utilization of cervical cancer screening services was 38 (14.7 %). There were significant associations between working in hospitals with an adjusted odd ratio (AOR [95 % CI] = 4.814 [1.774-13.06]) and serving 7 years and above [95 % 44 CI = 5.988 [2.096-17.1]) and utilization of cervical cancer screening services. Conclusion: and recommendations: The proportion of utilization of cervical cancer screening services among female health workforces in Bale Zone was very low. Working in hospitals and prolonged work experience were independent predictors of the utilization of cervical cancer screening services. Sustaining awareness creation and sensitization of screening through training and experience sharing should be given broad emphasis for female health workforces to increase their utilization of screening services.

Mobile Phone Based Strategies for Preconception Education in Rural Africa.

BACKGROUND: Prepregnancy health care is vital to alleviate and prevent maternal and neonatal disability and death. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to measure the levels of knowledge and attitude on preconception care and their determinants among women who delivered at government hospitals in a rural setting in southern Ethiopia. METHOD: A facility-based cross sectional study was done from January 01 to February 30, 2017 on a sample of 370 women who delivered at government hospitals in Wolayita zone. The mothers were selected using systematic random sampling technique. The data were collected using structured and pretested interviewer administered questionnaires at the postnatal ward of each hospital. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariable techniques. RESULTS: The result showed that 53% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 47.8%, 58.1%) of mothers who delivered at public hospitals had adequate level of knowledge on preconception care, whereas 54.3% (95% CI: 49.2%, 59.5%) possessed positive attitude to preconception care. Mothers who have radio, planned pregnancy and have participated in community meetings related to preconception care had a meaningfully higher odds of good level of knowledge to preconception care. Ordinal regression showed that women who own mobile phone had at least three times significantly higher odds of positive attitude to preconception care, whereas women who have participated community meetings had lower odds of positive attitude on preconception care. CONCLUSION: The results revealed that the levels of mothers' knowledge and positive attitude on preconception care are low relative to other studies. Using transistor radio and mobile phone have significant effect in improving the knowledge and attitude of reproductive age women on preconception care. Hence, providing community health education based on radio and/or mobile phone messaging could be useful in positively influencing the knowledge and attitude of women on preconception care.

Home birth and its determinants among antenatal care-booked women in public hospitals in Wolayta Zone, southern Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Antenatal care (ANC), health facility birth and postnatal care services are proved to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. In Ethiopia, even though antenatal care coverage is good, still home birth is high. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of home birth among women who were booked for ANC in public hospitals in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted from February to May 2017 among 554 third trimester pregnant mothers who visited public hospitals of Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia for ANC service. All women were interviewed twice: the first interview was done face-to-face in the health facility in which they were having ANC follow up to gather information about basic socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics; the second interview was done via telephone after they gave birth to get information about the place of birth. Epi-Data version 3.1 was used for data entry and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 68 (13.5%; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 10.5%-16.6%) women who were booked for ANC gave birth at home. Being uneducated (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: [1.10-5.10]), starting ANC visit late (>16weeks) (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: [1.14-4.50]), time taken to reach at health facility for ANC service (>30minutes) (AOR = 8.94, 95% CI: [4.50-17.72]), waiting time of greater than 30 minutes for ANC in health facilities (AOR = 1.18, 95% CI: [1.06-2.30]) and lack of knowledge about danger signs of pregnancy (AOR = 4.18, 95%CI: [1.80-9.70]) were significantly associated with home birth. CONCLUSIONS: Home birth among ANC booked women is low compared to other studies. Yet, giving attention to women with no education and those coming from far areas while providing advice on birth preparedness and pregnancy danger signs may be useful to further reduce the rate of home birth. Advising mothers to start ANC early and trying to reduce ANC waiting time could also be of importance.

Prevalence of unrecognized depression and associated factors among patients attending medical outpatient department in Adare Hospital, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way a person eats, sleeps, feels about him or herself and thinks about things. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders affecting 121 million people in the world, and it frequently goes unrecognized among patients. It is estimated that 5%-10% of the population at any given time is suffering from identifiable depression needing psychiatric or psychosocial intervention. An institution-based cross-sectional study design was implemented to determine the magnitude and associated factors of unrecognized depression among patients attending the adult medical outpatient department in Adare Hospital, Hawassa, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia, among 326 patients selected using systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using the interviewer-administered technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics and other independent variables. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9. Data were entered and ana-lyzed using SPSS 20. The level of significance was determined at P<0.05. About 326 patients were interviewed, of whom 186 (57.1%) were males. The mean age of participant was 34 with standard deviation of ±13.1 years. Current substance users accounted for 106 (32.5%) of the total participants. Of 326 respondents, 80 (24.5%) had significant depressive symptoms, while the detection rate of depression by the clinician was 0%. Depression was associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =1.63 [1.14-2.34]), age >60 years (AOR =4.14 [1.87-9.14]), being divorced (AOR =3.13 [1.70-5.76]), and having an average monthly income <750 ETB (AOR =1.92 [1.119-3.195]). The findings of this study revealed that the prevalence of depression among patients attending general medical outpatient department was highly underrecognized and unmanaged. On the basis of these results, we recommended that health-care providers perform a thorough assessment to address common mental disorders, especially depression, and suggest that training to recognize and manage depression appropriately be given.