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Abstract Introduction Immunosuppressive chemotherapy increase the risk of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases in children; nevertheless, chemotherapy may result in delay or miss updated immunization schedules. The predictable antibody waning after incomplete primary immunization series may be intensified at the end of chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate post-chemotherapy vaccine immunity waning at the end of immunosuppressive therapy in children with malignancy and hematologic disorders. Materials and methods Children with malignancies and hematologic disorders including chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) younger than 18 years old were enrolled from September 2015 to August 2019. Eligible patients who completed their treatment protocol for at least 6 months were recruited. The patient information, including sex, age at the date of diagnosis, number of chemotherapy sessions, underlying disease, and vaccination history, was taken by chart review using predefined questionnaires. The patient’s blood samples were obtained, and serum IgG antibody titer checked against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B virus (HBV), mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results 110 children receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy were recruited. Forty-four (40%) of the children tested were girls and 66 (60%) were boys. The mean age of patients was 5.5 years with a range of 2 to 13 years. Of 110 studied children, 27.3% were seronegative for all antibodies. On average, patients undergo 19 episodes of chemotherapy. The mean chemotherapy sessions were significantly greater in children who were seronegative for all tested antibodies (mean: 36.2, 95% CI 33.16 to 39.24, p-value

Background: Prescriptions come with extensive instructions on taking medicines but provide little information about the burden of unused medicines. This issue centers around the vast quantities of unused medications accumulated in households. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of unused medicines and associated factors in Gondar City., Method: The study was conducted through a community-based cross-sectional survey in Gondar City from July 30 to August 30, 2023. The data was collected using the Kobo toolbox, exported into an Excel sheet, and then analyzed using SPSS version 27 software. Both multivariate and bivariate binary logistic regressions were performed in the data analysis. A p-value of 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval was used to determine statistical significance., Result: The study interviewed 786 participants, with a 92.8% response rate. 55% of the 786 households surveyed kept unused medications at home, most commonly antibiotics (37%), antipyretics (17.6%), and analgesics (15%). Factors associated with having unused medicines at home included not receiving medication information (AOR = 2.327, 95% CI: 1.535, 3.527), having a chronic disease (AOR = 5.897, 95% CI: 3.667, 9.484), having health insurance coverage (AOR = 1.456, 95% CI: 1.036, 2.047), self-medicating with NSAIDs (AOR = 2.018, 95% CI: 1.396, 2.919), and poor disposal practices (AOR = 3.613, 95% CI: 2.546, 5.127)., Conclusion: The study found a considerable high prevalence of unused medications in Gondar City due to factors like lack of medication education, chronic conditions, insurance coverage, self-medication, and poor disposal practices. To address this, public education programs and safe disposal guidelines should be implemented to promote safer practices., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study obtained ethical approval from the Department of Pharmacy at Wollo University, College of Medicine and Health Science (Ref: WU Phar/266/2021). Additionally, the researchers obtained official permission from the Gondar city administration to conduct the study. Before obtaining written or verbal consent, potential participants were informed about the study’s objectives and anticipated benefits. All participants voluntarily took part in the interviews, and their confidentiality was guaranteed. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females. Assessing self-screening practices for breast cancer patients is vital for developing targeted interventions. The current study aimed to assess self-screening practices for breast cancer and associated factors via the theory of planned behavior constructs among female students in Ethiopian universities., Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted using the theory of planned behavior constructs. The data were collected from January 30, 2022, to February 30, 2022, in Ethiopia. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used. The validity and reliability tests were checked to use the questionnaire in the main study through a pilot test. The data were collected through online Google Forms by distributing them to university students via Telegram groups, Imo, emails, and Facebook. The collected data were exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Bivariate analysis was used to identify the candidate variables for multiple logistic regression (P value < 0.02). Those variables with a P value less than 0.05 were considered significant predictors of breast cancer screening practices., Results: A total of 418 female students participated in the study. The respondents were aged between 18 and 37 years. In the current study, 318 (76.1%; 95% CI: 72.0, 80.4) university students had good screening practices for breast cancer. Nonhealth-related departments (AOR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.44), having training in breast cancer self-examination (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.35), having a good attitude (AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.47), having good behavioral control (AOR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.18, 7.71), and having good behavioral intentions (AOR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.24) were associated with self-screening practices for breast cancer patients., Conclusion: Designing a theory of planned behavior-based educational interventions improve self-screening practices for breast cancer among university female students. These insights could guide the development of future breast cancer awareness and prevention programs in university settings, with the goal of increasing early detection rates and lowering the risk of breast cancer. The study also serves as foundational information for designing future research using more advanced study design methods., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the ethical review committee members of the School of Pharmacy, University of Gondar, with reference number SOP/45/2014. A statement confirming that all the experimental protocols were approved by a named institutional and/or licensing committee was signed by Mr. Abyot Endale, Mr. Zemene Demelash, Mr. Asmamaw Emagn, Mr. Nurahimed Seid, and Mr. Gizework Aleminew. Written informed consent was obtained from each study participant. All methods were carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Human blood plays a crucial role in transporting metabolic waste and essential minerals, including oxygen, to cells. Blood transfusions are a critical intervention in various situations such as trauma, inherited bleeding disorders, childbirth, and numerous medical and surgical procedures, often being the only means to prevent death. A significant challenge, particularly in developing nations, is maintaining a sufficient supply of safe blood. An individual's mindset, beliefs, and familiarity with blood donation significantly affect their willingness to donate. This research aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and related factors concerning voluntary blood donation among undergraduate regular students at Wachemo University in Southcentral Ethiopia., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 19 to November 10, 2023, using a stratified random sampling method to select participants. Data were gathered through self-administered structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The responses regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices were analyzed using SPSS version 24 and presented through text, figures, and tables., Result: A total of 393 respondents participated in the study (97.76% response rate), comprising 59% males and 41% females. Of the participants, 77.6% demonstrated adequate knowledge, 79.6% exhibited positive attitudes, while only 19.3% had engaged in blood donation. Factors influencing these outcomes included knowledge, previous residence, and college background. Reluctance to donate blood was primarily linked to fear and concerns about time constraint., Conclusion and Recommendations: The findings indicate that while a majority of students possess good knowledge (77.6%) and favorable attitudes (79.6%) toward blood donation, only a small fraction (19.3%) actively participates in the practice. It is recommended that the institution collaborate with relevant stakeholders to address the factors affecting voluntary blood donation among students. In addition, incorporating topics on blood donation and its significance into the university curriculum can foster a culture of generosity among students. This strategy is essential for improving blood donation rates in this region., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Mussema, Nigussie, Anmaw, Abera, Nageso, Gebre Bawore, Shemsu, Woldesenbet, Mohammed, Seid and Admasu.)

The growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has spurred interest in natural fiber epoxy composites as a viable substitute for synthetic-based composites. Impact strength is a crucial mechanical property for structural applications and plays a key role in successfully utilizing natural fiber epoxy composites. This comprehensive review explores the impact strength characteristics of different natural fiber epoxy composites by examining the latest research and advancements in the field. The effect of fiber content, fiber length, stacking sequence, and fiber treatment techniques, such as chemical treatments and coupling agents, on epoxy-based composites' impact strength was discussed. Additionally, the effect of fiber hybridization and formulation in determining impact strength is explored, including the curing agents, manufacturing techniques and fillers. The challenges and limitations associated with the impact strength of natural fiber epoxy composites are addressed, along with strategies to overcome them. The review concludes with a summary of the approaches to improve impact strength, including fiber selection, fiber treatment, hybridization, matrix modification, fiber orientation, curing parameters, fiber content, and fiber length. The conclusions of this review provide valuable insights into enhancing the impact strength of natural fiber epoxy composites, paving the way for their wider adoption in various industries and promoting sustainable material alternatives., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Abdu mohammed reports was provided by Wollo University. Abdu Mohammed reports a relationship with Wollo University that includes: employment. Abdu Mohammed has patent pending to Abdu mohammed. no other additional relationships. Both corresponding author and co-author working at Wollo university If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Erection Dysfunction, which primarily affects males older than 40 years, is the inability to regularly produce or retain a penile erection that is strong enough to satisfy sexual activity., Objective: To evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to erectile dysfunction and its predictors among community pharmacy technicians in Gondar, Ethiopia., Method: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study on pharmacy technicians in Gondar from June 1, 2022, to August 30, 2022. The study included 165 respondents and utilized a standardized questionnaire with 42 questions to assess their knowledge (18 items), attitudes (5 items), practices (15 items), and demographic characteristics (4 items) regarding erectile dysfunction. We performed both univariate and multivariate analyses on the collected data., Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that greater educational attainment was independently correlated with increased knowledge of erectile dysfunction. For postgraduate pharmacy education, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was 0.031 (95 % CI: 0.006-0.170, p < 0.001).Regarding work experience, the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were as follows: 6.223E-010 (95 % CI: 9.713E-011-3.987E-009, p < 0.001) for 1-5 years, 7.940E-010 (95 % CI: 1.381E-010-4.566E-009, p < 0.001) for 5-10 years, and 6.134E-010 (95 % CI: 1.333E-010-2.824E-009, p < 0.001) for over 10 years.Additionally, respondents with 5-10 years of work experience had an AOR of 8.129 (95 % CI: 1.476-44.786, p = 0.016), and the gender of the participants had an AOR of 3.399 (95 % CI: 1.239-9.325, p = 0.017), both of which were associated with erectile dysfunction behaviors.The aggregate ratings indicated that the participants had moderate knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding erectile dysfunction. The Pearson Correlation Test revealed a significant positive relationship between knowledge of erectile dysfunction and attitude (r = 0.589 and p < 0.001) and practice (r = 0.524 and p < 0.001). Additionally, attitudes and practices showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.321, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The study findings showed that pharmacy technicians have a moderate level of understanding, attitudes, and practices regarding erectile dysfunction. The scores for general erectile dysfunction knowledge, attitude, and practice showed a significant positive association (p < 0.001)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Poor sleep quality is a common concern in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, which can accelerate the progression of chronic renal disease and negatively impact their health-related quality of life, potentially leading to greater morbidity and mortality rates. It can also have an effect on the immune system, cognitive function, and emotional well-being of CKD patients. Furthermore, poor sleep quality may contribute to drug noncompliance and decreased participation in the entire treatment plan. Nonetheless, no research has been undertaken in Ethiopia on the prevalence of poor sleep quality and its associated factors among CKD patients., Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of poor quality of sleep and associated factors among chronic kidney disease patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized and Felege Hiwot Referral Hospitals in 2020., Methods: A cross-sectional study design was implemented at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized and Felege Hiwot Referral Hospitals between February and April 2020. The study participants were chosen through systematic random sampling techniques. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a validated assessment tool, was utilized to measure sleep quality. A PSQI total score > 5 was used as an indicator of poor sleep quality. Subsequently, the data obtained were entered into Epi Data version 3.0 and then transferred to STATA 14 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to recognize factors associated with poor sleep quality. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, variables demonstrating a p -value of ≤0.05 were considered statistically associated to poor sleep quality., Results: In this study, 424 CKD patients were included. Among screened CKD patients, 42.9% tested positive for poor sleep quality with a 95% CI (38 to 47%). Independent predictors of poor sleep quality among CKD patients were common mental disorder [AOR = 1.8, 95% CI (1.19-2.89)], anemia [AOR = 2.7, 95% CI (1.71-4.36)], declined eGFR between 60 and 89.9 [AOR = 1.6; 95% CI (2.28-5.54)], 30-59.9 [AOR = 2.6, 95% CI (1.53-4.43)], and ≤ 30 [AOR = 3.8, 95% CI (1.17-12.61)], age > 50 years [AOR = 1.7(1.11-2.69)] and duration of disease 2.9 [AOR = 2.9, 95% CI (1.77-4.90)]., Conclusion: In our study, almost 1 out of 2 CKD patients assessed for poor sleep quality tested positive. It was noted that poor sleep quality was more frequent among CKD patients with common mental disorders, anemia, decreased eGFR levels, individuals aged over 50 years, and those with a longer duration of the disease. Consequently, it's advised to regularly screen these CKD patients for poor sleep quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Gela, Limenh, Simegn, Ayenew, Chanie, Seid, Beyna, Esubalew, Mitku, Mengesha and Melese.)

Introduction: HIV/AIDS poses a significant health challenge in sub-Saharan African countries, with a disproportionate impact on women of reproductive age. The disparities in knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to family planning among women living with HIV can be intricate and multi-faceted. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and associated factors regarding family planning among the women living with HIV at the University of Gondar specialized hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia., Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the University of Gondar Teaching Referral Hospital, focusing on HIV-positive women of reproductive age who visited the ART unit from July 8-28, 2022. Data collection involved the use of pre-tested, structured questionnaires administered through interviews. The gathered data were entered into the electronic Kobo Collect platform and subsequently exported for analysis using SPSS version 26. Descriptive summaries, including frequencies, means, and percentages, were presented through tables and figures. Logistic regression was employed to identify potential predictors, presenting adjusted odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval and a significance level set at a P-value of 0.05., Results: A total of 328 study participants were included. About 93% of the study population had good knowledge about modern contraceptives, and about 94% of the study population had good knowledge about safer conception. Only 30.2% of the study population had knowledge of the dual contraceptive method. The attitude and practice of women towards family planning (FP) were 71.0% and 55.8%, respectively. The study revealed that the most commonly employed contraceptive method was injectable contraceptives, constituting 34.2% of usage. Having one and a greater number of children (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.10, 4.49), having discussions on fertility plans with healthcare providers (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.02, 4.761), and having good family planning practices (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.19, 3.87) were significantly associated with the attitude toward family planning. Married women (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.11, 3.1), able to read and write (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI:1.04,4.32), college and above educational level (AOR = 4.51, 95% CI:1.93,10.87), had discussion on fertility plan with healthcare providers (AOR = 5.09, 95% CI: 1.96, 13.24), knowledge about dual method (AOR = 1.95, CI: 1.08, 3.50), and knowledge about modern contraceptive methods (AOR = 7.24, 95% CI: 1.56, 33.58) were significantly associated with good practice of family planning., Conclusion: Women living with HIV exhibited notably high levels of knowledge regarding modern contraceptive methods and safer conception. The knowledge of the dual method was low. More than half of the study population had good practice in family planning. More than two-thirds of HIV-positive reproductive-age women had a good attitude about family planning. Having one or a greater number of children, having a discussion on a fertility plan with a healthcare provider, and having a good practice of family planning were significantly associated with a good attitude toward family planning. Married women, education status, discussions on fertility plans with healthcare providers, knowledge about dual methods, and knowledge about modern contraceptive methods were significantly associated with good family planning practices. The stakeholders should design interventions based on the aforementioned factors to improve the attitude and practice of family planning., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Electronic-prescribing (e-prescribing) is the most recent technological advancement in the medication use process. Its adoption and consequent realization of its potential benefits, however, mainly depend on the healthcare professionals' perception, willingness to accept, and engagement with the technology., Objectives: This study is aimed at assessing the perception of healthcare professionals towards e-prescribing at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, from June 1 to August 30, 2021., Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a simple random sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were entered into and analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS® (IBM Corporation)) version 24. Both descriptive and inferential statistics like the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used for data analysis. A statistical significance was declared at a p value < 0.05., Result: From 401 participants, the majority of study participants had a neutral perception of e-prescribing. More than two-thirds (68.8%) of them had a neutral perception towards the perceived usefulness of e-prescribing with a median (interquartile range (IQR)) perceived usefulness of 43.0 (7.0) (maximum score = 60). The perceived ease of use of e-prescribing was also neutral in the case of more than three-fourths (79.8%) of participants with a median (IQR) perceived ease of use of 49.0 (6) (maximum score = 75). Similarly, more than half (56.6%) of the participants had a neutral perception towards the perceived fitness of e-prescribing with a median (IQR) perceived fitness of 15.0 (2.5) (maximum score = 15). The perception of the participants showed a significant difference based on their qualifications and work and computer use experience. Participants who heard about e-prescribing and e-prescribing software had a significantly higher mean rank score of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived fitness of e-prescribing. Participants who previously used e-prescribing had also a significantly higher mean rank score of perceived usefulness. Conclusion and Recommendation . The majority of healthcare professionals had a neutral perception of e-prescribing. The perception of healthcare professionals differs based on their qualifications, work and computer use experience, and their exposure to e-prescribing. The hospital should take all expectations and concerns of all HCPs into consideration and provide experience-sharing opportunities for all healthcare professionals who may potentially be involved in e-prescribing., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Faisel Dula Sema et al.)

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern, particularly in low-resource settings. The treatment outcome is a crucial indicator of the effectiveness of TB treatment programs. Assessing the current treatment outcome and its associated factors is essential for improving patient care and reducing the spread of TB. Therefore, this study aimed to assess TB treatment outcomes and their associated factors among TB patients who received treatment at public healthcare facilities in Motta Town, Northwest Ethiopia. A facility-based retrospective cross-sectional study design was employed in two TB treatment centers in Motta town from January 2017 to December 2021. The study participants were all patients diagnosed with TB who received treatment. A p-value of 0.05 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine statistical significance. A total of 362 TB patients were included in the study. The overall treatment success rate was 88.4% (95% CI 85.1, 91.7). Male gender (AOR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.16, 4.98), normal nutritional status (AOR = 3.11, 95% CI 1.33, 7.25), HIV negative status (AOR = 3.35, 95% CI 1.31, 8.60), and non-presumptive drug resistance to TB (AOR = 3.72, 95% CI 1.74, 7.98) were significantly associated with successful TB treatment outcomes (p < 0.05). In the current study, nine out of ten study participants had successful TB treatment outcome rates. Male gender, normal nutritional status, non-presumed drug resistance to TB, and HIV-negative status were significantly associated with successful TB treatment outcomes. By taking risk factors associated with poor treatment outcomes like those found in this study into account, patient management and treatment can be optimized. Sufficient TB control measures for populations are imperative and could significantly reduce the nation's total TB burden., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Objective: According to the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors, lower respiratory infections cause more than 2.3 million deaths globally, with a majority occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia.Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major contributor to global mortality and morbidity. Understanding the prevalence and common bacterial causes of CAP is crucial for clinicians to accurately diagnose and improve patient satisfaction. The purpose of this systematic review was to report the pooled prevalence and common bacterial etiologies of CAP among adult patients in Ethiopia., Methods: This review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search of the published articles between January 2000 and October 2022 was performed using open access electronic databases such as PUBMED, Science Direct, CINAHL, HINARI, Google Scholar, and local university repositories. Cochrane Q and I 2 values were used to assess heterogeneity among the studies. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence., Results and Conclusions: Of all the publications that were thoroughly searched, 9 studies with 2496 participants met the criteria for analysis. All of the studies were cross-sectionally designed and most of the studies used convenient sampling techniques. The included studies consisted of two conducted among adult patients diagnosed with CAP and living with HIV/AIDS, while the remaining seven studies were conducted among adult patients diagnosed with CAP without HIV/AIDS. The combined prevalence of bacterial causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among adult patients was found to be 39.18% (CI 36.34-42.02), with an I 2 of 52.6 and a P value of 0.032. The primary bacterial cause was Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.1%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (8.11%), and Staphylococcus aureus (6.8%). Therefore, it is advisable to introduce a diagnostic tool for identifying specific causative agents and drug resistance, which could lead to improved treatment and better patient outcomes by reducing the need for empirical treatments., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Refugee populations are forcibly displaced from their homes as a consequence of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Eritreans, initially displaced to the Maiayni camp within the Tigray region, have faced further relocation to Dabat town due to the conflict between the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian government forces. Subsequently, another conflict has arisen between the Amhara Popular Force (Fano) and Ethiopian government forces in Dabat town, disrupting its stability. These collective challenges in the new environment may contribute to the development of symptoms such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Currently, there is a lack of available data on these symptoms and their associated variables in Dabat Town. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms, along with associated factors, among Eritrean refugees in Dabat town, northwest Ethiopia. This will provide significant evidence for developing and implementing mental health intervention strategies that specifically address the particular difficulties faced by refugees., Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out from July 25 to September 30, 2023, in the Eritrean refugee camp in Dabat town. A systematic random sampling method was employed to select a total of 399 Eritrean refugees with 100 response rate. Data were collected using the standard validated Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire, which included socio-demographic characteristics. Summary statistics such as frequency and proportion were utilized to present the data in tables and figures. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify associated factors, and variables with a p-value (p ≤ 0.05) were considered statistically significant factors., Result: The findings of this study indicated that 45% (95% CI: 35.6-48.23), 33.6% (95% CI: 31.66-37.45), and 37.3% (95% CI: 35.56-40.34) of the participants had symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, respectively. Sex, age, employment status, lack of food or water, experience of torture or beating, and imprisonment emerged as statistically significant predictors of depression. Employment status, murder of family or friends, rape or sexual abuse, torture or beating, and lack of housing or shelter were statistically significantly associated with anxiety. PTSD was found to be significantly associated with sex, length of stay at the refugee camp, lack of housing, shelter, food, or water, experience of rape or sexual abuse, abduction, employment status, and murder of family or friends., Conclusions and Recommendation: The results of this study revealed that more than one-third of Eritreans living in the refugee camp in Dabat town had symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. This prevalence is higher than the previously reported studies. Various factors, including age, gender, monthly income, unemployment, experiences of rape or sexual abuse, witnessing the murder of family or friends, being torched or beaten, imprisonment, and deprivation of basic needs such as food, shelter, and water, were identified as contributors to the development of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This research underscores the need for both governmental and non-governmental organizations to secure the provision of essential necessities such as food, clean water, shelter, clothing, and education. This study also suggested that Eritrean refugees be legally protected from rape, sexual abuse, arson, detention without cause, and kidnapping. Moreover, the study calls for health service providers to develop a mental health intervention plan and implement strategies to deliver mental health services at healthcare facilities for Eritrean refugees in the Dabat town Eritrean refugee camp., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Nephrotoxic drugs may hasten the decline in kidney function and worsen the progression of renal impairment as a result; these drugs should be avoided or used with caution in patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency. The purpose of this study was to assess the burden of nephrotoxic medication use and its predictors among patients with underlying renal impairment., Methods: A multicenter, institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from May 30, 2021 to July 30, 2021, at medical wards. Renal impaired patients admitted during the data collection period who took at least one medication were enrolled in the study. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data was collected through an interview and a medical card review. Both bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were fitted to identify factors associated with nephrotoxic drug use., Results: Among the 422 participants, more than half of them (53.6 %) were male. The mean patient's age was 47.5 (±16.7) years. A total of 1310 drugs were prescribed for 422 patients with renal impairment, of which 80.15 % were nephrotoxic. Nephrotoxic drugs were prescribed for 66.4 % of patients. The burden of nephrotoxic medication prescription was significantly associated with variables like the presence of comorbidity (AOR = 6.31, 95 % CI: 2.01-19.79), the number of medications prescribed (AOR = 1.43, 95 % CI: 1.05-1.93), and the age of participants (AOR = 1.12, 95 % CI: 1.07-1.17)., Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that two-third of the patients with renal impairment were exposed to nephrotoxic medications. Furosemide, Enalapril, and vancomycin were the most frequently prescribed nephrotoxic medications. The study suggests that prescribers need to give special attention to older patients who have underlying renal insufficiency, a comorbid condition, and polypharmacy regarding exposure to contraindicated nephrotoxic medication., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of depression and its sociodemographic predictors, clinical predictors and glycaemic control among adult patients with type 2 diabetes at Sheik Hassan Yabare Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (SHYCSH), Jigjiga, Ethiopia., Design: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted., Setting: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at Sheik Hassan Yabare Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, for chronic follow-up from 3 October 2022 to 13 November 2022., Participants: Randomly selected 278 patients with T2DM age 18 years and older, with a duration of 1 year or more since diagnosis, who had a diabetic follow-up at SHYCSH., Main Outcome Measures: Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire., Results: A total of 263 participants were included, with a response rate of 94.6%. Of the respondents, 134 (51%) were male, making up more than half of the total. The overall prevalence of depression was 47.1% (95% CI 41.1 to 53.2). Depression was further classified, as follows, based on its severity: the majority (66 or 25.1%) had mild depression, followed by 44 (16.7%) with moderate depression, 9 (3.4%) with moderately severe depression and 5 (1.9%) with severe depression. A multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that poor glycaemic control (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.93; 95% CI 1.05 to 3.53), DM complications (AOR=2.02; 95% CI 1.09 to 3.74) and DM duration of 6-10 years since diagnosis (AOR=2.29; 95% CI 1.21 to 4.34) were independently associated with depression., Conclusions: Our study revealed a significant burden of depression among patients with T2DM receiving follow-up care at the hospital. Glycaemic control, the presence of complications and a longer duration of diabetes were identified as predictors of depression. Therefore, concerned stakeholders should work to improve blood sugar control and promote healthy behaviour, particularly among those with complications or who have been sick for an extended period of time., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Physiological, pathological, and socioeconomic changes occurring in older people negatively influence food intake, utilization, nutritional status, and health. These problems are deeply rooted in low socio-economic settings and could partly be addressed through systematic behavioral change approaches. Hence, this study was to evaluate the effect of behavioral model-guided nutritional counseling on the dietary intake and nutritional status of elders., Methods: A one-armed pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design was conducted on 293 community-dwelling older adults aged above 60 years from January to May 2022. A health education tool was developed and validated using health beliefs and the theory of behavioral change. The sessions were delivered by trained nurses through home-to-home visits every week lasting 45-60 min for up to two months. Data on nutritional knowledge, dietary intake, and body weight were captured using standardized questionnaires and measurements. The primary outcome was captured using the validated mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) tool and classified accordingly. The data was analyzed using Stata software, where it is presented in tables, graphs, and summary statistics. A paired t-test and the p-value were used to identify statistically significant effects of the intervention., Results: A total of 263 elders were involved in the experiment, and modeled nutritional counseling significantly improved the knowledge score from 7.58 (± 1.05) to 11.6 (± 1.37) (P < 0.001) at the pre- and post-intervention periods. A significant improvement has been shown in the consumption of dairy products, fruits, and animal-source foods and, importantly, in the mean dietary diversity score (p < 0.001). As a result, the burden of malnutrition was significantly lower in the post-intervention period (9.6%: 7.9-11.3) compared to baseline (12.5%: 11.4-13.8). There is a significant increase in the mini-nutrition assessment score (MD = 0.30; p = 0.007). The mean body weight and the body mass index did not change significantly after the intervention (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: Targeted behavioral model-guided nutritional counseling could help promote perception, diversify dietary consumption, and reduce the risk of undernutrition among elders. Particular attention to older people with the use of participant-centered nutritional behavioral change interventions coupled with livelihood support could help reduce undernutrition among older people., Trial Registration: Clinical Trial Registration-URL: www., Clinicaltrials: gov , identifier number: NCT04746664, first released 10/02/2021., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The majority of maternal and newborn deaths take place during the first few hours and days after birth and thus postnatal contacts should begin as early as possible, especially within the first 24 h, then again within two to three days after delivery. Globally, early postnatal discharge has increased over the past 50 years and currently too. Even if Ethiopia has very low PNC coverage, there is no evidence on who is discharged early. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the magnitude and the predictors for early postnatal discharge in Ethiopia., Methods: This study was based on the secondary data analysis using the Ethiopian Demographic and Health survey (EDHS) 2016 data set. The weighted sample of 2,225 delivered mothers were included for the final analysis. The model was best fitted as assessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow test (p value = 0.1988). The variables with P-value ≤ 0.2 in the bi- variable binary logistic regression analysis were included in to the multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis. The Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was computed to assess the strength of association between the outcome and independent variables. The variables with a P-value of less than 0.05 in the multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis were declared as statistically significant predictors of the outcome variable., Result: The overall magnitude of early discharge was 70.41% (CI: 68.48, 72.30). Residence (rural; AOR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.80), educational status (No education; AOR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.94), religion (Muslim; AOR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.87, Others; AOR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.57), wealth index (Poor; AOR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.99), marital status (Not married; AOR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.67), ANC visits (No ANC visits; AOR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.46,0.86), parity (3rd parity; AOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.11), and size of the child (larger size; AOR: 0.63;95% CI: 0.50,0.79, (smaller size; AOR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.56,0.92) were independent determinants of early discharge., Conclusion: A substantial proportions of mothers in Ethiopia had been discharged early (before 24 h). Residence, education, wealth index, religion, marital status, ANC follow up, parity and size of the child were predictors of early discharge. Adequate hospital stay should be promoted. Since the early discharge in Ethiopia is very high, home based postnatal visit should be strengthened focusing the identified predictors., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Early detection, prevention, and management of diseases associated with pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions depend on the beginning of antenatal care contact in the first trimester. Across Africa, regional and national differences are observed in the proportion of first-trimester ANC contact and the factors contributing to it. To create a suitable intervention plan, it is crucial to overcome these differences through single standard and uniform guidelines. This can be achieved through meta-analysis and systematic reviews. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of first trimester ANC contact and the factors contributing to it in Africa., Methods: Observational studies conducted in Africa were retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, EMASE, CINHAL, Cochrane Library, Hinari databases and Mednar using combinations of search terms with Boolean operators. The JBI 2020 Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. To assess publication bias, a funnel plot and Egger's test were used to and I-squared was used to check the heterogeneity of the included studies. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel and exported to Stata 16 software for analysis., Results: A total of 86 articles with 224,317 study participants from 19 African countries were included. The overall pooled prevalence of first-trimester ANC contact was 37.15% (95% CI: 33.3-41.0; I 2  = 99.8%). The following factors were found to be significantly associated with first-trimester ANC contact: urban residence (OR = 2.2; 95% CI: 1.5-3.1; I 2  = 98.5%); women under the age of 25 (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-1.9; I 2  = 94.1%);, educational status (OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4-2.2; I 2  = 96.1%), primiparity (OR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2-2.4: I 2  = 97.4%), having planned pregnancies (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.5-2.7; I 2  = 95.5%) and employed women (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.7-2.1; I 2  = 94.4%)., Conclusion: Because so few women in Africa initiate first-trimester ANC contact, it is clear that increasing maternal healthcare service uptake is still a challenge and will require significant effort to scale up the services. When working to improve maternal health in Africa, each nation's government and nongovernmental organizations should prioritize raising women's educational levels and providing pertinent information to rural women, focusing on reducing unintended pregnancies, women who live far from health facilities, women with low socioeconomic statuses, multiparous women and older women., Trial Registration: PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic reviews (ID: CRD42023401711)., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The increasing life expectancy and the growing number of older people are becoming public health challenges, warranting the need for appropriate policy tools. Existing policy frameworks should prioritize and cover the public health demands of elders. However, there is a lack of concrete evidence on the existing policy tools and programs targeting elders in Ethiopia., Objective: This study was to explore the existing policies, programs, and interventions for elderly people in Ethiopia., Study Design: A descriptive qualitative study using phenomenological approach and secondary data review wa conducted., Methods: A combination of systematic desk reviews of relevant policy and program documents and key informant interviews (KIIs) was used to capture data. Four purposefully selected interviews, based on their expertise, rich experience, in-depth understanding, and direct involvement in the policy environment, were conducted. Face-to-face interviews with the Audio recorder were employed during KII. The number of KIIs was limited to four, the point of theoretical saturation where no further new and informative themes were identified. Interview audios were transcribed, translated, and analyzed in thematic descriptive analysis. The United Nations Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging was used as a guideline for the data extraction process from relevant documents., Results: A total of 221 documents were retrieved, and 75 met the inclusion criteria. We identified four interconnected main themes and 11 sub-themes of concern for the elderly. Ethiopia recognized old people as vulnerable in various national legal and policy documents, including the constitution, population policy, and development plans. Surprisingly, no government policy exists in Ethiopia to address the health and nutritional problems of the elderly in particular., Conclusion: Though Ethiopia is facing demographic transition, no specific old-age policies, programs, or interventions are being implemented. Hence, the government and relevant stakeholders should strive to design and implement an old-age policy outlining cost-effective interventions for elders., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that they have no competing interests.The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Anemia is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes in hypertensive patients. Chronic anemia increases preload, reduces afterload, and leads to increased cardiac output in hypertension patients. In the long term, this may result in maladaptive left ventricular hypertrophy, which in turn is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease outcomes and all-cause mortality in hypertension. Low hemoglobin and hematocrit levels might be strongly indicate hypertensive end-organ damage, specifically kidney failure. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among hypertensive patients in Referral Hospitals, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, in 2020. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Amhara Regional Referral Hospitals from February 20 to April 30, 2020. Random and systemic sampling techniques were used to select 428 study participants. Data were entered and coded in to Epi data version 3.0 and then exported into STATA 14 for analysis. In bivariable logistic regression, variables with a p-value of < 0.25 were included in multivariable logistic regression. Using a 95% confidence interval, variables having a p-value ≤ 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were declared as statistically significant variables. In this study, a total of 428 study participants were involved with 99.5% response rate. The prevalence of anemia among hypertensive patients was 17.6%, with a 95% CI (14.3-21.5%). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 90 ml/min (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.56- 4.92)], duration of hypertension (HTN) ≥ 5 years (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.36-4.15), uncontrolled blood pressure (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.08-3.35), and higher pulse pressure (AOR = 1.05 (95% CI 1.02-1.08) were significantly associated with anemia. Nearly one out of five hypertensive patients had anemia. Impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate, duration of HTN, blood pressure status, and pulse pressure were the independent predictors of anemia among hypertensive patients. Screening hemoglobin level at a regular interval is recommended for the hypertensive patients to take an appropriate intervention., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Background and Objectives: Antibiotic resistance is a significant problem that restricts the options for treating bacterial pneumonia. This research aimed to determine the bacterial causes of pneumonia and antibiotic resistance among hospitalized patients in southwest Ethiopia., Materials and Methods: We collected and analyzed 150 sputum samples from individuals with community-acquired pneumonia from April 1 st to October 30 th , 2019. Standard bacteriological procedures were used to identify the bacteria. Kirby Bauer's disk diffusion method was used to assess the bacteria's susceptibility patterns. Production of carbapenemase and extended-spectrum-lactamase were confirmed phenotypically. Odds ratios and the chi-square test were computed., Results: On the whole, bacterial pathogens were verified in 50% of the sputum samples. The predominant bacterial isolates were Klebsiella species, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. About 77.5% of isolates were multidrug resistant. Moreover, 40.5% and 10.8% of the isolates were ESBL and carbapenemase producers, respectively. Aging, tobacco smoking, previous history of pneumonia, heart disease, and chronic respiratory disease had association with sputum culture-positivity., Conclusion: As a result, it is important to regularly monitor the bacterial etiologies and their patterns of resistance. Additionally, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics should all be taken into account while managing patients with pneumonia empirically in this context., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a number of psychosocial and emotional catastrophes, including loneliness. The associated lockdowns, reduced social support, and insufficiently perceived interactions are expected to heighten the level of loneliness during the pandemic. However, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the level of loneliness and what correlates with loneliness among university students in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia., Objectives: The general objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of loneliness among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia., Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken. An online data collection tool was distributed to voluntary undergraduate university students. The sampling technique used was snowball sampling. Students were requested to pass the online data collection tool to at least one of their friends to ease data collection. SPSS version 26.0 was used for data analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to report the results. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with loneliness. A P-value less than 0.2 was used to screen variables for the multivariable analysis, and a P-value less than 0.05 was used to declare significance in the final multivariable logistic regression., Result: A total of 426 study participants responded. Out of the total, 62.9% were males, and 37.1% attended fields related to health. Over three-fourths (76.5%) of the study participants encountered loneliness. Females (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.75; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 3.04), non-health-related departments (AOR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.35), ever encountering sexual harassment (AOR: 3.32; 95% CI: 1.46, 7.53), sleeping problems (AOR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.06, 4.30), perceived stress (AOR: 6.40; 95% CI: 1.85, 22.19) and poor social support (AOR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.10, 8.87) were significantly associated with loneliness., Conclusion and Recommendation: A significant proportion of students were victims of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being female, working in non-health-related fields, having sleeping problems, encountering sexual harassment, perceived stress, and poor social support were significantly associated with loneliness. Interventions to reduce loneliness should focus on related psychosocial support to reduce stress, sleeping disturbances, and poor social support. A special focus should also be given to female students., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Simegn et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: Even though blood donation has increased in the past decades, it remains a challenge worldwide. An adequate blood supply can only be assured through voluntary blood donation. There is inadequate information on the level of blood donation practice in the current study area. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and associated factors toward voluntary blood donation among Hosanna town adult populations., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 May 2022 to 30 June 2022, on a total of 422 adult populations of Hosanna town. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study subjects. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. The levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice of participants toward voluntary blood donation were measured using a set of questions. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Chi-square and odds ratios were calculated, and the results were presented with words and tables., Results: In this study, a total of 422 participants enrolled with a response rate of 96.6%. Of the total respondents, 204 (48.3%), 209 (49.5%), and 123 (29.15%) study participants had good knowledge, favorable attitude, and experience of blood donation, respectively. Participants' sex being male and having favorable attitudes were found to have significant associations with blood donation practice. Furthermore, it was found that male participants were more than two and a half times more likely to donate blood than female participants (AOR: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.54, 4.15). Those who had favorable attitudes were found more than three and a half times more likely to donate blood than those having unfavorable attitudes (AOR: 3.54; 95% CI: 1.32, 9.46)., Conclusion and Recommendations: A large proportion of adult populations had poor knowledge, unfavorable attitudes, and low practice toward voluntary blood donation. Therefore, local and national blood banks and transfusion agencies should design strategies that can be implemented to improve the knowledge or attitude of the adult population and motivate the population to donate blood voluntarily., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Mussema, Bawore, Abebaw, Tadese, Belayineh, Yirga, Mohammed and Seid.)

Objective: To assess the magnitude and associated factors of depression and anxiety among chronic disease patients during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Gondar Comprehensive and Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia 2021., Methods: A cross-sectional study was done from June 1 to August 30, 2021 among non-communicable chronic disease patients. A systematic random sampling technique was used to collect data from 400 patients. Data were entered into EPI Info and to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Descriptive data analysis was done and bivariable and multi-variable logistic regression was used to identify factors. Variables with a p-value of 0.05 were considered statically significant., Results: The mean age of the respondents was 51.3 ± 0.8 years. The prevalence of anxiety and depression among non-communicable chronic disease patients was 17.9% (95%CI 14.2, 21.7) and 16.3% (95%CI 12.6, 20.1)) respectively. Being female (AOR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.21, 5.41), divorced (AOR = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.02-11.50), and ever cigarette smoking (AOR = 5.00, 95% CI: 1.66-14.90) were significantly associated with depression. Whereas, ever cigarette smoking (AOR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.04, 7.21), number of closed contacts (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.31), and poor social support (AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.16, 7.65) were significantly associated with the anxiety., Conclusion: The magnitude of depression and anxiety was high. Thus, appropriate action should be taken to identify those patients and integration of psychiatric care into the usual care of non-communicable chronic disease patients is vital., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

In Ethiopia Long-acting contraception method utilization was found low (22.7%) among female healthcare providers. However, there is no study has been conducted on the utilization long-acting contraception methods among female healthcare providers in the study area. These studies addressed important variables such as socio-demography and individual factors that might affect the use of long-acting contraceptive methods among female healthcare providers. We assessed the utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods and associated factors among healthcare providers in South Wollo Zone public hospitals, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, in 2021.An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 354 female healthcare workers in the South Wollo Zone hospitals from March to April, 2021. The participants were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires entered into Epi-data version 4.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Bi-variable and multi-variable logistic regression analyses were performed. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR), along with a 95% confidence interval (CI), was estimated to measure the association. The significance level was set at a P- value under 0.05. The current utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods among female healthcare providers was found to be 33.6% [95%, CI 29-39)]. Discussion with a partner [AOR = 2.277,95% CI, (1.026-5.055)], method shift/switched [AOR = 4.302,95% CI, (2.285-8.102)], knowledge of the respondent [AOR = 1.887,95% CI, (1.020-3.491)], and ever birth [AOR = 15.670,95% CI, (5.065-48.49)] were significant factors toward the utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods. The current utilization of long-acting contraceptive methods was found to be low. Therefore, encouraging partner discussions through a targeted information education communication intervention strategy should be intensified to improve long-acting contraceptive methods utilization., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Yimer et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Iron-rich food consumption has an invaluable effect for neonatal and fetal brain development as well as metabolic activities. Despite the public health importance of the consumption of iron-rich foods, there was no study, that assessed iron-rich food consumption in Rwanda. Therefore this study aimed to assess iron-rich food consumption and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months using Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS)., Methods: Secondary data analysis was done using RDHS-2019/20. Total weighted samples of 2455 children aged 6-23 months were included. Data coding, cleaning, and analysis were performed using Stata 16. Multilevel binary logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with iron-rich food consumption. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% CI, and p-value <0.05 were used to declare statistical significance., Results: The prevalence of good iron-rich food consumption was 23.56%(95% CI: 21.92,25.28). Northern province of Rwanda (AOR  =  0.26,95%CI: 0.15,0.46), mothers secondary education and above (AOR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.41, 4.01), married mothers (AOR:1.31, 95% CI: 1.01,1.71), rich wealth status (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.48, 2.86), having post-natal visit (AOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.10,1.91), mothers media exposure (AOR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.22, 2.52) and drugs given for intestinal parasite (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.80) were associated with iron-rich food consumption., Conclusions: This study shows that overall iron-rich foods consumption was low in Rwanda. The residing in the North province, mother's secondary and higher educational status, married marital status, rich and middle wealth status, having media exposure, drugs given for intestinal parasites, and having child's post-natal checkup were variables significantly associated with iron-rich food consumption. The region-based intervention will improve the consumption of iron-rich food. In addition, health policies and programs should target educating mothers/caregivers, encouraging parents to live together, improving their wealth status, working on mass media access by the women, and encouraging mothers post-natal checkups to improve iron-rich food consumption., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Eshetu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Although substantial progress has been made in reducing child mortality over the last three decades, the magnitude of the problem remains immense. Ethiopia is one of the countries with a high under-five mortality rate due to childhood illnesses including acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and fever that varies from place to place. It is vital to have evidence of the factors associated with childhood illnesses and the spatial distribution across the country to prioritize and design targeted interventions. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the spatial cluster distribution and associated factors with common childhood illnesses. Secondary data analysis based on the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data was carried out. A total weighted sample of 10,417 children was included. The study used ArcGIS and SaTScan software to explore spatial distribution. For associated factors, a multilevel binary logistic regression model was fitted using STATA V.14 software. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and p-value ≤ 0.05 in the multivariable model were used to declare significant factors associated with the problem. ICC, MOR, PCV, and deviance (-2LLR) were used to check model fitness and model comparison. In this study, the prevalence of common childhood illnesses among under-five children was 22.5% (95% CI: 21.6-23.3%). The spatial analysis depicted that common childhood illnesses have significant spatial variation across Ethiopia. The SaTScan analysis identified significant primary clusters in Tigray and Northern Amhara regions (log-likelihood ratio (LLR) = 60.19, p < 0.001). In the multilevel analysis, being rural residence [AOR = 1.39, 95% CI (1.01-1.98)], small child size at birth [AOR = 1.36, 95% CI (1.21-1.55)], high community poverty [AOR = 1.26, 95% CI (1.06-1.52)], mothers aged 35-49 [AOR = 0.81, 95% CI (0.69-0.94)], the household had electricity [AOR = 0.77, 95% CI (0.61-0.98)], the household had a refrigerator [AOR = 0.60, 95% CI (0.42-0.87)], improved drinking water [AOR = 0.82, 95% CI (0.70-0.95)], improved toilet [AOR = 0.72, 95% CI (0.54-0.94)], average child size at birth [AOR = 0.83, 95% CI (0.75-0.94)] were significantly associated with common childhood illnesses. Common childhood illnesses had spatial variations across Ethiopia. Hotspot areas of the problem were found in the Tigray, Northern Amhara, and Northeast SNNPR. Both individual and community-level factors affected common childhood illnesses distribution and prevalence in Ethiopia. Therefore, public health intervention should target the hotspot areas of common childhood illnesses to reduce their incidence in the country., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: The role of community pharmacy professionals has been expanded to patient care and health promotion service globally. However, in Ethiopia, there is a scanty of data on the issue, although the country is dealing with a double burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases., Objectives: This study aimed to assess community pharmacy professionals' willingness, involvement, beliefs, and barriers to offer extended services for health promotion in Injibara town, Amhara, Ethiopia., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among licensed and registered community pharmacy professionals working in Injibara town from June 25 to July 10, 2022. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were presented using descriptive statistics. The data were analyzed using STATA version 16 software., Results: A total of 24 community pharmacy professionals were involved in the study, with a response rate of 92.3%. Approximately 91.7% of them were involved in health promotional services. Of them, 54.1% were willing and strongly believed that their involvement in health promotion services would have a positive impact on promoting health. A total of 60.9% of the community pharmacy professionals reported that they were very involved in family planning and alcohol consumption counseling. Different barriers to not providing health promotion services were also cited., Conclusions: Majority of community pharmacy professionals in this study is involved in health promotional services but there are also barriers on their involvement. Therefore, governmental strategies to overcome the barriers that hamper their involvement should be designed., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To summarise available evidence and estimate the pooled prevalence of malnutrition among old people in Africa., Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis., Setting: Any healthcare or community research reporting the prevalence or incidence of malnutrition in Africa from January 2000 to October 2021., Participants: Old people, aged above 60 years., Outcome Measures: Malnutrition, either undernutrition or overnutrition., Results: A total of 1442 studies were retrieved based on the search strategy, where only 36 studies (n=15 266 participants) reported from 11 African countries were included for meta-analysis. The reported prevalence of malnutrition ranges from 2.2% to 77.3% across the continent. Overall, the pooled prevalence rates of undernutrition and overnutrition were 18% (95% CI: 15% to 22%; I 2 =98.1; p<0.001) and 33% (95% CI: 22% to 44%; p<0. 001), respectively., Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition in old African people is high and differs by setting, assessment tool and country of residence. Hence, due attention to geriatric nutrition is mandatory, and the need for a valid, reliable and simple screening tool should be thought of., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Improved health care and rising life expectancy are creating a growing pool of old age people all over the world, including Africa. Malnutrition in the old age people is associated with both short- and long-term negative health outcomes. However, the reported burdens of malnutrition are fragmented and inconsistent, where more compiled evidence is warranted to aid decision-makers. Hence, this paper is aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of malnutrition among old age people in Africa. Methods: A systematic search for research reporting the prevalence of malnutrition among old age people (aged above 60 years) was conducted from HINARI/PubMed and Google Scholar databases using combination keywords. Published articles in English language starting from January 2000 to October 2021 were screened. We presented the results based on the standard for reporting systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. A random-effect meta-analysis was done to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition along with the 95% confidence intervals. The publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot. Results: A total of 1,442 studies were retrieved based on the search strategy, where only 36 studies ( n = 15,266 participants) reported from 11 African countries were included for meta-analysis. The reported prevalence of malnutrition ranges from 2.2 to 77.3% across Africa. Overall, the pooled prevalence of malnutrition was 18% (95% CI: 15-22; I 2 = 98.1; p < 0.001). The prevalence is higher in the Central Africa (3.8%; 95% CI: 3.2-4.4), in the community (3.1%; 95% CI: 2.7-3.7), and among advanced age (3.5%; 95% CI: 2.3-5.4). Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition in African old age people is high and differs by setting, assessment tool, and country of residence. Hence, due attention to geriatric nutrition is mandatory, and the need for a valid, reliable, and simple screening tool should be thought of., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Seid and Babbel.)

Background: During extensive outbreaks of infectious diseases, people who are impacted, particularly the subgroups of the community who are at an increased risk of mental health problems, may experience increased stress and mental health difficulties. University students are one such susceptible population and are prone to experiencing high levels of stress as compared with the general population. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing perceived stress and identifying its associated factors among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Ethiopia from 30 May to 30 June 2021. Students were asked to fill out an online survey on Google Forms that included consent, sociodemographic information, the UCLA-8 Loneliness Scale, the standard validated stress scale (PSS-10) questionnaire, and the three-item Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) to assess social support. The collected data were exported to SPSS 26. Descriptive and analytical statistics were carried out. Binary and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to find associated factors, and variables with a p -value of 0.05 were considered statistically significant variables., Results: A total of 426 university students were included in the survey, among whom 268 (62.9%) were male participants. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 37 years. Health-related departments accounted for 37.1% of the participants, while non-health-related departments accounted for 62.9%. The prevalence of stress was 18.3% in the study population. In this study, extreme susceptibility to COVID-19, sleeping problems, poor self-efficacy to prevent COVID-19, and loneliness were significantly associated with perceived stress., Conclusion: Stress was prevalent among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Extreme susceptibility to COVID-19, sleeping problems, poor self-efficacy, and loneliness were identified as factors for stress. Therefore, we suggest that universities should provide opportunities for safe social connection, counseling, and guidance for students., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Simegn, Yohannes, Seid, Kasahun, Sema, Flatie, Elias and Dagne.)

Background: Medication errors have serious consequences for patients' morbidity and mortality. The involvement of pharmacy professionals in the prescribing and dispensing procedure allowed the detection of a range of drug-related problems in addition to identification by prescribers. They are often the first point of contact in the healthcare system in identifying prescribing errors and intervening in these errors by dealing with the prescribers and the patients., Objectives: This study aimed to assess prescribing errors reported by community pharmacy professionals in Gondar Town, North West Ethiopia., Methods: A self-administered cross-sectional survey was employed from February 29 to June 23, 2020, to collect data on prescribing errors reported by community pharmacy professionals. All community pharmacy professionals found in Gondar town were included. Community pharmacy professionals who were ill at the time of study and who had less than 6 months of work experience were excluded., Results: Seventy-four pharmacy professionals participated in the study with a response rate of 93.6%. The overall prevalence of prescribing errors was 75.1% (95% CI 71.08-78.70). Of these errors, drug selection was the most common (82.4%), followed by errors of commission (79.7%) and errors of omission (78.4%). Antibiotics (63.5%) were commonly involved in prescribing errors, followed by analgesics (44.5%) and antipsychotics (39.5%)., Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed a high prevalence of prescribing errors in Gondar, Ethiopia. Drug selection was the most prescribed error, followed by errors of commission. Stakeholders should design interventions such as training, integrating prescribers with clinical pharmacists and supervising interns by seniors. Large-scale studies that include potential factors of prescribing problems are recommended for future researchers., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) preschool age children are more vulnerable to soil-transmitted helminths (STH) which caused millions of morbidity because of low socioeconomic status and lack of clean water and sanitation. Despite this problem, there is minimal evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with deworming medication utilization among preschool age children (pre-SAC) in SSA regions. Hence this study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of deworming among preschool age children in SSA., Methods: Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data were used for this study with a total weighted 192,652 children aged 24-59 months. Taking deworming medication in the 6 months preceding the interview was our outcome of interest. A multi-level binary logistic regression model was fitted. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was taken to identify significant variables., Results: The prevalence of deworming medication utilization among preschool age children in SSA was 45.03% (95% CI 44.46%, 45.60%), ranging from 41.82% in Malawi to 50.5% in Lesotho. It was 44.91% (95% CI 44.32%, 45.51%) among countries having endemic STH infection and 46.01% (95% CI 43.64%, 48.38%) for none endemic countries. Factors such as; secondary and above women education [AOR = 2.18; 95% CI 2.10, 2.26], occupation [AOR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.27, 1.34], having ≥ 11 family members [AOR = 0.68; 95% CI 0.64, 0.70], household media exposure [AOR = 1.16; 95% CI 1.13, 1.19] and richer wealth status [AOR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.16, 1.27], vitamin A supplementation [AOR = 6.18; 95% CI 6.02, 6.33] and living rural residence [AOR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.92, 0.98] have significantly associated with deworming among preschool age children., Conclusions: Utilization of deworming medication among pre-SAC children in sub-Saharan Africa is below half. Factors, such as the education status of women, family size, household media exposure, wealth status, diarrhea, vitamin A supplementation, and residence were significant variables. To increase the utilization of deworming medication for pre-SAC, WHO should work as an integrated approach with other stakeholders, by strengthening women's education, and media exposure. Maternal employment should be promoted and prior attention should be given to rural children., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of childhood sexual abuse and historical intimate partner violence with body mass index and diabetes among mid-age women. Data from 5782 participants in the 1946-51 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were used. The association of abuse reported to have occurred before 1996 with body mass index and incident diabetes during 20 years of follow-up were examined using longitudinal logistic regression. Women who experienced childhood sexual abuse only, historical intimate partner violence only, or both forms of abuse had higher risk of obesity compared to women who did not experience either form of abuse. The associations between experiencing childhood sexual abuse only, historical intimate partner violence only, or both forms of abuse and incident diabetes (adjusted odds ratios, AOR = 1.28, 95%CI = 1.00, 1.65, AOR = 1.27 (1.02, 1.58) and AOR = 1.74 (1.27, 2.38) respectively) were attenuated by adding body mass index and other variables in the model (AOR = 1.16, 95%CI = 0.90, AOR = 1.49, 1.17 (0.94, 1.46) and AOR = 1.41 (1.03, 1.95) respectively) compared with women who did not experience abuse. The clinical implication is that awareness of a woman's early life experience of abuse may provide insight into managing her weight and risk of diabetes., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Fasting before anesthesia is mandatory in children to reduce the complications of regurgitation, vomiting, and aspiration during anesthesia and surgery. Prolonged fasting times have several negative implications in children, because high fluid turnover quickly leads to dehydration, hypotension, metabolic disturbances, and hypoglycemia, resulting in poor anesthetic outcomes., Aims: This study aimed to assess adherence to preoperative fasting guidelines and associated factors among pediatric patients undergoing elective surgery in Addis Ababa public hospitals in Ethiopia in 2020., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Addis Ababa, which selected public hospitals in Ethiopia, in 2020. A total of 279 pediatric patients aged <17 years scheduled for elective surgery were included in the study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS V.21, and the values of the variables and factors were checked for associations using logistic regression. Statistical significance was determined at P -value of <0.05. The results are presented in text, tables, charts, and graphs., Results: A total of 279 pediatric patients responded to the analysis, with a 98.6% response rate. The majority of the participants (n = 251, 89.96%) did not follow the guidelines for preoperative fasting. The mean fasting time for clear liquids was 10 ± 4.03 (2-18 h) for breast milk 7.18 ± 2.26 (3.5-12 h), and for solid foods 13.5 ± 2.76 (8-19 h). The reasons for which the preoperative fasting delay was due to incorrect order were 35.1%, prior case procedures took longer times 34.1%, and changing sequence of schedule was 20.8%., Conclusion: Most children had prolonged fasting. The staff's instructions and schedules were challenged to follow international fasting guidelines., Competing Interests: We declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Introduction: Chad is a country within the Lake Chad sub region, currently at risk for poliovirus infection. The Lake Chad Task Team on polio eradication in this sub region made significant efforts to reduce the risk of polio transmission in Chad by tacking immunization teams in the Island Settlement using a Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. This article demonstrates the application of GIS technology to track vaccination teams to monitor immunization coverage in the Island settlements, reduce the number of missed settlements, to provide evidence for vaccination implementation and accountability and improve team performance., Methods: In each district where tracking was conducted, global positioning system-enabled Android phones were given to each team on a daily basis and were used to record team tracks. These tracks were uploaded to a dashboard to show the level of coverage and identify areas missed by the teams., Results: In 2018, tracking covered 30 immunization days, in six rounds. Approximately average of 1173 Island settlements were tracked and covered in each of the six rounds. A total of 806,999 persons aged 0-10 years were immunized, out of which 4273 were zero dose cases at the point of their immunization. Tracking activities were conducted. There was an improvement in the geographic coverage of settlements and an overall reduction in the number of missed settlements., Conclusions: The tracking of vaccination teams and Island settlements ensured useful information for planning and implementation of polio campaigns and enabled supervisors to evaluate performance of vaccination teams.

Background: Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants. World Health Organization (WHO) recommend exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for six months which has a great contribution in reducing under five mortality, which otherwise leads to death of 88/1000 live birth yearly in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to assess prevalence of EBF and associated factors in mothers in the city of Bahir Dar, Northwest Ethiopia., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 10 to 25 June 2012 among mothers who delivered 12 months earlier in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia. A cluster sampling technique was used to select a sample of 819 participants. Data were collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire by face-to-face interview technique. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to check associations and control confounding., Results: Of 819 mother-infant pairs sampled, the overall age appropriate rate of EBF practice was found to be 50.3%. Having a young infant aged 0-1 month (AOR = 3.77, 95% CI = 1.54, 9.24) and 2-3 months (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.71, 4.58), being a housewife (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.48, 3.16), having prenatal EBF plan (AOR = 3.75, 95% CI = 2.21, 6.37), delivering at a health facility (AOR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.55, 5.89), giving birth vaginally (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.40, 3.87) and receiving infant feeding counseling/advice (AOR = 5.20, 95% CI = 2.13, 12.68) were found to be significantly associated with EBF practice., Conclusion: Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was low in Bahir Dar. Strengthening infant feeding advice/counseling both at the community and institutional levels, promoting institutional delivery, providing adequate pain relief and early assistance for mothers who gave birth by caesarean section, and enabling every mother a prenatal EBF plan during antenatal care were recommended in order to increase the proportion of women practicing EBF.