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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may affect anybody, and prisoners are a susceptible group in terms of the risk of contracting infectious illnesses owing to a variety of situations such as overcrowding, confinement, and poor cleanliness. Therefore, this study aimed to assess prisoners’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of COVID-19 and its determinants in southern Ethiopia. Method: The Institutional cross-section study was conducted among 404 prisoners selected using simple random sampling obtained from the prisoner’s registration book. To collect data from prisoners, an interviewer-based face-to-face data-collecting technique was used. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to identify determinants of KAP toward COVID-19. Results and Conclusions: The majority of the prisoners had limited understanding and poor preventive strategies application toward COVID-19. Being male, living in a rural area, having a low educational standing, and being a farmer were related to limited knowledge, negative attitude, and poor practice toward COVID-19. Furthermore, having little understanding was linked with poor practice toward COVID-19. As a result, the focus should be on convicts, creating awareness, and addressing specific socioeconomic features of prisoners, as well as boosting COVID-19 preventive activities that should get attention in the prison.

Background:Infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a severe public health issue worldwide. A broad amount of information related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was disseminated by social media in Ethiopia. To date, there is limited evidence on the influence of social media use for COVID-19–related information on COVID-19 preventive practice. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of social media use on the practice of COVID-19 preventive measures in Ethiopia.Methods:This study used an anonymous Internet-based online cross-sectional survey using Google Forms to collect the data from the respondents from May 15 to June 17, 2020, in Ethiopia. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between social media use as a predictor and COVID-19 preventive practice, after adjusting for socio-demographic and risk perception of COVID-19 variables. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.Results:A total of 372 respondents have participated in the study. From 372, a total of 208 (55.9%) respondents in this study were male. Study participants who had good use of social media to get COVID-19–related information were 9.5 times more engaged in COVID-19 preventive practices compared with study participants who had poor use of social media to get COVID-19–related information (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 9.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.70-16.13). Also, study participants who had a high-risk perception of COVID-19 were 2.6 times more engaged in COVID-19 practices compared with study participants who had a low-risk perception of COVID-19 (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.58-4.38). Study participants who were students at the time of this study were 4 times more likely to show an adequate COVID-19 preventive practice score compared with those who had another occupational status (AOR = 4.07; 95% CI: 1.66-9.98)Conclusions:Our results show that the use of social media networks can have a positive effect on the practice of preventive measures and public safety against COVID-19; high-risk perception contributed to preventive activities against COVID-19. Social networking platforms can be used by public health agencies as an important method to raise public health understanding by disseminating concise messages to targeted audiences.

Background. Undernutrition and tuberculosis are the major concerns of underdeveloped regions of the world. Tuberculosis makes undernutrition worse and undernutrition weakens immunity, thereby increasing the likelihood that latent tuberculosis will develop into active disease. Nevertheless, little has been understood about undernutrition among patients with infectious disease like tuberculosis in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to determine the magnitude of undernutrition and its determinants among tuberculosis patients in Shashemane public health institutions, Southern Ethiopia. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in two public hospitals and ten health centers of Shashemane Town from March 12, to April 12, 2017, among 368 adult tuberculosis patients on treatment follow-up. Sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics and anthropometric data were collected. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.3 computer software and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariable logistic regression analyses were done to assess the association between outcome variable at bivariate analysis, and multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess factors that were independently associated with undernutrition. Odds ratios along with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated to measure the strength of the association, and level of statistical significance was declared at P value ≤0.05. Result. The overall magnitude of undernutrition among adult tuberculosis patients in this study was 28.8% (95% CI = 0.25–0.34). Patients in the age group of forty-five and above ((AOR = 3.39, 95% CI = (1.6–7.18)), residents in rural area ((AOR = 1.95, 95% CI = (1.07–3.54)), those with problem with eating ((AOR = 2.361, 95% CI = (1.332–4.185)), and those who are not on food supplementation ((AOR = 2.21, 95% CI = (1.06–4.58)) were significantly at higher risk of undernutrition. Conclusion. The magnitude of undernutrition in the study setting was found to be significantly higher. Age greater than forty-five, living in rural area, and lack of nutritional care and support were identified as the factors associated with undernutrition. Thus, relevant actors should give attention to fast nutritional intervention together with standard therapeutic regimen in the management of pulmonary tuberculosis patients to curb their nutritional derangement.

BackgroundGlobally, health care-associated infections had become serious public health importance. Compliance with standard safety precaution is effective and inexpensive measure to improve quality of healthcare in reducing occurrence of healthcare associated infections. In developing countries, like Ethiopia adherence to recommended standard safety precaution is scanty.ObjectiveTo assess level of compliance with standard safety precaution and associated factors among healthcare workers in Hawassa comprehensive specialized hospital Southern Ethiopia.MethodsAn institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted at Hawassa comprehensive specialized hospital. Data were collected by using self-administered questionnaire. Study participants were allocated proportionally based on their profession by using stratified random sampling method. Data were entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0. Bi-variable analysis and multi variable logistic regression model were used to check which variables were associated with dependent variable. P-values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. In this study the overall compliance with standard safety precaution among healthcare workers were only 56.5%. Being female healthcare worker AOR: 2.76(1.34, 5.54), married healthcare workers AOR: 4.2(2, 9.03), accessibility of safety box AOR: 3.4(1.6, 7.17), HCWs had perceived IP training AOR: 3.99(1.46, 10.9), availability of tape water AOR: 2.68(1.15, 6.2) and healthcare workers had internal infection prevention and control supportive supervision AOR: 5.8(2.54, 13.48) associated with compliance with standard safety precaution.ConclusionAccording to findings of the current study, overall level of compliance with standard SP among HCWs considered to be very low. Factors such as healthcare workers being female, accessibility of safety box, availability of running tape water, training and supportive supervision were independent predictors of compliance with standard safety precaution. Thus ensuring availability and accessibility of safety precaution materials and regular observing and supervising healthcare workers' practices are highly recommended.

Background.In Ethiopia, higher proportions of pregnant women are anemic. Despite the efforts to reduce iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy, only few women took an iron supplement as recommended. Thus, this study aimed to assess compliance with iron-folate supplement and associated factors among antenatal care attendant mothers in Misha district, South Ethiopia.Method. Community based cross-sectional study supported with in-depth interview was conducted from March 1 to March 30, 2015. The sample size was determined using single population proportion to 303. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with compliance to iron-folate supplement.Results. The compliance rate was found to be 39.2%. Mothers knowledge of anemia (AOR = 4.451, 95% CI = (2.027,9.777)), knowledge of iron-folate supplement (AOR = 3.509, 95% CI = (1.442,8.537)), and counseling on iron-folate supplement (AOR = 4.093, 95% CI = (2.002,8.368)) were significantly associated with compliance to iron-folate supplement.Conclusions.Compliance rate of iron-folate supplementation during pregnancy remains very low. This study showed that providing women with clear instructions about iron-folate tablet intake and educating them on the health benefits of the iron-folate tablets can increase compliance with iron-folate supplementation.

Background: Nutrition in infancy and early childhood is a critical determinant of health and productivity of the individual throughout life. During this period, appropriate, safe, nutritionally adequate and frequent feeding is essential. Despite this recommendation complementary feeding is commonly inappropriately practiced. There is no information compliance to national IYCF. Objective: To assess compliance to national IYCF recommendation and associated factors among mothers of children 6-23 months of age in Gombora district, Southern Ethiopia, 2016. Methods and Materials: Community-based cross-sectional study design was employed in Gombora district from March 1 to March 30, 2016. The data were collected from 379 respondents selected by simple random sampling technique using pre-tested and semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were employed to identify factors associated with compliance to IYCF. Results: Of the total 379 study subjects,13.5% (95% CI=10,17.5) of the respondents were reported as they comply with national IYCF recommendation; the odds being compliant to national IYCF recommendation was 5.26 times higher than for those respondents (9-12) grades of educational status and primary education (1-8) (AOR=5.26; 95% CI:2.318, 11.914), accordingly the odds being compliant was 3.88 times higher than for those mothers of children within the age group (18-23) months and mothers of children age (6-11) months (AOR=3.88; 95% CI:1.641, 9.162), the odds of being compliant to national IYCF for antenatal care visits greater than four visit was 3.95 times higher than other types of visit antenatal visit (AOR=3.95; 95% CI:1.840, 8.488) and similarly the odds of being compliant was 2.95 times as much for those respondent who had postnatal care visit than no post-natal care visit (AOR=2.95; 95% CI:1.318, 6.349) and the odds being non-compliant to national IYCF recommendation was 81% times among those who were not knowledgeable on indicators IYCF than those knowledgeable (AOR=0.19; 95% CI:0.075, 0.465) and the odds being compliant 6.02 times as much for those counseled on IYCF than those with no counseling on IYCF (AOR=6.02; 95% CI:2.786, 12.998). Conclusion and recommendations: This study revealed that compliance to national IYCF recommendation was low. Nutrition education to mothers at every contact opportunity was recommended and mothers who were completed only primary education need more attention. All mothers must be encouraged to make antenatal care follow up at least four times.