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Introduction: Noncommunicable diseases (e.g. type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease) are the leading cause of death globally and among adults in Ethiopia. Suboptimal diet (with high intake of sugar, salt, and saturated fat) is a major risk factor for such diseases and the consumption of processed foods rich in these nutrients is rising globally. Mandatory nutrition information on packaged foods, potentially with warning labels, can guide consumers and create healthier food environments. However, such information is lacking in many countries, including Ethiopia. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that the display of nutrition information (including sugar, sodium, and saturated fat) would be low on packaged foods and beverages in Ethiopia. Methods: A database of packaged foods was created in 2021 from an assessment across 18 markets within Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The analysis included 1388 products in four major food categories (cereals; snack foods; sweets; and beverages). Results: In total, 880 (63%) products displayed nutrient content information. This was most common among cereals (73%), and least common in snack food (43%) (Table 1). For specific nutrients, the display of sodium/salt (38%) was similar to sugar (35%) and saturated fat (34%). This discrepancy was highest in the beverages category. Conclusion: Nutrition labeling was incomplete in four major packaged food categories in Ethiopia. Fewer than half of snack foods displayed any nutrient content information, and while nearly three-fourths of cereals had some label, data on all three nutrients (sugar, sodium, and saturated fat) was missing on more than half of these products. Mandatory warning labels will allow consumers to assess the nutrient content of packaged foods and may encourage reformulation by industry to meet consumer demand and avoid placement of warning labels on their products.

ObjectivesThis study examined the association between sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education in peer-group discussion and comprehensive knowledge of HIV among young adolescent girls in rural eastern Ethiopia.DesignThe study analysed data from a large quasi-experimental study involving 3290 young adolescent girls aged 13–17 years. The intervention targeted adolescent girls aged 10–14 years. Data were collected using a comprehensive HIV knowledge tool adopted from the demographic and health survey questionnaire. Multi-level mixed-effect logistic regression analysis was employed to examine associations using STATA/SE V.14 statistical software.SettingWest Hararghe, rural Ethiopia.Participants3290 adolescent girls.ResultsMagnitude of comprehensive knowledge of HIV among those who received SRH education and those who did not receive SRH education was 16.78% (95% CI 14.41% to 19.45%) and 14.01% (95% CI 12.38% to 15.81%), respectively. Overall, 14.84% (95% CI 13.4.% to 16.39%) of the adolescent girls aged 13–17 years had comprehensive knowledge of HIV. The odds of having comprehensive HIV knowledge were higher (1.36 times) among adolescent girls who received SRH education compared with those who did not receive SRH education (adjusted OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.84) after controlling for selected potential confounders. Odds of having comprehensive HIV knowledge were also higher (1.73 times) among older adolescent girls (adjusted OR 1.733 95% CI 1.098 to 2.735) and (3.89 times) among those who attended secondary school (adjusted OR=3.889 95% CI 1.836 to 8.235) compared with young adolescent girls and the uneducated, respectively.ConclusionsComprehensive knowledge of HIV among young adolescent girls was very low. Providing SRH education for young adolescent girls improved their comprehensive knowledge of HIV in rural eastern Ethiopia. Initiating sexual education at an early age would benefit HIV prevention efforts.

IntroductionThe WHO Nutrition Target aims to reduce the global prevalence of low birth weight by 30% by the year 2025. The Enhancing Nutrition and Antenatal Infection Treatment (ENAT) study will test the impact of packages of pregnancy interventions to enhance maternal nutrition and infection management on birth outcomes in rural Ethiopia.Methods and analysisENAT is a pragmatic, open-label, 2×2 factorial, randomised clinical effectiveness study implemented in 12 rural health centres in Amhara, Ethiopia. Eligible pregnant women presenting at antenatal care (ANC) visits at Ethics and disseminationENAT is approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Addis Continental Institute of Public Health (001-A1-2019) and Mass General Brigham (2018P002479). Results will be disseminated to local and international stakeholders.Registration numberISRCTN15116516.

Purpose This study investigates the relationship between adolescent girls' agency and social norms regarding early marriage, girls' education, and nutrition in West Hararghe, Ethiopia. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study involving adolescent girls aged between 13 and 17 years in 2016. A two-stage cluster sampling procedure was followed to identify eligible respondents at the household level. A total of 114 clusters in four districts and 30 households from each cluster were randomly selected. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire. The agency composite score was measured based on 21 previously validated items. Descriptive and injunctive norm composite scores regarding education, marriage, and nutrition were constructed based on context-relevant items. The weighted mean and standard errors were calculated for the agency and social norms composite scores. The relationship between girls' agency and descriptive and injunctive norms were examined using a multivariable linear regression model that accounted for a complex sample survey design. Results A total of 3,186 adolescent girls participated in this study. The multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that adolescent girls' agency score significantly and favorably associated with education (β = .19, p < .001), marriage (β = .13, p < .01), and nutrition (β = .20, p < .01) descriptive norms after adjusting for individual and household characteristics. Similarly, adolescent girls' agency was significantly and favorably associated with marriage (β = .21, p < .001) injunctive norms; however, positive injunctive norms around education (β = .09, p > .05) and nutrition (β = .12, p > .05) did not have a statistically significant association with girls' agency. The domains of agency scale related to the belief in women's health rights related to contraception use and the belief in women's right to refuse sex showed poor prosocial views. Conclusions Favorable descriptive and injunctive norms around marriage were significantly associated with greater adolescent girls' agency, which indicates the need to incorporate interventions that address social norms in efforts aimed to enhance adolescent girls' sexual and reproductive health status. Furthermore, attention should be given to monitor which domain of agency is improved by the interventions.