Search

A method based on a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP)-based standard operating procedure (SOP) has been developed and implemented in community-based (CB) production of complementary foods (CFs) in agrarian regions in rural Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to validate the method in another setup, more specifically in cash crop (coffee and khat) producing communities in Southern Ethiopia. A quasi-experimental study was employed for the method validation. Two villages in the Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia were selected and a total of 40 mother-child pairs, 20 in each village, were involved in the study. Sociodemographic data, knowledge, and complementary feeding practices were collected using pretested questionnaires. The training was given to each mother for 1 h about community-based CFs production and implementation of the method. Then, 30 CF samples were collected and the level of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2) was determined using a validated method. The majority (77.5%) of the mothers understand the importance of complementary feeding and give it to their infants beyond 6 months. Nearly two-thirds (62.5%) of the mothers had knowledge about the health impacts of aflatoxins, but the remaining 37.5% lacked awareness about the health risks of aflatoxins. Mothers were very well-motivated for the training and they promised to implement the knowledge and skill gained from the training for improving the nutritional status of their children. Overall, 23.3% of the CFs were contaminated by aflatoxins. AFB1 and AFG1 were detected in 6.7 and 16.7% of the CF samples, respectively. In cash crop-producing communities around the country, the HACCP-based SOP is easily validated in CB CFs production. Therefore, a scaleup of the method at the national level and beyond is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ethiopian health extension program was established to enhance rural poor access and equity to health interventions, such as immunization programs. Client satisfaction with child immunization services is a clear measure of service quality and plays a vital role in improving immunization coverage and quality. Thus, the goal of this study was to analyze client satisfaction with rural health extension workers' child vaccination services and associated characteristics in Dawie Harewa District, North East Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among mothers and caregivers of children who received immunization services from March 5–20, 2016. The data was collected from 722 mothers through a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Epi.info version 7 was used to enter the data, and SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze it. To identify factors that influence mothers' satisfaction with immunization services, logistic regression analyses were employed. The degree of relationship between the independent and dependent variables was determined using an odds ratio with a 95 percent confidence interval, with a P-value of 0.05 considered statistically significant. The majority of mothers (84.68%) were happy with the child immunization services provided by health extension workers (HEWs). Mothers with good knowledge (AOR=3.31; 95% CI: 1.67–6.56), a positive attitude (AOR=7.56; 95% CI: 3.12–16.90), and whose homes were visited by HEWs (AOR=2.98; 95%CI: 1.83–4.85) were more likely than their counterparts to be satisfied with child immunization services. Majority of the respondents were satisfied with the services provided by HEWs. The level of knowledge and attitude of mothers, as well as the health extension workers' habit of visiting clients at home, were found to be the most important factors in determining client satisfaction with the vaccination program. Improved client knowledge, ongoing follow-up, and increased HEW home visits are all essential elements in boosting customer satisfaction.

Objectives: To find out relationships between mothers' knowledge and their demographic characteristics that includes (age, marital status, level of education, family income, home location, number of family members. Methods: A descriptive research was performed from October 1, 2020, to June 1, 2021, Non - probability (purposive) sample. In which the sample was objectively chosen from (100) mothers who participated in the study and were obtained from three Baghdad hospitals. It included 47 mothers at the Child welfare Teaching Hospital and 28 at the Central Child Teaching Hospital and 25 in the city of Miamian al-Kadhimin (peace be upon them both) in Baghdad. Results: Mothers' knowledge towards homecare for "Children with Wilms Tumours" at pediatric hospital's items was not assigned at the established level in which that achieving the goal of this study. Conclusion: Mothers' knowledge towards homecare for "Children with Wilms Tumours" at pediatric hospital's items was not assigned at the established level in which that achieving the goal of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dental caries is one of the most common oral health problems in childhood. As a child depends entirely on the parents, its dental visit could be influenced by various psychosocial factors such as parental perceptions of the child’s oral health and maternal anxiety. Aim: To assess the influence of children’s clinical condition, mothers’ dental anxiety and their use of dental services, maternal perception of child’s oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) on the child’s utilization of dental services. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 600 mothers of children between 2 and 5 years of age. The questionnaire included the background characteristics, mothers and child’s dental visit, mothers’ dental anxiety using Corah’s Dental Anxiety Scale and maternal perceptions of the child’s OHRQoL using Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale. Clinical examination for assessing the dental caries among the children was performed. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17.1 software. Results: Using the final model of Poisson regression analysis with robust variance and forward stepwise procedure, it was found that the age of mother, the age of child, the income of the family, poor OHRQoL, the presence of caries and pain in child significantly influenced the visit of the child to dentist (P ≤ 0.05). No statistically significant association was found between the anxiety of mother and the child’s visit. Conclusion: Lack of maternal knowledge, low socio-economic reasons and maternal perception of child’s oral health could be the important reasons for a child’s less number of dental visits.

To compare the health beliefs and infant vaccination behavior of mothers of four different ethno-cultural backgrounds: Israeli-born Jewish and Arab-Bedouin and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia; to examine the associations between initial and subsequent infant vaccination behaviors of mothers and to identify predictors of vaccination behaviors. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in selected community neighborhoods. A quota sample included 100 mothers with infants aged 18–24 months (N  = 400) from each of the four ethno-cultural groups. Data were collected through questionnaires and examination of the infant vaccination cards. Both groups of immigrant mothers had the lowest adherence to the recommended vaccination regime. Our findings indicate that maternal behaviors regarding infant vaccinations were determined mainly by the behavior at the previous recommended vaccination stage. Different ethno-cultural groups presented different sociodemographic predictors of vaccination behaviors. These predictors only affected the vaccinations at the early stage of 2 months. Policy makers should be aware that mother's vaccination behaviors vary according to ethno-cultural groups to establish culturally tailored intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mothers' smoking during pregnancy increases asthma risk in their offspring. There is some evidence that grandmothers' smoking may have a similar effect, and biological plausibility that fathers' smoking during adolescence may influence offspring's health through transmittable epigenetic changes in sperm precursor cells. We evaluated the three-generation associations of tobacco smoking with asthma.Methods: Between 2010 and 2013, at the European Community Respiratory Health Survey III clinical interview, 2233 mothers and 1964 fathers from 26 centres reported whether their offspring (aged ≤51 years) had ever had asthma and whether it had coexisted with nasal allergies or not. Mothers and fathers also provided information on their parents' (grandparents) and their own asthma, education and smoking history. Multilevel mediation models within a multicentre three-generation framework were fitted separately within the maternal (4666 offspring) and paternal (4192 offspring) lines.Results: Fathers' smoking before they were 15 [relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.01] and mothers' smoking during pregnancy (RRR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.01-1.59) were associated with asthma without nasal allergies in their offspring. Grandmothers' smoking during pregnancy was associated with asthma in their daughters [odds ratio (OR) = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17-2.06] and with asthma with nasal allergies in their grandchildren within the maternal line (RRR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.02-1.55).Conclusions: Fathers' smoking during early adolescence and grandmothers' and mothers' smoking during pregnancy may independently increase asthma risk in offspring. Thus, risk factors for asthma should be sought in both parents and before conception.Funding: European Union (Horizon 2020, GA-633212). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low birth weight (LBW) infants pose a challenge for developing countries. Mothers of LBW are thus at risk of psychological stress and postpartum depression. This study was to identify the correlation between mothers' characteristics and their anxiety about having hospitalized low birth weight infants. This study used a descriptive correlation design and involved 90 respondents who met the inclusion criteria. The result of this study indicated that most of the mothers were categorized in non-risk age, unemployed or housewife, and having secondary education. Overall, the respondents showed mild anxiety and no significant correlation between mothers' characteristics and their anxiety (P>0.05). However, there was a significant correlation between her income and mother's level of anxiety (P<0.05). The conclusion could be use as the basic data for developing the program related to health promotion in overcoming the anxiety in LBW infant's mothers., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest., (©Copyright: the Author(s).)