Abstract: Background. Prelacteal feeding is an obstacle to optimal breastfeeding practices in developing countries. It directly or indirectly affects the health of the infants. Despite its importance, this issue has received little attention in Ethiopia. As a result, this study aimed to assess prelacteal feeding and associated factors among mothers of children aged less than 12 months in the rural eastern zone, Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods. Community-based cross-sectional study design was employed. The final sample size was 828, and the multistage sampling technique was used. Pretested and structured interviewer-administered tool was used for data collection. Data were entered, coded, and cleaned by Epi-Info version 7 and analyzed by using SPSS 22.0. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control the effect of confounding. Results. Eight hundred three mothers participated in this study. During the first three days after birth, 198 (24.7%) mothers practiced prelacteal feeding. Parity (AOR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.23), late initiation of breastfeeding (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.30–2.59), and colostrum discard (AOR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.06–2.33) were strongly associated with prelacteal feeding practice. Conclusion and Recommendation. One-fourth of participants practiced prelacteal feeding. Late initiation of breastfeeding, colostrum discard, and parity were significant determinants of prelacteal feeding. Awareness creation and health education concerning the advantages of early initiation of breastfeeding and the importance of colostrum during their health visits is necessary. PubDate: Wed, 17 Jun 2020 07:20:01 +000
Abstract: Introduction. Anemia during pregnancy is one of the commonest issues in pregnancy. Cultural belief is among the contributing factors to this problem. This study aims to explore the cultural leaders’ perception on Acehnese culture regarding anemia in pregnancy. Methods. The qualitative study was conducted using three in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion with Acehnese cultural leaders. Data analysis was conducted by the inductive content analysis method. Results. Four themes emerged from interviews and discussion: (1) cultural beliefs about anemia; (2) locally resourced food; (3) husband participation in preventing anemia during pregnancy; (4) do’s and don’ts. Conclusion. Our findings provide insight into how cultural leaders’ perceptions of anemia are in pregnancy and how they are integrated strongly into Acehnese people’s lives. These findings would assist in developing culturally adapted strategic policy to prevent anemia during pregnancy. PubDate: Tue, 09 Jun 2020 05:35:00 +000
Abstract: Background. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under-five years globally and accounts for about 1.5 million deaths each year. In low-income countries, children under three years of age experience three episodes of diarrhea on average every year. In Ethiopia, diarrheal disease is one of the common causes of mortality in under-five children. In Benna Tsemay district, pastoralist community lives with lack of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene problems, which increase the risk of childhood diarrhea. Objective. To assess the prevalence and determinant of diarrheal disease among under five children in Benna Tsemay District, South Omo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 722 under five children selected randomly from eight pastoralists and two agropastoralist kebels. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Logic regression was performed to identify the association between diarrheal disease and independent variables. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to judge the presence of association. Results. The two-week period prevalence of childhood diarrheal disease in the study was 23.5% (95% CI: 20.4%–26.6%). Diarrheal illness was associated with nonavailability of latrine (AOR: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.66–4.63), faeces seen around the pit hole or floor of latrine (AOR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.38–6.19), improper kitchen waste disposal (AOR: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.26–4. 24), unprotected drinking water source (AOR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.14–2.88), mother’s or caretaker’s diarrhea history in the last two weeks (AOR: 6.74, 95% CI: 2.51–18.07), materials used for feeding the child (cup and spoon) (AOR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.36–0.97), and being unvaccinated for “rotavirus” (AOR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.86–4.44). Conclusion. Nearly one-fourth of children had diarrheal illness in the preceding two weeks. Water, sanitation and hygiene-related factors, child feeding practice, and children’s vaccination status for rotavirus were the determinants of the occurrence of diarrhea among under-five children. The health office should conduct sustainable health education programs that emphasize on risk of open defecation, waste disposal mechanisms, and child feeding practices and also should strengthen rotavirus vaccination activities. The district administration and partners’ needed to improve water sources. PubDate: Mon, 01 Jun 2020 12:50:00 +000
Abstract: Introduction. Tuberculosis is a major public health concern globally, especially in sub-Saharan African countries. It is the most common opportunistic infection and leading cause of mortality among people living with human immunodeficiency virus despite increased deliverance of antiretroviral therapy. Objectives. The aim of this study was to identify determinants of active tuberculosis among adult HIV positive patients after ART initiation in West Showa Zone public hospitals, Ethiopia. Methods. Multicentred unmatched case-control study was conducted on selected public hospitals in West Showa Zone from February to June, 2019. A total of 406 participants (203 cases and 203 controls) were included in the study. Cases were adult HIV patients who developed tuberculosis after ART initiation while controls were adult HIV patients who did not develop tuberculosis after ART initiation. Data were collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed using SPSS version 24 statistical software. Statistical significance test was set at 95% confidence level. Results. This study identified that patient’s previous TB history (AOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.49, 3.90; P value PubDate: Sun, 31 May 2020 12:35:00 +000
Abstract: Background. Biomedical waste (BMW) is defined as unwanted materials generated during diagnosis, treatment, operation, immunization, or in research activities including production of biologicals. Healthcare workers are responsible for the proper management of this waste for human safety and for the protection of the environment. Methods. An analytical knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) study was carried out at Biyem-Assi District Hospital from June 1st to July 5th, 2018, including 100 health workers from different departments. Variables of interest were knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the respondents. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. Data analysis was carried out using software Epi Info version 7.2.2.6. Logistic regression was used to establish the relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Results. Nurses constituted 32.0% of the participants, and more than half of the participants had 1–4 years of working experience (56.0%). Overall, the level of knowledge was satisfactory at 50.0%, that of attitudes was as unfavorable at 83.0%, and that of practices was as poor at 50.0%. Favorable attitudes were associated to satisfactory level of knowledge (ORa = 5.14 [3.10–8.51] and ). Good practices were associated to good level of knowledge (ORa = 5.26 [3.17–8.7] and ) and a favorable attitude (ORa = 7.30 [2.25–23, 71] and ).Conclusion. The level of knowledge was considered unsatisfactory for half of the staff interviewed. Attitudes were unfavourable at 83.0% and poor practices at 50.0%. Staff with a good level of knowledge were more likely to have favourable attitudes towards BWM. Also, good knowledge and attitude positively influenced the practice with regard to BMW management. PubDate: Fri, 22 May 2020 05:05:00 +000
Abstract: Background. Sexually transmitted infections are major public health concerns that mostly affect adolescents and young people. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess students’ knowledge, attitude, and preventive practice towards sexually transmitted infections and the associated factors. Methods. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 24 to November 4, 2018. A sample size of 845 was calculated and a 1-stage sampling technique was employed. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The data were entered into Epi-Info 7.2 and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25 software. The descriptive result was presented in text, figure, and tables. Also, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to identify associated factors. Then the adjusted odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval were computed. And a value of PubDate: Tue, 12 May 2020 06:50:00 +000
Abstract: Background. The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiative is Ghana’s flagship strategy for achieving universal health coverage (UHC). Community involvement in and perceptions of CHPS capacity to improve health outcomes of communities are examined. Methods. This community-based descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 1008 adults aged 18 years and above in two System Learning Districts of the CHPS+ project. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results. The level of community involvement in CHPS activities was 48.9% of the population studied. The overall level of positive perception of CHPS services was 51.7%. Community members who were involved in identifying resources (AOR = 1.86 (95% CI = 1.17, 2.97), ), organising durbars (AOR = 2.09 (95% CI = 1.12, 3.88), ), and preparing sites for outreach services (AOR = 3.76 (95% CI = 2.23, 6.34), ) were significantly more likely to have positive perceptions of the relevance of CHPS to improving the health status of communities compared to those who were uninvolved. Conclusion. The level of community involvement in CHPS services is low. Ghana may not be able to attain the UHC goal by 2030 through CHPS implementation unless its level of community involvement is markedly improved. Ghana’s health sector stakeholders should implement community engagement mechanisms that foster improved worker outreach, expanded use of community gatherings, and more active participation of traditional leaders and grassroots political representatives. PubDate: Thu, 07 May 2020 06:20:01 +000
Abstract: Background. Ethiopia is one of the countries with high out-of-pocket payments leading to catastrophic health expenditure. The government of Ethiopia introduced social health insurance (SHI) scheme with the overall objective of achieving universal health care access. Studying health professionals’ acceptance to pay for social health insurance is crucial for the successful implementation of the scheme. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the acceptance of social health insurance and its associated factors among health professionals in government hospitals, Mekelle city, North Ethiopia. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study design was used. The study participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models at a 5% level of significance, and odds ratios with 95% CI level were used to determine the association between the health professionals’ acceptance of health insurance and explanatory variables. Results. The study revealed that 62.5% of the respondents were willing to participate in the SHI scheme in which 74.9% were willing to pay 3% or more of their monthly salary. Health professionals’ acceptance for SHI significantly associated with monthly salary (AOR = 9.49; 95% CI: 2.51, 35.86), awareness about SHI (AOR = 3.89; 95% CI: 1.05, 14.28), history of difficulty in covering medical bills (AOR = 6.2; 95% CI: 2.42, 15.87), attitudes towards social health insurance (AOR = 7.57; 95% CI: 3.14, 18.21), and perceived quality of health care services if SHI implemented (AOR = 2.89; 95% CI: 1.18, 7.07). Conclusion. The study indicated that there were still a high proportion of health professionals who were not willing to pay for SHI. Therefore, strengthening awareness creation, creating awareness about SHI, promoting the scheme using the different channels of communication to bring about favorable attitude, and providing health care services with required standard quality could help to increase the acceptance of SHI by health professionals. PubDate: Wed, 06 May 2020 14:20:01 +000
Abstract: Objective. Mortality data from hospitals in Ghana suggest a changing mortality trend with noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular disorders) replacing communicable diseases as the leading cause of death. Our objective was to find out the causes of deaths in the communities of the Central Region of Ghana and raise awareness of these causes of deaths while highlighting the differences that exist between data obtained from the community and that obtained from the hospital. Method. Mortality data from Coroner’s autopsies mostly provide data about the causes of deaths in the community (out of hospital). A retrospective descriptive study of Coroner’s autopsy data at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital was carried out over a six-year period. The various causes of death were categorized according to broad headings (accidents/injuries/poisoning, cardiovascular, infections, metabolic, neoplasms, and others). Results. A total of 1187 autopsies were reviewed of which 990 (83.4%) were Coroner’s cases. Of these Coroner’s cases, 719 (72.6%) were male and 271 (27.4%) were female. 521 (52.6%) of victims were young adults (18–44 years), and majority of deaths were unnatural (due to accidents, injuries, and poisoning) (64.1%), followed by the general category of others (15.3%). Cardiovascular deaths (6.6%) were fourth after infections (9.8%). In the leading category, most deaths were due to road traffic accidents (50.4%) as occupants of vehicles and motorcycles (28.7%) and as pedestrians (21.7%). Deaths due to road traffic accidents were followed by deaths due to drowning (14.96%). Conclusion. Although noncommunicable diseases are still the leading causes of death outside the hospital, most of the deaths are due to road traffic accidents and drowning. This is at variance with hospital data that suggest that the leading noncommunicable diseases are cardiovascular disorders and cancer. Again, like data derived from hospitals, infections remain a major cause of death in the Central Region of Ghana. Studies combining the causes of death derived from Coroner’s autopsies and communities and from medical certificates of cause of death will present a better picture of the leading causes of death in the Central Region and reveal the true nature of noncommunicable diseases that currently form our largest disease burden. PubDate: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:50:00 +000
Abstract: Background. Undernutrition is one of the most widespread public health problems that affect both developed and developing countries. In Ethiopia, it is one of the factors leading to unacceptable high morbidity and mortality among women. However, little is documented on undernutrition among lactating women particularly in such a purely pastoral community. Therefore, this study was designed to assess prevalence of undernutrition and its associated factors among lactating women living in pastoral community of Moyale District, Borena Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2018. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected from a random sampled 545 lactating women using structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Height and weight measurements of the study participants were also taken to compute body mass index. Data were entered in to Epi info version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 21 software for analysis. Descriptive statistics like frequency, mean, and percentage were computed to describe characteristics of the sample. Multivariable analysis was carried out, association between independent and dependent variables were measured using adjusted odds ratios, and its 95% confidence interval and P value below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results. This study showed that prevalence of undernutrition among lactating women was 17.7%. Dietary diversity (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.43–4.36), monthly income (AOR = 5.22, 95% CI: 1.40–19.40), extra meal taking (AOR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.43–5.29, delivery place (AOR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.24–5.65), and household food insecurity (AOR = 6.57, 95% CI: 3.50–12.34) were independent variables showing statistically significant association with undernutrition of lactating women. Conclusion and recommendations. The study revealed that magnitude of undernutrition among lactating women was high. Dietary diversity, monthly income, extra meal, delivery place, and household food insecurity were found to be predictor of undernutrition. Finally, we recommend that governmental and nongovernmental organizations should organize timely interventions targeting lactating women. PubDate: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 08:05:00 +000
Abstract: Background. Intimate partner violence during pregnancy is the most common and major public health problem and human rights issue worldwide and has a negative effect on the lives of both mother and fetus. Despite its prominence, this issue has received little attention in Ethiopia as well as many sub-Saharan African countries. This study assessed the magnitude of intimate partner violence and associated factors among pregnant women in Ofla District, Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to 30, 2019, among 543 pregnant women who visited antenatal care in the health facilities. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Pretested, interviewer-administered data collection was done using a standardized World Health Organization multicountry questionnaire for women’s health and domestic violence against women. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with violence. value was set at .Results. The overall prevalence of intimate partner violence during the current pregnancy was 37.5%: psychological (25.1%), sexual (17.7%), and physical violence (13.4%). Violence was associated with unplanned pregnancy ((AOR = 4.56, 95% CI: (2, 10.28)), unmarried women ((AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: (1.18, 5.73)), having alcoholic partner ((AOR = 3.3, 95% CI: (2.1, 5.16)), spouse’s multiple sexual partners status ((AOR = 5.1, 95% CI: (2.2, 12)), acceptance of violence by women ((AOR = 1.85, 95% CI: (1.1, 3.16)), low decision-making power of women ((AOR = 2.64, 95% CI: (1.6, 4.3)), and no interest in current pregnancy by partner ((AOR = 5.9, 95% CI: (2.36, 14.9)). Conclusions. More than one-third of pregnant women experienced intimate partner violence during a recent pregnancy. This is high and may lead to health consequences for both mothers and fetuses. Addressing gender inequitable norms, the culture of silence (support) to intimate partner violence in the community and women’s reproductive health information through intervention measures are very important to minimize the problem. PubDate: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 15:05:00 +000
Abstract: Worldwide, millions of people still die from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene, despite the fact that the United Nations recognized access to clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right nearly a decade ago. The objective of this study was to describe the determinants of access to improved drinking water sources in Eswatini in 2010 and 2014. Using the Eswatini Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (EMICSs), data for 4,819 households in 2010 and 4,843 in 2014 were analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate complementary log-log regression analyses were conducted to identify the determinants of households’ access to improved drinking water sources. The study found that households’ access to improved drinking water sources significantly improved from 73.1% in 2010 to 77.7% in 2014 (). In 2010, households whose heads were aged 35–54 and 55 years had lower odds of having access to improved drinking water sources than those with younger ones. In 2014, female-headed households had lower odds, while, in 2010, sex of the household head was not associated with access to improved drinking water sources. In both years, an increase in the number of household members was negatively associated with access to improved drinking water sources compared to those with fewer members. In both years, the odds of access to improved drinking water sources increased with an increase in the wealth index of the household, and households located in urban areas had higher odds of access to improved drinking water sources compared to those in rural settings. In both years, households from the Shiselweni and Lubombo regions had lower odds of access to improved drinking water sources. The government and its partners should continue to upscale efforts aimed at increasing access to improved drinking water, especially in rural areas, to reduce the disparity that exists between urban and rural households. PubDate: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 17:05:00 +000
Abstract: Street foods have become a major source of cooked food for most households and individuals in many developing countries including Ghana. However, the rising concern about food-borne illness has questioned the knowledge of the street food vendors to constitute safety practices for food handling. This study assessed the knowledge of street food vendors on food safety and food-handling practices in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ghana. The study used a cross-sectional mixed approach involving 340 participants selected by simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to collect data and analyzed using STATA version 12. The results indicated that 98.8% of the food vendors had good knowledge on food safety and handling. The knowledge on food safety was associated with training ( value ≤0.011), license status ( value ≤0.002), marital status ( value PubDate: Tue, 17 Mar 2020 13:35:01 +000
Abstract: Background. Anemia among children is a global public health problem. The burden is high in developing countries including Ethiopia. Although there are some studies about anemia among children, there is a dearth of information about factors associated with anemia in Ethiopia. Therefore, this analysis was performed to identify factors associated with anemia among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia. Methods. We used the 2016 Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey (EDHS) data. EDHS was a community-based, cross-sectional study conducted from January 18, 2016 to June 27, 2016. The 2016 EDHS selected the participants using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. A total of 8,462 children aged 6–59 months were included for this analysis. Both descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata version14. A value less than 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was set to test the statistical significance. Results. The analysis indicated that about 58% (95% CI: 55.1, 60.1) of children aged 6–59 months were anemic. Of those, 29.4% and 3.1% had moderate and severe anemia, respectively. The analysis revealed that stunted (AOR = 0.135, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.62) and underweight (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.55) children had higher odds of being anemic. Besides, children aged 6–23 months (AOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.82), 24–42 months of age (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.51), and those with fever (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.67) had higher odds of being anemic. Similarly, children from anemic mothers (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.58, 2.18) and poor households (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.67) were at a higher risk of anemia. Children from households with large family sizes (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.60), young mothers (15–24 years of age (AOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.82) and 25–34 years of age (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.51)), and developing regions (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.02) also had higher odds of developing anemia. Conclusion. The overall prevalence of anemia among children aged 6–59 months in Ethiopia was high. Malnourished children (stunting and underweight); children with fever; children from anemic, uneducated, and young mothers; and children from large and poor families had higher odds to develop anemia. Therefore, preventing childhood illnesses and maternal anemia should be strengthened to reduce anemia among children. PubDate: Mon, 09 Mar 2020 06:05:00 +000
Abstract: Background. Despite the high incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer (BC) in Ghana, little attention has been given to the issue of how adult women cope with having BC. The aim of this study was to explore the challenges, coping strategies, and support systems among women diagnosed with BC in Ghana. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to August 2017 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Ghana. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 202 women with a confirmed diagnosis of BC. Coping strategies of women with BC were assessed using the Brief-COPE. The associations between sociodemographic characteristics, social network/support, and coping strategies were assessed using linear regression models. Results. The most and least adopted active coping strategies were religious coping and humors, respectively. Self-distraction and substance use were the most and least adopted avoidant coping strategies, respectively. Spouses and children offered the most support to women with BC; having support from 5 or more sources was associated with higher mean active coping (beta [β] 1.14; 95% CI 0.66 to 1.62) and avoidant coping (β 1.46; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.94), as compared with having PubDate: Tue, 25 Feb 2020 06:05:00 +000
Abstract: Background. Diarrheal diseases are still one of the major causes of morbidity in under-five children in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, diarrhea is responsible for 9% of all deaths and is the major cause of under-five mortality. Objective. To assess the impact of community-led total sanitation and hygiene on the prevalence of diarrheal disease and factors associated among under-five children in Gamo Gofa Zone. Methods. Community-based comparative cross-sectional study design was used to compare the impact of community-led total sanitation and hygiene intervention on under-five diarrheal disease. Multistage sampling method was employed. The data were collected by using pretested structured questionnaires. Data quality was ensured by daily supervision completeness and consistency. The data were coded, entered, and cleaned by using Epi Info version 7 and were analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were carried out by using binary logistic regression. Significance was declared by using value of PubDate: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:35:01 +000
Abstract: Traditional medicines are commonly used in Africa. About 13.2–82.3% of the population use traditional eye medicine. The aim of this study was to assess practice and associated factors among adult residents towards traditional eye medicine in Gondar city, North West Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 600 participants by using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 computer software. Association and strength between dependent and independent variables were determined using odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. Results. A total of 600 respondents participated in the study with a 95 % response rate. From the total study participants, 73 (12.2%) (95% CI: 10–15%) had used traditional eye medicine in the past two years. Variables such as being unmarried (AOR = 0.48 (95% CI: 0.17–0.83)), being illiterate (AOR = 5.40 (95% CI: 5.3–12.3)), living in traditional healers available area (AOR = 2.84 (95% CI: 1.44–7.56)), poor access to modern eye care services (AOR = 2.11 (95% CI: 1.06–4.19)), and positive family history of traditional eye medicine use (AOR = 4.00 (95% CI: 1.84–8.67)) were significantly associated with traditional eye medicine practice. Conclusion. The proportion of traditional eye medicine practice was low in the past two years in Gondar city, Ethiopia, as compared to most African and Asian studies like south East Nigeria and Nepal, respectively. This may be due to the presence of tertiary eye care centers in the city that lets the residents prefer modern eye medicines over traditional eye medicines. Positive family history of traditional eye medicine use, being unmarried, being illiterate, poor access to modern eye care service, and availability of traditional healers had a significant association with the practice of traditional eye medicine. Community awareness about traditional eye medicine use is important to reduce the risk of complications even if the proportion is low. PubDate: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 13:20:01 +000
Abstract: Introduction. In Ethiopia, infection prevention to protect patients, healthcare workers, and visitors from healthcare-acquired infections is one of a number of nationwide transformational initiatives to ensure the provision of quality healthcare services. The aim of this research was to assess the practice of healthcare workers regarding infection prevention and its associated factors in Bale zone Hospitals. Methods. A cross-sectional study targeted 402 healthcare workers using simple random sampling to learn about their practices related to infection prevention. Data were collected in interviews using pretested, structured questionnaires. Returned questionnaires were checked for completeness and then data were entered into a database and analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Adjusted odd ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was calculated to determine the strength of association, and variables with a p value PubDate: Sat, 01 Feb 2020 07:20:00 +000
Abstract: Globally, rural–urban migration has been the focus in addressing the question of availability of health workers in rural areas. Often, the rural–rural migration of health workers, another important dimension is neglected. This study aimed to analyze the magnitude and the underlying factors for rural–rural migration of health workers in two rural districts of Tanzania. An exploratory comparative cross-sectional study adopting both quantitative and qualitative approaches was carried out in two districts of Kilwa in Lindi region, southern Tanzania, and Rombo in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania. In a quantitative approach, 174 health workers (both clinicians and nonclinicians) filled in a self-administered questionnaire between August 2015 and September 2016. For the qualitative sub-study, 14 key informants that included health facilities in-charges and district health managers from the two districts were interviewed. In addition, three focus group discussions were conducted with members of the health facilities committee, in the two districts. Over 40% of health workers migrated from one workstation to another between 2011 and 2015. Close to 70% of the migrated health workers, migrated within the same districts. The proportion of health workers migrated was higher in Kilwa compared to Rombo. However, the difference was not statistically significant. The major underlying factors for migration in both districts were: Caring for the family and Unfavorable working and living conditions. In Kilwa, unlike Rombo, rejection by the community, superstitious beliefs, and lack of social services, were the other major factors underlying migration of the health workers. While addressing rural–urban migration, attention should be paid also to the rural–rural migration of health workers. Lastly, addressing the migration of health workers is a multi-dimensional issue that needs the engagement of all stakeholders within and beyond the health sector. PubDate: Wed, 22 Jan 2020 05:20:00 +000
Abstract: Most current guidelines recommend prescribing second-generation antihistamines (SGAs) over first-generation antihistamines because SGAs are less likely to cause sedation and impairment of heavy work performance. However, common residents who use these antihistamines as over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are less likely to know that. So, this study was designed to compare the over-the-counter use of antihistamines by common residents with the prescribing preferences of physicians residing at Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Between June and August of 2017, a total of 100 Physicians from some of the top medical institutions of the city and 350 randomly selected common residents were directly interviewed with two separate semistructured questionnaires specifically designed for each population. Data was statistically analyzed using Fischer’s exact test, Spearman’s rank correlation test and Kendall’s tau rank correlation test. The data shows that physicians prefer second-generation antihistamines with fexofenadine (48.09% of the total responses), desloratadine (16.03%), and rupatadine (13.74%) taking the top spots. Cetirizine (29.46% of total responses), desloratadine (14.73%), and chlorpheniramine (14.52%) were the most used OTC antihistamines by the common residents. Statistical analysis with Fischer’s exact test revealed that the difference in preference of first-generation antihistamines between physicians and common residents were extremely significant (). Furthermore, cetirizine (which is known to have some degree of sedating activity) and chlorpheniramine are more preferred among common residents than among physicians (extremely significant difference, in both cases). The study concludes that physicians of Dhaka City are complying with practice guidelines, but sedating antihistamines still retain some popularity among the common residents. Hence, a more engaging community pharmacy is needed to minimize adverse effects that can arise from OTC use of sedating antihistamines. PubDate: Tue, 21 Jan 2020 15:05:00 +000
Abstract: Background. In a highly malaria endemic country like Zambia, prompt treatment of cases is known to reduce morbidity and mortality; however, it is not known whether it has a role as an effective prevention strategy because of the presence of asymptomatic chronic carriers who do not seek treatment and maintain the reservoirs of infection in the population. This study investigated the role of treatment of malaria cases as a prevention strategy in low, moderate, and high endemic settings. Methods. A nested case-control design was employed using datasets from a large countrywide national Malaria Indicator Survey of 2015. Self-reported malaria cases (n = 209) who took treatment in the two weeks preceding the survey were matched with controls (n = 511) who did not report malaria and did not take treatment during the same period using nearest neighbour propensity score matching for age, sex, and district. The data were analysed using conditional logistic regression in STATA version 15.1. Results. The malaria cases were more likely to be from rural areas (), poorest households (), and who lived in improvised housing structures () compared with the controls. Data from low and moderate malaria endemic areas did not have sufficient cases for the analysis to proceed; however, data from high endemic areas showed borderline evidence () that prompt treatment reduces the risk of malaria by almost half in the short-term aOR 0.057 (95% CI 0.32–1.01). Conclusion. We found borderline evidence which suggests that prompt treatment of malaria cases even in high endemic areas has potential to reduce the risk of malaria by almost half in the short term. PubDate: Thu, 16 Jan 2020 06:20:01 +000
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