Fikremariam Endeshaw

Background and Aims: Puerperal sepsis persists as an important global public health concern. It contributes substantially to death among mothers, notably in resource‐constrained countries like Ethiopia, posing a significant challenge to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite advances in the accessibility of healthcare, a significant gap exists between knowledge, attitude, and practices, and these issues have received limited literature evidence in Ethiopia, particularly in study settings. Hence, this research focuses on assessing knowledge, attitudes, and self‐care practices toward the prevention of puerperal sepsis and factors of self‐care practices. Methods: A community‐based survey was conducted among 419 postpartum women residing in peri‐urban areas of Dessie from May 1 to June 30, 2025. Participants were recruited through a systematic random sampling technique that was employed. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 26. The magnitude of the association was estimated using adjusted odds ratios (AORs) at a 95% confidence interval. Results: In the present study, the overall prevalence of good knowledge was 198 (47.4%) (95% CI: 44.2, 50.5), favorable attitudes were 183 (43.7%) (95% CI: 42.1, 45.1), and good self‐care practice was 179 (42.7%) (95% CI: 38.0, 47.0). Secondary education (AOR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.10, 3.40), diploma and above (AOR= 2.32; 95% CI: 1.19, 4.49), antenatal contact (AOR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.38), women's knowledge (AOR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.36), and women's attitudes (AOR=2.30; 95% CI: 1.32, 5.25) were significant factors of the self‐care practice. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of good knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good self‐care practices for puerperal sepsis prevention was low. Maternal educational status, antenatal care contact, women's knowledge, and women's attitudes were significant factors of the self‐care practice. Improving women's education, enhancing antenatal care contact coverage, and fostering knowledge on puerperal sepsis are recommended.

Background: Pregnancy is a critical period when women are particularly vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies. However, limited evidence exists on nutritional knowledge, dietary practices, and associated factors among pregnant women in the study area. Aim: To assess nutritional knowledge, dietary practice, and associated factors among pregnant women in Halaba town. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods cross-sectional study was conducted in Halaba Town from August 2 to November 25, 2025. Quantitative data were collected from 403 randomly selected pregnant women, while qualitative data were obtained from five FGDs with 35 purposively selected participants. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed using descriptive and thematic analyses. Results: Of the 403 selected participants, 398 pregnant women completed the study, yielding a response rate of 97.7%. Half of the respondents (51%) had good nutritional knowledge, yet only 42.4% of pregnant women reported practicing healthy dietary behaviors. Educational status (AOR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.3–4.2), pregnancy status (AOR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.5–4.5), and nutritional information (AOR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.5–4.9) were significantly associated with nutritional knowledge. Educational status (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4–4.3), nutritional information (AOR: 3.9; 95% CI: 2.5–7.9), occupational status (AOR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3–4.1), and food security status (AOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.5–5.4) were significantly associated with dietary practices. Qualitative findings showed that cultural food taboos and economic constraints limited dietary diversity, while spousal support, shared decision-making, and home gardening promoted healthier dietary practices.

Orofacial clefts are common congenital malformations that impair structural, functional, and psychosocial outcomes. They may be identified at birth or late

Background: Women’s sexual and reproductive rights are crucial for achieving gender equality and promoting women’s rights. Across East Africa, there are limited studies about husbands’ knowledge of their partner’s reproductive rights and their associated factors. Hence, this study aimed to assess husbands’ knowledge of partners’ reproductive health rights and associated factors in Central Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 15 to April 30, 2023, using multi-stage stratified sampling. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was utilized to gather the data, and then SPSS version 26 was employed for analysis. Statistical significance was declared at a p -value < 0.05. Results: The overall good knowledge of partners’ reproductive health rights was found to be 47.8% (95% CI: 43.8, 51.8). Age of the husbands 25–35 years (AOR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.10, 6.6), below primary educational status (AOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.3,4.3), primary educational status (AOR: 5.98; 95% CI: 3.10, 11.4), secondary educational status (AOR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.01, 4.3), above secondary education status (AOR: 8.0; 95% CI: 4.3, 15.2), discussion with a partner (AOR: 3.2; 95% CI: 2.0, 5.2), and vehicle as a means of transport (AOR: 3.3; 95% CI: 2.2, 4.9) were statistically significant for good husbands’ knowledge of partners reproductive health rights. Conclusion: These findings indicate that more than half (52.2%) of the study participants had a poor understanding of their partners’ reproductive rights. Therefore, counselling and education should be offered to husbands to ensure equitable access to health services and to disseminate information on reproductive rights, particularly targeting young men.

Background: Antenatal ultrasound scanning is a fundamental component of antenatal care across the globe. It is of significant public health importance because it enables early detection of fetal abnormalities, monitors fetal growth and maternal health, informs timely medical interventions, and supports strategies to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Despite its clinical importance, there are limited studies on the use of antenatal ultrasound in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Objective: This study is aimed at assessing the antenatal ultrasound utilization and associated factors among postpartum mothers in Durame Town public health institutions, Central Ethiopia, 2025. Methods: A facility‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted on 379 postpartum mothers attending postpartum care from September 10 to November 10, 2025, in Durame Town public health institutions. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected using structured and pretested questionnaires and analyzed by SPSS Version 26. Factors associated with antenatal ultrasound utilization among postpartum mothers were assessed using binary logistic regressions. The strength of the association of dependent and independent variables was presented as crude and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) at a 95% confidence interval. The level of significance was declared at a p value of less than 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression. Results: Based on the present study, the proportion of antenatal ultrasound utilization was 249 (65.7%) (95% CI: 60.9–70.5); 46.2% of mothers had early antenatal ultrasound utilization, done before they were 24 weeks. Factors associated with antenatal ultrasound utilization were living in urban residence (AOR = 3.25; 95% CI: 1.55–5.65), previous delivery with a congenital malformation (AOR = 2.906; 95% CI: 1.222–6.91), and mothers′ knowledge on antenatal ultrasound utilization (AOR = 3.132; 95% CI: 1.425–6.88). Conclusion and Recommendation: Based on the present study, the proportion of antenatal ultrasound utilization was lower than the WHO and FIGO recommendations. Significant factors of antenatal ultrasound utilization were residence, women′s knowledge, and congenital malformation. Therefore, healthcare providers better to enhance awareness and education among pregnant women regarding the benefits of antenatal ultrasound services, whereas policymakers and health facility administrators better to improve service accessibility and availability to increase antenatal ultrasound utilization, especially in rural and underserved areas, and pay special attention to mothers with prior adverse pregnancy outcomes or congenital malformations.

Background: Food insecurity is a state in which people do not have both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs. Food insecurity affects all nations despite that it is high in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia. There is limited information on the magnitude of food insecurity and its associated factors among lactating mothers in Ethiopia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the magnitude of food insecurity and associated factors among lactating mothers in Yirgalem Town, South Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on five randomly selected Kebeles and 557 lactating mothers who were selected using a simple random sampling technique from January 10 to April 30, 2022. The data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaires. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used in the analysis. Family folder documentation was used to know the number of lactating mothers found in each Kebeles. Food insecurity was measured by household food insecurity access scale (version 3). Dietary diversity was assessed by the 24-hour dietary recall method. Results: The magnitude of food insecurity among lactating mothers was 58.2%. Low minimum dietary diversity score, mothers with two and below antenatal care, mothers who had more than two children under 5 years, no home gardening practice, and having meals two and below were significantly associated with food insecurity. Conclusion: The magnitude of food insecurity was 58.2% in the study area. Therefore, the agricultural and health sectors should work collaboratively to improve home gardening practices, dietary diversity practices and maternal health services are highly recommended to reduce food insecurity.

Introduction: Female sexual dysfunction is commonly neglected, under-investigated, and under-treated in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and its associated factors of female sexual dysfunction among reproductive-aged women at Gurage zone hospitals, in southern Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 reproductive-age group women. A systematic random sampling method was employed and structured questionnaires were used to collect the data through a face-to-face interview. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed by SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics, and bivariable, and multivariable logistic regression were conducted. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. Result: Four hundred two participants completed the interview with a response rate of 94.8%. Arousal dysfunction 91.0% and pain during sexual intercourse 39.3% were the most and the least prevalent domains of female sexual dysfunction respectively. Overall 32.1% of the respondents had female sexual dysfunction. Body mass index (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.2, 10.8), history of pelvic surgery (AOR = 3.5; 95% CI: 1.3, 9.2), marriage satisfaction (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI: 1.4, 1o.6), a satisfaction of spouses’ sex ability (AOR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.2, 8.5), breastfeeding (AOR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.6, 7.0), and mode of delivery [vaginal delivery with tear and episiotomy (AOR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.6, 8.8), instrument assisted vaginal delivery (AOR = 7.0; 95% CI: 1.2, 39.8)], were statistically associated with female sexual dysfunction. All-encompassing professional counseling addressing psychological and interpersonal acts and weight management interventions are needed for couples to maintain sexual functioning.

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus disease is a global acute and chronic communicable disease. Mother-to-child transmission is the reason for high carrier rates. Unvaccinated newborns infected through mother-to-child transmission are at >95% risk of developing chronic hepatitis B virus disease. Vaccination is the most effective measure to reduce the global incidence of hepatitis B virus disease. Despite the World Health Organization's target to achieve 90% of the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose by 2030, little is known about the vaccination status of exposed newborns. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the timing of the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose in exposed newborns in Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed on 422 systematically selected exposed newborns from April 2, 2022, to August 28, 2022. A pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were entered into Epi data 3.1 and exported into SPSS version 23 software for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regressions were performed. Variables with a p-value <.05 at a 95% confidence interval (CI) were considered statistically significant. Results: The proportion of neonates who received their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine on time was 57 (42.5%) (95% CI: 38.3–46.1%). A higher likelihood of vaccinating their exposed newborns on time was associated with formal education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.01, 95% CI: 2.21–7.09), four or more ANC visits (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 2.05–6.21), and husband engagement (AOR = 4.31, 95% CI: 2.03–6.34). Conclusion: The proportion of timely initiation of the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose in Southwest Ethiopia was low. Thus, strengthening health education on the hepatitis B vaccine, encouraging women to have at least four ANC visits, and encouraging male involvement help improve the timely administration of the hepatitis B vaccine.

Background: Assessment of quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients can provide an overall picture of the patient's adaptation to the disease and maintain long-term health and well-being. Determining the QoL in cancer patients could help with better care and could be as prognostic as medical factors and the survival benefit that pharmacological treatment could provide. The main objective of this review was to determine the prevalence of QoL among Ethiopian adult cancer patients. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the “Preferred Reporting Results of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses” guidelines. Databases such as PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, AMED, Embase, the Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, World Health Organization's Hinari portal, and African Journals Online databases were searched from January 2022 to June 2022. Google, Google Scholar, and university repositories were used to access unpublished studies. Two reviewers independently screened the data using a standardized data extraction format and appraised their quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: In this review, 10 studies were included. The prevalence of poor QoL ranged from 52 to 89.6. The physical, role, social, and emotional functioning were the most affected domains of QoL and have been significantly associated with QoL. Financial difficulty was the most important predictor of QoL among Ethiopian cancer patients. Pain, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and poor appetite were also reported as predictors of QoL. Low income, lower educational status, unmarried status, underweight, anxiety, and depression, advanced stage of cancer, patients with ≤2 cycles of chemotherapy, and the presence of comorbid diseases were significantly correlated with QoL. Conclusions: The QoL of an Ethiopian cancer patient was low. Quality of life assessments, appropriate symptom management, integration of psycho-oncology care, and providing economic support shall be considered to improve their QoL.