Ethiopian University Research Articles

The impact of peer pressure on cigarette smoking among high school and university students in Ethiopia: A systemic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundCigarettes and their by-products (i.e., smoke; ash) are a complex, dynamic, and reactive mixture of around 5,000 chemicals. Cigarette smoking potentially harms nearly every organ of the human body, causes innumerable diseases, and impacts the health of smokers and those interacting with the smokers. Smoking brings greater health problems in the long-term like increased risk of stroke and brain damage. For students, peer pressure is one of the key factors contributing to cigarette smoking. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the impact of peer pressure on cigarette smoking among high school and university students in Ethiopia.MethodsAn extensive search of key databases including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinari, Embase and Science Direct was conducted to identify and access articles published on the prevalence of cigarette smoking by high school and university students in Ethiopia. The search period for articles was conducted from 21st September, 2018 to 25th December 25, 2018. All necessary data were extracted using a standardized data extraction checklist. Quality and risk of bias of studies were assessed using standardized tools. Heterogeneity between the included studies was assessed using Cochrane Q-test statistic and I2 test. To estimate the pooled prevalence of cigarette smoking, a random effects model was fitted. The impact of peer pressure on cigarette smoking was determined and was reported in Odds Ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata software.ResultsFrom 175 searched articles, 19 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of cigarette smoking among Ethiopian high school and university students was 15.9% (95% CI: 12.21, 19.63). Slightly higher prevalence of cigarette smoking was noted among university students [17.35% (95% CI: 13.21, 21.49)] as compared to high school students [12.77% (95% CI: 6.72%, 18.82%)]. The current aggregated meta-analysis revealed that peer pressure had a significant influence on cigarette smoking (OR: 2.68 (95% CI: 2.37, 3.03).ConclusionMore than one sixth of the high school and university students in Ethiopia smoke cigarette. Students who had peer pressure from their friends were more likely to smoke cigarette. Therefore, school-based intervention programs are needed to reduce the high prevalence of cigarette smoking among students in Ethiopia.

Insiders’ Beliefs and Attitudes towards using Technology Assisted Language Teaching to Minimize FLA among Ethiopian University EFL Students

The study was conducted on 38 University EFL major students and on their 10 EFL teachers to examine their belief towards the role of using Technology Assisted Language Teaching (TALT-Hereafter) in minimizing students’ FLA. The data were gathered using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative data was collected using by GBM and GAM (McCroskey & Richmond, 1989) which are the most standardized and highly reliable data gathering tools to measure beliefs and attitudes of respondents in wide range topics. Three open ended questions were also used as data collecting instrument to reveal the practice of using TALT in the EFL classroom. Finally the descriptive analysis of the GBM result showed that both EFL students (m=5.87; SD 0.567) and their teachers (m=4.85; SD=.672) had strong belief on the role of using TALT in minimizing FLA. The descriptive analysis of the GAM also revealed that both EFL students (m=6.04; SD 0.513) and their teachers (m=4.3; SD= .572) had positive attitude towards using TALT during teaching-and-learning EFL. However, the qualitative data revealed that the actual practice in using technology assisted language teaching-and-learning trend was found very low and discouraging in both the EFL students and their teachers. Finally, the study ends with practical recommendations for the main actors to use TALT in EFL classes to make the classroom less stressful.

The intersection of gender-based violence and risky sexual behaviour among university students in Ethiopia: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT Women who experience gender-based violence (GBV) are at risk for adverse sexual health outcomes, as they may be unable to fully negotiate sexual encounters. This may be especially true for females at universities in Ethiopia, where women are the minority and patriarchal norms prevail. This study explored students’ experiences and faculty’s perceptions of GBV and sexual risk behaviours at two Ethiopian universities. Individual interviews were conducted with students, and focus group discussions were held with students and faculty/staff. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to explore the relationship between GBV and sexual risk and identify intervention points. Data revealed that female students at both universities are regularly exposed to GBV, which in combination with risky sexual behaviours may threaten their health. Participants (n = 126) reported a belief that women who violate traditional gender norms are more prone to violence. Substance use was reported to contribute to risky behaviours, particularly for women. Participants reported male students sometimes encourage female intoxication in order to achieve sexual encounters. Sexual health and GBV-related services are provided, but participants highlighted necessary improvements. If females are to safely pursue higher education in Ethiopia, campus-based interventions focused on GBV and sexual risk are greatly needed.

The characteristics of drug information inquiries in an Ethiopian university hospital: A two-year observational study

The types of drug-related information request from patients and health professionals, the extent of inquiry and capability of existing drug information centers are seldom studied in Ethiopia. This study aimed to identify the types and potential areas of drug information inquiry at the Drug Information Center (DIC) of Gondar University specialized Hospital (GUSH), Ethiopia. An observational study was employed. The drug information query was collected by distributing the drug information queries in different hospital units through two batches of graduating undergraduate pharmacy students. Descriptive statistics used to describe, characterize and classify drug related queries. Binary logistic regression test was employed to identify predictor variables to type of drug information query. A total of 781 drug related queries were collected and 697 were included in the final analysis. Near to half (45.3%) of queries comes from the pharmacists followed by general practitioners (11.3%) and nurses (10.2%). Slightly greater than half of the queries (51.9%) were focused on therapeutic information. 39.6% of drug related queries related to infectious disease case scenarios, followed by cardiovascular cases in 21.3% of queries. More than half of (53.9%) and nearly one in five (19.4%) of the queries took 5 to 30 minutes and 30 minutes to 1 hour of literature searching to answer, respectively. Pharmacists (with odds ratio of 2.474(95% CI (1.373-4.458)) and patients (with odds ratio of 4.121(1.403–12.105)) ask patient-specific questions in their drug related queries higher than other group of health professionals. Pharmacists are the primary drug information users and frequent drug related information inquirers at the DIC. Most of the queries targeted therapeutic indications, adverse drug events, infectious or cardiovascular disease related requests. This is imperative that drug information services can assist the growing role of pharmacists in addressing the patient specific drug related needs.

PREPAREDNESS TO TEACH INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORTING STANDARDS (IFRS) IN ETHIOPIA: A STUDY ON SELECTED UNIVERSITIES

Modern type of business organizations was started in Ethiopian before hundred years ago and the number is tremendously increasing nowadays. However, there was no one set of generally accepted accounting standard used by business organization in the country till December 2014 when IFRS was proclaimed as the law of the land. Though IFRS was accepted for financial reporting in the country starting from 2014, the level of preparedness in teaching IFRS in Ethiopian universities was not studied. This paper is aimed at identifying problems in teaching IFRS among teachers in Ethiopia universities. To achieve this objective, data was collected from 46 academic staffs working in six universities in the country. The study found that teachers in relatively old universities are trying to incorporate IFRS in their course plan as compared to those in recently established universities. Generally, the level of preparedness to incorporate IFRS is low in majority of the universities under study. Lack of text books in line with IFRS, problem of integrating IFRS in to the curriculum and lack of practical experiences are the top three bottle necks that hinder teaching IFRS in our universities. In order to prepare our staffs to teach in line with IFRS, both short and long term capacity building strategies were recommended in this study.

Determinants of University Staff Turnover Intention: The Case of Dire Dawa University, Ethiopia

The turnover rate of academic staff in Ethiopian universities has been increasing from time to time. This is aggravated by the increase of brain drain. High employee turnover rates may jeopardize efforts to attain organizational objectives. It indicates that turnover is one of the most expensive and difficult workforce challenges facing organizations. The effect of employee turnover results extra work load on the remaining employees. Increased workload of employees leads to decrease employee morale and increases stress level, which in turn increases employee absenteeism. To identify factors that affects academic staff turnover intention at Dire Dawa University. Data was collected from 154 sample academic staff of the University. To analyze the data Chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis method was employed. The findings of this study showed that factors such as job satisfaction, job security, salary, allowance/incentive, career growth opportunity, training opportunity, good relationship with Employees and good relationship with head were found to be the significant factors that affect staff turnover intention. However, there is no statistically significant association between turnover intention and factors such as sex, age, marital status, educational level and work experiences of employees. Keywords : - academic staff, staff turnover intention, binary logistic DOI : 10.7176/JESD/10-17-03 Publication date :September 30 th 2019

Entrepreneurial change in government-led development: Ethiopian universities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is answer the research question to what extent Ethiopian universities can be considered to be entrepreneurial and explains possible differences among these universities.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is inspired by a mixed methods study at nine universities in Ethiopia applying the entrepreneurial university framework of the European Commission/OECD: a content analysis of university policy and educational documents, a structured survey with 203 respondents, in particular staff and students, and in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 223 people comprising university top-management, faculty, students and external stakeholders.FindingsFindings indicate that entrepreneurial activities in Ethiopian universities are at their infant stage with limited differences among the universities. The universities are operating in a top-down, central governmental-led development that is not enabling entrepreneurial behaviour at the level of the individual institutions. The paper argues that within this context, leadership is the lever for an entrepreneurial turn at the universities.Social implicationsEntrepreneurship development is a priority in many African countries as an instrument for employability of the predominant young populations towards which universities are expected to contribute considerably. The study highlights the tension between a strong say of the government in university operations and creating an autonomous, integrated entrepreneurial culture.Originality/valueThe results of this study have relevance for the higher education community in terms of understanding the complexity of transforming institutions into more entrepreneurial organisations in Africa. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no previous study that examines entrepreneurial characteristics of several universities in Ethiopia.

Factor Affecting Women Empowerment in Ethiopia Public Universities: Leadership Perspectives

This paper examines those factors that affect Women Empowerment in public universities in Ethiopia a total of 400 respondents were selected and only 382 were collected for further analysis. The analysis was made using regression analysis to predict the impact of a personal, social and institutional factor on women empowerment in Ethiopian public higher education. The finding shows that personal had a beta value of.23, whereas the social factor had a beta of social .40, and the organizational factors had a beta value of .38. This shows social and institutional factor more affects women empowerment in Ethiopian public universities and personal factor had less effect on their empowerment. Hence, the government shall work on improving the social and organzatoal framework to empower more girls. Keywords : Institutional factors; Public universities; personal; social factors DOI : 10.7176/JAAS/56-05 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

A Study on the Assessment Methods and Experiences of Teachers at an Ethiopian University

A Study on the Assessment Methods and Experiences of Teachers at an Ethiopian University

Integration of Entrepreneurship Education in to Ethiopian Universities Formal Curriculum

Abstract 
 This study was aimed at investigating how Ethiopian universities integrate entrepreneurship education into the formal curriculum. To achieve this objective descriptive survey research design was used. Data were collected from university students, instructors, and department heads. Accordingly, four universities were selected as sample universities by using simple random sampling technique. From these sample universities departments that give entrepreneurship course with all its students, instructors and department heads were taken as sample of the study. Data were collected by using questionnaire, interview, and document analysis from the participants. The result shows that in Ethiopian higher education institutions, entrepreneurship education curriculum and teaching methods is developed in house; have no a formalized national or international exchange of good practice in entrepreneurship education and did not include entrepreneurs in the development of entrepreneurship teaching materials. In addition, since the entrepreneurship education course is not integrated to all programs only few students took it as a result students did not develop entrepreneurial behavior, skills, knowledge in their stay in the university. The predominant methods of teaching used were lecture and case study. The major barriers for the development of entrepreneurship education identified are lack of funding available to support the entrepreneurship education and good-quality entrepreneurship education materials, lack of support from the top management and lack of strategic integration of entrepreneurship education in their institutions. 

A qualitative study of drivers of psychoactive substance use among Mekelle University students, Northern Ethiopia

BackgroundPsychoactive substance (PS) use is a public health concern among University students. Understanding the factors underlay the use helps to underpin effective preventive interventions. However, there is dearth of exploratory studies on the drivers of psychoactive substance use in Ethiopian universities. Here, we aimed to explore the drivers for psychoactive substance use among Mekelle University undergraduate students.MethodsExploratory qualitative study was conducted from April 1 to May 30, 2017. We conducted five focus group discussions (FGDs) and eleven in-depth interviews (IDIs) with students, proctors and bar owners. We also conducted three round interviews within two weeks interval with each of four key-informant researchers (KIR). Participants were selected purposively and the investigators conducted the discussions and the interviews using semi-structured guides. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and imported into qualitative data analysis software for coding and analysis. An inductive approach was applied to crystalize non-repetitive emerging themes overarching the drivers for psychoactive substance use among university students.ResultsThe following themes emerged as drivers for psychoactive substance use among University students; (1)feeling helpless following detachment from family, (2) prior experience with substances, (3) socialization reasons, (4) low academic performance, (5) physical environment (explained by easy access to substance and limited recreational alternatives), and (6) sub-optimal organizational support.ConclusionsMultiple drivers that range from individual to structural levels are involved in university student’s use of psychoactive substances, with socialization process at the center of the factors. Thus, the study appeals for a range of multifaceted interventions directed to the individual, interpersonal and organizational level factors.

English

The purpose of this review article is to explore the drivers of the water quality problems and associated impacts and mitigation schemes of the fishes and fisheries in Ethiopia. Data were obtained from both published and unpublished online documents as well as from different Ethiopian universities and institutions. The country has the potential to produce more fish yield (94, 500 ton/year. The published and unpublished documents stated that the fishes and water bodies utilized are under stress such as textile industry, floriculture industry, tannery industry, high population growth, irrigation, application of agrochemicals, deforestation around the watershed, types of fishing gears, fishing methods, socio-economic factors, lack of facilities and infrastructure, ineffective administration setup, invasive weeds, land use around the fish habitats. However, the demand for fish is increasing at an alarming rate time to time. For this reason, good management setup for stakeholders particularly those communities settled around the watershed awareness is critical to sustain fish and water resources for the upcoming generation in the country.   Key words: Ethiopia, fishery, management, watershed, water quality.

Growth and Productivity of Different Potato Cultivars

During the experimental years of 2017 and 2018 eight potato cultivars were evaluated for their growth traits and productivity in tuber yield. The potato cultivars used in these experimental seasons were; Bubu (as a standard check), Chiro, Gebisa, Belete, Gudene, Badasa Jarso and Dedafa. The first six consecutive potatoes are improved cultivars which were released by Ethiopian research institute and University while the last two potatoes were collected from farmers and cultivated as local (native) cultivars. The objective of this study was to compare the growth and productivity potato cultivars grown at eastern regions of Ethiopia. The results revealed that performance of improved potato cultivars were high in both evaluated yield related traits and average tuber yield. The performances of evaluated potatoes were not similar among cultivars and within cultivar throughout experimental seasons. The experimental design was a randomized block design in three replications. The field management; seed tuber selection, land preparation, planting, fertilizer application method and amount, ridging, weeding, cultivation, harvesting, data collection method and collected data analysis has been carried out for all potato cultivars in similar manner. Potato tubers from four middle rows were analyzed for parameters such as tuber yield, tuber number, marketable and total tuber yield. The highest tuber yield was revealed with cultivar Bubu (39.4 t ha-1) while the lowest with Jarso (20.89 t ha-1). The highest tuber number was showed with cultivar Badasa (12.73 plant-1) and the lowest with Belete (7 plant-1). Hence, there were no correlation between average tuber yield and number.

Psychometric properties of the Epworth sleepiness scale in Ethiopian university students

BackgroundDaytime sleepiness is highly prevalent across the globe. The Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is the most widely used tool for screening daytime sleepiness. The psychometric properties of the ESS have not been comprehensively examined in African populations.Material and methodsA cross-sectional design with simple random sampling was used in the present study. The study recruited 600 students from Mizan-Tepi University, Ethiopia, of which 329 (age = 18–28 years and body mass index = 21.19 ± 3.17 kg/m2) completed the study. ESS, a semi-structured socio-demographics questionnaire and a clinical interview to diagnose insomnia according to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders were employed.ResultsAll except one item of the ESS showed a floor effect, while only one item score showed ceiling effect. However, no ceiling/floor effect was observed in the ESS total score. The Cronbach’s alpha (0.75) and composite reliability (0.75), indicated good internal consistency, while a moderate item-total score correlation (r = 0.55–0.67) implied favorable internal homogeneity. The known-group validity was established by significantly higher scores for all the ESS item scores and the ESS total scores among those with symptoms of insomnia than among non-symptomatic students. Fit indices along with the consideration of inter-factor correlation coefficient, measures of item retention favored the unidimensional structure of the ESS.ConclusionThe ESS has excellent psychometric validity for screening daytime sleepiness in Ethiopian university students.

When abortion is not within reach: Ethiopian university students struggling with unintended pregnancies

BackgroundIn spite of increasing international commitment to young people’s sexual and reproductive health, unintended pregnancies remain a major problem for young women worldwide. This article explores the issue of unintended pregnancies among Ethiopian university students and investigates narratives of students who carried their pregnancy to term. Ethiopia’s relatively permissive abortion law forms part of the backdrop for the exploration. We also consider how socio-cultural and religious norms surrounding female premarital sex/pregnancy, and gendered and urban-rural inequities, play a role in how students handle the challenge.MethodsThe article is based on research conducted among students at Addis Ababa, Jimma and Mekelle Universities in Ethiopia between September 2016 and June 2017. Drawing on an interpretative, phenomenological approach to science and employing a qualitative methodology, the authors conducted in-depth interviews with 53 students and 24 selected staff at the three universities, and held two focus group discussions with students at Addis Ababa University.ResultsThe study findings show three possible scenarios for how students can deal with an unwanted pregnancy. The first is to have the pregnancy terminated secretly, and thereby avoid the stigma linked to premarital pregnancy. The second is to make a deliberate decision to keep the pregnancy and face the consequences to come. The third scenario is found in cases where the student seems paralyzed by feelings of shame, and where she ends up keeping the pregnancy due to her inability to act.Students who end up carrying their pregnancy to term face many problems. Few support structures at the university are in place to cater for their needs. Moreover, family support is endangered by pregnancy, as it puts the student at risk of being ostracized from her family due to the shame she has imposed on them. Shame and silence are thus important social forces in these students’ lives, underpinned by gendered inequities and patriarchal norms.ConclusionsAlong with rural-urban and gendered inequities, the article demonstrates how a shame-silence nexus forcefully operates in the lives of female students struggling with reproductive challenges, and the serious consequences a pregnancy may have for those who carry it to term.

Helicobacter pylori infections in Ethiopia; prevalence and associated factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infections are prevalent and recognized as major cause of gastrointestinal diseases in Ethiopia. However, Studies conducted on the prevalence, risk factors and other clinical forms of H.pylori on different population and geographical areas are reporting conflicting results. Therefore, this review was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of H.pylori infections and associated factors in Ethiopia.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Google scholar, and Ethiopian Universities’ repositories were searched following the Preferred Items for Systematic review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guideline. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale in meta-analysis. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using Cochrane Q test and I2 test statistics based on the random effects model. Comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA 2.0) and Review Manager (RevMan 5.3) were employed to compute the pooled prevalence and summary odds ratios of factors associated with of H.pylori infection.ResultsThirty seven studies with a total of 18,890 participants were eligible and included in the analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of H.pylori infection was 52.2% (95% CI: 45.8–58.6). In the subgroup analysis by region, the highest prevalence was found in Somalia (71%; 95% CI: 32.5–92.6) and the lowest prevalence was reported in Oromia (39.9%; 95% CI: 17.3–67.7). Absence of hand washing after toilet (OR = 1.8, 95% CI; 1.19–2.72), alcohol consumption (OR = 1.34, 95% CI; 1.03–1.74) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (OR = 2.23, 95% CI; 1.59–3.14) were associated with H.pylori infection. The trend of H.pylori infection showed a decreasing pattern overtime from 1990 to 2017 in the meta-regression analysis.ConclusionThe prevalence of H.pylori infection remains high; more than half of Ethiopians were infected. Although the trend of infection showed a decreasing pattern; appropriate use of eradication therapy, health education primarily to improve knowledge and awareness on the transmission dynamics of the bacteria, behavioral changes, adequate sanitation, population screening and diagnosis using multiple tests are required to reduce H.pylori infections. Recognizing the bacteria as a priority issue and designing gastric cancer screening policies are also recommended.

Psychometric properties of the perceived stress scale in Ethiopian university students

BackgroundStress is a common psychological condition usually associated with many psycho-physical disorders. Stress and its risk factors are frequently seen in Ethiopians including university students. In such circumstances, a valid measure to screen for stress in Ethiopians is necessary. Therefore, we assessed the psychometric properties of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) in Ethiopian university students.MethodsA cross-sectional study with a simple random sampling method was performed on students of Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan-Aman, Ethiopia. The study presents a psychometric investigation on a sample of 387 students (age = 21.8 ± 3.8 years, and body mass index = 20.8 ± 3.2 kg/m2) who completed PSS, Generalized anxiety disorder-7 scale (GAD-7), and a socio-demographics tool. McDonald’s Omega (internal consistency), factor validity for ordinal data and convergent validity (Spearman’s correlation) were assessed.ResultsNo ceiling/floor effect was seen for the total or factor scores of the PSS-10 and PSS-4. Two factor model of the PSS-10 was favored by fit indices with Comparative Fit Index> 0.95, Weighted root mean square residual<.05 and root mean square error of approximation<.08. McDonald’s Omega was 0.78 and 0.68 for the PSS-10: Factor-1 and PSS-10: Factor-2, respectively. McDonald’s Omega was 0.70 and 0.54 for the PSS-4: Factor-1 and PSS-4: Factor-2, respectively. There were moderate-strong correlations (r = 0.62–0.83) between PSS factors and respective items loading on them. PSS scores were correlated with GAD-7 (r = .27–.40, p < .01).ConclusionThe psychometric measures support the validity of the PSS-10 in Ethiopian university students.

A Comparison of Count Regression Models on Modeling of Instructors Publication Factors: Application of Ethiopian Public Universities

Instructors’ publication (IP) is one of a major activity in higher education institutes. Currently, IP faced problem both high prevalence and severity in Ethiopian public universities. Publication was affected approximately around 352 (73.9%) instructors have not done publication in Ethiopian public universities even if there is a problem in both developing and developed countries. Since, the outcomes from IP factors are mostly discrete variable; they are often modeled using advanced count regression models. It is therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate count regression model that efficiently fit the IP data and further to identify the key risk factors contributing significantly to IP in public universities in Ethiopian. The data were collected between November 2015 through November 2016 from selected thirteen (13) public universities in Ethiopian through both questionnaires and interview. A cross sectional study design was employed using IP data. A simple random sampling technique was applied to the population of Ethiopian public universities to obtain a sample of 13 universities or 476 individual instructors were selected. The average age of the 476 participants were found to be 30 years with 31 (6.5%) being females and 445 (93.5%) being males. The count outcomes obtained were modeled using count regression models which included Poisson, Negative Binomial, Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB), Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) and Poisson Hurdle regression models. In order to compare the performance and the efficiency of the listed count regression models with respect to the IP data, the various model selection methods such as the Vuong Statistic (V) and Akaikes Information Criterion (AIC) were used. The ZINB count regression model with reference to the values of the Vuong Statistic and AIC were selected as the most appropriate and efficient count regression model for modeling IP data. Based on the ZINB model the variables age, experience, average work-load, association member and motivation to work were statistically significant risk factors contributing to IP in Ethiopian public universities.

Encounter Facebook: An Appraisal on the Making and Unmaking of Ethiopian University Students’ Socio-politics

The general objective of this research is to assess the effects of Face book on the making and unmaking of University students socio-political activities. To achieve the objective, both primary and secondary sources of data were collected and interpreted using mixed research approach. As far as primary sources of data were concerned, first hand information collected from 500 University students via questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions. Furthermore, the primary data were substantiated by secondary sources. Using the data the researchers reached upon the following conclusions; the general assessment of facebook usage among Ethiopian public University students is in perspectives. The effects of facebook usage on Ethiopian university students’ academic performances, is in perspective. Majority of the university students explain the positive contribution of facebook on students’ academic performance while some others tudents are explain as facebook usage affects their academic performances negatively. In similar manner, facebook usage has both positive and negative effects on University students’ social interactions. Facebook helps students to deliver message accurately at all time, contact with relatives and friends at distance with less cost and easily while it deteriorated social gathering and discussion, and promote individualism. However, in relation to facebook usage and political activism, the finding shows that majority of Ethiopian University students are passive in overtly participating in online political activism. Generally, it is possible to conclude that facebook has both positive and negative effects on Ethiopian university students’ socio-politics, which seek attention to create awareness among university students in order to exploit the fruits of facebook absolutely and reduce its negative impacts.

Knowledge and Awareness of Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus among Female Students in an Ethiopian University: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background:Cervical cancer is causing a huge burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It mainly affects women in their young ages making female university students at risk of cervical cancer. Knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) in SSA including Ethiopia is very poor. We aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer and HPV in University of Gondar (UOG) medicine and health science female students. A cross-sectional study was done.Methods:This study was conducted from April 1 to May 30, 2016 at UOG, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Undergraduate female students were included in the study. A 14-item self-administered questionnaire was then provided to each of the participants to measure their level of knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer and HPV.Results:A total of 267 female students participated in the study (mean age 20.58 ± 1.22). More than half of the participants (59.6%) did not know the main cause of cervical cancer, whereas just about a fifth of them (19.5%) identified HPV as the main cause of cervical cancer. As high as 83.9% of the participants did not know other causes of cervical cancer. Binary logistic analysis revealed that students from midwifery (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 14.14, P < 0.05), anesthesiology (AOR = 9.66, P < 0.05) and medicine (AOR = 5.84, P < 0.05) departments were associated with knowledge of the main cause of cervical cancer.Conclusions:Knowledge about cervical cancer and its causes were found to be inadequate among higher education female students. Hence, awareness about cervical cancer, causes and its prevention, importance of screening and vaccination should be promoted through university's campaign, curricular changes, and community and research projects.