University Students In Ethiopia Research Articles

Nasal carriage rate, associated factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus among pre-clinical undergraduate students at the College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Ethiopia

BackgroundStaphylococcus aureus nasal carriage has been linked to higher rates of infection and morbidity. People with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus can be a potential source of infection for others. University students living together in crowded conditions increase their risk of acquiring infections. The prevalence of S. aureus, particularly Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage, in Ethiopian university students is sparse.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the nasal carriage rate, associated factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among pre-clinical students at the College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Ethiopia, from 1 July to 30 August 2022.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 270 randomly selected pre-clinical Health and Medical Sciences students. Data on associated factors were collected using pre-tested, structured questionnaires. A nasal swab was taken from each participant and sent to the microbiology laboratory via Amies transport media in a cold chain. There, it was cultivated using conventional techniques. The isolated colonies were found to be S. aureus, and its antimicrobial susceptibility was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method on Muller–Hinton agar. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus expressing using cefoxitin based on CLSI breakpoint. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.4.2.1 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25 for analysis. Pearson’s chi-square test was performed to predict the associations between variables. A p-value less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.ResultMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage was 5.9% (95% CI: 3.09–8.7) of cases of S. aureus nasal colonization, which was found to be 12.96% (95% CI: 8.85–16.96). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization was significantly associated with the history of cigarette smoking (p = 0.000), intake of khat (p = 0.042), nose-picking habit (p = 0.003), history of sharing personal goods (p = 0.021), and history of hospitalizations (p = 0.00). All of the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates were resistant to ampicillin and cefoxitin.ConclusionBased on the findings, a considerable proportion of healthy students harbored Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains associated with behavioral factors. Furthermore, these isolates showed high resistance to cefoxitin and ampicillin. Hence, it is crucial to regularly test pre-clinical students to prevent endogenous infections and the spread of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Intercultural competence as a perceived predictor of cooperative EFL learning and classroom life among Ethiopian university students

Intercultural competence as a perceived predictor of cooperative EFL learning and classroom life among Ethiopian university students

Developing good person and citizen through civic and ethical education in Ethiopia: A content analysis of secondary school textbooks

There is broad consensus that citizenship or civic education plays an important role in preparing democratic, tolerant and socially active citizens, although the role of civic education in achieving this goal in divided societies is far from straightforward. There is also the interdependent goal of developing a good person and a good citizen. In order for this to be successful, the content and pedagogy integrated into the formal curriculum (core curriculum framework and textbooks) play an indispensable role. This article examines how the characteristics of a good person and a good citizen are presented as learners' distinctive personal development in the Ethiopian civics textbooks (grades 9 to 12) and to what extent the learning activities in textbooks enable learners to explore alternative qualities of a good person and good citizens. The study mainly used quantitative content analysis method. All pages of the textbooks were used as units of analysis. The results show that the textbooks presented the characteristics of a good person and a good citizen as distinct dimensions of students' personal development. However, almost two third of the contents emphasize social self-identity (good citizens), while a fifth of the contents deal with autonomous self-identity (good person). The results also reveal that there are open-ended and future-oriented learning activities that can help students discover alternative characteristics of a good person and a good citizen. Most studies on Ethiopian secondary school and university students question the extent to which students develop and demonstrate desired goals of civic and ethnical education. The effectiveness of civic and ethical education in divided countries where the goals of the formal curriculum are not reinforced by macro-social political conditions and other factors of socialization are discussed.

Sexual and reproductive health experiences, access to services, and sources of information among university students in Ethiopia.

Adolescence and youth are times of major growth and change that can place young people at elevated risk of poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, particularly when they are living away from home for the first time. Understanding the barriers that young people face when accessing SRH services and information is imperative for addressing their SRH needs; our study explored this topic among university students in Ethiopia. Specifically, we explore university students' SRH experiences, access to services, and preferred sources of information. We draw on mixed-methods research conducted in four public universities across Ethiopia in early 2020. A random sample of 822 male and female students completed a cross-sectional survey that explored SRH knowledge, attitudes, experiences, and sources of information. We also conducted 8 focus group discussions with students and 8 key informant interviews across the four universities. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and we used structural coding and inductive analysis to analyze qualitative data. The survey data demonstrated that condoms and emergency contraceptive pills were the most used contraceptive methods. Nearly 18% of female students had experienced an unwanted pregnancy, and 14% reported having had an abortion. Approximately one-third of students reported encountering gender-based violence in the past 6 months. Most students preferred receiving SRH information from mass media, and male students were more likely than female students to seek information from friends. Our qualitative findings highlight a lack of comprehensive SRH care available on university campuses, and services that are available are often of poor quality; participants described a lack of privacy, confidentiality and respect when accessing SRH care at school. University students also lack regular opportunities to learn about SRH while on campus, and their preferred sources of information varied widely. Ethiopian university students have considerable unmet demand for SRH services and often face significant barriers to accessing high-quality information and services on campus. Consistent commitment and investment by universities and the government is vital to meeting the SRH needs of young people during this potentially vulnerable time.

Intention to Donate Kidney and Associated Factors Among Students in Bahir Dar University: Application of Theory of Planned Behavior.

Kidney donation is the donation of a kidney from a living or dead person to another living person who requires transplantation. The scarcity of kidneys is a great public health concern worldwide, owing to an increase in end-stage renal failure. There is no sufficient evidence regarding the intention to donate kidneys in Ethiopia. To assess the intention to donate kidneys and its associated factors among Bahir Dar University students in Ethiopia in 2023 by the application of theory of planned behavior. This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 7 to April 5, 2023. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 630 participants. Self-administered structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.6, and exported to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Findings with a p-value <0.05 at the 95% confidence interval were considered statistically significant and interpreted by the unstandardized beta (ß) coefficient. The mean score of intention to donate the kidney was 12.9 ± 4.1 standard deviation. Direct attitude (B = 0.341, 95% CI = 0.265, 0.416), direct subjective norm (B = 0.088, 95% CI = 0.010, 0.167), direct perceived behavioral control (B = 0.353, 95% CI 0.251, 0.455), knowledge (B = 0.417, 95% CI 0.251, 0.583), and previous experience of blood donation (B = 0.915, 95% CI 0.321, 1.510) were factors associated with intention to kidney donation. The mean score of intention to donate kidneys was 12.9 ± 4.1 SD. Direct attitude, direct subjective norm, direct perceived behavioral control, experience with blood donation, and knowledge of participants were significant factors for the intention to donate kidneys. Therefore, social and behavioral change communication strategies should address these factors in order to increase kidney donation.

Prevalence of depression among students at Ethiopian universities and associated factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Depression is the most common cause of disability in the world, which affects 350 million people. University students struggle to cope with stressors that are typical of higher education institutions as well as anxiety related to education. Although evidence indicates that they have a high prevalence of depression, no reviews have been done to determine the prevalence of depression among students at Ethiopian universities comprehensively. Without regard to time constraints, PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE were investigated. A manual search for an article reference list was also conducted. The Meta XL software was used to extract relevant data, and the Stata-11 meta-prop package was used to analyze it. The Higgs I2 test was used to test for heterogeneity. A search of the electronic and manual systems resulted in 940 articles. Data were extracted from ten studies included in this review involving a total number of 5207 university students. The pooled prevalence of depression was 28.13% (95% CI: 22.67, 33.59). In the sub-group analysis, the average prevalence was higher in studies having a lower sample size (28.42%) than studies with a higher sample; 27.70%, and studies that utilized other (PHQ-9, HADS); 30.67% higher than studies that used BDI-II; 26.07%. Being female (pooled AOR = 5.56) (95% CI: 1.51, 9.61), being a first-year (pooled AOR = 4.78) (95% CI: 2.21, 7.36), chewing khat (pooled AOR = 2.83) (95% CI: 2.32, 3.33), alcohol use (pooled AOR = 3.12 (95% CI:3.12, 4.01) and family history of mental illness (pooled AOR = 2.57 (95% CI:2.00, 3.15) were factors significantly associated with depression. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that more than one-fourth of students at Ethiopian universities had depression. More efforts need to be done to provide better mental healthcare to university students in Ethiopia.

The effect of mathematics self-beliefs on mathematics achievement: the case of undergraduate university students in Ethiopia

Background: This study aimed at exploring the influence of mathematics self-beliefs on mathematics achievement. Methods: Data was obtained on a random sample of 400 undergraduate students (M=245 and F=155) from three Ethiopian public Universities by using self-reported questionnaire. The instrument, which was adapted from Butler (2016), consists of measures of self-beliefs, expectancy-value, and achievement goal-related motivation. In addition, a 25-item Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) was developed and validated to measure mathematics achievement. The internal consistency reliability of the MAT was found to be high (alpha =0.84). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed to assess systematic relationship between math self-beliefs and math achievement. Results: Results reveal that mathematics self-beliefs have a significant influence on mathematics achievement, whereas expectancy-value and achievement goal have no significant influence on mathematics achievement. Conclusions: Finally, the study outlines the implications for teaching and learning, and research.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors among college and university students in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2022.

The Corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a human tragedy that occurred in this era. It poses an unprecedented psychological, social, economic, and health crisis. The mental health and well-being of entire societies are suffering as a result of this crisis, but the suffering is greater in students at all levels of education and must be addressed immediately. Thus, this study was aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence and associated factors of the psychological impact of COVID-19 among higher education students. The potential studies were searched via PubMed, HINARI, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Studies were appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal checklist. Micro Soft Excel was used to extract the data, which was then exported to Stata version 14 for analysis. Heterogeneity between studies was tested using Cochrane statistics and the I2 test, and small-study effects were checked using Egger's statistical test. A random-effects model was employed to estimate the pooled prevalence of the psychological impact of COVID-19 and its associated factor. After reviewing 227 studies, eight fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of the psychological impact of Corona virus disease 19 among higher education students in Ethiopia, including depression, anxiety, and stress was 43.49% (95% CI: 29.59, 57.40%), 46.27% (95% CI: 32.77, 59.78%), and 31.43% (95% CI: 22.71, 40.15), respectively. Having a medical illness, being an urban resident, living with parents, having relative death due to pandemics, and having a non-health field of study were identified as significant associated factors for the impact of the pandemic in higher education students. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant psychological impact on college and university students. Depression, anxiety, and stress were the most commonly reported psychological impacts across studies among higher education students. Hence, applying tele-psychotherapy using, smartphones, and social media platforms has an effect on reducing the impact. Programs for preventing and controlling epidemics should be developed by the government and higher education institutions that incorporate mental health interventions and build resilience.

Utilization of mobile health applications and determinant factors among health science students at Debre Markos University, northwest Ethiopia in 2022.

High penetration of smartphones and ownership among the young generation increased the utilization of mobile health applications for health management among university students more than ever. Compared to other health service provision mechanisms mobile health service has higher advantages in promoting a healthy lifestyle since it is not limited to time and space. Even though there are numerous studies conducted in the area of mobile health utilization, this phenomenon is not well studied among university students in Ethiopia, Hence this study aims to determine the level of mobile health applications utilization among health science students. A cross-sectional study was carried out at Debre Markos University from April 05 to June 25, 2022 among health science students. For this study, 423 students were recruited from health Science College using a systematic sampling method. The data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Using SPSS version 26 software descriptive analysis, bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed. A P-value of .05 at a 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant. The questionnaire's validity was determined by expert opinion, and by calculating its reliability using cronbach alpha (α = .78). This study revealed that more than half 59% (144/244) of the study participants have installed and utilized 1-3 health-related apps. Among the students who have mobile health applications 38.6% utilize mobile health application several times a day while only 2.1% utilized rarely. Usage history shows that 40% of the study participants utilized the applications for a year, while 15.4% of the students utilized them for more than 2 years. Easiness of applications (AOR = 4.8, 95%CI: [2.1-11.2]), skill AOR = 4.2, 95%CI: [3.8-12]) and trust (AOR = 2.8, 95%CI: [1.6-4.8]) were among the factors that were associated with mobile health applications utilization. Students were asked about the barriers that limit the use mobile health applications and self-reported barriers includes Lack of knowledge and awareness of application benefits, and Lack of adequate time to use applications. The study shows that mobile health applications utilization is moderate relative to previous studies. Mobile health application developers for the young generation should consider healthy lifestyle related applications like fitness and weight loss apps.

Взаимосвязь между использованием стратегии чтения и продуктивностью чтения у студентов

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the use of reading strategies and reading achievement between high and low EFL university students in Ethiopia. To this effect, sixty students were selected (30 top high achievers and 30 least low achievers) using stratified sampling technique. The Survey of Reading Strategies and Reading Comprehension Test were employed to discover students’ reading strategy use, and to measure their reading ability respectively. Thus, thirty reading strategies of the survey and fifty reading comprehension questions were administered to students. The data gathered was statistically analyzed through descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test and Pearson correlation. The findings of the study revealed that High achievers adopted a diverse and more reading strategies in higher frequency compared to low achievers. This difference between the groups was significant. The result also showed that there was a relationship between students’ three main strategies use (i.e., global, problem-solving and support reading strategies and their reading achievement). Based on the findings, it was recommended to raise awareness to enhance students' use of various strategies at higher frequency and the low achievers must be encouraged to use the reading strategies more frequently in general and global reading strategies in particular.

COVID-19 epidemic anxiety, mental stress, and sleep disorders in developing country university students

COVID-19 damaged the quality of sleep and mental stamina worldwide despite public health initiatives. Problems with sleep can damage health and academic performance, thus university students should know their frequency and causes. This study explored university students’ COVID-19 Anxiety, Mental Stress, and Sleep Disorders. The internet-deployed transversal analysis includes 443 Indian and Ethiopian students from April 1 to 13, 2021. After creating a Google form link, respondents received the survey via WhatsApp, E-mail, Telegram, and others. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index examined student sleep concerns. Descriptive and inferential studies estimated sleep disruption frequency and causes. Logistic regression and chi-squared testing found sleep problems in Indian and Ethiopian university students. The researcher examined SPSS 25 data. 54.7% had sleep difficulties. Being female [Conditional Odds Ratio = 4.32, 95 percent Confidence interval (Lower-1.807)–(Upper-10.370)], smoking [2.81, 95 percent CI (Lower-1.609)–(Upper-4.920)], spending 14 days in quarantine [1.87, 95 percent CI (Lower-1.042)–(Upper-3.373)], and having a family member with COVID-19 [1.94, 95 percent CI (Lower-1.anxiety [Conditional Odds Ratio = 4.01, 95 percent CI (Lo Ethiopian and Indian pupils sleep poorly. Female gender, smoking, 14-day quarantine, and sleep troubles were connected to COVID-19 dread, COVID-19-infected family member, viral exposure, depression, anxiety, and stress in Indian and Ethiopian university students. Interventions should increase university students’ sleep.

The mediating role of perceived behavioral control in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions of university students in Ethiopia

Unemployment of graduates from higher education institutions has become a common phenomenon in Ethiopia. To minimize this problem, entrepreneurship development and promoting entrepreneurial ecosystems have been considered as a remedy. Among others, this could be achieved through fostering entrepreneurship education. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of perceived behavioral control in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions in Ethiopian Universities. Explanatory research design was used and data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 335 undergraduate students who have taken the course entrepreneurship in four Ethiopian universities. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach using AMOS software was employed and confirmed both measurement and structural model fit before analysis. Then, the findings revealed that entrepreneurship education has a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial intentions and perceived behavioral control. Moreover, perceived behavioral control positively predicts entrepreneurial intentions. The findings further explained that perceived behavioral control has a partial mediating effect in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions. Therefore, universities in Ethiopia should work on different initiatives that enhance knowledge, attitude, and skills of students on entrepreneurship that could help them to develop perceived behavioral control so as to enhance their intentions to become nascent entrepreneur after their graduation.

Ethiopian University Students’, Lecturers’ and Administrators’ Perceptions of Interculturally Competent Persons

Purpose: This study’s aim was to investigate Ethiopian university students’, lecturers’, and administrators’ perceptions of the dispositions (savoir-être) of interculturally competent persons.&#x0D; Methodology: Building on seminal models of intercultural competence, a survey instrument was created to inquire into the three stakeholder groups’ perceptions. The survey was completed by 638 participants.&#x0D; Findings: The paper highlights similarities and differences between students, lecturers, and administrators. The findings also show that African and western characteristics associated with interculturally competent persons reflect the respondents’ personal and professional roles.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study is the first to study Ethiopian students’, lecturers’ and administrators’ perceptions of interculturally competent persons. The study’s findings provide a baseline on which curricula and policies can build in order to promote intercultural competence in Ethiopian universities.

Effects of Teachers’ Written Corrective Feedback on the Writing Achievement of First-Year Ethiopian University Students

An increasing number of studies have confirmed that written corrective feedback (hereafter WCF) is vital for improving learners’ L2 writing. However, many scholars could not agree whether this improvement was due to direct, indirect, or both forms of WCF. Thus, this study first investigated the role of WCF students’ writing achievement; it then investigated if there was a statistically significant difference in writing achievement between groups that received direct and indirect WCF forms. To this end, a quasi-experimental research design involving three intact first-year classes from a university found in northwest Ethiopia was used. Two experimental groups and one comparison group of learners were participants in this study. Test scores analyzed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that WCF has an influential role in enhancing learners’ writing performance. Moreover, this study showed that learners in the direct WCF accompanied by a metalinguistic explanation group outperformed their counterparts in the indirect WCF group in writing paragraphs. Based on the study’s findings, it is possible to conclude that the provision of WCF is vital in the Ethiopian context; moreover, learners could benefit more from using linguistic structures correctly if metalinguistic explanations accompany the provision of direct WCF.

Facebook addiction and affected academic performance among Ethiopian university students: A cross-sectional study.

Addiction is an extreme craving for and commitment to something, physically or psychologically. Currently, addiction to social media is the main emerging technology addiction, especially among the young generation. The main aim of the current study was to evaluate the status of Facebook addiction and its relation to academic performance and other correlates among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 students from December 1-30, 2021, and Facebook addiction was examined with the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS). The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Study Habit Questionnaire (SHQ) were employed to assess self-esteem, anxiety and depression symptoms, and study habits, respectively. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit the subjects, and the data were analyzed by SPSS version 23.0. Statistics such as percentages, frequencies, mean ± SD, and mean differences were calculated. Multiple regression analysis was performed, and all the required assumptions were checked. The statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05 and a 95% CI. Results revealed that, the mean age of the students was 23.62 (SD = ±1.79) and 51.6% of the participants were male. The majority of the participants were addicted to Facebook, and Facebook addiction was positively linked with factors like lower academic achievements and the symptoms of anxiety and depression. In conclusion, Facebook addiction was found to be higher among study participants, and it is negatively affecting their academic performances. Similarly, it was associated with affected mental well-being and reduced self-esteem. It is better for the legislative body of the university to put firm policies in place for promoting safe use and reducing the detrimental effects of this problem among students.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the second wave of the pandemic among university students in Ethiopia: application of the health belief model.

The first case of COVID-19 virus was reported in Africa on 14 February 2020. The pandemic became more aggressive in the continent during the second wave than the first wave. Promoting vaccination behavior is an unparalleled measure to curb the spread of the pandemic. Regarding this, the health belief model (HBM) is the major model for understanding health behaviors. This study aimed to examine predictors of intended COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the second wave of the pandemic among university students in Ethiopia using HBM. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 randomly selected medical and health science students at the University of Gondar from 21 August to 15 September 2020. Analysis of data was performed using STATA 14.0. Linear regression analysis was applied and a p value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Among the total participants, 293 [72.2% (95.0%: CI: 67.2-76.8)] of them scored above the mean of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. HBM explained nearly 46.3% (adjusted R2 = 0.463) variance in intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Year of study (β = 0.288; 95% CI: 0.144-0.056), using social media (β = 0.58; 95% CI: 1.546-2.804), existing chronic disease (β = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.042-0.433), perceived overall health condition (β = 0.117; 95% CI: 0.307-0.091), perceived susceptibility (β = 0.58; 95% CI: 1.546-2.804), perceived benefit (β = 0.338; 95% CI: 1.578-2.863), and cues to action (β = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.388-0.99) were significantly associated with intended COVID-19 vaccine acceptance at p value < 0.5. Approximately, three-quarters of the participants were above the mean score of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, which is higher compared to previous reports in resource-limited settings. Interventions in this study setting chould include placing emphasis on the risks of acquiring COVID-19, enhancing perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccination and improving cues to action by advocating COVID-19 vaccination. Our findings also implied that social media health campaigns are significant factor in COVID-19 vaccination behavioral change in this study setting.

A Data Mining Approach to Predict Key Factors Impacting University Students Dropout in a Least Developed Economy

University students’ dropout is a complex issue with life and career ramifications, especially in least developed countries. Ethiopia, a country with one of the least developed economies, has made considerable efforts to strengthen its higher education; yet university student attrition remains a major concern. In this study, we utilized the data mining methodology to reveal the important factors that impact dropout among the Ethiopian university students. The current research results indicate that personal, institutional, and academic factors affect university student dropout. In Ethiopia, low-performing rural female students are more likely to drop out than male students, according to the findings of this study. In general, rural low- achieving students have a greater likelihood of dropping out of university. This is likely to occur during the students' first semester of study, especially if they have a poor attendance rate. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by indicating that university remedial programs may be successful in reducing the incidents of students’ dropout. The current research has implications for policymakers in the least developed nations, such as Ethiopia, to construct dropout intervention programs based on the factors identified in this research.

Psychological resilience and coping strategies among undergraduate students in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT The psychological resilience and coping strategies among university students in Ethiopia have not been researched. This study aims to examine it among undergraduate students at Wallaga University, among 398 students. Data was collected using Resilience Resource Scale (RRS) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). The total score on RRS ranges from 16 to 60, with a mean score of 49.12 (SD 7.06), and CISS score ranges from 41 to 105, with a mean score of 76.62 (SD 11.22). Rural resident (β = −2.042; 95% CI; −3.395 to −0.688), first-year (β = −7.0.32; 95% CI; −10.918 to – 3.145), second-year (β = −3.082; 95% CI; −4.971 to – 1.193), task-oriented (β = 1.046, 95 CI; 0.455–1.636), emotion-oriented (β = 1.936; 95% CI: 1.335–2.537) and avoidance (β = 2.881; 95% CI: 2.286–3.477) were contributing factors. Junior and rural students deserved attention on their coping strategies and psychological resilience.

Perceived stress and associated factors among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

During extensive outbreaks of infectious diseases, people who are impacted, particularly the subgroups of the community who are at an increased risk of mental health problems, may experience increased stress and mental health difficulties. University students are one such susceptible population and are prone to experiencing high levels of stress as compared with the general population. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing perceived stress and identifying its associated factors among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Ethiopia from 30 May to 30 June 2021. Students were asked to fill out an online survey on Google Forms that included consent, sociodemographic information, the UCLA-8 Loneliness Scale, the standard validated stress scale (PSS-10) questionnaire, and the three-item Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) to assess social support. The collected data were exported to SPSS 26. Descriptive and analytical statistics were carried out. Binary and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to find associated factors, and variables with a p-value of 0.05 were considered statistically significant variables. A total of 426 university students were included in the survey, among whom 268 (62.9%) were male participants. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 37 years. Health-related departments accounted for 37.1% of the participants, while non-health-related departments accounted for 62.9%. The prevalence of stress was 18.3% in the study population. In this study, extreme susceptibility to COVID-19, sleeping problems, poor self-efficacy to prevent COVID-19, and loneliness were significantly associated with perceived stress. Stress was prevalent among university students in Ethiopia during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Extreme susceptibility to COVID-19, sleeping problems, poor self-efficacy, and loneliness were identified as factors for stress. Therefore, we suggest that universities should provide opportunities for safe social connection, counseling, and guidance for students.

Predictors of Mental Health Literacy and Information Seeking Behavior Toward Mental Health Among University Students in Resource-Limited Settings.

This paper investigated mental health literacy level and information seeking behavior, and mental health-related information sources in limited-resource settings, in the case of Ethiopian university students. A cross-sectional, self-administered web-based survey was conducted among Dilla University students, from 1 January to 29 February 2022, with a total of 780 respondents. We presented descriptive statistics using mean, standard deviations, and proportions. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were employed to identify factors associated with mental health literacy and information seeking behavior of students. Further, path analysis was also employed. The result showed 71 (9.1%) respondents had a diagnosed history of mental illness. Overall, 397 (50.9%) respondents were identified as having adequate mental health literacy and 420 (53.8%) sought mental health information. In multivariate analysis, mental health literacy was significantly associated with: being female (AOR = 2.8; 95% CI (1.5-5.4)), higher digital health literacy (AOR=2.8; 95% CI (1.5-5.4), seeking mental health-related information (AOR=1.6; 95% CI: (1.1-2.5)), having family with mental illness, and students in health-related programs (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI (1.0-4.2)). Furthermore, health-related programs, level of mental health literacy, exposure to mental health problems in the family, and were associated with information seeking behavior regarding mental health. Further, path analysis revealed significant positive associations of information seeking behavior and digital health literacy with mental health literacy. The result indicated the status of university students' mental health literacy level and information seeking behavior were low and inadequate. This study suggests the need to improve students' digital health competencies by designing mental health literacy programs by collaboration of different stakeholders, and mental health literacy programs need to optimize access to internet and online resources in the university settings.