Gondar University Research Articles

Are Corneal Patients Accepting the Transplantation? The Cases of University of Gondar, Tertiary Eye Care and Training Center, Ethiopia.

Background For so long, corneal diseases have been known as one of the leading causes to blindness in the global. This blindness might be due to failure to accept the corneal transplantation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and the root challenges for corneal transplantation acceptance at the University of Gondar tertiary eye care and training center, Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who had an indication for corneal transplantation at the University of Gondar tertiary eye care and training center since January 1, 2017, up to October 30, 2018. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data and entered into Epi-Info 7 software and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Simple logistic regression was used to identify the associated factors of corneal transplantation acceptance. Associations between outcome and exposure variables were expressed by the adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and p value <0.05. Result A total of 116 patients with a mean age of 51 (±21) years participated in the study. The overall acceptance level of corneal transplantation was only 38.8% (95% CI: 29.93, 47.66). Patients with poor knowledge [AOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.90, 6.48] and an unfavorable attitude [AOR = 6.33; 95% CI: 2.42, 16.54] were significantly associated with the acceptance of corneal transplantation. Conclusion The study revealed that the corneal transplantation acceptance level was very low. Hence, the government and other concerned stakeholders should give due emphasis to the awareness creation and behavior change communication strategies to increase the acceptance level of corneal transplantation.

Knowledge and Associated Factors of Blood Pressure Control Among Hypertensive Patients Attending Chronic Illness Follow-Up Clinic at University of Gondar, Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest, Ethiopia.

IntroductionAs hypertension is a chronic cardiovascular disease that contributes to a high proportion of morbidity and mortality worldwide, favorable knowledge is crucial to control it.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was thus to assess knowledge and associated factors of blood pressure control among hypertensive patients at the chronic illness follow-up Clinic of the University of Gondar comprehensive-specialized hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2018. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regressions were done to assess the relationship between dependent and independent variables. The adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to determine the presence and strength of association between covariates and the outcome variable.ResultsA total of 404 participants took part in the study with a response rate of 97.3%. The overall good knowledge about blood pressure control was 51.7% (95% CI=46.3–56.8). Females were 3.79 (AOR= 3.79, 95% CI: (1.55, 9.28)) more knowledgeable about blood pressure control than males. In the multivariable analysis, the odds of being knowledgeable were 2.80 (AOR= 2.80, 95% CI (1.44, 5.46)), 8.05 (AOR=8.05, 95% CI (2.93, 22.10)), and 7.53 (AOR=7.53, 95% CI (2.52, 22.49)) for can read and write, secondary, preparatory and above education, respectively, compared to cannot read and write. Occupation was significantly associated with the knowledge of plod pressure control. For example, merchants 7.66 (AOR=7.66, 95% CI (3.01, 19.47)), government employee 6.33 (AOR=6.33, 95% CI (1.90, 22.07)), and self-employed 4.58 (AOR=4.58, 95% CI (1.80, 11.70)) times more likely to be knowledgeable than farmers, respectively. Participants with family history of hypertension were 2.36 (AOR=2.36, 95% CI (1.42, 3.92)) times more knowledgeable than their counterparts.ConclusionIn this study, knowledge of blood pressure control was lower compared to the finding of a study done at Bishoftu hospital, Ethiopia. But it is higher than studies in other African countries. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological awareness is vital for blood pressure control.

Determinants of Hypertensive Heart Disease Among Adult Hypertensive Patients in University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Gondar North West Ethiopia, A Case- Control Study

Background: Hypertensive heart disease (HHD) is the constellation of abnormalities characterized by cardiac complications. Despite advancements in management of hypertension and access to medical care, incidence of HHD is an alarmingly increasing through time. However, information on determinants of HHD studies is limited in Ethiopia. We assessed determinants of HHD among adult hypertensive patients in Gondar University Referral Hospital, North Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: A case control study was conducted from April 1-26, 2018. Cases were adult hypertensive outpatients with cardiac complications, diagnosed within the last two years and were on follow up and care in Gondar university referral hospital during study period. Controls were adult hypertensive outpatients without history of any of the cardiac complications, diagnosed within the last two years and were on follow up and care in Gondar university referral hospital during study period. A total of 159 participants 53 cases and 106 controls were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using checklist and interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of hypertensive heart disease and p-value of 0.05 was used to decide for statistical significance.Result: Most of the cases 70.9% and the controls 54.5% were in the age group of ≥60 years. Hypertensive patients who had family history of cardiovascular disease ((AOR) (Adjusted odds ratio) =4.7, 95% CI: 1.8-11.9), sedentary life style (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.3-7.8), uncontrolled blood pressure (AOR=4 95% CI: 1.8-9.0), and duration of hypertension ≥10 years (AOR=3, 95% CI: 1.1-8.7) were more likely to develop hypertensive heart disease than their counterparts. Conclusion: Multiple factors predicted HHD. Providing professional advice regarding to physical exercise especially for older individuals and taking early management is highly recommended.

Data Mining Technology Enabled Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) for HIV Positive Patients in Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia.

It is of interest to discuss the feasibility for data mining technology enabled antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV positive patients at the University of Gondar Specialized Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia. The Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD), which is in an iterative process where evaluation measures enhanced, is used to prepare the data set for ART in HIV positive patients. A decision tree J48 model that is the implementation of algorithm ID3 (Iterative Dichotomiser 3) developed by the WEKA project team is used in this study. The J48 model was built with pruned and without pruned parameters by selecting two different test modes for 10-fold cross validation with percentage split. Results using J48 pruned decision tree with 10-fold cross validation produces 80.5% prediction precision for ART starter prognosis enabled treatment in clinical settings.

EHealth literacy and internet use among undergraduate nursing students in a resource limited country: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background eHealth literacy empowers caregivers and patients to actively engage in healthcare decisions. Most prior studies regarding eHealth literacy have been done in developed countries, and the perspective of nursing students in a resource-constrained environment is not well documented. The aim of this study was to assess Internet use and eHealth literacy skill among nursing students at the University of Gondar, North West Ethiopia. Methods An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the pattern of Internet use and eHealth literacy among nursing students at the University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Science, from November 15 to January 28, 2018. The total sample size was 236. A stratified random sampling design with a proportional allocation technique was performed to select study participants from each batch. eHealth literacy was measured using the widely used and validated eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS). After data collection was done, it was checked, cleaned, and analyzed by using SPSS Version 20. Descriptive statistics were utilized to identify socio-demographic characteristics and Internet use of participants, and the total sum of eHealth literacy scale was used as a dependent variable with linear regression done to identify predictors. Result From the total of 236 approached participants, 229 participants were included in the study, and thus the response rate was 97.3%. The mean age of participants was 20.66 ± 1.45 years and the average cumulative GPA was 3.07 ± 0.40. Overall, 89.1% of nursing students reported that they have access to the Internet, of which 60.7% of the participants use it daily. Only 22.7% of survey respondents said that they use Internet for educational purposes, while a majority of the users (52.8%) stated that they use Internet for social media and chat rooms. The mean eHealth literacy level was 25.23 with a 7.29 standard deviation. The linear regression result depicted that 72.6% of the variation in eHealth literacy is explained with an adjusted R2 = 0.726 in this model. Gender, enrollment year, and place of residence were significantly associated with participants' eHealth literacy skill (p Conclusion Nursing students from rural residence and first-year students demonstrated relatively low access and use of the Internet. Gender, residence, and enrollment year were predictive variables of eHealth literacy among nursing students in this setting.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self examination among female undergraduate nursing students at university of gondar, college of medicine and health sciences

Knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self examination among female undergraduate nursing students at university of gondar, college of medicine and health sciences

Etiology, Clinical Features, And Short-Term Outcome Of Seizures In Newborns Admitted To The University Of Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia.

BackgroundNeonatal seizures are the most common neurological dysfunction in the neonatal period. Neonatal seizure patterns and short-term neurologic outcomes, particularly in the Ethiopian context, have not been adequately studied.ObjectiveThe main aim of this study is to assess the pattern, probable etiology, short-term outcomes, and determinants of neonatal seizures in the neonatal intensive care unit of Gondar University Specialized Comprehensive Hospital.MethodsA hospital-based prospective observational cohort study was conducted from October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2018.ResultsAmong the 117 neonates enrolled, the most common type of neonatal seizure was subtle (60.6%), followed by tonic (15.4%), and clonic (12.8%) seizures. The most common etiology for the seizure was perinatal asphyxia (PNA) with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE; 74.4%) followed by electrolyte disturbances (12.8%). In the follow-up, 23 (19.7%) died during the acute neonatal illness. The most common cause of death was PNA with HIE, accounting for 73.9% of the deaths. Among the surviving newborns, 10 (10.6%) had neurodevelopmental deficits at discharge. Being a multiparous mother (OR= 0.172; 95% CI: 0.033, 0.880), being female (OR= 0.171; 95% CI: 0.055, 0.538), and having tonic (OR= 0.164; 95% CI: 0.030, 0.885) and myoclonic seizures (OR= 0.040; 95% CI: 0.055, 0.538) were significantly associated with mortality poor short-term outcome.ConclusionSubtle seizures were the most common seizure semiology. The most common etiology for seizure was PNA with HIE. Parity, gestational age, neonatal sex, and seizure type were determinants of short-term outcomes.

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.

Determinants of Under-Five Pneumonia at Gondar University Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: An Unmatched Case-Control Study.

Background Pneumonia causes about two million under-five deaths each year, accounting for nearly one in five child deaths globally. Knowing the determinants of under-five pneumonia is useful for prevention and intervention programs that are aimed to control the disease. Thus, the main aim of this study was to assess the determinants of under-five pneumonia at Gondar University Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based unmatched case-control study was carried out from April 1 to April 30, 2015, taking a sample size of 435 study participants (145 cases and 290 controls). The researchers used a systematic random sampling technique for selecting cases and controls. Data were entered and cleaned using Epi Info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariable analysis was performed, and variables with a p value less than 0.2 were entered into multivariable logistic regression. Determinant factors were identified based on p value less than 0.05 and adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (AOR with 95% CI). Results An increased odds of pneumonia was associated with children who had diarrhea in the past fifteen days of data collection (AOR = 6.183; 95% CI: 3.482, 10.977), children's mothers who did not hear about how to handle domestic smoking (AOR = 5.814; 95% CI: 2.757, 12.261), and children of mothers who did not follow proper handwashing practice (AOR = 3.469; 95% CI: 1.753, 6.863). Conclusions Being infected with diarrhea, not knowing how to handle domestic smoking, and poor compliance with proper handwashing practice were identified as determinants of pneumonia. Dedicated, coordinated, and integrated intervention needs to be taken to enhance proper handwashing practice by mothers/caregivers, improve the indoor air quality, and prevent diarrheal diseases at the community level.

Entrepreneurial Intentions among Business Students in Ethiopia

Entrepreneurs are the fortitude of any industry as they come up with an innovative business plan which eventually provides to cultural and business growth. In Ethiopia, thousands of students graduate from universities every year, but merely a rare of them plans to begin their businesses. This paper is designed to analyze the entrepreneurial intentions among undergraduate business students of the University of Gondar, Ethiopia. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), personal attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective measures and perceived behavioral control are the main determinants that influence entrepreneurial purposes. However, attitudes have improved in this regard, and there have been diverse efforts to magnify the position of university graduates as patrons of innovative firms. The paper brings out the students’ approach and perceived behavioral control is an important impact on the entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduate business students.

Thyroid Dysfunction and Cytological Patterns among Patients Requested for Thyroid Function Test in an Endemic Goiter Area of Gondar, North West Ethiopia.

Background Thyroid dysfunction is the most common endocrine disorder in clinical practice, and about half of the population with thyroid dysfunction remains undiagnosed. There is a fairly wide spectrum of thyroid dysfunction, which can be identified by patterns of thyroid function test results. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among the population varies in different studies. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 8th to April 8th, 2017, among patients who requested for the thyroid function test in an endemic goiter area at the Gondar Hospital, University of Gondar. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Three milliliters of blood samples was collected in a plain test tube and centrifuged for serum separation. The thyroid function test was done by using the MINI-VIDAS automation following the manufacturer manual (Setema PLC, Italy). Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics were used for data presentation, and P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Result Of the total 384 study participants, 346 (90.1%) were females and the study participants' mean age was 38 ± 13.9 years. The overall thyroid dysfunction prevalence was 26.3% (101): 1.6% was identified as subclinical hypothyroidism, 0.5% hypothyroidism, 9.6% subclinical hyperthyroidism, and 14.6% hyperthyroidism, and 23.4% had goiter. Furthermore, for cytological pattern analysis, 144 study participants who fulfilled indications for fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in thyroid nodules were included. Of the total, 3 (2.1%) had thyroid carcinoma, 46 (32%) had cystic degenerated follicular cells, and 82 (57%) had nodular thyroid goiter. In addition, a clinical presentation of a total of 144 study participants, showed lymphadenites in 7 participants (4.8%), hypertension in 9 (6.2%), and cardiac failure in 12 (8.3%). Conclusion The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was high. The majority of thyroid dysfunction cases were newly diagnosed and more common in females. In addition, the most common disorders were subclinical hyperthyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Follicular cell with cyst degeneration and thyroid nodular goiter were the predominant FNAC findings. For early diagnosis and appropriate intervention in goiter endemic areas, the thyroid function test should be closely monitored.

Westernization versus indigenization in the context of global mental health: training and services in Ethiopia – University of Gondar in focus

Ethiopia is one of the ancient countries inhabited by well over a hundred million people of diverse cultures and languages. Such diversity requires mental health training and services to be tailored to those diverse needs of the people. Consequently, there are important implications for mental health training and services. The gap in mental health knowledge is attributed perhaps to a lack of trained professionals in relevant fields in awareness and understanding of advances made in global mental health (GMH) and blended with indigenous wisdom. Training is Western orientated and lacks integration with local culture and wisdom. The study intends to explore the extent to which mental health training and services have customized Western mental health traditions into the indigenous knowledge, skills, and practices of Ethiopia. The study employed an exploratory design, and data was collected through focus group discussions (FGD) from a total of eighteen faculty, alumni, and practitioners working at the University of Gondar. Data was collected using semi-structured interview guides from the different groups. Mental health knowledge in our training and service providers is perceived to be culture specific rather than universal. However, it is highly influenced by the Western culture diffused through various media. This has resulted in faculty and practitioners being dependent on Western resources without adapting them into indigenous wisdom and cultures. This has prevented them from exploring and practicing what is available in our specific cultures and traditions, such as books written by the religious scholars and traditional healers.

Combined effect of pill refilling and self-medication reminder system on patients’ adherence to tuberculosis treatment during continuation phase in Northwest Ethiopia: a study protocol for randomised controlled trial

IntroductionPatients’ failure to adhere on tuberculosis (TB) treatment leads to drug resistance, relapse and death. Non-adherence to TB treatment is higher during continuation treatment phase. The study aimed to evaluate...

Health professionals' willingness to pay and associated factors for cervical cancer screening program at College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.

IntroductionCervical cancer is a major public health problem in developing countries like Ethiopia. Cervical cancer screening service has been offered to high-risk groups in Ethiopia since 2013. However, there is no evidence on the willingness to pay for the screening. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the female health professionals’ willingness to pay for cervical cancer screening at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsInstitutional based cross-sectional study design was used to assess the health professionals’ willingness to pay for the cervical screening from March to April, 2018. Simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants from a list of female health professionals who has been working for the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to STATA version 14 for analysis. Tobit models were used to identify factors which had statistical significant association with willingness to pay for cervical cancer screening service.ResultsA total of 392 respondents participated in the study with a response rate of 92.7%. The majority (83.4%) of participants were willing to pay for cervical cancer screening. The average amount of money they were willing to pay was ETB 194.7 (US$7.16) per service. Age ≥ 30 years, educational status, perceived seriousness of cervical cancer, perceived quality of cervical cancer screening service and monthly income were significantly associated with willingness to pay for cervical cancer screening.ConclusionHigh proportion of study participants were willing to pay for cervical cancer screening. Therefore, the policy makers can scale-up cervical cancer screening by setting appropriate fee for service charge. They can also raise awareness of cervical cancer and offer quality service in order to increase the benefits of the program.

Self-advocacy for Inclusion: A Case Study of Blind Students in the University of Gondar, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-advocacy practice for inclusion of blind students in the University of Gondar. A case study design with qualitative inquiry approach was used. In-depth interview guide which was developed out of comprehensive review of literature was used as data gathering instrument. The in-depth interview instrument on its content and construct validity was checked by one blind special needs education professional who works as an instructor in the Department of Special Needs and Inclusive Education in the University of Gondar. There were only five blind students in the university; three were taken as the rest two were unwilling. The data collected through semi-structured interview guide was analyzed thematically in four dimensions of self-advocacy: knowledge of self, knowledge of rights, communication and leadership. Additionally, there was a theme that investigates how the blind students were self-advocating in fighting back their challenges. Results indicate that the blind students were not found to be self-advocates for their inclusion. Except in knowledge of self to some extent, they were found to have limitations in their knowledge of rights, communication and leadership. Recommendations such as improving knowledge of rights, communications and leadership have been forwarded.

Risk factors for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in northwest Ethiopia: A case-control study.

Ethiopia is one of 30-high burden multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) countries globally. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients with MDR-TB and to investigate risk factors for MDR-TB relative to having drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB), in northwest Ethiopia. A hospital-based, unmatched case-control study was conducted. Cases were all MDR-TB patients (i.e., resistant to at least rifampicin and isoniazid) who were confirmed by culture and drug-susceptibility testing whilst enrolled on treatment at Gondar University Hospital. Controls were all drug-susceptible tuberculosis (DS-TB) patients who were confirmed by Gene Xpert MTB/RIF at Gondar University Hospital. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used for comparisons, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to measure the strength of association between the dependent and independent variables. A total of 452 patients (242 MDR-TB and 210 DS-TB) were included in this study. The mean age of the study participants was 33years (SD±14years). Approximately one-fifth (78, 17%) of all study participants were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive; 21% (51) of cases and 13% (27) of controls. Risk factors associated with MDR-TB were a history of previous TB treatment (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 83.8; 95% CI: 40.7, 172.5), low educational status (AOR: 5.32; 95% CI: 1.43, 19.81); and ages less than 20years (AOR: 9.01; 95% CI: 2.30, 35.25) and 21-30years (AOR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.02, 6.64). HIV infection was also significantly associated with MDR-TB among new TB patients (AOR: 5.55; 95% CI: 1.17, 26.20). This study shows that clinical and demographic features can be used to indicate higher risks of drug resistance in this setting.

Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids and associated factors among health care workers at the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundOccupational exposure to blood and body fluids (BBFs) is a serious concern for health care workers (HCWs) and presents a major risk factor for transmission of infectious diseases such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, and human immune deficiency virus. The main objective of this study was to assess the magnitudes of occupational exposure of blood and body fluids and associated factors among health workers at the University of Gondar Hospital.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 February to 31 May 2017 at the University of Gondar Hospital. A total of 282 health care workers were selected by simple random sampling technique. Descriptive data was presented as absolute number with percentage, and multivariate analysis was used to assess the statistical association between associated factors and occupational exposure to BBFs. A P value of < 0.05 was considered as statistical significant.ResultA total of 282 HCWs participated with the mean (±SD) age of 30.51 ± 5.86 year. Of the total, 58.5% (165) and 42.2% (119) of the study participants had been exposed to BBFs splash and needlestick injury (NSI) in their lifetime, respectively. However, 39.0% (110) and 20.6% (58) of the HCWs were exposed to splash and NSI in the past 1 year, respectively. Not wearing eye goggle, lack of training on infection prevention, taking of HBV vaccination, and recapping of used needle were risk factors associated with BBFs splash exposure, whereas taking HBV vaccination and recapping of used needle were associated risk factors with NSI exposure.ConclusionThis study showed a high percentage of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among health care workers. Not wearing eye goggle, HBV vaccine status, and recapping needles were found to be independent predictors of occupational exposure to BBFs among HCWs. Therefore, relevant stakeholders need to formulate strategies to create a favorable working environment and increase their adherence to universal precautions.

Contraceptive use among HIV-positive and negative women: implication to end unintended pregnancy

BackgroundWith the advancement of antiretroviral therapy and improved life expectancy, women living with HIV/AIDS are enjoying a better sexual life. Yet, the consistent utilization of contraceptive in such patients is highly recommended. There is paucity of data regarding contraceptive use among HIV-positive and negative women in Ethiopia. The present study aimed at examining the use of contraceptives among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women in Ethiopia.MethodsA comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women attending family planning Clinic of Gondar university referral hospital between January 2016 and August 2017. Descriptive statistics were used to present categorical data and Pearson’s chi-square test was done to examine differences in the utilization of contraceptives between HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Kaplan Meier test was also carried out to determine the incidence of unintended pregnancy. A p-value of 0.05 was deemed significant with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.ResultsA total of 894 participants consisting of 314 HIV-positive and 580 HIV-negative women were included in the study. The rate of previous unintended pregnancy was 280 (31.3%) in HIV-negative women and 115 (12.9%) in HIV-infected women. Women who routinely utilized contraceptives were more likely to avoid unintended pregnancy [log rank: 2.89, p < 0.05]. Unlike HIV-negative women (2.9%), HIV-positive (28.4%) women reported a higher rate of intrauterine device use. Male condom was used more commonly in HIV-infected women (26.7%) as compared to HIV negative (3.9%) women (p-value < 0.05).ConclusionsIntrauterine contraceptive device was reported to be the most commonly used contraceptive method in HIV patients. Further, unintended pregnancy was relatively common in women with low contraceptive practice. The use of dual contraceptives should be advocated for HIV-positive women so as to protect unintended pregnancy and curtail the transmission of HIV.

Adherence to self-care recommendations and associated factors among adult heart failure patients. From the patients' point of view.

BackgroundNowadays, heart failure (HF) related morbidity and mortality rate is increasing globally. Younger populations happen to be more affected by HF in sub- Saharan African than the western countries. Even though medications, low sodium diet, regular exercise, and weight monitoring are essential to control heart failure symptoms and its exacerbation, poor adherence to these self-care recommendations is contributing to an increased in hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. Therefore, this study aimed to assess heart failure patients’ adherence to self-care recommendations and its associated factors.MethodsA hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 310 adult heart failure patients attending Gondar University referral hospital from February to May 2017. The participants were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected through face to face interview and from the patients’ medical records. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. A binary logistic regression model was used to check the effect of different factors on the patients’ adherence level.ResultsOf 310 study participants only 22.3% (95% CI, 17.4%-26.8%) of heart failure patients reported good adherence to their self-care recommendations. Adherence to self-care recommendation was positively associated with being male in gender (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.18–4.62), good level of heart failure knowledge (AOR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.276–4.856) and free from chronic comorbid diseases (AOR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.28–5.14).ConclusionOverall, heart failure patients’ adherence to self-care recommendations is poor and selective. Being male in gender, had no chronic comorbidity, and a good level of heart failure knowledge were positively associated with adherence to self-care recommendations. It is therefore strategic to plan improving heart failure patients’ knowledge about heart failure signs, symptoms and its management approaches, to improve the patients’ adherence level.

Knowledge and practice of health workers about control and prevention of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in referral hospitals, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice of health workers about multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) prevention and control.Study design and settingsA cross-sectional study was conducted at...