Meskan District Research Articles

Soil Test Based Fertilizer Calibration for Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Varieties of the Southern Ethiopia

Blended Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Boron fertilizer calibration foxr optimum common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties yield was used to assess the effect of different rates of blended fertilizer on growth, yield and yield components, and nutrient use efficiency of common bean varieties and to identify economically feasible rates of blended fertilizer at Meskan District, Southern Ethiopia during 2020 crop season. The experiment had six treatment levels of blended fertilizer (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg·ha−1), and two common bean varieties were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Soil samples of the experimental plots were analyzed and used as blended fertilizer calibration to estimate soil nutrient supplies and recommend fertilizer. The results revealed that growth, yield, and yield components were highly significantly p ≤ 0.05 affected by the main effect of varieties and application of blended NPSB rates. The interaction of varieties and blended fertilizer shown a significant p ≤ 0.05 effect on all parameters. The partial budget analysis indicated that the highest net benefit of 67665 ETB ha−1 was obtained from the Nasir variety with the application of 100 kg·ha−1. Therefore, growing the Nasir variety with blended fertilizer rates of 100 kg·ha−1 is economically feasible for the studied soil type and different locations.

A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study on Latrine Utilization and Associated Factors Among Rural Community of East Meskan District, Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Using sanitary facilities is proven to enhance health and halt the spread of fecal-to-oral disease. Despite efforts to improve the availability of latrine facilities in developing countries like Ethiopia, finding a village that is entirely free of open defecation remains difficult. To determine the need for intervention programs and promote regular latrine usage, local data is essential. This study aimed to assess latrine utilization and associated factors among households in East Meskan District, Southern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 630 households from April 15 to May 30, 2022. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study households. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and an observational checklist. The collected data were then entered into Epi-Info version 7.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. In binary logistic regression analysis, independent variables with a P-value < .25 were considered candidates for multiple logistic regression analysis. The association was expressed in odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI), and significance was declared at P-value < .05 in the final model. The magnitude of latrine utilization was 73.3% (95% CI: 69.7, 76.8) in the study district. Husband being family head (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 12.9; 95% CI: 5.78 ,28.90), being female (AOR = 16.4; 95% CI: 6.52, 41.27), family size less than 5 (AOR = 24.2; 95% CI: 11.49, 51.09), absence of school children (AOR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.51), and greater than 2 years since latrine was constructed (AOR = 14; 95% CI: 7.18, 27.41) had a significant association with latrine utilization. In this study, utilization of latrines was low compared to the national target plan. Family head, sex, family size, presence of school children, and length of years in which the latrine was constructed were factors associated with latrine utilization. Thus, regular supervision of early latrine construction and utilization in communities is essential.

Integration of annual forage legume with maize for better feed availability of livestock in maize dominated mixed farming system of Southern Region, Ethiopia

This study was conducted at Dore Befano and Meskan district of Sidma regional state and Gurage zone of south nation, nationalities, and peoples of southern Ethiopia’s (SNNPR), where maize dominated. The trial was conducted to evaluate the outcome of under sowing lablab on the grain yield, Stover, and appropriate time and seeding rate of forage crop under sowing. The trial was implemented using a 3 by 3 factorial combination with two sole treatments in an RCBD with three replications. The treatments were sole Maize (T1). Sole forage (T2) and Maize &amp; Forage Simultaneous with maize sowing date full Simultaneous with maize sowing date 75%, Simultaneous with maize sowing date at 50%, Maize &amp; Forage After 15 days of maize sowing full, after 15 days of maize sowing 75%, After 15 days of maize sowing 50%, Maize &amp; Forage After 30 days of maize sowing full, Maize &amp; Forage After 30 days of maize sowing 75% and Maize &amp; Forage After 30 days of maize sowing 50% T3 to T11 respectively. Under sowing of lablab with maize did not affect the grain yield of maize. Among experiments, T5 was a more appropriate seeding rate and sowing time for under sowing of lablab with maize.

Soil Characterization and Response of Haricot Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to Application of Blended and Bio Fertilizer in Meskan District, Southern Ethiopia

Information on soil characterization and effects of blended and bio fertilizer application on haricot bean production is crucial for best land management practices. Therefore, afield experiment was conducted to assess soil, response of haricot bean to application of blended, and bio fertilizer in Meskan district, Southern Ethiopia. A pedon 2 x 2x 2 m deep was opened by hand digging at experimental site. Soil samples from each horizon and three surface samples around the profile were collected for laboratory analysis of the most important soil physical and chemical properties. Based on the field survey and soil analytical results, soils of the study area were classified as Vertisols. The field experiment was laid out in RCBD with treatments including control, NPS, NPK, NPSB, NPSZNB and NPKSZNB with inoculants and three replications. The results of field experiment showed that blended fertilizer with sterilized soil with inoculation was significant on number of pod per plant, 1000 seed weight, grain yield and biomass yields. The number of pod per plant (18), 1000 seed weight (482.71 g hr -1 ), grain yield (3481.5 kg hr -1 ) and biomass yield (8939.2 kg hr -1 ) were recorded from NPKSZNB application. Additionally, the results of the field experiment revealed significantly higher yield, MRR percentage and economic benefit was obtained by the application of NPKSZNB. Therefore, the present study suggests that, there should be a site-specific soil characterization for a better understanding of soil properties and application of NPKSZNB containing fertilizer with inoculant for better haricot bean production at Meskan and areas with similar soil and agro ecological conditions. The experiment was conducted for one season and location but it is better to repeat in different locations and season to draw sound conclusion. Keywords: Blended fertilizers, Yield and Yield components, Bio fertilizer, Soil characterization DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/13-11-02 Publication date: June 30 th 2022

Analysis of rural household food and non‐food poverty status in Ethiopia: The Case Study from Meskan District

AbstractPoverty is the lack of ability to reach the least possible level of standard of living. Both food and non‐food poverty remain the foremost concern in many developing countries in general and Ethiopia in particular. The proportions of rural households living below poverty line in Ethiopia have been increasing over the past decades. The causes of poverty are enormous and multifaceted. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the status and determinants of poverty among rural households in Meskan District. Cross‐sectional survey data were collected from 360 rural households randomly. The costs of basic needs approach, Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke methods (FGT index), and logit model were used to determine poverty line and identify determinants of poverty status among rural households, respectively. Moreover, for the analysis of the data, the respective statistical and econometric tests were employed. The findings show that poverty line/absolute poverty status was found about birr 6305 per year per adult equivalent consumption in District. Besides, the annual mean food and non‐food consumption expenditure poverty lines were birr 4157.7 and birr 2147.6 per year, respectively. The incidence, depth, and severity of poverty measures and its status were found to be 0.333, 0.051, and 0.013 values, while compared poverty measures and its status with national poverty incidence status; there was highest poverty incidence among rural households due to low human, physical, financial, and natural capitals as well as weak institutional arrangements. Logit model result similarly shows that factors affecting poverty level among rural households are highly associated with age of households, dependency ratio, marital status of household, education level household, farm size, distance from nearest market, access to food aid, oxen and livestock possession in study District. Our results suggest that the poverty reduction plans and policies should target specific localities and households livelihood situations because poverty by its nature is individual concentrated rather than aggregate national as whole.

Effectiveness of Integrated Watershed Management Intervention for Sustainable Development in Meskan District, Southern Ethiopia

Effectiveness of Integrated Watershed Management Intervention for Sustainable Development in Meskan District, Southern Ethiopia

Economic valuation of improved irrigation water use: the case of Meskan District, Southern Ethiopia

The economic value of water is essential for the rational allocation of the scarce water resource as its availability has become a problem in many countries of the world. This study specifically aimed to assess the households’ willingness to pay decision and to estimate farmers’ willingness to pay for improved irrigation water use. The primary was data collected from 210 households selected through a multistage sampling technique followed by a probability proportional to sample size while it was also supplemented by secondary data. Double-bounded dichotomous choices with follow-up open-ended questions of contingent valuation methods were employed. The result of the study showed that all of the households were willing to pay for improved irrigation water use. The mean willingness to pay for the use of improved irrigation water from the double-bounded dichotomous question of Seemingly Unrelated Bivariate Probit model was Birr 829.46 per year per timad (0.25 ha). On the other hand, the mean willingness to pay from open-ended questions was Birr 726.55 per year per timad (0.25 ha). The respective total aggregate value of improved irrigation water use in the study varies from 33,421,300 birr in open ended to 38,155,160 birr from double bound. Thus, appropriate irrigation water pricing will make the user more aware of the resource scarcity. Therefore, the study suggests a good indicator for the concerned body to invest in expanding the current irrigation projects and introducing proper irrigation water pricing, creating more value for improved irrigation, leading to efficient management of the improved system.

A School-Based Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Nutrition Behavior Change Communication Interventions in Improving Nutritional Status and Academic Performance of Schoolchildren in South Ethiopia: Study Protocol

Background: School aged children in developing countries are vulnerable to malnutrition, which leads to stunting and can have adverse effects on mental development and academic performance at school. Despite several decades of work in improving childhood nutrition in Ethiopia, stunting remains a major public health concern with lack of evidence on its effect on school performance. The primary aim of this study is to addresses this gap by evaluating the effect of behavior change communication intervention on nutritional status and academic performance among school aged children in Meskan District of South Ethiopia.Methods: This school-based cluster randomized trial (c-RCT) compares the intervention arm with control arm. The intervention arm receives behavior change communication (BCC) on essential nutrition actions. The control arm receives only routine health and nutrition services. From a Meskan District, 10 clusters were selected and randomly assigned to the two study arms by randomization. The study participants will be children 10-15 years of age. Total sample size was 408 study participants. Anthropometric measurements, academic performance, nutritional knowledge, and dietary diversity will be measured at both baseline and end line. A behavior change and key poster message was providing based on essential nutrition actions for science teachers and students using class sessions and school visits. A binary logistic regression analysis will be used to identify independent predictors of nutritional status and academic performance of schoolchildren after controlling for confounding variables. The effect of BCC on micronutrient will be determined using generalized estimating equations (GEE) and or linear mixed effects models.Results: A total of 378 primary schoolchildren (10-15 years of age) were involved in the study giving a response rate of 93%. The mean age of the students was 12.8 years (SD ± 1.3 years). The prevalence of stunting and underweight was 16.9% and 37.3% respectively. The mean score of overall grades was 64.52 ± 8.45.Discussion: The findings of this study will provide sufficient evidence to develop policies and programs aimed to improve dietary diversity in children as well as nutritional knowledge (10-15 years) and to prevent micronutrient deficiencies and poor academic performance in school settings. It will also provide recommendations for strengthening the school nutrition component of behavior change communication in child health and nutrition programs.Trial registration: The study was retrospectively registered on October 28, 2016 and is available online at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT02956941).

Prevalence of ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in Meskan district, Gurage zone, Southern Ethioipa

A cross sectional study was conducted with the objectives of determining the prevalence and risk factors associated with ovine major gastrointestinal nematodes in Meskan district, Gurage zone from November 2014 to April 2015. A fresh faecal sample of approximately 10 g was collected directly from the rectum of 350 sheep by using gloved fingers. All statistical analysis was performed using statistical software packages for social science (SPSS) version 20. From the total 350 local sheep breed examined, 212 (60.6%) were found infected with different types of gastro-intestinal nematodes. Strongyles were the most frequently 95 (27.1%) recovered nematode eggs followed by Strongyloides 38 (10.9%), Trichuris species 13 (3.7%) and Ascaris spps 2 (0.6%). There was significant association (p 0.05) in prevalence between body condition and different study sites of the subject area. Due to its important health problem and impact on production in the study area, emphasis should be given for the control and prevention of gastrointestinal nematode infection with further studies on genus and species identification by using further laboratory techniques. Keywords : Nematode, Meskan distric, Gastrointestinal nematode, Prevalence, Sheep

Factors associated with stunting among children of age 24 to 59 months in Meskan district, Gurage Zone, South Ethiopia: a case-control study.

BackgroundStunting is one of the major causes of morbidity among under-five children Knowledge about risk factors of stunting is an important precondition for developing and strengthening nutritional intervention strategies. The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with stunting among children of age 24 to 59 months in Meskan District of Gurage Zone, South Ethiopia.MethodsCommunity based case-control study was conducted among children of age 24 to 59 months. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Cases were stunted children while controls were not stunted children. A total of 121 cases and 121 controls were studied.. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 statistical software.ResultsChildren living in households with eight to ten [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.44, 95% CI: 1.65, 11.95] and five to seven [AOR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.41, 6.29] family members were more likely to be stunted than those living in households with two to four family members. Similarly, children living in households with three under-five children [AOR = 3.77, 95% CI: 1.33, 10.74] were more likely to develop stunting than those living in households with one under-five child. Children whose mothers worked as merchants [AOR = 4.03, 95% CI: 1.60, 10.17] were more likely to be stunted than children whose mothers worked as house wives. Children who breast fed for <2 years [AOR = 5.61, 95% CI: 1.49, 11.08] were more likely to be stunted than those who breast fed ≥2 years. Children who were exclusively breast fed for <6 months [AOR = 3.27, 95% CI: 1.21, 8.82]were more likely to develop stunting than children who were exclusively breast fed for the first 6 months. Children who bottle fed [AOR =3.30, 95% CI: 1.33, 8.17)] were more likely to be stunted than children who fed their complementary food using spoon/cup.ConclusionsFamily size, number of under-five children in the household, maternal occupation, duration of exclusive breastfeeding, duration breast feeding, and method of feeding complementary food were independently associated with stunting. Thus, public health intervention working on improving child nutrition should consider these determinants.

Non-Inclusive Economic Growth of Ethiopia: Evidence from Grass Root Level

Economic growth does not guarantee that all persons in a nation will benefit equally. Growth can bypass the poor or marginalized groups, confine in a particular spatial and sectoral setting and resulting in increasing inequality. This study examines rural household’s perception on how their livelihood status progressing in the last five years and what factors likely influence their perception. Data was collected from a random sample of 188 households living in Meskan District southern Ethiopia. The study finding revealed that 56 per cent of the respondents’ households perceive that their livelihood status was deteriorated and they are getting poorer and more vulnerable than in the past despite the Ethiopia economy grows on average at 5.4% for the period from 1999-2004. The results obtained using ordered probit model indicate that the more households endowed with large landholding size, livestock, draft animals and participate in agricultural extension programme; they are more likely to perceive that their livelihood is getting better off. Livestock and cereals diversification also positively and significantly influence them to perceive that their livelihood is getting along with the recent economic boom of the country. Hence, asset holding is the basic determinant in accessing growth benefits at household’s level and households who are already in the better off position are benefiting from the recent economic growth while asset poor households are excluded and push further to the edge of destitution.

The Gender Perspective of Household Food Security in Meskan District of the Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Despite the considerable number of rural women in Ethiopia and theircontribution in food production, processing , preparation and provision,they are often neglected and deprived of services and amenities which leads to their vulnerability to poverty, food insecurity, gender bias and effects of environmental change. Accordingly, the principal objective of this study is to assess the food security situation and the type of coping strategies pursued by female and male- headed households in two kebeles of Meskan District of the Gurage Zone, Ethiopia. The findings of the study indicated that femaleheaded households compared to male-headed households are found at a low level of food security and are non- self sufficient in terms of the food requirement of their households and the amount they produce within a year. A number of factors cause the difference in food security status betweenfemale and male-headed households as discussed in detail in this paper. The paper winds up by concluding that granting a piece of land by itself could not end the food insecurity problem of female-headed households as these households are constrained by lack of access to important factors of production such as labor, plough oxen and credit and other agricultural inputs. Moreover, cultural and social constraints in a form of gender biased customs, stereotypes and misconceptions about women are the major challenges for female-headed households in the study area.

Prevalence of pterygium in rural community of Meskan District, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract Background: Pterygium is principally prevalent in tropical Africa. Though Ethiopia is located in the tropics, the prevalence of pterygium has not been well studied previously. Aim: To determine the prevalence of pterygium among people older than 20 years and its association with age, sex, smoking and exposure to ultraviolet light (UVL) in Meskan District of Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March 15 to May 15, 2006. Two peasant associations (PA) were randomly selected from the total of 42 in the district. Based on the sampling fraction, every third household in the selected peasant associations was included in the study. All individuals above 20 years of age in the selected households were interviewed and examined for the presence of pterygium. Measurements of pterygium were made with ruler. Visual acuity was taken for those individuals with pterygium and checked with pinhole if found to be less than 6/18. Results: A total of 922 individuals, 400 (43.4%) males and 522 (56.6%) females, were involved in the study. The mean age was 38.2 ranging from 21-95 years. Pterygium was found in 81 (8.8%, 95% CI: 7.0,10.6) of the study subjects. For those individuals whose age was above 40 years, the prevalence was found to be 17.4% indicating an increased risk with age (p<0.001). It also occurred among 50 (12.5%) males and 31 (5.9%) females and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). Males have about twice the risk of developing pterygium compared to females. Conclusion: The prevalence of pterygium obtained (8.8%) from this study was relatively low compared to many other reports from tropical areas. However, in agreement with other reports, advancing age and males have been identified as risk factors for the development of pterygium. Pterygium was associated with visual impairment in 13.1% of cases. [Ethiop.J.Health Dev. 2008;22(2):191-194]

The Prevalence and Community Perception of Therapeutic Injection Use in Meskan District, South Central Ethiopia

Injections are popular forms of medication in most developing countries. There are reports concerning unnecessary injections and the risk of disease transmission through unsafe injection practices. However, there is little information on injection use or safety in Ethiopia. This study presents information on the extent of the use and popularity of injections in Meskan District of Ethiopia. A cross-sectional, communitybased study was carried out using a structured questionnaire to collect data at household level. Households were selected using probability proportionate to size sampling technique. A total of 700 households were included in the survey, of which 16.3% reported having a family member who was ill and sought modern health care in the month preceding the interview date. Out of 114 persons who visited modern health care institutions, 50% were treated with one or more injections. About 29% of respondents reported that they would prefer injections either alone or together with oral medications in case of any febrile illnesses. The use of therapeutic injection was high in the study area in spite of the fact that more than 85% of the respondents knew that HIV could be transmitted through unsafe injections. On the other hand, there was a gross lack of knowledge about transmission of HBV and HCV through the same route. Educational intervention programmes are needed to improve perception of the community towards injections. Further studies should attempt to find out the factors contributing to the high level of therapeutic injection use in Meskan District. Keywords: community perception, therapeutic injection, prevalence, cross-sectional, central Ethiopia Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Journal Vol. 25 (1) 2007: pp. 63-71