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

BackgroundThe 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.MethodsThe 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.ResultsAfter 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.ConclusionThe 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

Trend, determinants, and future prospect of child marriage in the Amhara region, Ethiopia: a multivariate decomposition analysis

BackgroundChild marriage is a harmful traditional practice, which compromises children of their childhood and threatens their lives and health. In Ethiopia, 58% of women and 9% of men get married before the age of 18 years. Surprisingly, parents in the Amhara region make marriage promises of their children before they are even born, which will hinder the region from attaining the Sustainable Development Goal of ending child marriage. Thus, this study aimed to assess the trends, determinants, and future prospects of child marriage in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.MethodsA repeated cross-sectional study was conducted using four consecutive nationally representative Ethiopian demographic and health surveys (2000–2016). A logit-based multivariate decomposition analysis for a non-linear response model was fitted to identify factors that contributed to the change in child marriage over time. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. The child marriage practice in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted using different forecasting features of Excel.ResultsThe trend of child marriage over the study period (2000–2016) decreased from 79.9% (76.7, 82.8) to 42.9% (39.1, 46.9), with an annual average reduction rate of 2.9%. Approximately 35.2% of the decline resulted from an increase in the proportion of women who attained secondary and above-secondary education over the two surveys. A decrease in the proportion of rural women and a change in the behavior of educated and media-exposed women also contributed significantly to the decline in child marriage. The prevalence of child marriage in the Amhara region by the year 2030 was also predicted to be 10.1% or 8.8%.ConclusionThough there has been a significant decline in child marriage in the Amhara region over the past 16 years, the proportion is still high, and the region is not going to eliminate it by 2030. Education, residence, and media exposure were all factors associated with the observed change in child marriage in this study. Therefore, additional efforts will be required if child marriage is to be eliminated by 2030, and investing more in education and media access will hasten the region's progress in this direction

Dyslipidemia and serum cystatin C levels as biomarker of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BackgroundDiabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The diagnostic markers of nephropathy, including the presence of albuminuria and/or a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate, are not clinically ideal, and most of them are raised after a significant reduction in renal function. Therefore, it is crucial to seek more sensitive and non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.Objective of the studyThis study aimed to investigate the serum cystatin C levels and dyslipidemia for the detection of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodologyA hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to August 2022 in Tikur, Anbessa specialized teaching hospital with a sample size of 140 patients with type2 diabetes mellitus. Socio-demographic data was collected using a structured questionnaire, and 5 mL of blood was collected from each participant following overnight fasting for biochemical analyses.ResultsIn type 2 diabetes patients with nephropathy, we found significant lipoprotein abnormalities and an increase in serum cystatin C (P < 0.001) compared to those without nephropathy. Serum cystatin C, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein, and duration of diabetes were identified as being significantly associated with diabetic nephropathy (P < 0.05) in multivariable logistic regression analysis. The mean values of total cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) in females as compared to male type-2 diabetic patients. The fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles of the participants were found to be significantly associated with serum cystatin C levels.ConclusionThe present study found significant serum cystatin C and lipoprotein abnormalities in T2DM patients with diabetic nephropathy when compared with those without diabetic nephropathy, and these lipoprotein abnormalities were significantly associated with serum cystatin C levels

Development and internal validation of a clinical risk score for in-hospital mortality after stroke: a single-centre retrospective cohort study in Northwest Ethiopia

Objective To develop and validate a clinical risk score for in-hospital stroke mortality.Design The study used a retrospective cohort study design.Setting The study was carried out in a tertiary hospital in the Northwest Ethiopian region.Participants The study included 912 patients who had a stroke admitted to a tertiary hospital between 11 September 2018 and 7 March 2021.Main outcome measures Clinical risk score for in-hospital stroke mortality.Methods We used EpiData V.3.1 and R V.4.0.4 for data entry and analysis, respectively. Predictors of mortality were identified by multivariable logistic regression. A bootstrapping technique was performed to internally validate the model. Simplified risk scores were established from the beta coefficients of predictors of the final reduced model. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration plot.Results From the total stroke cases, 132 (14.5%) patients died during the hospital stay. We developed a risk prediction model from eight prognostic determinants (age, sex, type of stroke, diabetes mellitus, temperature, Glasgow Coma Scale, pneumonia and creatinine). The area under the curve (AUC) of the model was 0.895 (95% CI: 0.859–0.932) for the original model and was the same for the bootstrapped model. The AUC of the simplified risk score model was 0.893 (95% CI: 0.856–0.929) with a calibration test p value of 0.225.Conclusions The prediction model was developed from eight easy-to-collect predictors. The model has excellent discrimination and calibration performance, similar to that of the risk score model. It is simple, easily remembered, and helps clinicians identify the risk of patients and manage it properly. Prospective studies in different healthcare settings are required to externally validate our risk score

Intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine and its health belief model (HBM)-based predictors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The purpose of the research was to pool the intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and its health belief model (HBM)-based predictors, which is helpful for decision-makers and program managers around the globe. The relevant database was searched and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) appraisal checklist was used to evaluate the studies. I2 test and funnel plot was utilized to check heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model was used. The overall pooled intention to receive COVID-19 vaccine globally was 67.69%. Higher levels of perceived susceptibility (AOR = 1.85), perceived severity (AOR = 1.45), perceived benefits (AOR = 3.10), and cues to action (AOR = 3.40) positively predicted the intention; whereas high level of perceived barrier negatively predicted it (AOR = 0.53). Health beliefs influenced COVID-19 vaccine intention globally. This implies that individuals need sound health education and publicity about vaccines before vaccination

Neonatal mortality and its predictors among neonates in Jabitehnan district, Northwest Ethiopia: A single‐arm retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background and Aims Neonatal period is the most vulnerable time in which children face the greatest risk of death. Worldwide, each year, millions of newborns died in the first month of life. Sub‐Saharan Africa, Ethiopia, in particular, is largely affected. However, there is a dearth of information regarding the survival status of neonates and determinants of their mortality in the study area. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating neonatal mortality and its predictors in Jabitehnan district, Northwest Ethiopia. Method A single‐arm community‐based retrospective cohort study was conducted in March 2021 among 952 neonates born between August 2020 and February 2021. Data were collected by a semi‐structured questionnaire, and a multistage stratified sampling technique was employed to select one urban and 10 rural kebeles from the district. Then, the total sample size was proportionally allocated to these selected kebeles. Neonatal death was ascertained by community diagnosis. Kaplan–Meier curve was used to estimate survival time. Cox regression was used to identify factors, the hazard ratio was estimated, and a p‐value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The neonatal mortality rate was 44 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 33–60) per 1000 live births; and the incidence rate was 1.64 (95% CI: 1.21–2.23) per 1000 neonate days. Three‐quarters of deaths occurred in the first week of life. Medium household wealth index (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 3.54; 95 CI: 1.21–10.35), increased number of pregnancies (AHR = 1.22; 95%CI: 1.01–1.47), being male (AHR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.12–5.35) and not starting breastfeeding in the first hour of life (AHR = 4.00; 95% CI: 1.52–11.10) were found to be predictors of neonatal mortality. Conclusion Neonatal mortality was high compared to the national target. Wealth, number of pregnancies, sex of the neonate, and breastfeeding initiation were factors associated with neonatal death. Hence, strengthening interventions such as providing sexual education in the population, considering households with a medium wealth index in the exemption service, and counseling mothers about early breastfeeding initiation would improve neonatal survival

Violence against women and associated factors among female construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract Background Violence against Women (VAW) is a global public health problem; almost one in three global women experienced one form of violence. Violence free environment is the one that everyone cherishes. However, millions of women worldwide suffer from violence. In Ethiopia, VAW is very common and considered a private matter though it has serious consequences for girls and women. Studies pointed out that it varies by workplace, and hence important to assess it among female construction workers in Addis Ababa. Objective To assess the prevalence and factors contributing to gender-based violence on female construction workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2021. Methods A cross-sectional study design with a multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select 827 study participants and a face-to-face interview was held from February 24 to April 24, 2021. Data entry was done using Epi info-7 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable binary logistics regression analysis were employed. Results A total of 827 female workers were interviewed in this study. The mean age of the respondents was 24.97 years with SD of ± 5.6. The magnitude of violence against female in the workplace was 70.9% (95% CI: 67.7, 73.9). This study found that females in the age group 15–19 years (AOR = 2.37, 95%CI: 1.26, 4.45), females who live in Addis Ababa for less than 3 years (AOR = 3.02, 95%CI: 1.59, 5.73) and for 3–7 years (AOR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.00) and females who have no formal education (AOR = 3.16, 95%CI: 1.80, 5.54) had higher odds of violence at their workplace. Conclusion The magnitude of overall VAW among female construction workers in Addis Ababa was high compared to other workplaces. Age and the number of years lived in Addis Ababa were found to be significant factors of violence among female construction workers. Hence, emphasis shall be given for female construction workers in Addis Ababa

Prevalence and associated factors of early initiation of sexual intercourse among youth in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Early sexual initiation refers to engaging in sexual activity at a young age, typically before the age of 18. Even though many studies have been conducted in Ethiopia, the result is inconsistent between studies. In the study area, the pooled prevalence and associated factors of early initiation of sexual intercourse among youth were not done before. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and associated factors of early initiation of sexual intercourse among Youth in Ethiopia. Methods This study used a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies conducted from 2008 to 2022, in Ethiopia. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Hinari, and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched. The analysis was performed using STATA 17 software. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using forest plots, I2 , Cochran’s Q statistics and Funnel plots, Egger test, and Begg rank tests respectively. Duval and Tweedie’s ‘trim and fill’ method was also performed to adjust the pooled estimate. Pooled analysis was conducted using the inverse-variance fixed-effects model. Results A total of 10 articles were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of early initiation of sexual intercourse among youth in Ethiopia was 24.7% (95%CI: 10.4, 38.9). Being female (AOR = 3.57; 95% CI: 1.387, 5.743), having poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention (AOR = 3.65; 95% CI: 1.981,5.309), alcohol use (AOR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.415, 2.679), khat chewing (AOR = 3.03; 95% CI: 1.800, 4.254), Viewed pornographic film(AOR = 4.21, 95% CI: 2.135, 6.283), Cigarette smoking (AOR = 2.74; 95% CI: 2.102, 3.370) and Poor family controls (AOR = 4.39; 95% CI: 2.572, 6.199)were associated factors of early initiation of sexual intercourse. Conclusions The pooled prevalence of early initiation of sexual intercourse among Youth in Ethiopia was high. Being female, poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention, alcohol use, khat chewing, Viewing pornographic films, Cigarette smoking, and poor family controls were associated factors of early initiation of sexual intercourse. It is recommended that targeted interventions be put in place to address the high prevalence of early initiation of sexual intercourse among youth in Ethiopia. These interventions should focus on addressing the associated factors such as poor knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention, alcohol use, khat chewing, viewing pornographic films, cigarette smoking, and poor family controls. It is important that these interventions are gender-sensitive and take into consideration the unique challenges faced by females in accessing sexual and reproductive health services

Trends and factors associated with teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia: multivariate decomposition analysis

Abstract Teenage is a time of transition from childhood to adulthood. This stage is a time of change and needs particular care and ongoing support. Adolescent pregnancy remains a common health care problem in low- and middle-income countries, and it is associated with higher maternal and neonatal complications. Thus, this study aimed to determine the trends and factors associated with them that either positively or negatively contributed to the change in teenage pregnancy in Ethiopia. Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data from 2005 to 2016 were used for this study. A total weighted sample of 10,655 (3265 in 2005, 4009 in 2011, and 3381 in 2016) teenagers was included. Trends and the proportion of teenage pregnancies for each factor over time were explored. Then, a logit-based multivariate decomposition analysis for a non-linear response model was fitted to identify the factors that contributed to the change in teenage pregnancy. Statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05 and the analysis was carried out on weighted data. Teenage pregnancy declined significantly from 16.6% (95% CI: 15.4, 17.9) to 12.5% (95% CI: 11.4, 13.6) in the study period, with an annual reduction rate of 2.5%. About 49.8% of the decrease in teenage pregnancy was attributed to the change in the effect of the characteristics. The compositional change in primary educational status (41.8%), secondary or above educational status (24.55%), being from households with a rich wealth index (1.41%) were factors positively contributed to the decline in teenage pregnancy, whereas being from a Muslim religion (−12.5%) was the factor that negatively contributed to the reduction in teenage pregnancy. This study has shown that teenage pregnancy declined significantly; however, it is still unacceptably high. The changes in compositional factors of teenagers were responsible for the observed reduction in the prevalence of teen pregnancy rates in Ethiopia. Educational status, religion, and wealth index were found to be significant factors that contributed to the reduction in teenage pregnancy. Therefore, intervention programs targeting adolescents should address the socio-economic inequalities of these influential factors to reduce teenage pregnancy and related complications

Health facility delivery service utilization and its associated factors among women in the pastoralist regions of Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Background and Aims Utilizing health facility delivery services is one of the pillars of lowering maternal mortality. However, the coverage of health facility delivery service utilization continues to be uneven around the world. In Ethiopia, particularly among pastoralist regions, health facility delivery service utilization is less common. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the pooled prevalence of health facility delivery service utilization and identify the associated factors among women in the pastoralist regions of Ethiopia. Methods A comprehensive systematic search was carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE, Hinary, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Google, and Ethiopian online university repositories. Studies were appraised using the JBI appraisal checklist. The analysis was done using STATA version 16. The pooled analysis was conducted using DerSimonian and Laird random‐effects model. I2 test and Eggers & Begg's tests were used to assess the heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. p < 0.05 was set to determine the statistical significance of all the tests. Results The pooled prevalence of health facility delivery service utilization was 23.09% (95% CI: 18.05%−28.12%). Have ANC visit during pregnancy (OR = 3.75, [95% CI: 1.84−7.63]), have information regarding maternal health service fee exemption (OR = 9.51, [95% CI: 1.41−64.26]), have a nearby health facility (OR = 3.49, [95% CI: 1.48−8.20]), and women attend secondary and above education (OR = 3.06, [95% CI: 1.77−5.29]) were found to be significant associated factors. Conclusions Health facility delivery service utilization is very low in pastoralist regions of Ethiopia, and ANC follow‐up, distance from the health facility, women's educational status, and information regarding maternal health service fees were identified as significant associated factors. Consequently, strengthening ANC services, introducing free health services to the community, and constructing health facilities for the nearby residents are recommended to improve the practice