Determinants of Dietary Adequacy Among School Age Children in Guraghe Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Dietary diversity (DD) is a validated proxy indicator of micronutrient adequacy among different age groups including infants, children and women. This study assessed level of dietary adequacy and its associated factors among school age children in Guraghe Zone, Ethiopia. Survey was conducted among 769 children aged 6 to 12 years of with their care givers using multistage sampling method. Data were collected by using structured questionnaire containing the ten food groups for minimum dietary diversity for women and other parts. Adequate dietary diversity was categorized those children who consume at least five food groups. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression with odds ratios (95% CI) was computed. Overall 769 children were included in the study, with a mean age of 8 years. The mean dietary diversity score was 4.9 (±1.42). About 444 (58.3%) had an inadequate dietary diversity. Those children from extended family size had 1.3 times to have inadequate DD level (AOR=1.3). Children from female headed households, did not attend formal education had 1.3 and 1.4 times higher odds of having an inadequate DD level (AOR=1.3 and 1.4). Similarly, children living with uneducated caregiver had six fold more likely to have an adequate DD level (AOR=6.7). The dietary diversity of children in the study area was below average. Household head, caregiver\u27s educational status, occupation of the household head, father/female headed household and family size were found to be associated with DD score. There should be awareness creation through existing Health extension platform and back yard vegetation should be improved

Factors Associated with Late Initiation of Antenatal Care among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic at Public Health Centers in Kembata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to identify those factors associated with late initiation of antenatal care among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in public health centers in Kembata Tembaro Zone, Ethiopia. A facility based cross-sectional study with supplement of qualitative data was carried out to collect data from 401 pregnant women who were attending antenatal care service at five randomly selected governmental health centres in Kembata Tembaro Zone from March 10 to May 8, 2012 .  Pretested and structured questionnaire was used to collect the data and data were entered onto a computer using Epi-info 3.5.1 statistical program then exported to SPSS Windows version 16.0 for further analysis. Binary descriptive statistics and multiple variable regressions were done.This study showed that prevalence of late entry to antenatal care was 68.6%. The mean timing was 5.5±1.8 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, maternal education, family income, parity, previous utilization of antenatal care and type of pregnancy remained significant factors influencing late booking. The findings of this study showed that most women book antenatal care late. This seems to be because antenatal care is viewed primarily as curative rather than preventive in the study population. Public enlightenment, health education coupled with women empowerment would be helpful in reducing the problem. In addition to that incorporation of the benefits of early booking in the routine antenatal care education

Observation of resonant interactions among surface gravity waves

We experimentally study resonant interactions of oblique surface gravity waves in a large basin. Our results strongly extend previous experimental results performed mainly for perpendicular or collinear wave trains. We generate two oblique waves crossing at an acute angle, while we control their frequency ratio, steepnesses and directions. These mother waves mutually interact and give birth to a resonant wave whose properties (growth rate, resonant response curve and phase locking) are fully characterized. All our experimental results are found in good quantitative agreement with four-wave interaction theory with no fitting parameter. Off-resonance experiments are also reported and the relevant theoretical analysis is conducted and validated.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Cattle milk and meat production and marketing systems and opportunities for market-orientation in Fogera woreda, Amhara region, Ethiopia

This study was conducted in Fogera woreda, South Gondar Zone of the Amhara National Regional State in northwestern Ethiopia in 2005/06. The aim was to characterize cattle milk and meat production and marketing systems, identify the major constraints and provide development interventions for more market-orientation. Twelve kebeles were randomly selected (five from the Fogera plains and seven outside the plains) based on their potential for cattle milk and meat production. A total of 480 households were sampled from these kebeles and focus group discussion, personal observations and administration of semi-structured questionnaires on milk and meat production practices were employed. Only 12 (2.52%) of the respondents were female-headed households. About 98.8% of cattle milk and meat production was based on traditional husbandry using indigenous cattle breeds. The Fogera cattle is the major breed used and is mainly found in the Damote, Sendeye and Tigre mender villages. The main feed resources in the woreda are communal grazing land and crop residues of teff, rice, finger millet, barley, wheat, chickpea, field pea and maize. The communal grazing land currently accounts for about 9602.4 ha; out of which 3418.5 ha (35.6%) is infested by a noxious weed known as Asracantha longifolia (amykila). Over a period of two years, large area of communal grazing land has been transformed into crop farms, mainly to rice production, and this has apparently created severe feed shortage in the woreda. Flooding of the plains during the wet season from Gumara and Rib rivers further reduced the availability of grazing land. In addition, large number of animals are trekked from the highlands of Fogera and adjacent woredas of Dera and Estie to the plains during the dry season and this has resulted in inter-breeding of the Fogera cattle breed with highland zebus and has exacerbated the feed shortage. Rice husk, a by-product from rice polishers, is becoming an important feed resource. On average, about 35 kg of rice husk is produced from a quintal of rice. The major water resources are wells (48.8%), rivers (47.2%), lake (3%), ponds (2.3%) and tap water (0.2%). Cattle are watered once a day. Trypanosomiasis, facioliasis and schistosomiasis are the most prevalent diseases

Social and Economic Integration/participation of Sub-Saharan African Adults into Finnish Society

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.The objective of this study is to evaluate the social and economic integration/participation of sub-Saharan Africans into Finnish society and to come up with possible recommendations which would smoothen and facilitate their social and economic participation. This study is based on literature, documents, and statistics and also on interviews of 28 sub-Saharan Africans from Somalia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria. In this study social integration refers to immigrants' social contact and relations with the Finnish society, while economic integration deals with immigrants' participation in the labour market. The result of the study shows that because of dissimilar pre-and post-immigration factors, African immigrants and refugees have diverging social and economic participation and experiences. The educational level, religion, and culture as pre-immigration factors and Finnish language skills, racism, and the high national unemployment rate as post-immigration factors, all are affecting the socio-economic integration of Black Africans. Theoretically it might be thought that immigrants unlike refugees are in a better position to integrate themselves socially and economically, as they immigrated to Finland with some possibility of finding out what awaits them. But the experience of sub-Saharan Africans shows that being an immigrant or a refugee does not have much to do with one's integration into Finnish society with the exception of most of the Somali housewives whose social and economic withdrawal has marginalized them from participating in Finnish society. The information gathered from the interviewees shows also that most of those who have good knowledge of the Finnish language and who did their studies in Finland are economically integrated. Socialisation of black African immigrants and refugees with the majority population is limited because of negative prejudices. Both casual and intimate relations is mainly with Finnish women. After discussions concerning three different immigrant integration models of Anglo-Saxon countries (deliberated by J. Rex, S. Castles and others) and evaluation of the social and economic participation of Black Africans, this study affirms the salience of having a multicultural integration policy for the good of both the host society and immigrants. Preparing effective anti-discrimination laws and setting up governmental or non-governmental monitoring body, arranging intensive and tailored Finnish language courses, building trust between the police and immigrants, and positive and unbiased media coverage of immigrants' would lay the basis for effective social and economic participation of African immigrants and refugees

Community Based Newborn Care in Ethiopia: Executive Summary for the Quality of CBNC programme assessment Midline Evaluation Report

Report from IDEA

Missed appointments among rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) patients at a decentralised RRTB outpatient clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa

Background. With the implementation of outpatient (ambulatory) decentralised rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) treatment in South Africa (SA) since late 2011, the high rates of loss from treatment are a significant concern. Missed appointments lead to treatment interruptions and may contribute to amplification of resistance, ongoing transmission of RR-TB and an increased risk of morbidity and mortality to the patient.Objective. To describe characteristics of patients who missed scheduled appointments during ambulatory RR-TB treatment.Methods. The study was a retrospective, deidentified electronic medical record review of RR-TB patients at an outpatient clinic in Johannesburg, SA, from March 2013 to December 2014. Associations between missed appointments and clinical and demographic characteristics were analysed using time-to-event Cox proportional hazards regression.Results. Of 172 patients who met the eligibility criteria, 53.5% missed at least one appointment and 39.5% missed three or more. More than half (59.8%) of first missed appointments occurred within the first 3 months after treatment initiation. The median number of days from initiation until the first missed appointment was 82 (interquartile range 52 - 260.5). HIV-infected patients with a CD4 count of ≤100 cells/ μL (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 4.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49 - 12.18), patients referred from an inpatient facility (aHR 1.96, 95% CI 1.18 - 3.25) and patients aged 18 - 24 years as opposed to those aged 35 - 44 years (aHR 3.26, 95% CI 1.20 - 8.84) were all more likely to miss one or more appointments.Conclusion. HIV-infected patients with a low CD4 count, patients referred from inpatient care and young patients are at high risk of missing appointments and should receive interventions targeted at improving retention

Community Based Newborn Care in Ethiopia: Quality of CBNC programme assessment Midline Evaluation Report March 2017

Report from IDEA