Determinants of male participation in reproductive healthcare services: a cross-sectional study

Background The role of male’s participation in reproductive healthcare is now well-recognized. The present study investigated the role of men in some selected reproductive health issues, characterizing their involvement, including factors influencing their participation in reproductive healthcare services. Methods This study was conducted in the working areas of urban and rural implemented by NGOs. The sample-size was determined scientifically. The systematic sampling procedure was used for selecting the sample. The study included 615 men aged 25-45 years. Bivariate analysis was performed between male’s involvement as the dependent variable with several independent variables. Logistic regression analysis was applied to assess the effects of risk factors on the participation of men in reproductive health care services. Results The mean age of the respondents was little over 34 years while their mean years of schooling was 3.7, and their mean monthly income was about Tk 3,400 (US$ 1 = Tk 70) at the time of the study. Rickshaw-pulling and driving was the main occupation of the respondents from the urban while farming were main occupation in the rural area respectively. About two-thirds of the respondents discussed reproductive health issues with their wives and accompanied them to healthcare facilities. The current contraceptive-use rate was 63% among the men who attended the evening clinics. Results of bivariate analysis showed a significant association with education, occupation, income, access to media, and number of living children. Results of logistic regression analysis showed that secondary to higher education level, number of living children, paid employment status, long marital duration, and access to media were important correlates of males’ involvement in reproductive healthcare services. Conclusions The results imply that a greater integration of reproductive healthcare matters with the Millennium Development Goals and increasing perception of men through enrollment in various components of reproductive activities will produce synergistic effects

PREVALENCE AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING PRACTICE AMONG MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN 0–6 MONTHS AT FINOTE SELAM TOWN, NORTHWEST ETHIOPIA: A COMMUNITY-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice and its associated factors among mothers with children 0–6 months at Finote Selam town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted on (n=415) women with children 0–6 months derived using simple and multistage sampling techniques. Data have been analyzed using univariate, binary, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence rate of exclusive breastfeeding practice in the study area was 67%. Results display that the vulnerable groups, such as mothers being illiterate, low-income group, and lived in rural regions, have come on a double burden of death throughout delivery and have much fewer practices of breastfeeding in comparison with different moms of children aged 0–6 months due to the fact that the respondents have variations in socioeconomic traits and how the way they’re under the different cultural influence. Conclusion: This study might allow policymakers, medical sociologists, and health extension practitioners to broaden extra powerful all-rounded interventions to minimize the poor exercise of exclusive breastfeeding

Prevalence of premarital sexual practice and associated factors among undergraduate health science students of Madawalabu University, Bale Goba, South East Ethiopia: institution based cross sectional study

Introduction: Several studies in Sub- Saharan Africa have documented high and increasing premarital sexual activities among adolescents.  Younger people face social, peer and cultural pressure to engage in  premarital sex. As a result, significant numbers of adolescents are involved in sexual activities at an early age which exposes them to the risk of unintended pregnancy, early marriage, abortion and STIs/HIV/AIDS. This study was conducted to determine Prevalence of premarital sexual practice and associated factors among Health science students of Madawalabu University, Ethiopia. Methods: A Descriptive cross sectional survey was employed and three hundred twenty four students were randomly selected after proportional allocation according to their level of education. Data were collected by a self –administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Version 16. A stepwise logistic regression with forward method was used to identify  independent predictors of premarital sexual practices at 95% CI and P value less than 0.05.Results: Of respondents 181 (59.9%) who had a boy or girl friends; about 129 (42.7%) have had premarital sexual intercourse. Out of sexually active respondents, 85 (66.4%) had one sexual partner, 44 (33.6%) had two or more sexual partners. The average age of starting sexual intercourses was 18.4 ±2.14years. Sixty three (20.9%) of respondents reported tobacco smoking and 117 (38.7%) reported consumption of alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Alcohol use, boarding, sex, educational level and discussion about sexuality were significantly associated with premarital sexual intercourses. So, there is the need to step up Reproductive health club at the university to bring behavior change among the students in order to detain the usual consequences of premarital sexual practices and risky sexual behavio

Prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms and associated factors among pregnant women in Maichew, North Ethiopia: an institution based study

Background: Antenatal depression is one of the common problems during pregnancy with a magnitude of 20% to 30% globally. It can negatively endanger women’s and off springs lives. As there are scarce reports on this area in Northern Ethiopia, it is important to carry out different studies that explore the magnitude of the problem and related factors in rural areas. The aim of this study is thus to assess the magnitude of antenatal depressive symptoms and associated factors among women at Maichew Town, North Ethiopia.Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted among 196 pregnant women from April to June 2015. Pregnant women who had antenatal care follow-ups at the public health facilities were included in the study. Through proportional allocation to each facility, systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. We used the local language version of Beck Depression Inventory to assess depressive symptoms with a cutoff point of 14 or more. Data was collected by trained Psychiatric Nurses; data entry and analysis were processed by SPSS window 20. The level of significance was determined using odds ratio and 95% confidence interval.Result: About 16.3% of the participants had never given birth before, and 46.4% and 42.3% were in the third and second trimesters of pregnancy respectively. Unwanted pregnancy was reported by 25.5% of the participants. Among those with previous pregnancy, 7.1% had previous obstetric complication. The magnitude of depression was 31.1%. Pregnant women with low level of income (AOR=3.66 (95%CI; 1.12, 11.96)), unmarried (AOR=4.07 (95% CI; 1.18, 14.04)) and house wives (AOR= 4.24 (1.38, 13.03)) were risk groups for depression.Conclusion: Antenatal depression is a common problem; thus screening activities of depression in antenatal care services should be emphasized with more concern to unmarried women, those with low level of income and house wives.Keywords: Antenatal depression, Mental Distress, Depression, Depression during pregnanc

Level and Factors Associated with Professional Commitment of Health Professionals Providing Institutional Delivery Services in Public Health Facilities, Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Professional commitment is beyond a commitment for a particular organization and implies the individuals’ perspective towards their profession and the motivation that they have to stay in their job with willingness to strive and uphold the values and goals of the profession. InEthiopia, uptake of institutional delivery services is low. However, the level and factors associated with professional commitment is not known so far. Hence, our objective is to assess the level and factors associated with commitment of health professionals providing institutional delivery services in public health facilities of  Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from March 01-20, 2016. A total of 442 eligible health professionals were included from randomly selected 7 districts and 47 respective health facilities. Health professionals were requested to fill self-administered questionnaire. After checking its completeness, the data was entered into EPI data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for statistical analysis. Factor analysis was conducted. Simple and multiple linear regression were done using 95%CI and significance was declared at P<0.05. All assumptions of linear regression and principal component analysis were checked.RESULTS: The percentage mean score of professional commitment was 72.71% (SD21.88). The percentage mean score for perceived maternal health goal scale was 68.37% with the total variance explained being 69.68%. Perceived staff interaction, work-life balance, affective organizational commitment, normative organizational commitment, personal characteristics and perceived maternal health goal were independent predictors of professional commitment.CONCLUSION: The percentages mean score of professional commitment was medium. Hence, Health professionals should foster their level of professional commitment to increase uptake of institutional delivery services.KEYWORDS: Commitment, health professionals, Institutional delivery service uptake

Birth outcome and HIV infection among labouring women in Assosa Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia

Background: Perinatal mortality rate is a sensitive indicator of quality of care provided to women in pregnancy, at and after childbirth and to the newborns in the first week of life. Regular prenatal audit would help in identifying all the factors that play a role in causing prenatal deaths and thus help take appropriate interventions to reduce the avoidable once, at least. Knowledge of mothers’ HIV positive status provides an entry point for appropriate care of the mothers, HIV exposed infants and other family members including children. Objectives: To assess birth outcomes and the magnitude of HIV infection among labouring mothers in Assosa hospital. Method: An institution-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Assosa hospital from September 2008 to August 2009. A total of 581 labouring women were interviewed using a pretested structured questionnaire. Results: Data was obtained from 581 mothers. HIV infection among labouring women was 6.5%. Mothers, who had primary education [AOR=4.76, 95%CI= 1.81-12.52], no formal education [AOR=3.05, 95%CI= 1.08-8.64], mothers with two or more pregnancies [AOR=2.64, 95%CI= 1.08-6.49], and Muslims [AOR=0.32,95%CI= 0.13-0.82] were the independent predictors of HIV infection. There were 525 live births. The prenatal deaths were 69, making an overall prenatal mortality of 119 per 1000 total births. Bivariate analysis showed that rural women, women who had no ANC visit, mothers aged 30 years and above, with no formal education, housewives, Berta women of in ethnic group and Muslim were crudely associated with higher risk of prenatal mortality. Conclusion: The study identified high level of perinatal mortality and HIV infection. This study calls for effective antenatal care, delivering service, and a coordinated referral system and community interventions including HIV counseling, testing (VCT), treatment and support

Postnatal Care Utilization and Associated Factors among Married Women in Benchi-Maji Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, maternal health service utilization is very low,especially postnatal care (PNC). The percentage of mothers who receive care within two days of childbirth has shown little progress, from 2.4% in 2000 to 13% in 2014. However, it is very far below the expected level as compared to other sub-Saharan regions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess PNC services utilization and its associated factors among married women in Benchi-Maji Zone, Southwest EthiopiaMETHOD: A cross-sectional studywas conducted from June 15 to August 15, 2015. A total of 801 married women wassampled from randomly selected districts in the zone. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect, data and informed consent was obtained from participants. The collected data were entered into the computer using Epi-data version 3.0, and then exported to SPSS Windows version 20.0 for analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify important predictors of PNC utilization.RESULT: Out of 765 participants, 392(51.24%) of married women who attended PNC in this study. Out of them, more than two-third 305(77.8%) attended mainly to immunize their baby.The vast majority, 251(86.3%), of respondents mentioned lack of information as a main reason for not following PNC, and of them, the majority mentioned that they were appointed to come after 45 days for Family Planning(FP). In comparison with house wives, farmer women were less likely (AOR 0.3, 95 % CI 0.2-0.7) to attend for PNC. Awareness of problems during postnatal period showedthe strongest association in which those who knew the problems were about nine times (AOR 8.7 95 % CI 5.6-13.4) more likely to attend PNC. Similarly, married women who followedantenatal care (ANC) were more likely (AOR 2.2 95 % CI 1.1-4.6) to attend PNC in comparison with those who did not attend ANC at all.CONCLUSION: Residence, ANC follow-up, maternal occupation, awareness about problems of postnatal period had effects on use of PNC. In light of this study, providing deep counselling about PNC at the timeof ANC visit and discharge after delivery is strongly recommended. Furthermore, targeting more of rural married women may increase PNC utilization.KEYWORDS: PNC, Benchi-Maji, Southwest Ethiopia, Crosssectional study, Mizan-Tepi Universit

Perinatal mortality and associated risk factors: a case control study

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mortality is reported to be five times higher in developing than in developed nations. Little is known about the commonly associated risk factors for perinatal mortality in Southern Nations National Regional State of Ethiopia. METHODS: A case control study for perinatal mortality was conducted in University hospital between 2008 and 2010. Cases were stillbirths and early neonatal deaths. Controls were those live newborns till discharged from the hospital. Subgroup binary logistic regression analyses were done to identify associated risk factors for perinatal mortality, stillbirths and early neonatal deaths. RESULTS: A total of 1356 newborns (452 cases and 904 controls) were included in this analysis. The adjusted perinatal mortality rate was 85/1000 total delivery. Stillbirths accounted for 87% of total perinatal mortality. The proportion of hospital perinatal deaths was 26%. Obstructed labor was responsible for more than one third of perinatal deaths. Adjusted odds ratios revealed that obstructed labor, malpresentation, preterm birth, antepartum hemmorrhage and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were independent predictors for high perinatal mortality. In the subgroup analysis, among others, obstructed labor and antepartum hemorrhage found to have independent association with both stillbirths and early neonatal deaths. CONCLUSION: The perinatal mortality rate was more than two fold higher than the estimated national perinatal mortality;and obstructed labor, malpresentation, preterm birth, antepartum hemmorrhage and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were independent predictors. The reason for the poor progress of labor and developing obstructed labor is an area of further investigation.Keywords: Case control, early neonatal death, Ethiopia, obstructed labor, perinatal mortality, stillbirthEthiopian Journal of Health Sciences vol 22 (3) 201