Intention to voluntary blood donation among private higher education students, Jimma town, Oromia, Ethiopia: Application of the theory of planned behaviour.

BackgroundBlood is an important and crucial component in the management of patients presenting with severe accident injuries, surgical conditions, malignancies, pregnancy-related complications, and other medical conditions.ObjectivesTo assess intention to voluntary blood donation among private higher education students in Jimma Town, South West Ethiopia, 2019.MethodsInstitution-based cross-sectional study with quantitative methods was conducted in private higher education students in Jimma town. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit study participants. First, a simple random sampling technique was used to select departments in each private higher education institution. Seven departments were included in the study and after proportionally allocated in each department, a total of 595 were participated in the study, producing a response rate of 98%. The data was collected using self-administered structured questioners with 3 trained data collectors. Multivariable linear regression analysis was done to assess association between the independent variables and dependent variable.ResultsThe mean score for intention of the respondents to donate blood voluntarily was 15.41 out of 25 with standard deviation of 4.42.The TPB variables explained 61.3% of the variance of intention to donate blood. Direct perceived behavioral control (β = 0.745, P ConclusionRespondents' intentions are mainly determined by perceived barriers and, subjective norms, the attitude of respondents towards voluntary blood donation

Abundance, Diversity, and Distribution of Primates at Welel Mountain, Kellem Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Primates are the mammals of the order Primate that is characterized by advanced development of binocular vision and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres. The aim of this study was to investigate the abundance, diversity, and distribution of primates on Welel Mountain. From August 2017 to February 2018, we collected data from different parts of Welel Mountain during wet and dry seasons of the year and analyzed them using SPSS version 20. We identified four primate species: Chlorocebus aethiops, Cercopithecus mitis, Papio anubis, and Colobus guereza. We conducted t-test analysis for abundance and distribution of primates in wet and dry season of the year, and the P value obtained was 0.20. The mean percentages of primates in forest, woodland, and shrubs were 43.16%, 32.26%, and 24.58%, respectively. Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′) value was higher in wet season than in dry season. The current study showed that the species are distributed more evenly in wet season than in dry season, and the number of young individuals is more than that of adults. This indicates that currently the status of primates population on Welel Mountain is good. Therefore, to keep the status of primates in the study area effective, wildlife management and conservation policy should be formulated

Clinical Presentation of Retinoblastoma in Ethiopia: A Case of Jimma University Medical Center Pediatric Oncology Unit, Southwest Ethiopia

BACKGROUND፡ Retinoblastoma (RB) is one of the most curable childhood cancers if early detected and treated. Late presentation complicates the management of RB results in dismal treatment outcome. Objective: The aim of this study is to report the clinical presentation pattern of retinoblastoma patients seen at Jimma University Medical center (JUMC).METHODS: The study was a retrospective review of retinoblastoma cases managed at JUMC between August 2016 and July 2020.RESULTS: Among pediatric oncology cases registered retinoblastoma, accounting 8.5 % (36/423) of all childhood cancer patients in the study period, 29 (90.6%) of them had unilateral retinoblastoma and 3(9.4%) of them had bilateral retinoblastoma. The average age at presentation for bilateral and unilateral retinoblastoma patients was 17 (range 3-30) months and 37.5 months (range 8-84) respectively. The first symptom observed by the family was leukocoria in 21 (65.6%) of the patients but 24(75%) of the patients presented with advanced stage (proptosis and fungating orbital mass) of the disease. The longest and the shortest lag time of presentation from the first symptom was 17 months and 2 weeks respectively with the mean lag time of 1.4 months in bilateral and 6 months in unilateralcases. Clinically, the majority of the eyes 24/35(68.6%) were extraocular tumors involving orbital tissues at presentation.CONCLUSION: Most of retinoblastoma patients presented at advanced stage of the disease and presented very late after the family observed the disease. Early detection strategies must be designed by the government and responsible stakeholders in mitigating the effects of late presentation

Competing risk models to evaluate the factors for time to loss to follow-up among tuberculosis patients at Ambo General Hospital

Abstract Background A major challenge for most tuberculosis programs is the inability of tuberculosis patients to complete treatment for one reason or another. Failure to complete the treatment contributes to the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for time to loss to follow-up treatment by considering death as a competing risk event among tuberculosis patients admitted to directly observed treatment short course at Ambo General Hospital, Ambo, Ethiopia. Methods Data collected from 457 tuberculosis patients from January 2018 to January 2022 were used for the analysis. The cause-specific hazard and sub-distribution hazard models for competing risks were used to model the outcome of interest and to identify the prognostic factors associated to treatment loss to follow-up. Loss to follow-up was used as an outcome measure and death as a competing event. Results Of the 457 tuberculosis patients enrolled, 54 (11.8%) were loss to follow-up their treatment and 33 (7.2%) died during the follow up period. The median time of loss to follow-up starting from the date of treatment initiation was 4.2 months. The cause-specific hazard and sub-distribution hazard models revealed that sex, place of residence, HIV status, contact history, age and baseline weights of patients were significant risk factors associated with time to loss to follow-up treatment. The findings showed that the estimates of the covariates effects were different for the cause specific and sub-distribution hazard models. The maximum relative difference observed for the covariate between the cause specific and sub-distribution hazard ratios was 12.2%. Conclusions Patients who were male, rural residents, HIV positive, and aged 41 years or older were at higher risk of loss to follow-up their treatment. This underlines the need that tuberculosis patients, especially those in risk categories, be made aware of the length of the directly observed treatment short course and the effects of discontinuing treatment

Prevalence of Leukemia and Associated Factors among Patients with Abnormal Hematological Parameters in Jimma Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction. Leukemia is a heterogeneous group of hematological disorder which comprise several diverse and biologically distinct subgroups. Leukemia represents the 11th and 10th most frequent cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide, respectively. Adequate data regarding the prevalence of leukemia are lacking in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence of leukemia and associated factors among patients who have abnormal hematological parameters in Jimma Medical Center. Methodology. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving 332 patients who have abnormal hematological parameters. Complete blood count from venous blood was made with Sysmex autohematology analyzer (Sysmex XS-500i and XT-1800; Kobe, Japan). Peripheral blood morphology and bone marrow aspirate examination were done for each patient. Descriptive statistics for the prevalence of leukemia and multinomial logistic regression analysis to assess associated factors were executed with IBM SPSS version 25. Results. The prevalence of leukemia was 9.3%, while acute myeloid leukemia, Acute Lymphoid Leukemia, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and undifferentiated leukemia comprises 3.6%, 2.7%, 1.8%, 0.6%, and 0.3%, respectively. Older Age (p=0.019), being male (p=0.047), being anemic (p=0.03), and rural residency of a patient (p=0.044) were significantly associated with having acute myeloid leukemia. Conclusion. The prevalence of leukemia among patients who have abnormal hematological parameters in Jimma Medical Center is significant which needs further comprehensive investigations of the associated factors and predictors with more up to date diagnostic methods

Myths, beliefs, and perceptions about COVID-19 in Ethiopia: A need to address information gaps and enable combating efforts.

BackgroundThe endeavor to tackle the spread of COVID-19 effectively remains futile without the right grasp of perceptions and beliefs presiding in the community. Therefore, this study aimed to assess myths, beliefs, perceptions, and information gaps about COVID-19 in Ethiopia.MethodsAn internet-based survey was conducted in Ethiopia from April 22 to May 04, 2020. The survey link was promoted through emails, social media, and the Jimma University website. Perceptions about COVID-19 have considered the World Health Organization (WHO) resources and local beliefs. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 20.0. Classifications and lists of factors for each thematic perception of facilitators, inhibitors, and information needs were generated. Explanatory factor analysis (EFA) was executed to assist categorizations. Standardized mean scores of the categories were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests. A significant difference was claimed at p-value ResultsA total of 929 responses were gathered during the study period. The EFA generated two main categories of perceived facilitators of COVID-19 spread: behavioral non-adherence (55.9%) and lack of enablers (86.5%). Behavioral non-adherence was illustrated by fear of stigma (62.9%), not seeking care (59.3%), and hugging and shaking (44.8%). Perceived lack of enablers of precautionary measures includes staying home impossible due to economic challenges (92.4%), overcrowding (87.6%), and inaccessible face masks (81.6%) and hand sanitizers (79.1%). Perceived inhibitors were categorized into three factors: two misperceived, myths (31.6%) and false assurances (32.9%), and one correctly identified; engagement in standard precautions (17.1%). Myths about protection from the virus involve perceived religiosity and effectiveness of selected food items, hot weather, traditional medicine, and alcohol drinking, ranging from 15.1% to 54.7%. False assurances include people's perception that they were living far away from areas where COVID-19 was rampant (36.9%), and no locally reported cases were present (29.5%). There were tremendous information needs reported about COVID-19 concerning protection methods (62.6%), illness behavior and treatment (59.5%), and quality information, including responses to key unanswered questions such as the origin of the virus (2.4%). Health workers were perceived as the most at-risk group (83.3%). The children, adolescents, youths were marked at low to moderate (45.1%-62.2%) risk of COVID-19. Regional, township, and access to communication showed significant variations in myths, false assurances, and information needs (p ConclusionsConsidering young population as being at low risk of COVID-19 would be challenging to the control efforts, and needs special attention. Risk communication and community engagement efforts should consider regional and township variations of myths and false assurances. It should also need to satisfy information needs, design local initiatives that enhance community ownership of the control of the virus, and thereby support engagement in standard precautionary measures. All forms of media should be properly used and regulated to disseminate credible information while filtering out myths and falsehoods

Incidence and geographic distribution of retinoblastoma in Ethiopia

Abstract Introduction Retinoblastoma is the most frequent intraocular malignancy of the eye in children, occurring in early childhood. Based on global estimates, Ethiopia is expected to observe over 200 new retinoblastoma cases per year, however without a cancer registry, this number is difficult to confirm. Therefore, the goal of the study was to determine the incidence and geographic distribution of retinoblastoma in Ethiopia. Methods A retrospective medical chart review of clinically diagnosed new retinoblastoma patients between January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2020, in four public Ethiopian tertiary hospitals was performed. The incidence of retinoblastoma was calculated by a birth-cohort analysis. Results There were 221 retinoblastoma patients observed in the study period. The incidence of retinoblastoma was found to be 1 in 52,156 live births. Incidence varied among different regions of Ethiopia. Conclusion The incidence of retinoblastoma observed in this study is likely an underestimate. It is possible that patients were undercounted because they were seen outside of the 4 main retinoblastoma treatment facilities included in this facility, or they experienced barriers to accessing care. Our study suggests a need for a nationwide retinoblastoma registry and more retinoblastoma treatment centers in the country

Psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia : an online cross-sectional study to identify the need for equal attention of intervention

Background The COVID-19 pandemic led individuals to suffer from different levels of mental health problems such as psychological distress, anxiety, depression, denial, panic, and fear. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of psychological distress and associated factors among the Ethiopian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed through an online survey using different online platforms. The questionnaire was created through Google Form and the survey link was administered by e-mail, LinkedIn, Telegram, and Facebook. Educated Ethiopian population who have access to the internet were invited to participate through an online survey and addressed to 929 respondents. The study participants completed the survey anonymously without any personal identifier. The psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 10-item tool to measure psychological distress. Data were analyzed using SPSS and logistic regression to examine mutually adjusted associations, expressed as adjusted odds ratios. A generalized additive model was also employed to identify additional predictors using R. Results The prevalence of high psychological distress among the study population was 236 (25.5%). Of all respondents, 421 (45.1%) had low psychological distress, 274 (29.4%) had moderate psychological distress, 164 (17.6%) had high psychological distress, and 72 (7.3%) had very high psychological distress. Psychological distress increased with being at young and middle-aged adults, getting information from social media, and not correctly practicing infection prevention and control measures to prevent COVID-19 infection. Respondents with high perceived severity had increased psychological distress. On the contrary, those with the highest score of perceived response efficacy had low distress. Conclusion Prevalence of psychological distress was substantial. The need for intervention of psychological distress inline with the prevention of COVID-19 is critically essential. The intervention target groups are those whose information sources are from social media, young and middle-aged adults, and those who do not correctly practice infection prevention and control measures against COVID-19 infection

Factors influencing treatment decision‐making for cancer patients in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A scoping review

Abstract Purpose In this scoping review, we evaluated existing literature related to factors influencing treatment decision‐making for patients diagnosed with cancer in low‐ and middle‐income countries, noting factors that influence decisions to pursue treatment with curative versus non‐curative intent. We identified an existing framework for adult cancer developed in a high‐income country (HIC) context and described similar and novel factors relevant to low‐and middle‐income country settings. Methods We used scoping review methodology to identify and synthesize existing literature on factors influencing decision‐making for pediatric and adult cancer in these settings. Articles were identified through an advanced Boolean search across six databases, inclusive of all article types from inception through July 2022. Results Seventy‐nine articles were identified from 22 countries across six regions, primarily reporting the experiences of lower‐middle and upper‐middle‐income countries. Included articles largely represented original research (54%), adult cancer populations (61%), and studied patients as the targeted population (51%). More than a quarter of articles focused exclusively on breast cancer (28%). Approximately 30% described factors that influenced decisions to choose between therapies with curative versus non‐curative intent. Of 56 reported factors, 22 novel factors were identified. Socioeconomic status, reimbursement policies/cost of treatment, and treatment and supportive care were the most commonly described factors. Conclusions This scoping review expanded upon previously described factors that influence cancer treatment decision‐making in HICs, broadening knowledge to include perspectives of low‐ and middle‐income countries. While global commonalities exist, certain variables influence treatment choices differently or uniquely in different settings. Treatment regimens should further be tailored to local environments with consideration of contextual factors and accessible resources that often impact decision‐making