Magnitude of undernutrition and its association with dietary diversity among older persons in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2023

Undernutrition in elders remains under-detected, under-treated, and under-resourced and leads to further weight loss, increased infections, and delay in recovery from illness as well as increased hospital admissions and length of stay. The reports of the findings were fragmented and inconsistent in Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objective of this meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled prevalence of undernutrition and its association with dietary diversity among older persons in Ethiopia. Online databases (Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct), Google, Google Scholar, and other grey literature were used to search articles until the date of publication. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline was followed. The random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence; whereas subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to identify the probable source of heterogeneity using Stata version 14.0 software. Out of 522 studies accessed, 14 met our criteria and were included in the study. A total of 7218 older people (aged above 60 years old) were included in the study. The pooled proportion of undernutrition among older persons in Ethiopia was 20⋅6 % (95 % CI 17⋅3, 23⋅8). Elders who consumed low dietary diversity scores were strongly associated with undernutrition among older persons. Therefore, promoting appropriate intervention strategies for elders to improve dietary diversity practices and nutritional status is crucial

Prevalence of intestinal helminth infection among school children in Maksegnit and Enfranz Towns, northwestern Ethiopia, with emphasis on Schistosoma mansoni infection

Abstract Background Schistosomiasis is endemic in Ethiopia and previously unknown transmission foci have been reported from time to time in different parts of the country. Further surveys are required in areas where endemicity of the disease is not known to cover them with control program if transmission is taking place. This study, therefore, aims to assess the magnitude of schistosomiasis mansoni and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Maksegnit and Enfranz Towns, northwestern Ethiopia. Methods Cross-sectional parasitological and malacological surveys were conducted in three schools found in Maksegnit and Enfranz Towns. Stool specimens were collected from 550 randomly selected school children (age range 5 to 17 years) and processed for microscopic examination using Kato-Katz method (single smear per stool sample). Malacological survey was conducted in Gumara and Garno Rivers found in the study areas. Biomphalaria pfeifferi snails collected from the two rivers were individually exposed to artificial light in order to induce cercarial shedding. Laboratory-bred Swiss albino mice were exposed to the cercariae and definite identification of the schistosome species was made based on morphology. Results The overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was found to be 49 %; however, it varied by schools, with Selam having 60.7 %, and Maksegnit Number 1 and 2 having 45.8 and 39.6 %, respectively. The respective mean intensity of S. mansoni infection among school children in Selam, Maksegnit Number 1 and Maksegnit Number 2 Schools were 243, 194 and 183 eggs per gram of stool (epg). In all the study areas there was no difference in prevalence of S. mansoni infection in relation to age, however, the prevalence varied by sex, with males having highest prevalence (54.5 % vs 44.1 %) (p = 0.012). Adult S. mansoni worms were harvested from mice exposed to cercariae shed from B. pfeifferi on the 6th week post-exposure. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides single infection was 16.5 % while its co-infection with S. mansoni was 18.2 %. Conclusion Infections of young children, findings of schistosome infected snails, establishment of mice infection and harvesting adult worms from the lab-bred mice confirm that autochthonous transmission is taking place in the study areas. Hence, preventive chemotherapy with praziquantel should be put in place, complemented with other measures such as provision of sanitary facilities and health education, to control morbidity and transmission of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in the study areas