Vaccination timeliness and associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in Debre Libanos district of North Shewa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

BackgroundGlobally, vaccination is one of the most cost-effective interventions in promoting child survival, preventing 2–3 million child deaths annually from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). In Ethiopia, timely vaccination is stated as key to the prevention of unnecessary childhood mortality from measles, pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, and other VPDs. However, Ethiopia ranked fifth among the ten countries with the most unprotected children. Furthermore, previous vaccine timeliness studies produced widely disparate results. As a result, it was suggested that more research be conducted to investigate the potential factors behind the high proportion of untimely vaccination. Therefore, this study was intended to explore the association between different factors and the proportion of vaccination timeliness administered under the Expanded Program on Immunization in Debre Libanos district, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study design was employed from 1 May to 30 May 2021 among children aged 12 to 23 months with their mother/caregiver, who had started vaccination and had vaccination cards in the Debre Libanos. Simple random sampling techniques and pretested semi-structured questionnaires were used for data collection. At last, a multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the vaccination timeliness.ResultIn this study, 413 children aged 12 to 23 months were interviewed with their mother/caregiver. Overall, 33.7% [95% CI (29.1–38.3)] of children received their vaccines timely. Having a female child [AOR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.58–5.35], mother/caregiver attending primary [AOR: 6.33, 95% CI: 2.66–15.06] and secondary/above education [AOR: 5.61, 95% CI: 2.41–13.04], sufficient vaccination knowledge [AOR: 3.46, 95% CI: 1.87–6.38], mother/caregiver with least hesitant [AOR: 3.35, 95% CI: 1.51–7.41] and middle hesitant [AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.05–3.58], utilization of ANC [AOR: 2.89, 95% CI: 1.32–6.33], and giving birth at health facility [AOR: 4.32, 95% CI: 1.95–9.59] were the factors independently associated with vaccination timeliness.ConclusionIn comparison to Ethiopia’s existing vaccination coverage, the proportion of children immunized at the recommended time interval is low in the study district. Policymakers should prioritize vaccine timeliness and integrate it into childhood vaccination strategies

Exploring enablers and barriers to breast self-examination among women in the North Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia: a qualitative study

Abstract Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and the second most common cancer overall. Breast self-examination (BSE) is one of the cheapest methods used for the early detection of BC in asymptomatic women. More than 90% of cases of BC can be detected by women themselves. This reality stresses the importance of BSE as the key BC detection mechanism. However, in Ethiopia, most of the BE studies were not conducted among women in the general population. Therefore, this study aimed to explore enablers and barriers to breast self-examination among women in the North Shewa Zone, Oromia. A descriptive qualitative study design was conducted from August 1, 2022, to September 30, 2022. Five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 46 women from one selected district in the North Shewa Zone, Oromia. A Purposive sampling technique was used to select participants for FGD. The audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim to “Afan Oromo”. Transcribed data were translated into English. The data were manually coded into themes and analyzed manually by using inductive thematic analysis. The findings of the study were discussed under five themes of enablers and three themes of barriers. The five themes of enablers were knowledge about BC, knowledge about BSE, experience of BSE practice, perceived susceptibility, and perceived benefit of BSE practice. The four themes of barriers were low knowledge of BSE practice, misconceptions about BSE practice, and fear of detecting BC. These findings suggest that targeted health education programs, collaboration between healthcare providers and local stakeholders, and the availability of support services can play a crucial role in overcoming barriers and encouraging BSE practice for early detection of breast abnormalities

Metabolic syndrome among people living with HIV in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) can cause metabolic disorders such as lipodystrophy, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance, all of which are symptoms of metabolic syndrome (MetS). In Ethiopia, despite the existence of the primary studies, there was no pooled study conducted to summarize the country-level MetS among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Therefore, this study aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of MetS among PLHIV in Ethiopia. Methods A systematic search was conducted to retrieve studies on the prevalence of MetS among PLHIV in Ethiopia from PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of Sciences, HINARI, and other relevant sources. A random-effects model was used to estimate the MetS in this study. The overall variation between studies was checked by the heterogeneity test (I2). The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality appraisal criteria were used to assess the quality of the studies. The summary estimates were presented with forest plots and tables. Publication bias was checked with the funnel plot and Egger’s regression test. Results Overall, 366 articles were identified and evaluated using the PRISMA guidelines, with 10 studies meeting the inclusion criteria included in the final analysis. The pooled prevalence of MetS among PLHIV in Ethiopia was 21.7% (95% CI:19.36–24.04) using National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) and 29.91% (95% CI: 21.54–38.28) using International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The lowest and highest prevalence of MetS were 19.14% (95%CI: 15.63–22.64) and 25.6% (95%CI: 20.18–31.08) at Southern Nation and Nationality People Region (SNNPR) and Addis Ababa, respectively. There was no statistical evidence of publication bias in both NCEP-ATP III and IDF pooled estimates. Conclusion MetS was common among PLHIV in Ethiopia. Therefore, optimizing regular screening for MetS components and promoting a healthy lifestyle is suggested for PLHIV. Furthermore, more study is contributory to identify the barriers to implementing planned interventions and meeting recommended treatment goals. Trial registration: The review protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO): CRD42023403786