Assessment of the levels of communication between youth, parents, peers and teachers about reproductive health issues and HIV/AIDS in Nekemte Town, West Ethiopia

Background: The youth is vulnerable to risky sexual and reproductive health behaviors such as unprotected sexual intercourse and not using family planning that could lead to unfavorable health outcomes. Youth communication can be one of the most effective strategies in reducing risky sexual and reproductive health behaviors.Objective: To assess levels of communication between the youth and their parents, peers and teachers about reproductive health issues and HIV/AIDS in Nekemte town.Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Four hundred twenty youngsters aged 15-24 years were selected from three sub-cities of Nekemte using simple random sampling procedures. In addition, 12 focus group discussions targeting the youth, parents, governmental and non- governmental employees, religious and elderly people took place in order to complement the quantitative findings.Results: Overall, 61% of the youth scored the mean and above in four-point scale and considered to have good level of communication on reproductive health (RH) and HIV/AIDS. In the multivariate analysis, age, place of residence, education and income were significantly associated with youth communication.Conclusion: A good level of communication about reproductive health and HIV/AIDS issue was documented in this study. However, emerging program interventions on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS by various stakeholders need to take into consideration those who have poor level of communication

The Effect of School-Linked Module-Based Friendly-Health Education on Adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Guji Zone, Ethiopia - Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Gobena Godana Boku,1,2 Sileshi Garoma Abeya,2,3 Nicola Ayers,4 Muluembet Abera Wordofa5 1Population and Family Health Department, Faculty of Public Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia; 2Medical Services Lead Executive Office, Federal Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 3Public Health Department, Adama Hospital Medical College, Adama, Oromia, Ethiopia; 4School of Nursing, BPP University, London, UK; 5Population & Family Health Department Faculty of Public Health, Jimma University, Jimma, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Gobena Godana Boku, Medical Services Lead Executive Office, MoHE, P.O. Box 1234, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tel +251911545441, Email [email protected]: Although access to sexual and reproductive health information is the right and a critical component of health policy, it is not well addressed in pastoral communities. This study assessed the effect of School-Lined Module-based friendly health education on adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health knowledge in the pastoral community of Guji Zone, Ethiopia.Methods: A two-arm cluster Randomized control trial study with pre-post evaluation was conducted among interventions (n=375) compared with control (n=384) in Gorodola and Wadara high schools. Comparing an intervention to a control group, pre-posttests, and post-posttests were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The data was collected using 25 Self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using paired-sample independent t-tests and linear regressions to study the relationship between the outcome and independent variables.Results: We collected the data from 759 adolescents among 15 intervention and 15 control clusters. The results have shown that as compared to control arms, the mean sexual and reproductive health Knowledge score was significant higher in the intervention clusters (375) 73.3%, vs (384) 66.5%%, p< 0.001, 95% CI, (0.05395– 0.08347). Information (β: 0.038, 95% CI: 0.028– 0.052), confidence (β: 0.045, 95% CI: 0.033– 0.057), knowledge (β: 0.05, 95% CI: 0.035– 0.066), and compassionate care (β: 0.107, 95% CI: 0.092– 0.122) were significantly associated with SRH knowledge prediction. The proportion of SRH knowledge increased from 168(44%) baseline to 244(65%) end line in the intervention versus 235(60% to 238(62%) in control arms.Conclusion: The execution of school-linked module-based friendly health education has proved to have a significant effect on mean SRH knowledge. Individual-level and behavioral-level factors significantly explain variability in enhancing SRH knowledge in the pastoral community. We recommend scaling up the School-Linked Module-based friendly health education intervention.Trial Registration: We registered clinical trial PACTR202107905622610 on 16 July 2021.Keywords: adolescent, SRH knowledge, education, intervention, pastoral communit

Антибактеріальна та оптична активність нанострижнів Zn2SnO4, синтезованих під дією мікрохвиль

Нанострижні станату цинку (Zn2SnO4) синтезували простим методом з використанням мікрохвиль, застосовуючи аміак з кубічною структурою шпінелі. Кристалографію та оптичні властивості вивчали за допомогою рентгенівської дифракції (XRD) та фотолюмінесцентної спектроскопії (PL). Морфологію наночастинок спостерігали за допомогою автоелектронної скануючої мікроскопії (FESEM). Досліджено антибактеріальну дію наночастинок Zn2SnO4, протестованих проти грампозитивних та грамнегативних патогенних бактерій.The zinc stannate (Zn2SnO4) nanorods were synthesized via facile microwave assisted method using ammonia with cubic spinel structure. The crystallography and optical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The morphology of the nanoparticles was observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The antibacterial effect of Zn2SnO4 nanoparticles tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria were investigated