Hand hygiene status and its associated factors among housemaids working in communal living residences in Jimma city, southwest Ethiopia

Objective: Hand hygiene is a milestone, cost-effective, and convenient strategy to prevent the transfer of pathogenic micro-organisms. However, housemaids operating inside a kitchen can be the source of infection. In addition, hand hygiene among housemaids working in dwellings was underexplored. This study aimed to assess the hand hygiene status and associated factors among housemaids working in communal living residences in Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 230 housemaids were included in this cross-sectional study. Total samples were proportionally allocated for each residence and a simple random sampling technique was applied to select the study participants. Hand hygiene status and relevant characteristics were collected through face-to-face interviews and observations. Hand swab samples were collected and tested for bacterial contaminants. Then, it was inoculated aseptically using streak-plating methods on mannitol salt agar (MSA), MacConkey agar (MCA), salmonella-shigella agar (SSA), and eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar and then incubated at 37 °C for 24 h. Data was edited, cleaned, and double-entered into Epidata version 3.1 and then exported to the statistical package for social science statistics version 26 for further analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to identify associated factors. Statistically significant was declared at P value < 0.05. Results: Two hundred twenty-five housemaids were interviewed with a response rate of 97.8 %. The results showed that the proportion of good hand hygiene status among the housemaids was only 28.0 %. Although the majority of participants reported washing their hands frequently, the prevalence of bacterial contaminants on their hands was high at 72 %. The study identified several factors associated with hand hygiene status, including the occupational status of heads of households (AOR = 0.030, 95 % CI: 0.003, 0.348; P = 0.0050), the effectiveness of the heads of household (AOR = 13.955, 95 % CI: 1.442, 13.500; P = 0.0230), and the removal of accessories during handwashing (AOR = 20.844, 95 % CI: 2.190, 9.842; P = 0.0080). Conclusion: Overall, the hand hygiene status of housemaids was found to be poor and influenced by demographics and other relevant characteristics. The study emphasizes the need for a multimodal strategy involving household heads, local and national authorities, and other stakeholders to raise awareness and advocate for hand hygiene to prevent communicable diseases in the wider community, particularly in the study area

Effect of Package of Interventions on the Use and Quality of Postpartum Family Planning Services at Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College (Y12HMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP), which aims to prevent high risk unintended and closely spaced pregnancies during the first year following childbirth, is one of the highest impact interventions to avoid increased risk of premature birth, low birth weight, fetal and neonatal death, and adverse maternal health outcomes. This study aimed to assess the combined effect of a package of interventions on the use and quality of PPFP services at Y12HMC, Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Method: Cross-sectional study design was conducted to evaluate the effect of the package of chosen interventions: creating a private counseling space near the postpartum ward and providing training for health care providers on the WHO decision tool kit and Long Acting Contraceptive Methods (LACM). Interviews were conducted with 470 women (235 before and 235 after the intervention). Frequency tables and graphs were used to describe the study variables and statistical significance between pre and post intervention indicators was declared at P value <.05 Results: From 470 participants, 421 respondents participated which makes response rate of 90%. The majority of the participants were in the age category 20 to 29 years, married/lived together, completed at least primary education and had more than one child both at baseline and post intervention. The proportion of women who chose PPFP increased from 55.8% at baseline to 69% after the intervention. The most preferred contraceptive method was implant. The overall service satisfaction level of the study participants was 95.4% post intervention, significantly higher than at baseline (78%, P  < .05). Providers indicated that clients are satisfied with the service and that the institutional structure is appropriate for delivering integrated services following the intervention. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that quality improvement interventions like creating a private counseling space and providing training using WHO decision tool kit can achieve significant improvement on satisfaction of clients and PPFP uptak

Availability of adequately iodised salt at household level and its associated factors in Robe town, Bale Zone, South East Ethiopia: community-based cross-sectional study

Background: Iodine is a micronutrient required by the body in small amounts to prevent iodine deficiency disorder (IDD), which is a global public health concern. There were no specific data at household level of adequately iodised salt in the study area. Thus this study aimed to assess availability of adequately iodised salt and its associated factors at household level in Bale-Robe, South East Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Robe town, Bale Zone, South East Ethiopia in April 2015. Data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires from a total of 367 households, which were identified through systematic random sampling. Salt iodine content was estimated using rapid testing kits at the household level. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the prevalence, and association between dependent and independent variables was computed by using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. A p-value of < 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. Results: Of 374 samples, 370 respondents were interviewed yielding a response rate of 99%. One-third (32.7%) of the household levels used adequately iodised salt. Respondents’ educational status, exposure to information on how to handle iodised salt and type of salt used by the respondents were independent factors for availability of adequately iodised salt at the household level. Salt that had been stored in a dry place was twice as likely to have an adequate iodine content compared with salt stored in a high-moisture area or near a fire (AOR = 2.13, CI = 1.19–3.72). Conclusion: Availability of adequately iodised salt at the household level was very low. Factors that were associated with household levels’ access to adequately iodised salt included educational level, age of the respondents and place where salt is stored, and had an effect on whether households iodise salt adequately. Strategies to educate residents regarding the appropriate storage conditions to minimise iodine losses in iodised salt are required in Bale-Robe district of South East Ethiopia