Crop commercialization in Ethiopia: Trends, drivers, and impact on well-being

Agricultural transformation refers to a series of changes in agriculture that both reflect and drive rising income and economic development more broadly. While the macroeconomic patterns of agricultural transformation are relatively well documented, less is known about how it is manifested at the household level. Ethiopia makes an excellent case study as it has had one of the fastest growing economies in the world. An important aspect of this process is agricultural commercialization, that is, the rising share of agricultural output is sold on the market rather than being consumed at home. Agricultural commercialization tends to rise with development with improved infrastructure and communications, the availability of inputs and know-how regarding commercial crop production, and farmers being willing to accept the risks associated with producing crops for the market. Agricultural commercialization is widely believed to allow farmers to earn higher income as they specialize in crops for which they have a comparative advantage. The analysis makes use of a data from three rural household surveys carried out in Ethiopia by IFPRI in 2012, 2016, and 2019. Each survey used a sample that was representative of the four main agricultural regions of the country (Tigre, Oromia, Amhara, and SNNP) with sample sizes of 3000 to 5000, including 1,900 households that were interviewed in all three rounds. In addition, we incorporate several weather variables based on CHIRPS rainfall data to estimate the effect of the level and variability of rainfall on agricultural commercialization

Determinants of Child Malnutrition: Empirical Evidence from Kombolcha District of Eastern Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

Child nutrition remains one of the most important development concerns of the Ethiopian government. In view of the fact that child malnutrition cannot be tackled without understanding its causes, the paper explores the key determinants of child malnutrition in Kombolcha districts of Eastern Hararghe, Ethiopia. The study used a two-stage sampling procedure to collect cross-sectional data from 249 under five years of age children. The data collected were analyzed and discussed using several descriptive statistics and logit regression model. The survey result revealed that 45.8%, 28.9% and 11.2% of sample children are stunted, underweight and wasted, respectively. The estimation results indicate that child nutritional status is strongly associated with the child’s age, gender, immunization status and the mother’s use of antenatal care, farm size, household size, water source, latrine use and incidence of morbidity. The paper concludes by highlighting some policy interventions required to raise child nutrition status

Determinants of peripheral neuropathy among diabetic patients under follow-up in chronic care clinics of public hospitals at Gamo and Gofa zones, southern Ethiopia.

BackgroundPeripheral neuropathy is a leading cause of morbidity and increased mortality among diabetic patients. It is characterized by significant deficits in vibration and tactile sensation. With an annual incidence of 2%, it affects as many as 110 million people worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with peripheral neuropathy among diabetic patients in chronic care clinic in Gamo and Gofa zone, South Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution- based unmatched case control study was employed among 528 randomly selected participants using a pre-tested, interviewer-administered, and structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identifiy determinants of peripheral neuropathy using IBM SPSS version 25.ResultThe odds of being an urban dweller was 2.67 times higher among cases than controls [AOR = 2.67 (1.27, 5.63)]. The likelihood of fasting blood glucose level between 203 and 282 and 282 and above was 2.55 and 3.88 times higher among cases than controls [AOR = 2.55 (1.91, 7.16)] and [AOR = 3.88 (1.42, 10.60)] respectively. The probability of living with diabetes mellitus for 10 and more years was 3.88 times higher among cases than controls [AOR = 3.88 (1.42, 10.60)]. The odds of controlling glucose level after developing symptom was 5.33 times higher among cases than controls [AOR = 5.33 (1.28, 12.24)]. The probability of having high blood pressure was 2.36 times higher among cases than controls [AOR = 2.36 (1.26, 4.43)]. The likelihood of having a family history of complication from diabetes mellitus was 5.60 times higher among cases than controls [AOR = 5.60 (2.03, 15.43)]. The odds of exercising 3 times per week for 15 to 30 minutes and for less than 15 minutes were 2.96 and 4.92 times higher among cases than controls respectively [AOR = 2.96 (1.32, 6.61)] and AOR = 4.92, 95% CI (1.85, 13.04) respectively. The likelihood of having a waist circumference greater than or equal to 40 inch was 2.72 times higher among cases than controls [AOR = 2.72 (1.07, 6.94)].ConclusionThis study showed that residence, duration of diabetic mellitus, family history of complication from diabetic mellitus, level of fasting blood glucose, method of glycemic control, having a high blood pressure/hypertension/, frequency and duration of physical activity and waist circumference were found to be determinants of peripheral neuropathy. Thus, the concerned health authorities and health professionals should target on these factors in their efforts to prevent peripheral neuropathy among diabetics in the study area

Prevalence of hypertension and associated factors among adult residents in Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, Southern Ethiopia.

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for mortality and it is also one of the major risk factors for other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among adults residing in Arba Minch health and demographic surveillance site (HDSS), Southern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2017 on the estimated sample size of 3,368 adults at Arba Minch Health and Demographic Surveillance site (HDSS). Data were collected using the WHO STEPS survey tools. Bivariate analysis was done to detect candidate variables at P-value less than 0.25 and entered into the final model to identify the independent predictors of hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was 18.92% (95% CI: 17.63-20.28). The magnitude increase among respondents in the older age group [AOR 1.39 (95%CI: 1.05-1.84), 1.68 (95% CI: 1.26-2.23) and 2.67 (95%CI: 2.01-3.56) for age group 35-44, 45-54 and 55-64, respectively, compared to 25-34 years old group] and those with the higher wealth index [AOR 1.86 (95%CI: 1.33-2.59), 2.68 (95% CI: 1.91-3.75) and 2.97 (95%CI: 2.08-4.25) for 3rd quantile, 4th quantile and 5th quantile, respectively, compared to 1st quantile]. The odds of hypertension reduce among married participants (AOR 0.66, 95%CI: 0.51-0.85). Respondents with overweight (AOR 1.44, 95%CI: 1.02-2.02), khat chewing (AOR3.31, 95%CI: 1.94-5.64), low fruit and/or vegetable consumption (AOR 1.27, 95%CI: 1.05-1.53) and those who do not use coffee and tea (AOR 1.52, 95%CI: 1.03-2.24) had significantly higher likelihood of hypertension. Nearly one out of five participants have hypertension in this population. As hypertension is one of the silent killers, it is advisable to develop a system for enabling early detection and monitoring in the older age groups and overweight individuals

Effectiveness of intermittent iron and high-dose vitamin A supplementation on cognitive development of school children in southern Ethiopia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Iron is an essential mineral whose deficiency results in cognitive alteration, impaired emotional behaviors, and altered myelination and neurotransmission. In animal models, it has been shown that vitamin A (VA) could affect cognition. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intermittent iron and VA supplementation on cognitive development of schoolchildren, and to assess the interaction between these supplementations. Methods: Considering a 2 × 2 factorial design, 504 children were randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 arms: placebo VA and placebo iron supplement; high-dose vitamin VA and placebo iron supplement; iron supplement and placebo VA; and iron and high-dose vitamin VA supplements. Cognitive development was assessed using Raven\u27s Coloured Progressive Matrices, digit span, Tower of London, and visual search tasks. Results: The mean [± standard deviation (SD)] age of the enrolled children was 9.6 (±1.6) y. One-fifth of the children had iron deficiency or anemia, whereas 2.9%, 3.9%, and 12.1% of children had low iron stores, iron deficiency anemia, and VA deficiency, respectively. Intermittent iron supplementation did not result in any significant improvement of children\u27s cognitive development and had a negative effect on the performance index of the visual search task compared with placebo (-0.17 SD, 95% confidence interval: -0.32, -0.02). Effects were evident among children with stunting, thinness, or children coming from understimulating home environments. High-dose VA supplementation resulted in a significant improvement of digit span z-score with a mean difference of 0.30 SD (95% confidence interval: 0.14, 0.46) compared with placebo VA. VA had a more beneficial impact for girls, children infected with helminths, and those from food secure households. Conclusion: In a population where the prevalence of iron deficiency is low, intermittent iron supplementation did not have any or negative effect on the child\u27s cognitive development outcomes. Conversely, VA supplementation improved the child\u27s working memory