Ethnomedical knowledge and indigenous healthcare practices in Nekemte District, western Ethiopia: A qualitative study

Background: Indigenous healthcare practices are widely used by the majority of people in Ethiopia. People use them for various health needs; however the knowledge and practice of ethnomedicine across different parts of Ethiopia have not been extensively studied. This study explores ethnomedical knowledge and indigenous healthcare practices in Nekemte District, western Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2015 in Nekemte town and surrounding areas in western Ethiopia. The study employed a chain referral sampling technique to identify study participants. A total of 12 indigenous healers were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data procured through interviews were transcribed and translated into English, categorized, and narrated thematically.Results: The study revealed that ethnomedical knowledge in the study area was conveyed orally and through practical experience, and was characterized by secrecy. Fourteen different human ailments/conditions identified to be treated by the different indigenous healers, including gonorrhea, ‘evil eye’, diarrhea, herpes zoster, measles, and bone fractures. A further finding was that there is a lack of cooperation between modern and indigenous healthcare practitioners.Conclusions and recommendations: Indigenous healthcare practices were used to treat several human ailments. Although indigenous healthcare serves as an alternative source of healthcare for communities, lack of documentation of ethnomedicine and its associated knowledge, the lack of collaboration with modern practitioners, and the lack of support have a negative impact on indigenous healthcare. Properly considering these factors in health policies will help to preserve the local heritage of health care and resources. [Ethiop.J. Health Dev. 2019; 33(1):17-21]Keywords: Indigenous healthcare, biomedicine, ethnomedicine, ethnomedical knowledge, indigenous healer, Nekemt

Prevalence of Wasting and Associated Factors among Preschool Children in Gobu Sayo Woreda, East Wollega, Ethiopia

Background: Nutritional status of children is an important indicator for child health and overall wellbeing. Acute malnutrition also known as wasting, it is characterized by a rapid deterioration in nutritional status over a short period. Ethiopia has a high prevalence of acute malnutrition, and one in ten children wasted. Objective: The study was aimed to assess the prevalence of wasting and related factors among preschool children in Gubo Sayo, East Wollega, and West Ethiopia Methods: A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Gubo Sayo Woreda, East Wollega, Ethiopia. Weight and height of the study children were measured and the socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects were collected using a questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis methods have been used to identify factors of nutritional status preschool children. Result: Finally, these study result shows 12.5% of preschool children were wasted. Among the socio-economic variables included in the study family income, family size, and family education were significantly associated with acute malnutrition. Conclusion: The Acute malnutritional status of preschool children particularly in the study area is affected by family income, family size and family education. To intervene and improve this problem, community based nutrition program and Nutrition education should be established. Keywords Wasting, Preschool, children, Associated factor

Nutritional Knowledge and Determinant Factors Among Lactating Mothers in Nekemte Referral Hospital and Health Centers, East Wollega, Ethiopia

Background: Lactating mothers from low-income countries including Ethiopia are considered as a nutritionally vulnerable group due to different socio demographic factors and lack of nutritional knowledge which impact on the health and well being of children. Adequate nutrition for the mothers during lactation is therefore important for their good health as well as for that of their offspring. However community based information regarding nutritional knowledge and associated factors among lactating mothers is lacking and scanty.  Objective: To assess nutritional knowledge, and associated factors among lactating mothers in Nekemte Hospital and Health Centers, East Wollega, Ethiopia. Methods:  Institution based cross-sectional study was done from January 2014 to June 2014. The study was conducted using structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, nutritional knowledge and associated factors was collected from all lactating mothers who visited both health institutions during postnatal care and EPI program. The association of nutritional knowledge with socio-economic and demographic factors was analyzed using descriptive statistics, binary and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: This study revealed that majority of the women 260(81.3%) was in the age range of 17-25 yrs and attending school 292 (91.3%). This research also showed that 185(57.8%) of lactating mothers had good nutritional knowledge while a significant proportion of the respondent, 135(42.2%) of mothers had poor nutritional knowledge. From multiple logistic regression analysis   family size (AOR=4.604, 95%CI=1.903-11.140), family income (AOR=0.250, 95%CI=0.100-0.623) and knowledge of foods that were significantly associated with the nutritional status of the study participants. Conclusions:  Nutritional knowledge of the lactating mothers were short of the national and international recommendations. Therefore, sustained nutrition education is recommended to the lactating mothers and their families and communities to improve food intake, proper dietary knowledge during lactation in order to enhance health and nutrition outcomes of lactating mothers and their children. Keywords: Lactating mothers, Nutritional knowledge, associated factor

Nutritional Status and Associated Factors among Lactating Mothers in Nekemte Referral Hospital and Health Centers, Ethiopia

Lactating mothers from low-income countries including Ethiopia are considered as a nutritionally vulnerable group due to different socio demographic factors which impact on the health and well being of children. Adequate nutrition for the mothers during lactation is therefore important for their good health as well as for that of their offspring. The objective of this study was to assess nutritional status, and associated factors among lactating mothers in Nekemte Hospital and Health Centers, East Wollega, Ethiopia.  Institutional based cross-sectional study was done from January 2014 to June 2014. Body Mass index was used to measure the nutritional status by measuring height and weight of the lactating mothers using standard procedures. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, maternal nutritional status, and associated factors  was collected from all lactating mothers who visited both health institutions during postnatal care and EPI program. The association of nutritional status with socio-economic and demographic factors  were analyzed using descriptive statistics, binary and multiple logistic regression analysis. This study revealed that majority of the women 260(81.3%) was in the age range of 17-25 yrs and attending school 292 (91.3%). The prevalence of underweight, normal, overweight and Obesity were 65(20%), 240(75%), 20(4.7%) and (0.3%), respectively. From multiple logistic regression analysis family size (AOR=4.604, 95%CI=1.903-11.140 and  family income (AOR=0.250, 95%CI=0.100-0.623) were significantly associated with the nutritional status of the study participants.  Nutritional statuses of the lactating mothers were short of the national and international recommendations. Therefore, sustained nutrition education is recommended to the lactating mothers and their families and communities to improve food intake, proper dietary knowledge during lactation in order to enhance health and nutrition outcomes of lactating mothers and their children. Proper family planning and the way that lactating mothers increase their income should be designed by concerned body. Keywords: Lactating mothers, Nutritional Status, Associated factors

Prevalence of food taboo during pregnancy in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Back Ground: Food taboos influence intake of vital nutrients which required for optimal maternal health and fetal development during pregnancy. Pregnancy is the most delicate stage of human life and targets of food taboos. Even though there are fewer studies conducted on food taboos during pregnancy, there is no pooled estimate among pregnant women in Ethiopia. The smaller studies reported the different prevalence of food taboos which were difficult to help health planning at a national level. Thus, this study was expected to provide a pooled prevalence of pregnancy related food taboos in Ethiopia. Methods: The relevant studies were identified by manual and electronic data base searching method. Important information from the original studies was presented in a table and the quantitative results were presented in the forest plots. The Cochrane Q test and I2 test statistic were used to test heterogeneity across studies. The Pooled estimate of prevalence of food taboo was computed by a random effects model. Results: 175 articles were identified; nine studies meet inclusion criteria. A random effect meta-analysis of the results from these nine studies was carried out to provide pooled prevalence of food taboo during pregnancy. Analysis showed, the pooled prevalence of food taboo among pregnant women in Ethiopia was 38.50 (95% CI = 24.33-52.67); a significant heterogeneity was observed among studies (I2 = 99%, p value <0.001). Subgroup analysis shows the highest prevalence of food taboo found in Somali region 67.38% and the lowest prevalence seen in Tigray 11.45% region. Conclusion: This review found pooled estimate of food taboo during pregnancy in Ethiopia. Variation in the magnitude of pregnancy related food restriction was seen across the regions. Therefore, integrating nutrition education with the basic antenatal care program was recommended in all regions of Ethiopia to prevent nutritional deficiencies associated with food taboo