Background In many nations, the deterioration of drinking water quality is a major problem that may be caused by a variety of interrelated biological, physical, and chemical causes. Human feces, animal waste, and effluent farming activities are the main pollutants of water supplies. Even if the source is clean, the process of collecting, transporting, storing, and drawing water in the home can all lead to faecal contamination. In addition, without improved water storage and sanitation, a better water supply doesn't always result in full health benefits. Because of this, it's important to have regular quality control procedures. This study is aimed to assess the level of physioco-chemical and bacteriological quality of hosehold drinking water and its contributing factors in flood-prone settlements of South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. Methods In villages in the South Gondar Zone that are prone to flooding, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2021. Using standardized water sampling methods, samples of household water were gathered from each residence. Data on socioeconomic conditions and behavioral patterns were gathered through in-person interviews with structured questionnaires. Logistic regression models were used for both univariate and multivariate studies. Results The survey included a total of 675 households. The South Gondar Zone's settlements that are prone to flooding had a prevalence of 62.2 percent (n = 417) with [95% CI (53–60)] positive fecal coliform in household water samples. Family size [AOR = 2.205, 95% CI (1.375–3.536), latrine presence [AOR = 3.449, 95% CI (1.349–8.823)], and utilizing a separate container to draw water from its storage [AOR = 0.454, 95% CI (0.249–0.827)] are variables identified as predictors for fecal coliform contamination of household water. Conclusion In this study, there was a high proportion of fecal contamination in drinking water. The presence of fecal coliforms in household drinking water was found to be significantly related to family size, the availability of a toilet, and the usage of a separate can to draw water from its storage.

Introduction: Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is the leading occupational hazard of the 21st century, which causes the critical public health issues in the present era. In developing countries, including Ethiopia, data on the proportion and the causes of CVS are scarce among academic staff for policy conclusions. Accordingly, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence and factors associated with CVS among academic staff at the University of Gondar. Methods: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from March to April, 2021. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 525 study participants. Data were collected using a pre-tested self-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were then entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using STATA version 14 software. The association between dependent and independent variables was computed with a binary logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of CVS was found to be 78.8% out of a total of 500 participants [95% CI (74.95, 82.30)], of which the majority (71.60%) of them were males. Using a computer for more than 9 years [AOR = 1.65, 95% CI (1.01, 2.71)], using visual display terminals [AOR = 2.63, 95% CI (1.60, 4.32)], and working in improper illumination levels (300 and >500 lux) [AOR = 2.47, 95% CI (1.47, 4.33)] increased the risk of CVS, whereas, Using eye droplets [AOR = 0.30, 95% CI (0.15, 0.58)] and taking rest breaks [AOR = 0.55, 95% CI (0.34-0.92)] were protective factors. Conclusion: This study disclosed that CVS was common among academicians. In the current study, the manifestation of CVS was affected by years of computer use, visual display terminals use, workplace illumination level, rest breaks, and eye droplets. Taking rest breaks in between the work, reducing exposure to display screens, use of eye drops, and optimizing workplace illumination levels are recommended to reduce the problem.

Background International Labour Organization (ILO) report indicates more than 2.4 million workers die from work-related diseases and accidents each year. Work-related respiratory ailments related to airborne particulate matter such as flour dust are responsible for about 386,000 deaths and 6.6 million illness-adjusted life years. Even though exposure to flour dust together with the extreme expansions of flour mill sectors is a priority health concern, extent of the problem is little investigated in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the magnitude and risk factors of work-related respiratory symptoms among flour mill workers in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. Methods This study employed a comparative cross-sectional survey of 560 samples (280 exposed group from flour mill workers and 280 unexposed group from office workers) with a stratified random sampling technique. The study was conducted from March to April 2019 in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia. We used the British Medical Research Council (BMRC) questionnaire to assess work-related respiratory symptoms. The questionnaire was pretested and interview administered to collect data. Binary logistic regression analysis was fitted to evaluate significant factors of respiratory symptoms at a < 0.05 p value. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% was calculated to determine a strength of association. Results All the sampled participants had fully responded to the interview. The median age of exposed and unexposed groups was 28.5 interquartile range (IQR, 20) and 31 (IQR, 15) years, respectively. The prevalence of work-related respiratory symptoms among flour mill workers was substantially higher than that of among controls, 63.9% and 20.7%, respectively (Χ2 = 107.11; p < 0.0001). Chest illness among flour mill workers was higher, 43.6% (N = 122) compared to that of among control group, 7.9% (N = 22) followed by dyspnea, 33.6% (N = 94) versus 2.5% (N = 7) among flour mill workers and control group, respectively. Age > 35 years [AOR, 2.03; 95% CI (1.34, 5.48), having no education [AOR, 1.54; 95% CI (1.28, 3.06)], work set up with inadequate ventilation [AOR, 2.05; 95% CI (1.18, 3.56)], work experience > 5 years [AOR, 1.89; 95% CI (1.23, 4.67)] and having no training in safety [AOR, 2.45; 95% CI (1.45, 4.76)] significantly affected the experience of respiratory symptoms among flour mill workers whereas age [AOR, 1.79; 95% CI (1.06, 3.04)], monthly salary [AOR, 1.98; 95% CI (1.04, 3.78)] and exposure status [AOR, 5.18; 95% CI (3.34, 8.04)] were detected to be significant factors of respiratory symptoms in the exposed and the unexposed combined model. Conclusion Respiratory symptoms emanating from exposure to various flour dusts were significantly higher among flour mill workers than among the control group. Therefore, we recommend the need to effectively implement health and safety programs that account for the reduction of dust at a source, use of engineering controls (e.g., provision of adequate ventilation systems), use of administrative measures (e.g., training program and health surveillance) and provision of a suitable personal protective equipment (PPE). Furthermore, it is vital to integrate workplace health and safety programs to the wider public health policies and strategies to effectively mitigate the burden of work-related respiratory conditions. We also encourage future studies to evaluate concentration of flour dusts combined with physical examinations to establish plausible associations of respiratory symptoms with dusts of flour mill-related origin.

Background. Work-related upper extremity disorders (WRUEDs) are aches, pains, tension, and discomfort in the neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, and fingers. The situation is escalating in educational sectors due to a lousy working environment intertwined with extracurricular deeds. However, empirical evidence focusing on academicians in higher education society is negligible. The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence and risk factors of WRUEDs among university teaching staff in Ethiopia. Materials and Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study design from March to April 2021. A sample of 607 academicians were recruited using a stratified sampling technique, and a self-administered structured Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to assess upper extremity disorders during the past 12 months. The collected data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using STATA version 14 software. The association between dependent and independent variables was computed with a binary logistic regression. The association was ascertained using an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) at a p value of <0.05. Results. A total of 607 participants correctly completed the questionnaire (response rate of 95.44%). Age ranges from 21 to 70 with a mean of 32.39 (SD ± 6.80)) years, and the majority (76.28%) of them were males. The prevalence of WRUED during the last 12 months was 59.14% [95% CI (55.1, 63.1)]. There is no significant difference in prevalence between males and females (45.14% versus 14%), respectively; χ2 = 0.001; p = 0.974 . Working more than 8 hours per day [AOR: 2.37; 95% CI (1.40, 4.00)], not performing physical exercise [AOR: 2.34; 95% CI (1.6, 3.45)], and job dissatisfaction [AOR: 2.50; 95% CI (1.69, 3.68)] were factors significantly increased the risk of experiencing WRUEDs. Conclusion. This study divulged upper extremity disorder among university teaching staff is pervasive, with more than three-fifth of the academicians were suffering from the condition, and it also indicates that males experienced higher proportions of pain than females. The manifestation of upper extremity disorder was affected by working hours per day, physical activity, and job satisfaction. Optimizing working hours, having a group regular exercise, and proper management of workplace conditions related to job satisfaction are recommended to lessen the condition.

BackgroundDiarrheal illnesses are a long-standing public health problem in developing countries due to numerous sanitation issues and a lack of safe drinking water. Floods exacerbate public health issues by spreading water-borne infectious diseases such as diarrhea through the destruction of sanitation facilities and contamination of drinking water. There has been a shortage of studies regarding the magnitude of diarrheal disease in flood-prone areas. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the prevalence of diarrheal disease and its predictors among under-five children living in flood-prone localities in the south Gondar zone of Northwest Ethiopia.MethodA community-based cross-sectional research was carried out in flood-prone villages of the Fogera and Libokemkem districts from March 17 to March 30, 2021. Purposive and systematic sampling techniques were used to select six kebeles and 717 study units, respectively. Structured and pretested questionnaires were used to collect the data. A multivariable analysis was performed to determine the predictors of diarrheal disease, with P-value &lt;0.05 used as the cut-off point to declare the association.ResultThe prevalence of a diarrheal disease among under-five children was 29.0%. The regular cleaning of the compound [AOR: 2.13; 95% CI (1.25, 3.62)], source of drinking water [AOR: 2.36; 95% CI: (1.26, 4.41)], animal access to water storage site [AOR: 3.04; 95% CI: (1.76, 5.24)], vector around food storage sites [AOR: 9.13; 95% CI: (4.06, 20.52)], use of leftover food [AOR: 4.31; 95% CI: (2.64, 7.04)], and fecal contamination of water [AOR: 12.56; 95% CI: (6.83, 23.20)] remained to have a significant association with diarrheal diseases.ConclusionThe present study found that the prevalence of the diarrheal disease among under-five children was high. Routine compound cleaning, the source of drinking water, animal access to a water storage site, vectors near food storage sites, consumption of leftover food, and fecal contamination of water were significant predictors of diarrheal disease. Therefore, it is advised to provide improved water sources, encourage routine cleaning of the living area, and offer health education about water, hygiene, and sanitation.

Background: The contemporary global issues, COVID-19 pandemic continued causing unprecedented impact on the public health, occupational health and the global economy. Keeping compliance with personal preventive measures is a vital tool for managing COVID-19 pandemic control and returning to work as no pharmaceutical treatments are currently available in Ethiopia. Although compliance with COVID -19 personal preventive measures (CPPMs) and predictors is well addressed in healthcare settings, data on the level of CPPMs and its determinants among government employees working in offices worldwide, including Ethiopia, is limited. This paper is aimed to fill this gaps. Methods: We applied a cross-sectional study design from February to March, 2021. The participants were government workers working in offices who had resumed work. Stratified followed by simple random sampling technique was used to select 422 study participants from 30 government offices that had resumed work. Data were collected using a pre-tested and structured interviewer-administered questionnaires and analyzed by STATA 14 software. The significance of associations was established at p< 0.05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in the multivariable model. Results: Response rate 95.44% (N=394). The study found 22.3% (88) of study participants (95% CI = 18.5, 26.6) had high compliance with COVID -19 personal preventive measures during past month.Female workers were 2.80 times more likely than males to comply with COVID-19 personal preventive measures (AOR: 2.80, 95%CI (1.10, 7.12), favorable attitude towards COVID-19 prevention measures (AOR: 13.73, 95% CI (4.85, 38.83), high-risk perception of COVID-19 infections (AOR: 2.34; 95% CI (1.24, 4.41), and high misconception about COVID-19 (AOR : 3.92, 95% CI (1.45, 10.62) were predicted better compliance with COVID-19 PPMs (P <  0.05). Conclusions: In sum, little proportion of sampled study participants complied with COVID -19 personal preventive measures. Sex, attitudes, risk perception, and misconception have all been identified as significant risk factors. Actions are needed to strengthen COVID -19 personal preventive measures among government employees to maintain COVID -19 control following work resumption. In the future, it’s vital to work on government employees' attitudes and perceptions in order to improve compliance.

Background In Ethiopia, the approved vaccines for Corona-Virus disease (COVID-19) are being distributed to the population by their order of risk and exposure due to the limited number of available vaccines. Public transport workers are among those who are labeled as a high-risk population and on the frontlines of getting the COVID-19 vaccination. So this study was conducted to assess the magnitude of the COVID-19 vaccine intake among public transport drivers. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 participants in Gondar, Ethiopia from October 1, 2021 to November 15, 2021. The data was collected using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed. P-value ≤ 0.05 in a multivariable logistic regression model was considered statistically significant. Results Among the 384 study participants, 196 (51%) of them received the COVID-19 vaccine. Among those who were not vaccinated, 95 (50%) of the participants did not take the vaccines due to fear of the adverse effects of the vaccines. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, being affiliated with the Islamic religion, having a health professional family member or friend, and having a history of sign/symptoms of COVID-19 in the study participants were found to be associated with the vaccination status against COVID-19. Conclusion The overall COVID-19 vaccine intake by the study participants was low. To enhance the magnitude of the vaccination of this high-risk population, governmental organizations and other stakeholders should focus on increasing awareness in order to increase the willingness of the population.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of chronic respiratory symptoms among school teachers in Gondar city, north-western Ethiopia.DesignA school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2019. A self-administered British Medical Research Council Questionnaire was used to assess chronic respiratory symptoms. Data were entered into Epi Info V.7 and Stata V.14 was used for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. The association was determined using adjusted OR (AOR) with a 95% CI at a value of p<0.05.SettingThe study was conducted in public and private schools in Gondar city.ParticipantsA total of 822 teachers participated in this study.Outcome measuresThe primary outcome is the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms.ResultsThe total response rate was 97.4%. The majority, 532 (64.7%) of the participants, were male. The mean age (±SD) of the respondents was 36.69 (±6.93) years. The total prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms in the previous 12 months among teachers in Gondar city was found to be 31.14% (95% CI 27.99% to 34.43%). A family history of respiratory problems (AOR=1.90; 95% CI 1.07 to 3.37), an overweight body mass index (AOR=2.57; 95% CI 1.57 to 4.21), exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke at home (AOR=9.85; 95% CI 4.77 to 20.33), use of chalk (AOR=1.97; 95% CI 1.25 to 3.09), and failure to open windows during class (AOR=2.15; 95% CI 1.02 to 4.52) were risk factors for chronic respiratory symptoms.ConclusionThis study concluded that the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was high among teachers. Making a smoking-free zone, avoiding smoking in public places, improving the ventilation conditions of the classrooms and controlling the chalk dust are all necessary actions to take to reduce chronic respiratory symptoms.