Background Trophic feeding is a small volume, hypo-caloric feeding, gut priming or minimal enteral feeding acclimate the immature gut of enteral fasting preterm neonates. Delayed starting of trophic feeding had resulted in short and long-term physical and neurological sequels. The current study aimed to estimate the time to initiate trophic feeding and its predictors among preterm neonates admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit of Debre Markos, Felege Hiwot, and Tibebe Ghion comprehensive specialized hospitals. Methods An institutional-based prospective follow-up study was conducted among 210 neonates. The data were collected with interview and chart review, entered into Epi data 3.1 and exported to Stata 14.1 for analysis. Multivariable Cox regression models were fitted to identify predictors of time to initiate trophic feeding. Result A total of 210 neonates were followed for 10136 person-hours of risk time and 191 (90.95%) of neonates were started trophic feeding. The overall incidence of starting trophic feeding was 2 per 100 (95% CI: 2, 2.2) person-hours observations. The median survival time was 42 hours (95% CI: 36, 48). APGAR- score at first minute <7 (AHR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.82), gestational age of <34 weeks (AHR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.5, 0.94), presence of respiratory distress syndrome (AHR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.68), presence of hemodynamic instability (AHR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.57), presence of perinatal asphyxia (AHR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.89), cesarean section delivery (AHR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.44, 89) and being delivered within the study hospitals (AHR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.74) were found to be statistically significant predictors of time to initiate trophic feeding. Conclusion There was a significant delay to initiate trophic feeding in the studied hospitals. Gestational age of below 34 weeks, APGAR-score of less than seven, out-born delivery, cesarean delivery, presence of respiratory distress syndrome; perinatal asphyxia, and hemodynamic instability were predictors of delay in starting of trophic feeding. Standardized feeding guideline has to be implemented to overcome delays in enteral feeding initiation.

Background Herd immunity against measles is essential to interrupt measles transmission, and this can only be attained by reaching at least 95% coverage for each of the 2 doses of measles vaccine provided in infancy and early childhood age group. It is important to provide everyone with 2 doses of the measles vaccine in order to effectively safeguard the population. Despite this, little is known about the second dosage of the measles vaccine utilization status and the factors that affect it. Therefore, this study aimed to assess second dose of measles vaccination utilization and its associated factors among children aged 24–35 months in Jabitehnan district, 2020. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted at Jabitehnan District, Northwest Ethiopia, from September 1st, 2020 to October 1st, 2020. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 845 mothers/caregivers who had children aged 24–35 months. Both bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression was fitted to identify the determinant factors of second dose measles vaccination utilization. Finally, the statistical significant variables were declared by using 95% CI and P value less than .05 in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. The Hosmer and Lemeshow test was used to check the model’s fit to the data, and the variance inflation factor was used to assess multi-collinearity. Results The overall second dose of measles vaccination utilization was 48.1%, (95% CI: 44.7-51.6). Mothers with primary school education (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.15-3.17), information about MCV2 (AOR = 6.53, 95% CI: 4.22-10.08), distance from vaccination site (AOR = 3.56, 95% CI: 2.46-5.14), knowledge about immunization (AOR = 1.935, 95% CI: 1.29-2.90), and favorable attitude about immunization (AOR = 5.19, 95% CI: 3.25-8.29) were significantly associated factors with second dose of measles vaccination utilization. Conclusion Second dose measles vaccination utilization in the district was lower than the national target. Maternal education, distances from vaccination site, information about MCV2, and knowledge about immunization were significantly associated variables with second dose measles vaccination utilization. Therefore, in order to increase the utilization of the second dose of the measles vaccine, improved health education and service expansion to difficult-to-reach areas are required.

Background About 600,000 children are estimated to depend on street life in Ethiopia. Estimates conclude that about 65% of street children hardly have any access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. However, sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS among street children have been reported as being very high and some studies showed that it can be higher than that of female sex workers, truck drivers and prisoners. Objective The aim of this study is to explore the sexual and reproductive health problems of street youths and their need in East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia, 2019. Methods An explanatory qualitative study design was conducted on street youths residing in East Gojjam Zone town administrations from February to March, 2019. Purposively selected street youths and positioned individuals who were residing in East Gojjam Zone town administrates were included in the study. The data were collected through focus group discussion and in-depth interview and analyzed thematically. Result A total of 85 street youths and 8 individuals who were working with street children participated in this study. Most street youths had no clear information towards sexual and reproductive health. The existing reproductive health problems were sexual violence, sexually transmitted infection, unplanned pregnancy, abortion and substance abuse. Most street youths were interested in getting sexual and reproductive health information and other services by concerned bodies similar to the general population. Accessibility of job opportunities was also one of their needs to prevent the existing sexual and reproductive health problems. Conclusion and Recommendation Most street youths were sexually active and attempted unsafe sexual practice which exposed them to sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies and abortions. So a special reproductive health service is needed to avert these problems.

Antenatal care (ANC) is one of the most crucial components of maternal health care services. However, less than two-third of pregnant women receive ANC at least once and only 32% had at least 4 ANC visits in Ethiopia. There is dearth of nationally representative data that indicate changes in utilization of ANC services at the end of health sector transformation plan I period (HSTP I) in the country. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate utilization of ANC the effect of socio-economic inequities and regional disparities in Ethiopia. The 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey data were used. A total of 5753 women in the reproductive age who gave live births in the five years preceding the survey were used for this study. Multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with ANC booking. This study indicated that 74% women had at least one ANC visit during their last pregnancy of which four out of ten did not receive the recommended 4+ visits. The proportion of women who had late ANC booking (i.e., first ANC visit to health facility after 4 months of pregnancy) was found to be 32% and significant disparities were observed across regions. Rural residency (adjusted OR (AOR): 1.62, 95% CI (1.28, 2.05)), being wealth (AOR: 0.69, 95% CI (0.55, 0.85)), education (AOR: 0.25, 95% CI (0.15, 0.40)) and being grand multi-parity (AOR: 1.35, 95% CI (1.005, 1.83)) were significantly associated with late ANC booking. ANC services utilization is far behind its targets and the proportion of pregnant women entering ANC late is high. It is necessary to intensify efforts to raise awareness about the need of early ANC initiation, particularly in rural areas.

Background Diabetic neuropathy is the primary cause of foot ulcers and amputations in both industrialized and poor countries. In spite of this, most epidemiological research on diabetic neuropathy in Ethiopia have only made an effort to estimate prevalence, and the information underlying the condition’s beginning is not well-established. Therefore, determining the time to diabetic neuropathy and its variables among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the Compressive Specialized Hospitals of the Amhara region was the aim of this study. Methods An institutional-based retrospective follow-up study was undertaken among 669 newly recruited adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were diagnosed between the first of March 2007 and the last day of February 2012. Patients with diabetic neuropathy at the time of the diagnosis for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), patients without a medical chart, patients with an unknown date of DM diagnosis, and patients with an unknown date of diabetic neuropathy diagnosis were excluded from the study. All newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients aged 18 years and older who were enrolled from 1st March 2007 to 28th February 2012 in selected hospitals were included in this study. Cox proportional hazard model was fitted to determine predictors of time to diabetic neuropathy, and the Kaplan Meier survival curve was used to assess the cumulative survival time. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significance at 95% confidence interval. Results The restricted mean survival time of this study was 179.45 (95% CI: 173.77–185.14) months. The overall incidence rate of diabetic neuropathy was 2.14 cases per 100 persons-years. Being aged > 60 years [AHR = 2.93(95% CI: 1.29–6.66)], having diabetic retinopathy [AHR = 2.76(95% CI: 1.84–4.16)], having anemia [AHR = 3.62 (95% CI: 2.46–5.33)], having hypertension [AHR = 3.22(95% CI: 2.10–4.93)], and baseline fasting blood sugar > 200 mg/dl [AHR = 2.56(95% CI: 1.68–3.92)] were the predictors of diabetic neuropathy. Conclusion The risk of occurrence of diabetic neuropathy among type two diabetes mellitus patients was high in the early period. Age > 60 years, diabetic retinopathy, anemia, baseline fasting blood sugar level > 200 mg/dl, and hypertension were the main predictors of incidence of diabetic neuropathy. Therefore, early detection and appropriate interventions are important for patients with old age, diabetic retinopathy, anemia, hypertension, and FBS > 200mg/dl.