Introduction. The first two years of life are a critical window of opportunity for ensuring optimal child growth and development. Nutritional deficiencies during this period can lead to impaired cognitive development, compromised educational achievement, and low economic productivity. Improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in children aged 0-23 months is therefore critical to improved nutrition, health, and development. Objective. The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of complementary feeding practice and its associated factors among mothers with children aged 6−23 months in Lasta District, Northeast Ethiopia, 2015. Methods. A community based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 476 mothers who had children aged 6-23 months in the study area. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the required sample. A face-to-face interview was done to collect data using structured questionnaire. Data were entered with EPI info version 3.5.1 and cleaning and analysis were done using SPSS version 16. Frequencies distribution and binary and multiple logistic regressions were done. Results. In this study only 56.5% of children aged 6-23 months received appropriate complementary feeding, considering timely introduction, minimum dietary diversity, and meal frequency. Exposure to public media [AOR = 2.50; 95% CI: 1.44, 4.35], occupation of mother [AOR = 9.50; 95% CI: 1.02, 14.25], mothers decision making role on how to use family income [AOR = 5.54; 95% CI: 1.19, 11.74], and use of postnatal care service [AOR = 5.98; 95% CI: 1.49, 13.96] were found to be independent predictors of complementary feeding practice. Conclusion and Recommendation. About 43.5% of mothers were not feeding their children complementary food appropriately, which would have negative implication on the health of infants and young children. There was a statistically significant association of inappropriate complementary feeding practices with mothers' occupation, postnatal care service, media exposure, and mothers' decision making role on how the money is used. Health professionals should focus on advising and counseling mothers on appropriate complementary feeding during prenatal, delivery, postnatal, and immunization services.

BackgroundMalnutrition has been responsible directly or indirectly for 10.9 million deaths worldwide annually among children under five. Childhood malnutrition is highly related to poor nutritional quality diet in developing countries where there is limited access to animal based foods. Most foods consumed by young children are cereal based which contain high amounts of anti-nutritional factors. Fermentation is thought to significantly lower the content of anti-nutrients in cereal grains. This study therefore, aimed to determine complementary feeding practices and effect of spontaneous fermentation on anti-nutritional factors and mineral contents of selected cereals.MethodsCross sectional survey was conducted in Ebinat district to determine complementary feeding practices among 324 lactating mothers. Laboratory analysis was carried out for teff and wheat cereal grains to determine the effect of spontaneous fermentation on anti-nutrients as well as mineral contents.ResultsPrevalence of appropriate complementary feeding practice was 1.5%. Fermentation of the sampled cereals for 12 h significantly (p < 0.05) reduced total phytate and total tannin. The reduction continued and most of the reduction of phytate and tannin contents occurred during the 72 h of fermentation for both cereal samples. However, the reduction for some fermentation times was not statistically significant. A significant (p < 0.05) variation was also noticed in the total amounts of calcium, iron and zinc in both sampled cereals within the 72 h of fermentation.ConclusionPrevalence of appropriate complementary feeding practice was very low. There were significant reductions of phytate and tannin contents with concomitant increments of minerals after fermentation of cereals. Phytate: mineral ratios were significantly decreased after fermentation for all the parameters examined. It is recommended to ferment cereals while preparing complementary foods for children so as to enhance their micronutrient uptake.

Iodine deficiency disorders remain a major public health problem globally, and more than a quarter of the world's population is affected by this micronutrient deficiency. The problem is even worse in developing countries including Ethiopia, and the government has been implementing globally recommended universal salt iodization as one strategy to control iodine deficiency disorders. The objective of this study was to assess iodine content of salt used in households, and associated factors. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June, 2017 in Gidami district, Western Ethiopia. A total of 470 household food caterers participated in the study by using random sampling method. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire and rapid iodized salt test kit to assess socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, practices and iodine content of the salt. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify associated factors of iodine level in the salt using odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Results: Among the household salt samples, 83.6% were found to be iodized (>0ppm) while 29.8% (95% CI: 25.8, 33.9%) were found to be adequately iodized. Respondents who had formal education [AOR=1.82, 95% CI: (1.42, 3.53)], had an occupation [AOR=4.78, 95% CI: (1.55-14.73)], did not expose salt to sunlight [AOR=1.13, 95% CI: (1.10-1.27)] had good knowledge of iodized salt [AOR=1.184, 95% CI: (1.103, 1.328)], and had good practice regarding iodized salt [AOR=1.32, 95% CI: (1.717, 2.442)] were more likely to have adequately iodized salt at household level. Conclusion:According to this study, the availability of adequately iodized salt at household level was below global and national target of universal iodine utilization. This study suggested the importance of paying more attention to availability of iodine fortification and increasing awareness regarding the importance of iodized salt and potential factors such as utilization practice and handling of iodized salt.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused stress on the health care system of many countries worldwide. To accommodate the growing number of critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation, hospitals expanded and tried to meet overwhelming demands. Despite this, outcomes of patients after mechanical ventilation were devastating, with high mortality rates. Therefore, this study investigated the survival status and predictors of mortality among mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was applied on the patient charts of 496 critically ill and mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients at intensive care units of Addis Ababa COVID-19 Care Centers from September 2020 to October 2021. Data were collected using a data extraction checklist and entered into Epi data manager. Then, data were transferred to STATA V-14 for cleaning and analysis. The cox-proportional hazard regression model was used for analysis. Covariates with p-value ≤0.20 in the bivariate analysis were fitted to multivariate analysis after the model fitness test. Finally, statistical significance was decided at p-value <0.05, and hazard ratios were used to determine the strength of associations. Results: Of the 496 patients, 63.3% had died. The incidence rate of mortality was 56.7 (95% CI: 50.80, 63.37) per 1,000 person-days of observation, with 5534 person-day observations recorded. Advanced age (>60 years old) (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)=1.86; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.15) and being invasively ventilated (AHR=2.02; 95% CI: 1.25, 3.26) were associated with increased risk of mortality. Furthermore, presence of diabetes (AHR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.08), shock (AHR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.12, 3.52), and delirium (AHR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.44) were significantly associated with increased mortality. Conclusions: Clear directions are needed in the recommendation of non-invasive versus invasive ventilation, especially among elderly patients. The controversy of when to intubate (early versus late) needs to be clarified as well. Early detection and prompt management of shock is paramount.

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus/ Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is one of the major public health Problem worldwide and its epidemic is occurring in populations where malnutrition is already endemic. Ethiopia is among the countries most affected by under nutrition and HIV epidemic in the region. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of under nutrition and associated factors among adult people living with HIV/AIDS and on ART in Achefer Woreda, North West Ethiopia.Methods and Materials: Institution based cross sectional study design was used and conducted from May 01–30/2015. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study subjects and the data was collected using clinical assessment, measurements and interviewer administered questionnaire. To identify independent predictors of under nutrition of adult people living with HIV/AIDS and on ART, we performed multivariable logistic regression analyses using SPSS version 20 with CI of 95% at p-value < 0. 05.Result: Three hundred fifty HIV/AIDS on ART patients were included in the study. The overall prevalence of under nutrition was 26.9% and females were most affected 57 (18.1%). Anti-retroviral treatment duration of 6-11months and 12–24 months (AOR = 4.72, 95% CI, 1.10-20.35) and (AOR = 6.93, 95% CI, 1.614–29.754) respectively, WHO Stage two and three (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI,1.061–8.534) and (AOR = 12.56, 95% CI, 4.27–36.99) respectively and dietary counseling (AOR = 0.20, 95% CI, .05-.78) were significantly associated with under nutrition.Conclusion and Recommendation: Undernutrition was high in PLWHA and on ART. ART duration, WHO clinical staging, presence of eating problem and dietary counselling were the predictors for under nutrition of HIV patients on ART. Only increasing access to ART can’t solve problem of under nutrition, therefore nutrition therapy and support, site expansion also as an accessory to the initiation of ART should be considered.