ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess factors associated with poor medication adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic among hypertensive patients visiting public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia.SettingHospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Harari regional state and Dire Dawa Administration from 1 January to 30 February 2022. Both settings are found in Eastern Ethiopia.ParticipantsA total of 402 adult hypertensive patients who visited the chronic diseases clinic for follow-up were included in the study.Main outcome measuresThe main outcome measure was poor medication adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsThe level of poor antihypetensive medication adherence was 63% (95% CI 48.1 to 67.9). Patients who had no formal education (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.56, 95% CI 1.03 to 4.30), existing comorbid conditions (AOR=1.98, 95% CI 1.35 to 4.35), self-funded for medication cost (AOR=2.05, 95% CI 1.34 to 4.73), poor knowledge about hypertension (HTN) and its treatment (AOR=2.67, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.99), poor patient–physician relationship (AOR=1.22, 95% CI 1.02 to 4.34) and unavailability of medication (AOR=5.05, 95% CI 2.78 to 12.04) showed significant association with poor medication adherence during the pandemic of COVID-19.ConclusionThe level of poor antihypertensive medication adherence was high in this study. No formal education, comorbidity, self-funded medication cost, poor knowledge about HTN and its treatment, poor patient–physician relationship, and unavailability of medication during the COVID-19 pandemic were factors significantly associated with poor adherence to antihypertensive medication. All stakeholders should take into account and create strategies to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medication adherence of chronic diseases.

Introduction In Ethiopia, more than four million children are anticipated to live under particularly difficult circumstances. Street children are subject to violence, a lack of health care, and a lack of education. Which denies them the right to live in a secure environment and exposes them to different health problems. Currently, little is known about the prevalence of Streetism, including health conditions. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the health status of street children and determinants of Streetism. Methods Mixed methods (sequential) were employed from February 1 to 28, 2021. Quantitative cross-sectional study design and phenomenological qualitative designs were applied. Overall, 220 street children were involved in the study. The most common reason that forced the children to resort to a street way of life is to look for a job and quarreled with parents. The data were collected using interviews methods. Chi-square test and multiple binary logistic regression were applied to examine the variations among variables with the health status of street children. Qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique. Results The study included a total of 220 street children. As to the quantitative study, the majority of study participants (92.73%) drank alcohol regularly. Depression (39.22%) and peer pressure (43.14%) were the most common initiation causes of drinking alcohol. According to a qualitative study report, "Street children are mostly affected by the communicable disease” and… They are addicted to substances like benzene” which had a profound effect on their health.” Furthermore, the study discovered a statistically significant association between respondents’ health status and sociodemographic characteristics (age and educational status), job presence, and drug use. Conclusion This study identified the factors that drove street children to live on the streets, such as the inability to find work and disagreements with their parents. The majority of the street children were affected by preventable and treatable diseases. Unfortunately, almost all street children reported drinking alcohol, which exposed them to a variety of health problems. In general, the study discovered that street children require immediate attention. Decision-makers and academicians should collaborate to develop a plan for these children’s health and social interventions.

BackgroundDespite the incredible progress made in decreasing under-five mortality, neonatal mortality remains the main and slowly advancing contributor. Though all efforts were made to decline the death of a newborn, current information showed that newborn death is unaverted and not a fastened agenda. This study aimed to assess neonatal mortality and its determinants among neonates admitted at the Dil Chora Hospital in Dire Dawa City.MethodsFacility-based cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 376 newborns were selected systematically from neonates admitted to the NICU of the Dil Chora Referral Hospital from June 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020. Data were collected from medical records using a standard extraction checklist. The data were entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and then exported into SPSS version 24 for statistical analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to identify the association between independent variables and neonatal death.ResultThe prevalence of neonatal death was 11.4% (95% CI: 9.44, 13.36). The majority of 37 (86.05%) of the neonates died within 7 days of life. The most common causes of admission included perinatal asphyxia (55.3%), hypoglycemia (21.5%), and hypothermia. Nearly half (40.4%) of the mothers of newborns experience index pregnancy complications, premature rupture of the membrane (AOR = 5.79, 95% CI: 2.08, 16.1), birth weight <2,500 g (AOR = 3.96, 95% CI: 1.56. 10.06), hypothermia (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.1, 6.02), index pregnancy complications (AOR = 4.79, 95% CI: 1.92, 11.91), and induced labor (AOR = 4.45, 95% CI: 1.53, 12.94), which were significantly associated with neonatal mortality.ConclusionThe prevalence of neonatal mortality was high compared with the national target. Premature rupture of the membrane, birth weight <2,500 g, hypothermia, index pregnancy complications, and induced labor were significantly associated with neonatal mortality. The majority of neonatal deaths are due to complications arising from pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and lack of quality of care at the neonatal intensive care unit. Cultivating and increasing the utilization of antenatal care services, quality of care at delivery, and the neonatal intensive care unit could avert those deaths.

Background: COVID-19 brought significant challenges to public health. It changed the view of global health and safety, trust in the healthcare system, and clients’ willingness to seek healthcare. To contain the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and its detrimental effects, understanding peoples’ health behavior, especially healthcare-seeking, and determining the community risk perception is very important. Thus, this study aimed to determine the health-seeking behavior, community’s risk perception to COVID-19 pandemics, and factors influencing the community risk perception in Harari regional state, Ethiopia. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 5 to 30 February 2021. A total of 1320 adult (>18 years) participants were selected using systematic random sampling. The data were collected using an online kobo collect toolbox and analyzed using descriptive statistical tests. Chi-square test and multiple binary logistic regression were applied to examine the difference between variables. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be of statistical significance. Results: The study included 1296 respondents >18 years old. The overall prevalence of willingness to seek healthcare in the study area was 35.6% (95% CI: 33%–38.3.0%). The mean cumulative score of risk perception was 30.5 (SD ± 7.25) with the minimum and maximum score of 13 and 63, respectively. A total of 656 (50.6%) of the participants had low-risk perceptions concerning COVID-19. The study found a statistically significant association between risk perception and sociodemographic characteristics (age, educational status, and income), and knowledge of the respondents. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of willingness to seek healthcare was 35.6%. Healthcare intervention aimed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic should consider the factors associated with the study area. Similarly, the study found a low-risk perception among the community that needs critical action to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the community as a whole. Thus, it is necessary to improve community risk perception through health education.

BackgroundPsychoactive substance use becomes a major public health and socioeconomic problem worldwide. Despite its burden and consequences, there is no community-based study conducted on psychoactive substance use and associated factors in eastern Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and determinants of current alcohol, tobacco, and khat among adults living in Harari regional state, eastern Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 955 adults living in Harari regional state. Participants were randomly recruited using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by interviewer-administered structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Data were entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to Stata version 14.0 for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the outcome and independent variables, and the statistical significance was declared at a p &lt; 0.5.ResultsOf 955 eligible participants, 95.29% participated in the study. The overall prevalence of current alcohol use, tobacco use, and khat use in this study was 8.24, 14.5, and 63.30%, respectively. The availability of alcohol, being unemployed, and being a current khat user were significantly associated with current alcohol use. Being male, having a low level of education, having peer pressure, having a common mental disorder, being a current alcohol user, and being a khat user were identified as significant predictors for current tobacco use. The age between 31 and 40 years, being a Muslim religion follower, being a farmer, being a current tobacco user, and availability of khat were significantly associated with current khat use.Conclusion and recommendationsThe prevalence of psychoactive substance use in the study area was relatively high compared with that of previous studies. By considering these determinants, screening, early identification, and developing appropriate intervention strategies to prevent and tackle current alcohol, tobacco, and khat use in the community should be of great concern.