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The results showed that FGTB is a significant clinical problem in Ethiopia. A combination of PCR with the other available methods was found to be the best alternative to achieve sufficient sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of FGTB in this setting.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of self-care behavior and associated factors among heart failure patients. This institutional-based cross-sectional study design was done in Tigray region, Ethiopia. The data collection process was made between February and April 2018. An interviewer assisted structured questionnaire and medical chart review was used to collect the data. Data was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 22. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to identify the predictors ( p < .05). In this study, a total of 408 study subjects was included. The mean age of the participants was 45.4 (±19). The overall prevalence of good self-care behavior was 45.8% (95% CI: 40.9–50.5). Regression analysis revealed that age, educational level, co-morbidity, knowledge about heart failure, and social support were significantly associated with self-care behavior. Healthcare providers should strengthen patient education to improve self-care behavior.

Background Undernutrition and HIV/AIDS are highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia inclusive as linked in a vicious cycle. Thus, several studies have documented that undernutrition among HIV/AIDS patients increases the risk of mortality, decrease survival rates, affect the overall clinical outcome and quality of life. Despite this fact, information about the burden of undernutrition and associated factors among adults receiving antiretroviral therapy is lacking in the particular study area. Hence, this study aimed to examine the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among adult HIV/AIADS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy patients in Eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional research design was adopted in data collection while systematic sampling technique was employed to sample and select the study subjects. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 394 study subjects through face to face method. Also, data on demographics, laboratory and anthropometric variables were collected from each selected patients sampled. The data collected were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 22.. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence interval were used to find factors associated with undernutrition. The adjusted odds ratio was calculated to show the strength of the association. Variables with p-value of < 0.05 were considered statically significant. Results The mean age of the respondents was 41 (± 10). Out of 394 study respondents, about 42.9% of them were undernourished (95% CI: 37.8–47.7). Respondents who had CD4+ count less than 200 cells/μl (AOR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1–3.36), being advanced clinical staging (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI: 2.11–6.18), and not taking co-trimoxazole preventive therapy (AOR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.21–4.6) were independently associated with undernutrition. Conclusion The result of this study indicated that the prevalence of undernutrition was high. Respondents with advanced clinical stage of CD4+ count less than 200 cells/ul and those that were not taking co-trimoxazole preventive therapy was found to be positively associated with undernutrition. Therefore, the implementation of nutritional programs is very crucial to improve the nutritional status of HIV/AIDS patients in the particular study.

ObjectiveTo assess magnitude of overweight and associated factors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at Mekelle public hospitals, Tigray, Ethiopia.ResultsA total of 365 participants were enrolled in this study. One hundred ninety-eight (54.2%) of the participants were males and 288 (78.9%) of the study participants were from an urban residence. In this study 161 (44.1%) and 12 (3.3%) of the study subjects were alcohol consumers and smokers respectively. Besides, 166 (45%) of the study participants had poor dietary intake and around 302 (82.7%) had low level of vigorous physical activity. The proportion of individuals who were overweight using body mass index as a measure was 149 (40.8%) and the proportion of individuals who had central obesity using waist circumference as a measure was 194 (53.2%). The magnitude of overweight among study participants from urban residence and alcohol consumers was 138 (92.6%) and 93 (62.4%) respectively. Residence area, alcohol consumption, physical activities, central obesity and dietary intake were the determinant factors for overweight among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Introduction: Despite significant improvement in the diagnosis and management of this disorder, asthma in the majority of Ethiopians remains poorly controlled. Although the prevalence of uncontrolled asthma is a public health problem in Ethiopia, its reported prevalence varies from study to study. Hence, this review aims to determine the true prevalence of uncontrolled asthma among asthmatic patients in Ethiopia. Material and methods: Different database searching engines were used including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Africa journal online, World Health Organization (WHO) afro library, and Cochrane review. They were systematically searched for published studies on uncontrolled asthma in Ethiopia from 2014 to 2019. Primary search terms were “asthma”, “uncontrolled asthma”, “uncontrolled wheezing”, and “Ethiopia”. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Guidelines was followed. Publication bias was examined by the funnel plot. The random-effect model was fitted to estimate the pooled prevalence of uncontrolled asthma among asthmatic patients. All statistical analysis was done using R version 3.5.3 and the RStudio version 1.2.5033 software for Windows. Results: The overall pooled prevalence of uncontrolled asthma was found to be 71.67% [95% CI (0.6772; 0.7562)]. Potential associated factors were: unscheduled visits, frequency of short-acting beta2-agonist (SABA) use, type of treatment and perceived rate of asthma control, low monthly income, age group, presence of comorbidity, moderate persistent asthma, severe persistent asthma and use of SABA alone as anti-asthmatic medication, use of biomass fuel for cooking, longer duration of asthma (> 30 years), incorrect inhalation technique, and asthma exacerbation in the last 12 months. Self-perceived poor asthma control was associated with any activity limitation due to asthma, inconsistent inhaled corticosteroid use, and lack of health education on metered-dose inhaler technique [AOR =4.96; 95% CI (1.08–22.89)]. Conclusions: Nearly two-thirds of patients were determined to have uncontrolled asthma. Thus, this evidence suggests that attention should be given to asthma patients and health care providers.

Introduction High prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among pregnant women is the primary source of infection for their children and the general population. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is the primary mode of transmission in endemic areas like Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV infection, rate of MTCT, and associated risk factors among delivering mothers. Methods This health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four public hospitals of the Eastern zone of Tigray among 473 delivering mothers. Structured questionnaires and laboratory results were used to collect the data. The data were checked for completeness and entered into EpiData manager version 4.6.0.0. Then the data were exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The odds ratio, along with a 95% confidence interval, was estimated to identify predictors of HBV infection using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Significant association was considered at p < 0.05. Results A total of 473 mothers were enrolled, and the response rate was 100%. The prevalence of HBV infection among the mothers and the rate of MTCT of the infection were 11.6% and 30.9%, respectively. History of home delivery [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) (2, 10.6)], history of hospital admission [AOR = 5, 95% CI (2.2, 11.5)], working at health facility [AOR = 5.4, 95% CI (1.4, 20.7)], body tattoos [AOR = 5.8, 95% CI (2.4, 13.6)], sharing personal care materials [AOR = 3.8, 95% CI (1.4, 9.9)], insufficient knowledge [AOR = 5.6, 95% CI (1.6, 19)], and having human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [AOR = 5.1, 95% CI (1, 26.2)] were significantly associated with HBV infection. Conclusion HBV infection among delivering women is becoming highly endemic, and the rate of MTCT was high. Therefore, administering hepatitis B vaccine to all neonates within 24 h of birth is mandatory to prevent MTCT of HBV infection and related complications. Furthermore, health education and dissemination of information about HBV for the pregnant mothers are needed to reduce HBV infection and vertical transmission in Ethiopia.

Background: Good knowledge of self-care related to heart failure (HF) is key to improve patient outcomes. However, information regarding how much patients know about self-care is lacking in developing countries, particularly in the study setting. Objective: The objectives of this study were to assess HF patients’ knowledge about self-care and to explore predictors among HF patients in Ayder comprehensive specialised referral hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study design was undertaken in Ayder comprehensive specialised referral hospital, Tigray, Ethiopia. A total of 408 HF patients participated, and the study was done between February and April 2018. An interviewer-assisted structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Bivariate logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to identify the predictors associated with knowledge about self-care. Results: The mean age of the participants was 45.4 years (standard deviation=19 years). Around 255 (62.5%) of the participants had poor self-care knowledge. Age, New York Heart Association classes, duration of the disease and previous hospitalisation were the factors associated with knowledge about self-care. Conclusion: More than half of all participants had poor knowledge about self-care. Improving existing prevention strategies and strengthening patients’ knowledge are recommended to address this knowledge deficit.