BackgroundPrelacteal feeding is one of the commonest inappropriate child feeding practice which exposes to malnutrition, infection, and neonatal mortality. However, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis that estimates the pooled prevalence of prelacteal feeding and its association with place of birth in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the magnitude of prelacteal feeding practice and its association with home delivery in the country.MethodsPrimary studies were accessed through, HINARI and PubMed databases. Additionally, electronics search engines such as Google Scholar, and Google were used. The Joana Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklist was used to appraise the quality of studies. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Heterogeneity between the studies was examined using the I2 heterogeneity test. The DerSimonian and Liard random-effect model was used. The random effects were pooled after conducting subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Publication bias was also checked.ResultsA total of 780 primary studies were accessed. However, about 24 studies were included in the qualitative description and quantitative analysis of the prevalence of prelacteal feeding. To examine the association between home delivery and prelacteal feeding practice, only six studies were included. The prevalence of prelacteal feeding ranged from 6.1–75.8%. The pooled prevalence of prelacteal feeding among Ethiopian children was 26.95% (95% CI: 17.76%, 36.14%). The highest prevalence was observed in the Afar region. The pooled odds of prelacteal feeding among women who gave birth at home was increased by 5.16 (95% CI: 3.7, 7.2) folds as compared to those who gave birth at Health institutions.ConclusionPrelacteal feeding practice in Ethiopia was found to be high. Home delivery was strongly associated with prelacteal feeding practice. Therefore, promoting institutional delivery and strengthening of the existing child nutrition strategies are recommended.

Background Anticipated stigma related to chronic illness patients undermines diagnosis, treatment, and successful health outcomes. The study aimed to assess the magnitude and factors associated with anticipated stigma among patients with chronic illness attending follow-up clinics in Amhara Region Referral Hospitals, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional institution-based study was conducted in Amhara Region Referral Hospitals from 01 March to 15 April 2021. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the three Referral Hospitals in the region and study subjects. Data were collected using a pre-tested interview-based questionnaire. Data were entered and cleaned with Epi-Info version 6 and exported for analysis STATA version 14. Multiple linear regression was used to show the association between anticipated stigma and potential factors. Associations were measured using ß coefficients and were considered statistically significant if the p-value > 0.05. Results A total of 779 patients were included for analysis with a response rate of 97%. Their mean (Standard deviation) of anticipated stigma was estimated at 1.86 and 0.5, respectively. After running an assumption test for multiple linear regression; educational status, cigarette smoking, psychological distress, medication adherence, alcohol consumption, and social part of the quality of life were statically significantly associated with anticipated stigma. Conclusion and recommendation The result showed a high level of anticipated stigma reported among the participants. Emphasizing improving their social part of the quality of life, avoiding risky behaviors like alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking, access to health education for chronically ill patients, integrating mental health in all types of chronic disease, and developing strategies and protocols which will help to improve patient medication adherence to their prescribed medication will be crucial. This can provide a foundation for government andnon-governmental organizations, and researchers implementing evidence-based interventions and strategies on chronic care to address factors related to anticipated stigma.

Introduction: - Anticipated stigma or the fear of future prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping is a bad experience that harms the mental and physical well-being of individuals with chronic illnesses. Exploring the lived experiences of anticipated stigma is crucial for enhancing the standard of care for all patients, especially in countries with few resources. With this context, the goal of this study was to explore the experiences of chronic illness patients who attended follow-up clinics in the Amhara Region Referral Hospitals in Ethiopia. Methods: Twelve participants with chronic illnesses were interviewed using semi-structured questions after being purposefully chosen from the University of Gondar Specialized Hospital and Felege Hiwot Specialized Hospital. The data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological inductive approach. Results: - The overarching category was "Living with stigmatized identities." The three main themes identified were chronic illness, altered self, and suggested solutions to handle disease-related consequences and the disease outcome. Behavioral changes, discrimination, health service-related factors, stigma, solutions, and signs of the disease outcome were the six superordinate themes. Conclusion: - Our conclusion that a stigmatized identity incorporates significant experiences related to chronic illnesses and an altered self leads us to recommend solutions that address both the disease's symptoms and its side effects. Reorganizing chronic care systems, using evidence-based protocols, improving patient education about opportunities and challenges, expanding access to senior chronic care experts, such as chronic care nurses, and expanding the availability of clinical management at the closest healthcare facility are among the interventions that are effective in improving outcomes in this group of patients.