Background: Ethiopia has made a substantial reduction in maternal mortality over the last two decades. However, maternal health care utilization among 15-49 aged women remains low despite this progress. The study aimed to examine trends, regional inequalities, and potential determinants associated with prenatal care utilization and a skilled birth attendant from 2000 to 2016 in Ethiopia. Methods: Nationally representative data extracted from the 2000 to 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS), conducted every five years among 15-49 age women in Ethiopia. We used multilevel logistic analysis incorporating the demographic, socioeconomic, and health variables that are independently associated with prenatal care (PNC) and skilled birth attendant (SBA) use. Results:The prevalence of prenatal care utilization was relatively stagnant between 2000 and 2011 but showed an overall increase nationwide from 26.7% to 62.4% between 2000 and 2016 (p-value < 0.001). The prevalence of skilled birth assistance increased only by 16.5% in the past fifteen years, from 5.6% in 2000 to 22.1% in 2016. Rural type of residence, lower maternal education, lower household wealth index, lower partner's education, an immense distance of getting medical help were steadily significantly associated with prenatal health care use and skilled birth attendants. Further, male household heads, younger age women, and no covered health insurance were associated with lower odds of skilled birth attendant use. Conclusions: Though overall prenatal care and skilled birth attendant use prevalence have improved nationally, the regional disparity is uneven. Therefore, to sustain the progress equals more attention is needed for Afar, Somali, and Oromia regions to increase maternal health care services utilization in Ethiopia.

Background Globally, road traffic accidents are the leading causes of death among young people in general, and the main cause of death among young people aged 15–29 years. Recently, in Ethiopia, the number of road traffic accidents has been increasing. The study aimed to identify the potential factors associated with the number of human deaths by road traffic accidents in the Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Methods We used data obtained from the Oromia region traffic police office recorded on daily basis road traffic accidents from July 2016 up to July 2017. Count regression models were was used to analyses the factors associated with the number of human deaths from road traffic accidents. Results Age of the driver’s 31–50 years (AOR = 0.289, 95%CI: 0.175, 0.479) and higher than 50 years old (AOR = 0.311, 95%CI: 0.129, 0.751), driver’s years of experience 5–10 years (AOR = 0.014, 95%CI: 0.007, 0.027), and more than 10 years (AOR = 0.101, 95%CI: 0.057, 0.176), automobile vehicle type (AOR = 8.642, 95%CI: 2.7644, 27.023), vehicle years of service 5–10 years (AOR = 2.484, 95%CI: 1.194, 5.169), and more than 10 years (AOR = 2.639, 95%CI: 1.268, 5.497), vehicle upside down accidents (AOR = 5.560, 95%CI: 2.506, 12.336), turning illegal position (AOR = 0.454, 95%CI: 0.226, 0.913), residential areas (AOR = 108.506, 95%CI: 13.725, 857.798), and working areas (AOR = 129.606, 95%CI: 16.448, 1021.263) were significant associated number of human deaths per road traffic accident factors in the study area. Conclusion Human deaths per road traffic accidents occurred due to the younger age of the driver, driver’s lack of sufficient experience, vehicle serviced for long years, driving on a wet road, driving in the afternoon, driving near/around residential places and vehicle to driver’s relation. Thus, the regional traffic police should give special attention to younger drivers, less experienced drivers, old vehicles, driving near residential areas, driving automobiles, and driving in the afternoon to control traffic system to reduce the number of human deaths pear road traffic accident.

Background. Under-five mortality has continued a key challenge to public health in Ethiopia, and other sub-Saharan Africa countries. The threat of under-five mortality is incessant and more studies are needed to generate new scientific evidence. This study aimed to model the number of under-five deaths a mother has experienced in her lifetime and factors associated with it in Ethiopia. Method. A retrospective cross-sectional study based on data obtained from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 2016 was used. The response variable was the total number of under-five children died per mother in her lifetime. Variables such as maternal socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, health, and environmental factors were considered as risk factors of under-five mortality. Hurdle negative binomial (HNB) regression analysis was employed to determine the factors associated with under-five mortality. Results. The data showed that 27.2% (95%CI: 0263, 0.282) of women experienced under-five deaths. The study revealed the age of mother at first birth, the age of mother at the time of under-five mortality occurred, number of household members, household access to electricity, region, educational level of the mother, sex of household head, wealth index, mother residing with husband/partner at the time of under-five mortality occurred as factors associated with under-five mortality. Age of mother at first birth 18 to 24 (IRR = .663; 95%CI: 0.587, 0.749), 25 or higher years old (IRR = 0.424; 95%CI: 0.306, 0.588), access to electricity (IRR = 0.758; 95%CI: 0.588, 0.976), primary education level of the mother (IRR = 0.715; 95%CI: 0.584, 0.875) and the richer wealth index (IRR = 0.785; 95%CI: 0.624, 0.988) were associated with reduced incidence of under-five mortality controlling for other variables in the model. Whereas older age of mother 35 to 39 (IRR = 5.252; 95%CI: 2.992, 9.218), 40 to 44 (IRR = 7.429; 95%CI: 4.188, 13.177), 45 to 49 (IRR = 8.697; 95%CI: 4.853, 15.585), being a resident of the Benishangul-gumuz region (IRR = 1.781; 95%CI: 1.303, 2.434), female household head (IRR = 1.256; 95%CI: 1.034, 1.525) were associated with an increased incidence of under-five mortality. Conclusion. The findings suggested that early age of mothers’ at first birth and old ages of mothers’, female household head and being uneducated were found to increase the incidence of the under-five mortality, whereas access to electricity and living with husband was statistically associated with reduced incidence of under-five mortality. The implication of this study is that policymakers and stakeholders should provide health education for mothers not to give birth at an earlier age and improve living standards to achieve sustainable development goals.

Background. The use of substances such as cigarettes, khat, alcohol, and other illicit drugs like hashish, heroine, cannabis, and cocaine is a global major public threat, which affects young adult people particularly in developing countries. This study aims to assess the risk factors associated with substance use and exposure to sexually explicit materials among high-school adolescents in north Shewa zone, Oromia region. Method. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess substance use and exposure to sexually explicit materials among high-school adolescents in North Shewa zone, Oromiya, Ethiopia, using a structured self-administered questionnaire adapted from the 2008 “Community That Care Youth Survey” for adolescent substance use and problem behaviors. The study used descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis to identify the significant factors associated with substance use and exposure to sexually explicit materials among high school adolescents in the study area. Result. The prevalence of lifetime and current substance use was 47.7% (95% CI: 0.427, 0.527) and 30.4% (95% CI: 0.258, 0.350), respectively. 17.8% use khat in their life and 16.6% used khat in the past 30 days; 42.2% ever used alcohol and 26.1% currently uses alcohol; 4.8% and 4.5% used cigarette in lifetime and in the past 30 days, while 16.4% use other illicit drugs in lifetime and 8.4% use illicit drugs in the past 30 days, respectively. Distributions of substance use by sex indicate that male adolescents are more like likely 61.1% use substances than females. While, the prevalence of exposure to sexually explicit materials among high school adolescents was 35.8% (95% CI: 0.310, 0.406). Factors positively associated with increased substance use were being male (OR = 2.334, 95% CI: 1.549, 9.926), living through high level of family conflict (OR = 6.25, 95% CI: 1.745, 10.00), poor family management OR = 27.084, 95% CI: 1.624, 45.56), peer pressure (OR = 12.882, 95% CI: 1.882, 88.153), poor academic performance (OR = 14.48, 95% CI: 1.290, 162.58), and low school commitment (OR = 11.951, 95% CI: 1.418, 100.73). While, being male (OR = 7.52, 95% CI: 2.611, 21.739), age 14–16 (OR = 0.201, 95% CI: 0.071, 0.565), friends watch/read sexually explicit materials (OR = 5.376, 95% CI: 1.010, 28.571), and khat chewing (OR = 12.5, 95% CI: 2.924, 25.632) were factors significantly associated with high-school adolescents exposure to sexually explicit materials. Conclusion. The magnitude of prevalence for substance uses and exposure to sexually explicit materials in the study area was still higher. Therefore, interventions that focus on family management, peer pressure, and school commitment are required to decrease the prevalence of substance uses and exposure to sexually explicit materials among high-school adolescents.

Background : Globally, road traffic accidents are leading causes of death among young people in general, and the main cause of death among young people aged 15–29 years. This study was conducted to identify the major factors associated with the number of human deaths by road traffic accident in the Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Methods: We used data obtained from the Oromia Police Commission Bureau that have been recorded on daily basis road traffic accidents from July, 2016 - July, 2017. Count regression models were was used to assess the factors associated with the number of human deaths from traffic accidents. Results : Of the total of 3900 road traffic accidents included in the 1188 (30.5%) were giving rise to fatal. The Hurde models were of better fit than zero inflated Poisson and zero inflated negative binomial model. Thus, the Hurdle Poisson is recommended in this study. Age of the driver 31-50 years (AOR = 0.289, 95%CI: 0.175, 0.479) and higher than 50 years of age (AOR = 0.311, 95%CI: 0.129, 0.751), driver’s years of experience 5-10 years (AOR = 0.014, 95%CI: 0.007, 0.027), and more than 10 years (AOR = 0.101, 95%CI: 0.057, 0.176), vehicle type automobile (AOR = 8.642, 95%CI: 2.7644, 27.023), vehicle years of service 5-10 years (AOR = 2.484, 95%CI: 1.194, 5.169), and more than 10 years (AOR = 2.639, 95%CI: 1.268, 5.497), type of accident, vehicle upside down (AOR = 5.560, 95%CI: 2.506, 12.336), causes of accident, turning illegal position (AOR = 0.454, 95%CI: 0.226, 0.913), area of accident, residential place (AOR = 108.506, 95%CI: 13.725, 857.798), working areas (AOR = 129.606, 95%CI: 16.448, 1021.263), near hospitals (AOR = 23.789, 95%CI: 3.038, 186.298), geographical locations, Western zones (AOR = 0.275, 95%CI: 0.167, 0.455), and South east zones (AOR = 0.624, 95%CI: 0.410, 0.950) were significant associated number of human deaths per road traffic accident factors in the study area. Conclusion : In this study, 30.5% of accidents were giving rise to at least one human death per road traffic accident and different associated numbers of human deaths per traffic accident factors have been identified.