BackgroundCervical cancer is the second most common female cancer which Ethiopia put a strategic goal to reduce its incidence and mortality by 2020. Lack of knowledge and poor attitude towards the disease and risk factors can affect screening practice and development of preventive behavior for cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude, practices and factors for each domain for cervical cancer among women of child bearing age in Hossana town, Southern, Ethiopia.MethodsCommunity based cross sectional study was carried out in June 2015. A total of 583 participants were selected using systematic random sampling technique. Pretested structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to gather the data. Data were entered in to Epi Info software version 3.5.4 and exported to SPSS version 16 for descriptive and logistic regression analysis.ResultsTwo hundred seventy (46.3%) of the respondents had poor comprehensive knowledge. Only 58 (9.9%) of participants had been screed for the cervical cancer before the survey. Two hundred three (34.8%) of participants had negative attitude towards selected proxy variables. Not having health seeking behavior for cervical cancer [AOR: 5.45, 95% CI: (1.18, 30.58), P <0.031], had not ever received information about cervical cancer and its prevention [AOR: 2.63, 95%CI: (1.78,8.84), P < 0.018] and not actively seeking health information about cervical cancer [AOR: 6.25, (95%CI: (1.26, 31.06) P < 0.025] were significantly associated factors with poor knowledge. Poor knowledge score was associated with poor attitude [AOR: 56.51, 95%CI: (23.76, 134.37), P <0.001]. Had not ever received information about the disease from any source [AOR: 45.24, (95%CI: (11.47, 178.54), P <0.001] was significantly associated factor with not to be screened for the disease.ConclusionThis study highlighted the importance of awareness creation, increasing knowledge, promoting active searching for health information and experiences of receiving information from any information sources regarding cervical cancer. Therefore, it will be essential to integrate cervical cancer prevention strategies with other reproductive health services at all level of health care delivery system.

BackgroundMalaria causes variety of adverse consequences in pregnant women due to invasion of the placenta by Plasmodium. It increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome for the mother, the foetus and the new-born. Therefore, knowledge, attitudes and practices of this vulnerable group about malaria and the effective use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) contribute to sustainable control of the disease and its effects.MethodsA community based cross-sectional study was carried out in May, 2014. A validated structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was analysed using logistic regression by means of STATA version 11 data analysis software.ResultsA total of 398 pregnant women participated in the study and their overall knowledge and attitude towards malaria and ITNs was fairly good; 74.3 % of the mothers had good knowledge and 51.1 % of them possessed positive attitude. Nevertheless, only 15.6 % of the mothers associated mosquitoes with malaria and majority of them (65.6 %) responded that it is transmitted due to poor personal hygiene and environmental sanitation. Younger age, receiving information and information obtained from health extension workers and media were found to be important predictors of pregnant women’s attitude (P < 0.05). The ITNs utilization was poor. Only 15.8 % of 398 mothers owned at least one ITN. This was due to its unavailability in markets and unsustainable distribution. More than half of the mothers who owned the ITNs did not have a number proportional to their family size, and 52 % of the mothers had not slept under bed net the previous night. This was due to its being dirty, old, had holes and in some cases lack of awareness on how to install it and its importance to prevent malaria. Higher education was identified as the determining factor for ITNs utilization (P < 0.05).ConclusionEven though the pregnant mothers’ knowledge and attitude about malaria and ITNs was fairly good, its ownership and utilization was noticeably very low. Therefore, consistent and timely distribution by the government and other funding agencies is promptly needed. In addition, appropriate health education should be given on the link between malaria and mosquito, regular and correct use of ITNs with special focus to uneducated and elderly mothers.

BackgroundPeople concentrated in congregated systems such as prisons, are important but often neglected reservoirs for tuberculosis transmission, and threaten those in the outside community. The condition is more serious in Africa particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) due to its poor living conditions and ineffective health services.ObjectivesThis study was conducted to determine the prevalence of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis and associated risk factors among prisoners in Hadiya Zone prison.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out from May to June 2013 in Hadiya Zone prison. Prison inmates who had history of cough for at least a week were included in the study. Three morning sputum samples were collected from suspected inmates and examined through compound light microscopy. The data obtained was analyzed using statistical software like Epidata and STATA.ResultsA total of 164 prisoners were included in the survey using active screening strategy and the point prevalence of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in the prison was 349.2 per 100,000 populations; about three times higher than its prevalence in the general population. Even though lack of visit from family was the only variable identified as a risk factor for PTB (P = 0.029), almost all of the PTB positive cases were rural residents, farmers, male youngsters and those who shared cell with TB patients and chronically coughing persons as well as those who stayed in a cell that contains >100 inmates.ConclusionThere is high prevalence of TB in Hadiya Zone prison with possible active transmission of TB within the prison. The study also documented a number of factors which may facilitate exposures to TB though most of them are not significantly associated. Therefore, strong cooperation between prison authorities and the national tuberculosis control programmes is urgently required to develop locally appropriate interventions to reduce transmission.

ObjectivesThis study was conducted to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among residents of Hosanna town in Hadiya Zone.ResultsThe overall prevalence of hypertension was 30% among the study participants. Out of the study participants who were identified as being hypertensive, only 24.6% knew their hypertensive status. The odds of being hypertensive is significantly higher among males when compared to females (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.9, confidence interval (CI) 1.14–3.23) and married participants as compared to their unmarried counterparts (AOR 4.1; CI 1.10–16.18). High prevalence and increased risks for hypertension were noted among the study participants in the study area. The experiences of aerobic physical activities were reported only in 22.9% of the study participants. These evidences may suggest the need for urgent interventions.

BackgroundHealth-seeking behavior is a sequence of actions taken to promote health and prevent disease. Governments’ expenditure to health is being improved in Ethiopia. In contrast, high disease burden and low health service utilization is observed. The low health service utilization could be due to low health-seeking behavior of the community. Thus, this studywas aimed to determine the level of health-seeking behavior and associated factors in Hosanna town, Southern Ethiopia.MethodsWe used communitybased cross-sectional study design among community (n= 443) in Hosanna town. The overall health-seeking behavior of study participants was assessed using the mean score of each of the dimensions (health promotion and disease prevention activities) as a cut-off value. Having a score above the mean on each of the target dimensions was equated with having a high level of health seeking behaviour. STATA 12 soft-ware package (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, 77845, USA)was used for descriptive and logistic regression analysis.ResultsAbout eighty five percent of (85.4%) participants had low level of health-seeking behavior. Males were about two folds more likely to have low level of health-seeking behavior than females (AOR: 1.8; CI 1.03–3.42). Widowed participants were about five times more likely to have low health-seeking behavior (AOR: 4.8; CI 2.1–17.1) when compared to married participants. Those participants who are illiterate were about five times more likely to have low health-seeking behavior than who completed higher education (AOR: 4.5; CI 1.16–17.8).ConclusionThe study revealed low health-seeking behavior among the study participants in the study area. This finding suggested the need forurgent interventions to the health literacy packages of Ethiopia to enhance the health seeking behavior of the country.