Climate change induced a progressive shift of livelihood from cereal towards Khat (Chata edulis) production in eastern Ethiopia

Dietary diversity practice and its associated factors among pregnant women in Eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

Micronutrient insufficiencies during pregnancy have a marked impact on the health of the woman and her offspring. Evidence about the dietary practice of pregnant women is limited in Ethiopia, particularly in drought-prone areas where food insecurity is widely seen. Therefore, this research aimed to assess the dietary diversity practice and associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, Eastern Ethiopia. We employed a community-based cross-sectional survey in Chiro district, Eastern Ethiopia. The data were collected from 417 randomly selected pregnant women using an interview-administered structured questionnaire. EpiData-3.1 and STATA-14 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. The binary logistic regression analysis was deployed to assess the association between dietary diversity practice and predictor variables. Out of 420 calculated sample size, 417 pregnant women completed the survey giving a response rate of 99.3%. The overall prevalence of optimal dietary diversity was 38.4% (95% CI: 33.7%, 43.2%). Educational status (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.08, 6.81), meal frequency (AOR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.11, 3.28), home gardening (AOR: 4.21, 95% CI: 2.48, 7.16), and household food security (AOR: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.40) were independent predictors of dietary diversity practice.This study found that a substantial proportion of pregnant women had suboptimal dietary diversity, indicating a fundamental micronutrient inadequacy. Educational status, meal frequency, home gardening practice, and household food security were independent determinants of dietary diversity practice. The findings suggest that promoting maternal education and home gardening practice, and controlling food insecurity might enhance optimal dietary diversity.

Impact of climate change on agriculture and adaptation strategies in Ethiopia: A meta-analysis

Ethiopia is a rainfall-based agricultural country that is susceptible to the impacts of climate change and risk. Floods and droughts, which happen more frequently and intensely, significantly and negatively influence agricultural production. The objective of the meta-analysis is to identify impacts on various sectors, adaptation strategies, and the challenges of climate change in the Ethiopian context. Twenty-three peer-reviewed articles were identified from ScienceDirect and Web of Science, followed by PRISMA guidelines, and analyzed using Stata version 13. The results reveal that climate change negatively impacts agriculture (by changing crop suitability, phenology, and productivity), the environment, and society, resulting from shifting temperature and rainfall patterns. Temperature variations, patterns of precipitation, and severe weather conditions have profound implications for agricultural productivity, water resources, ecosystems, and human well-being, which are multifaceted and interlinked. In addition, the reviewed articles informed us that farmers have used different coping strategies in response to climate change, such as soil and water conservation, agroforestry practices, integrated soil fertility management, small-scale irrigation, the application of improved crop varieties, the use of improved livestock, mixed cropping, early and late planting, and the practice of income-generating activities. The random effects meta-regression result shows that effective implementation of the above-mentioned practices reduces the risk of climate change in different sectors. The assessment also points out many challenges to the realization of these approaches, such as the lack of financing, institutional support, insufficient stakeholder involvement, ecological and sociocultural factors, and limited access to weather information. The meta-analysis concludes that addressing challenges requires holistic and integrated approaches that encompass adaptation strategies, sustainable land and water management, and social resilience-building to help the resilience of Ethiopian communities and ecosystems in the face of a changing climate.

Khat chewing and its associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, eastern Ethiopia: a community-based study

Introduction

Despite its deleterious consequences, khat chewing is escalating worldwide. However, there is a lack of evidence about the extent of khat chewing among pregnant women in Ethiopia, particularly in the current study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of current khat chewing and its associated factors among pregnant women in Chiro district, eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Chiro district from November 1 to 30, 2022 G.C. Study participants were selected using the systematic random sampling technique. An interview-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data through a house-to-house survey. The data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed in STATA 14 software. Characteristics of study participants were summarized using descriptive analysis, and binary logistic regression was used to identify determinants of khat chewing.

Results

A total of 409 pregnant women participated in this study, with a response rate of 99%. The overall prevalence of khat chewing was 60.4% (95% CI: 55.5%, 65.2%). Religion (AOR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.13, 3.82), khat cultivation (AOR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.77), partner khat use (AOR: 5.54; 95% CI: 3.11, 9.88), pre-pregnancy khat use (AOR: 9.95; 95% CI: 5.55, 17.81), antenatal care (ANC) visit (AOR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.41, 5.21), and mental distress (AOR: 4.89; 95% CI: 2.38, 10.02) were significantly associated with current khat chewing.

Conclusion

The majority of pregnant women in the study area practice khat chewing. Thus, accessible and comprehensive pre-conception and pre-natal care incorporating the prevention and management of antenatal khat chewing is crucial to overcome this problem. Provision of mental healthcare involving partners of pregnant women is also important to reduce the extent and impacts of khat chewing during pregnancy. Further longitudinal studies triangulated with qualitative designs are recommended.

"Wild birds are our gold": What livelihood implications does it hold for local communities in Chemba district, Tanzania?

Hunting wild birds for food, ornaments, and business purposes has been a longstanding practice in the Chemba district, and local communities consider the wild bird business as the "gold" that transforms their livelihoods. This article builds on a livelihood framework to document livelihoods gained from wild bird business across livelihood capitals at the household level. We conducted a 146-household survey, 16 interviews, 4 focus group discussions, and observations to gain field information that helped to develop the article. Results show that Quelea quelea species are the most targeted wild birds; however, other, non-targeted species were harvested in the study villages. There are significant livelihood contributions among wild bird hunters, processors, and sellers, with disproportionate benefits across the livelihood assets in the study area. The mean weekly income from selling live wild birds varies across the villages and ranges between USD 13.5 and 18.48. A significant difference is observed when comparing the income gained from selling roasted wild bird meat and selling live birds. The most commonly acquired physical assets are related to buying consumables to meet family needs, followed by buying livestock and bricks for the construction of houses. Those who engage in the wild bird business also diversify their livelihood strategies by engaging in farming and non-farming activities. We argue that, despite the different livelihoods gained from hunting and selling live or roasted wild birds' meat, the practice in the study area should be regulated to ensure that the health of wild bird consumers and the ecological functions of the targeted wild bird species are not compromised. The article provides socio-ecological information that is useful in designing sustainable methods for harvesting Quelea quelea while protecting other bird species in central Tanzania and elsewhere with similar experiences.