Oral hygiene behaviour and its determinants among preparatory school students in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate oral hygiene behaviour and its determinants among preparatory school students in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.

METHODS

Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 students to evaluate their oral hygiene behaviour and determinant factors (sociodemographic attributes, oral hygiene knowledge, and attitude to oral hygiene behaviours). Linear regression was employed to identify factors associated with oral hygiene behaviour. A p-value of <0.05 and a 95% confidence interval were used to declare statistical significance.

RESULTS

A total of 407 students participated with a response rate of 96.2%. The mean age of the participants was 18 (SD ±1.3). The mean oral hygiene behaviour (OHB) score was about 7.89 ± 3.43. Only 9.2%, 21.4%, and 5.7% were brushing their teeth at least twice a day, cleaning their tongue, and flossing at least once a day respectively. Father's educational status (able to read and write (β = 1.99, 95% CI: 0.62, 3.38), completed secondary school (β = 1.68, 95% CI: 0.18, 3.18), and diploma and higher (β = 1.75, 95% CI: 0.33, 3.18)), being from private school (β = 3.25, 95%CI: 2.30, 4.19), knowledge about OHB (β = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.30), and attitude towards OHB (β = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.14) were significant factors positively associated with better oral hygiene behaviour.

CONCLUSION

Oral hygiene behaviour was poor among preparatory school students in Gondar city. Father's educational status, students' oral hygiene knowledge, and attitude were found to be significant factors affecting students' oral hygiene behaviour. Thus, tailored school-based oral health communication programs are highly required to improve students' oral hygiene behaviour.

Assessments of functional outcomes and its determinants among bipolar disorder patients in Northwest Ethiopia comprehensive specialized hospitals: a multicenter hospital-based study

INTRODUCTION

Bipolar disorder is a severe and chronic mental illness that could continue for a lifetime. Although it is a leading cause of disability and impairments for significant numbers of patients, the levels of functional outcomes have not been studied in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the functional outcome levels and associated factors among bipolar disorder patients in Northwest Ethiopia.

METHOD

Hospital-based cross-sectional study was employed among bipolar disorder patients attending psychiatric clinics, in Northwest Ethiopia, from April to June 2021. Systematic random sampling was used to get respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.6.02 and exported to SPSS Version 22 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with functional outcome levels, and p value < 0.05 was considered significant with 95% CI.

RESULT

Of the total 423 study participants approached, only 411 completed the questionnaire, with a response rate of 97.2%. The median (IQR) level of functional outcome was 6 (0-22) and 40% of the study subjects were impaired. Leisure time was the most normal functioning domain (92.2%), whereas cognitive (43.5%) and occupational (41.6%) domains were the most impaired domains. Unemployment (AOR (95%CI) = 3.9 (1.46-10.49), obesity (AOR (95% CI) = 6.5 (1.22-34.58), depressed and manic mood phases (AOR (95%CI) = 5.2 (2.84-9.35) and (AOR (95%CI) = 7.8 (3.31-18.34) respectively, medication non-adherence (AOR (95% CI) = 3.2 (1.71-6.05), and relapsed once or ≥ twice (AOR (95%CI) = 2.2 (1.25-3.98) and (AOR (95%CI) = 8.3 (2.73-25.30), respectively, were some of the important predictor variables that were significantly associated to the functional impairments levels.

CONCLUSION

The median of functional outcomes levels was found in an acceptable range; however, significant numbers of bipolar patients were functionally impaired. Moreover, patients still need unrestricted interventions in the cognitive and occupational functional domains. Socio-demographic, clinical, medication, and psychosocial variables were significantly associated with functional outcomes. Bipolar patients need to be followed and managed to improve their functional outcome and all stakeholders should be involved to achieve the recommended levels.

Unmet need for family planning and associated factors among women living with HIV in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia: cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

all women, including those living with HIV, have the right to choose the timing, spacing, and number of their births and need access to family planning services. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence and factors associated with an unmet need for family planning among women receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services.

METHODS

a facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2018 in Gondar city, Ethiopia. A systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit 441 reproductive-age women on ART. The data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. The bivariate and backward multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with the unmet need for family planning.

RESULTS

the prevalence of the unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV was 24.5%. Increase in women´s age (AOR: 0.90, 95% CI (0.85, 0.95)), having more than three children (AOR: 0.13, 95% CI (0.04, 0.38)), intention to have more children (AOR: 0.09, 95% CI (0.03, 0.23)), not disclosing sero-status to partner (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI (0.20, 0.82)) and having no experience of contraception use (AOR: 0.43, 95% CI (0.21, 0.90)) were protective factors against unmet need for family planning. Rural residence (AOR: 2.17, 95% CI (1.05, 4.46)) was associated with increased odds of unmet need for family planning.

CONCLUSION

one in every four women living with HIV had an unmet need for family planning. So, continuous awareness-raising activities on family planning for women on ART should be given by emphasizing the rural and younger age women.