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Background: The burden of Non-communicable diseases (NCD) is rapidly increasing in Ethiopia and remains public health problem. The diseases have led to a double burden of diseases in the country. Method: it was a qualitative study designed to explore facilitators and barriers for early detection and management of type II diabetes and hypertension, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of four focused group discussions, twelve key informant interviews and twelve in-depth interviews were conducted; the data was collected using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analysed using a content analysis approach. The study was conducted in the selected governmental primary health care units (health centres and primary hospitals) from February to June 2021. Results: The primary identified demand-side facilitators were; fear of early death, family history, exposure to mass media, knowledge of NCDs, and illness of unknown origin. As the same time the identified supply-side facilitators were. Concern of the federal government, the availability of the right policy, and the willingness of some health care providers. Also, financial problems, the unwelcoming approach of the health care providers, knowledge deficit, and lack of trust in public health facilities are recognized as demand-side barriers. In addition, lack of trained medical personnel, unavailability of screening and diagnostic materials, and dissatisfaction of the primary health care unit workers were identified as supply-side barriers to early detection and management of diabetes and hypertension., Ethiopian Journal of public health and nutrition, Vol 6 No 1 (2023): EJPHN Volume 6 Issue 1

Additional file 2.

Additional file 1. FGD and IDI topic guides

Additional file 2. COREQ checklist-Food beliefs

Background: Facility-based delivery care provided by skilled birth attendants is globally considered to be crucial in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Although home deliveries are discouraged in Ethiopia due to an associated higher risk of maternal mortality or morbidity, the majority of women in the Afar region continue to deliver at home. Numerous barriers contribute to the low utilization of health facility delivery and skilled birth attendance services in the Afar region. Objective: Investigate the perceptions and decision-making processes of pastoralist women from Afar regarding home and institutional childbirth using the health belief model. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted to examine the socio-cultural perceptions that influence the decisionmaking of Afar women who utilize institutional delivery services and those who deliver at home. A total of 13 women aged 17 to 45 who gave birth within the past four years before the data collection period were selected, based on a purposive selection strategy, and took part in in-depth interviews. Atlas.ti 7 software was used for deductive content analysis. Upcoming themes were assigned to pre-determined constructs of the health belief model. Results: The main barriers to the demand, access and use of facility-based delivery were lack of awareness regarding the risks of childbirth; lack of support from social networks; the strong impact of husbands' opinions; difficulties associated with discussing reproductive health issues; the reliance on traditional birth attendants; lifestyle factors; cultural needs; and distrust in skilled birth attendants and health facilities. The factors that motivated women to use delivery services provided by skilled birth attendants were associated with strong communal and kinship support; antenatal care visits; high awareness of pregnancy-related risks; the influence of previous negative birth experiences; and the belief that facility-based delivery brings faster recovery from birthrelated wounds. Conclusions: The data give in-depth insights into a range of socio-cultural factors that prevent or facilitate the choice of institutional delivery. Based on our findings, recommendations to increase the uptake of institutional delivery services should focus on community and family involvement, as well as on individual factors. Similarly, effective integration of traditional birth attendants should be encouraged to advise mothers to utilize reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services, and arrange a timely referral of women to emergency obstetric care. Furthermore, making facility-based care more culturally attractive to the needs of pastoralist women should be addressed in future interventions.

Background: Over the past decade, Ethiopia has shown impressive gains in improving access to reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services for its citizens, Nevertheless, there are striking disparities in the provision of good-quality reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services and the use of such services between regional states. In Afar region, which is home to numerous pastoralist communities, the uptake of reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services is particularly poor, largely due to socio-cultural barriers. However, there is limited scientific and context specific evidence on the best practices that could address the soico-cultural barriers to the uptake of such services in these pastoralist communities. Objective: To describe best practices to address the socio-cultural barrier to the uptake of reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services in the pastoralist communities of Afar, Ethiopia. Methods: This study used a qualitative approach with 12 respondents from Zone 1 of Afar region. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 health care providers to participate in the in-depth interviews, which were held between March and June 2016. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed in English. Categories and codes were weighted for their significance to the research question and recurrence in the interviews. The transcripts were exported to ATLAS7.5.13 software for analysis. Recurring themes were described with accompanying explanatory quotes. Results: The best practices to address the prevailing socio-cultural barriers limiting the uptake of reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services in the Afar setting were identified as strengthening the traditional governance structure; forming volunteer groups and committees; constructive engagement of traditional birth attendants; promoting male involvement in reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services; engaging religious and clan leaders, and influential figures; making maternity waiting homes more culturally acceptable; improving postnatal care; promoting family planning; deploying mobile health teams and clinics; promoting community settlement; and setting priorities. Conclusions: Redirecting public resources to implement the best practices for an improved uptake of reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services needs to be considered in the context of 'development first', where women, education and infrastructural development are given priorities. Failing to appreciate the 'development first' approach will continue to perpetuate the low uptake of reproductive, maternal and neonatal health services and further widen the health disparities between the agrarian and pastoralist communities in Ethiopia.

AIMS The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of adverse drug events (ADEs) and treatment satisfaction on antihypertensive medication adherence. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in six public hospitals in Ethiopia. We included adult ambulatory patients on antihypertensive medication. Adherence was measured using the eight-point Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, which categorizes as low (0-5), medium (6-7) and high (8) adherence. Treatment satisfaction was measured using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) version 1.4, which included questions about ADEs. Data were analysed using generalized ordered logistic regression with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS We included 925 out of 968 patients. Overall, 42% of patients scored low, 37% medium and 21% high adherence. Satisfaction with treatment was low, with a mean (standard deviation) TSQM score for global satisfaction of 51 (14). A total of 193 (21%) patients experienced 421 ADEs - mainly dyspeptic symptoms (12%), headache (11%) and cough (11). Experiencing more ADEs reduced the odds of being adherent [low vs. medium/high: odds ratio (OR) OR1 0.77 (95% CI 0.67, 0.89), and low/medium vs. high: OR2 0.55 (05% CI 0.41, 0.73)]. Being more satisfied increased the odds of being adherent [low vs. medium/high: OR1 1.02 (95% CI 1.01, 1.03)]. Taking medication > 1 year [OR1 = 2, 0.60 (95% CI 0.43, 0.83)] and taking calcium channel blockers [OR1 = 2 0.71 (95% CI 0.54, 0.92)] decreased the odds for both low vs. medium/high and low/medium vs. high adherence. CONCLUSIONS Only one in five patients reported perfect (high) adherence to their antihypertensive treatment regimen. Experiencing ADEs and being dissatisfied with treatment were associated with lower adherence. In addition to addressing treatment satisfaction and drug safety in first-world countries, these should also be addressed in resource-poor settings, within patient consultations, to enhance adherence.

Infant and young child feeding has been recognised as an essential element to improve growth of children, especially in developing countries where malnutrition among children and its dire consequences are very prevalent. However, little attention has been paid on the influence of fathers on child feeding practices, although fathers are very important in raising well‐adjusted, happy and successful children. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of fathers' child feeding knowledge and practice on children's dietary diversity. A community‐based comparative cross‐sectional study was conducted among 850 eligible urban and rural households with children of 6–23 months. The father and mother of the child were interviewed on children's dietary diversity and fathers' knowledge and practice of child feeding. Nearly half (46%) of the children in the rural district did not meet the minimum dietary diversity, and in the urban district, the rate was even worse (72%). Grains were the common food group given to the children in both districts, whereas flesh food was the least commonly consumed food group. Additionally, low vitamin A‐rich food and other fruit and vegetable consumption seem to be a problem in both districts. Almost all dimensions of fathers' knowledge and practice were significantly related to children's minimum dietary diversity; especially, fathers' knowledge of food groups was an important predictor (P‐value