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Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer-affecting women globally, with disproportionally high mortality rates in lower-income countries, including Ethiopia. The stage at diagnosis is a well-defined predictive system that determines the likelihood of breast cancer mortality. Early-stage breast cancer at diagnosis is associated with better treatment outcomes as compared with late stage. Although there are numerous primary studies on women with breast cancer with different proportions of early-stage breast cancer, there is currently no summary data on what proportion of breast cancer was diagnosed at early-stage in Ethiopia. This study focused on a pooled proportion of early-stage breast cancer at diagnosis in Ethiopia., Methods: By using key terms, Medline through Pub-Med, Google Scholar, Science Direct, HINARI and Medley were searched about breast cancer in Ethiopia, and a total of 288 articles were retrieved. After screening the articles and quality of each article was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Finally, 41 articles were used for the final pooled proportion. A random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence and heterogeneity of included studies that were then assessed by using prediction interval., Results: Pooled proportion of early-stage breast cancer at diagnosis in Ethiopian hospitals was found to be 36% with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 31 to 41% and a 95% prediction interval ranging from 28 to 45%., Conclusion: Most breast cancer patients (64%) in Ethiopia are diagnosed at a late-stage. This contributes to the high mortality rates of breast cancer among women in Ethiopia. Therefore, in line with recommendations by the World Health Organization, we recommend that there should be an emphasis in Ethiopia to focus on early detection of breast cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, affecting approximately 60% of people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Low and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ethiopia, bear a disproportionate burden of depression among HIV/AIDS patients. Several factors, including perceived stigma, have been linked to increased depression among HIV/AIDS patients. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the pooled effect of perceived stigma on depression among HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia., Methods: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we systematically retrieved all relevant studies starting from January 1, 2000 to June 1, 2022 from PubMed, HINARI, and Google Scholar. This review included observational studies that reported the effect of perceived stigma on the prevalence of depression among HIV-positive adults in Ethiopia. The effect estimate of the pooled effect of perceived stigma on depression was conducted using DerSimonian-Laird's random effect model using STATA/MP version 16. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR), along with a 95% confidence interval (CI), was conducted to estimate the strength of the association between perceived stigma and depression., Results: Eleven studies with a total of 4,153 HIV-positive adults were included for meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the odds of depression were higher among patients with perceived stigma (AOR: 3.78, 95% CI: 2.73, 5.24). The pooled prevalence of depression among HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia was 39% (95% CI: 32%, 46%) (I2 = 98%, p ≤ 0.0001). The subgroup analysis revealed that the primary studies conducted in the Oromia region had the highest pooled prevalence of depression at 48% (95% CI: 32%, 63%)., Conclusion: The pooled estimates of the meta-analysis revealed that perceived stigma and depression were strongly associated. Stigma and depression screenings should be carried out for additional treatments and prevention, and programs supporting Ethiopia's PLWHA population should be strengthened., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Desta et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objective: The barber's profession exposes their customers to several health risks. Negligence when using sharp instruments in barbershops can increase the risk of bloodborne infections, resulting in serious health problems for both the barber and the customer. Evidence for compliance with biological hazard preventive measures and predictors among barbers is critical and urgent. Thus, we aimed to assess compliance with biological hazard preventive measures and predictors among barbers in selected towns in Southeast Ethiopia., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 633 randomly selected barbers from 1 March to 30 March 2022. A multistage sampling followed by a systematic sampling and simple random sampling methods were used to select barbershops and barbers, respectively. We used a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire and an observational checklist to collect data. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors. An adjusted OR (AOR), along with a 95% CI and p<0.05, was used to estimate the strength of the association., Results: The good compliance level with biological hazard preventive measures was 47.10% (95% CI: 43.2%, 50.70%). Being married (AOR=3.04, 95% CI: 1.71, 8.56), aged from 25 to 34 years (AOR=2.75, 95% CI: 1.13, 8.06), served for ≤5 years (AOR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.24, 3.85), attending high school and above (AOR=4.32, 95% CI: 1.31, 12.73), being professional (AOR=6.34, 95% CI: 2.03, 11.36), having a positive attitude (AOR=2.95, 95% CI: 1.06, 8.22) and having good knowledge towards biological hazard preventive measures (AOR=3.14, 95% CI: 1.42, 9.25) were significant predictors of moderate and good compliance with biological hazard preventive measures., Conclusion: The study's findings revealed that almost half of the barbers were in good compliance with biological hazard preventive measures. As a result, improving barbers' attitudes and knowledge through on-the-job training is indispensable., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Mobile phones are potential reservoirs for pathogens and sources of healthcare-associated infections. More microbes can be found on a mobile phone than on a man's lavatory seat, the sole of a shoe, or a door handle. When examining patients, frequent handling of mobile phones can spread bacteria. Nevertheless, evidence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones used by healthcare workers in Africa was inconclusive. Thus, this meta-analysis and systematic review was conducted to estimate the pooled prevalence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones used by healthcare workers and the most frequent bacterial isolates in Africa., Methods: We systematically retrieved relevant studies using PubMed/MEDLINE, POPLINE, HINARI, Science Direct, Cochrane Library databases, and Google Scholar from July 1, 2023 to August 08, 2023. We included observational studies that reported the prevalence of bacterial contamination of mobile phones among healthcare workers. The DerSimonian-random Laird's effect model was used to calculate effect estimates for the pooled prevalence of bacterial contamination in mobile phones and a 95% confidence interval (CI)., Results: Among 4544 retrieved studies, 26 eligible articles with a total sample size of 2,887 study participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of mobile phone bacterial contamination among healthcare workers was 84.5% (95% CI 81.7, 87.4%; I 2  = 97.9%, p value < 0.001). The most dominant type of bacteria isolated in this review was coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) which accounted for 44.0% of the pooled contamination rate of mobile phones used by healthcare workers, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (31.3%), and Escherichia coli (10.7%)., Conclusions: In this review, the contamination of mobile phones used by HCWs with various bacterial isolates was shown to be considerable. The most prevalent bacteria isolates were coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aurous, and Escherichia coli. The prevalence of bacterial contamination in mobile phones varies by country and sub-region. Hence, healthcare planners and policymakers should establish norms to manage healthcare workers' hand hygiene and disinfection after using mobile phones., (© 2023. Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine.)

Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is becoming a public health concern in low/middle-income countries, and is known to cause severe morbidity and mortality for mothers and newborns. However, evidence reported for the incidence and risk factors of GDM is scant in Ethiopia. We aimed to assess the incidence of, and risk factors for, GDM in Goba town, Southeast Ethiopia., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Goba town, Southeast Ethiopia., Participants: Four hundred eighty pregnant women on antenatal care follow-up from 30 April to 30 September 2021., Primary and Secondary Outcomes: Incidence and risk factors of GDM using fasting capillary blood glucose. Log-binomial model was used to identify the risk factors of GDM. Adjusted relative risk (aRR), along with 95% CIs, were calculated to estimate the strength of associations., Results: The cumulative incidence rate of GDM in this study was 15.7% (95% CI: 12.3% to 19.2%). Being unemployed (aRR=2.73; 95% CI: 1.36 to 5.47), having a family history of diabetes mellitus (DM) (3.01; 2.09 to 4.35), low physical activity (2.43; 1.11 to 5.32), inadequate dietary diversity (1.48; 1.29 to 1.92), anaemia (2.51; 1.32 to 3.54) and antenatal depression (4.95; 3.35 to 7.31) were significantly associated with GDM., Conclusion: The cumulative incidence of GDM was relatively high among the study participants. Having antenatal depression symptoms, low physical activity, inadequate dietary diversity, being unemployed, anaemia and a family history of DM were significant risk factors for GDM., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Obesity and overweight are known public health problems that affect populations across the world. These conditions have been associated with a wide range of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. In Ethiopia, the literature regarding the burden of central (abdominal) obesity is scarce. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing the prevalence and risk factors associated with central obesity among adults in Ethiopia., Methods: From May to July 2021, a community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 694 adults aged ≥18 years in administrative towns of Bale zone, Southeast Ethiopia. Multi-stage sampling followed by systematic random sampling was employed to identify study participants. Waist and hip circumferences were measured using standard protocols. The World Health Organization STEPS wise tool was used to assess risk factors associated with central obesity. Bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with central obesity. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) have been reported to estimate the strength of associations., Results: The overall prevalence of central obesity using waist circumference was 39.01% [(95% CI: 35.36-42.76; 15.44% for men and 53.12% for women)]. Multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that female sex (AOR = 12.93, 95% CI: 6.74-24.79), Age groups: 30-39 years old (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.59-4.94), 40-49 years (AOR = 7.66, 95% CI: 3.87-15.15), 50-59 years (AOR = 4.65, 95% CI: 2.19-9.89), ≥60 years (AOR = 12.67, 95% CI: 5.46-29.39), occupational status like: housewives (AOR = 5.21, 95% CI: 1.85-14.62), self-employed workers (AOR = 4.63, 95% CI: 1.62-13.24), government/private/non-government employees (AOR = 4.68, 95% CI: 1.47-14.88), and skipping breakfast (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23-0.9) were significantly associated with central obesity., Conclusions: Abdominal obesity has become an epidemic in Bale Zone's towns in Southeastern Ethiopia. Female sex, age, being employed were positively associated with central obesity, while skipping breakfast was a protective factor., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Many adolescent girls in Ethiopia and elsewhere missed school during their monthly cycles due to a lack of affordable menstrual absorbent materials or money to buy sanitary pads. So far, few studies have looked into the relationship between earning pocket money and maintaining good menstrual hygiene. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the best available evidence regarding the association between earning pocket money and menstrual hygiene management among adolescents in Ethiopia., Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Hinari, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, POPLINE, African Journal Online, Direct of Open Access Journals, and Google Scholar for studies examining the association between earning pocket money and menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in Ethiopia, without restriction in a publication year. The Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tool for the cross-sectional studies was used to assess the quality of included studies. A prefabricated checklist, including variables: first author, publication year, sample size, type of questionnaire, and the region was used to extract data from the selected articles. A random-effect meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) of the association between earning pocket money and menstrual hygiene management. The heterogeneity and publication bias was assessed by using I 2 test statistics and Egger's test, respectively., Results: Data from nine studies involving 4783 adolescent girls were extracted. The meta-analysis revealed that adolescent girls who earned pocket money from their parents or relative had 1.64 times higher odds of having good menstrual hygiene management than their counterparts [pooled OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.16-2.34, I 2 :66.7%, n = 7 (number of studies)]. Similarly, the likelihood of having good menstrual hygiene management was lower by 49% among adolescent girls who did not receive any pocket money from their parents compared to their counterparts (pooled OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.35-0.74, I 2 :48.4%, n = 2)., Conclusions: The findings revealed that adolescent girls who earned pocket money were more likely to practice good menstrual hygiene management. Progress toward better menstrual hygiene will necessitate consideration of this factor., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Globally, although effective prevention strategies and treatment are available, trachoma remains the major cause of infectious loss of sight. Trachoma is a predominant neglected disease in Ethiopia, and there is a 40.4% prevalence of active trachoma in the Goro district, Southeast Ethiopia. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends azithromycin mass treatment of at least 80% coverage to eliminate trachoma, even though the coverage of azithromycin mass treatment has not been studied yet in depth. Thus, this study aimed to assess the coverage and factors influencing azithromycin mass treatment uptake among adults in Goro district, Southeast Ethiopia., Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1st to April 30th, 2021 among all adults aged 15 years old and above. The multistage sampling technique was used to select 593 study respondents. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 software. Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value < 0.05 were used to declare the strength and the significance of association, respectively., Results/principal Findings: Five hundred and seventy eight study participants with a 97% response rate were included. The proportion of azithromycin mass drug administration coverage was found to be 75.80%; 95% CI: (72%-79%) in this study. Having better knowledge about trachoma (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.19-4.70), having better knowledge about azithromycin mass treatment (AOR = 4.19; 95% CI: 2.19-7.98), being educated (AOR = 7.20; 95% CI: 1.02-51.09), a campaign conducted at the quiet time (off-harvesting/planting season) (AOR = 6.23; 95% CI: 3.23-11.98), heard about the serious adverse effect from others (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.10-0.59) and being a volunteer to take azithromycin in the next campaign (AOR = 5.46; 95% CI: 2.76-10.79) were significantly associated with azithromycin mass drug administration coverage., Conclusions/significance: The proportion of azithromycin mass treatment coverage of this study was lower than the WHO minimum target coverage. Thus, strengthening awareness, enhancing azithromycin mass trachoma treatment messages, and conducting campaigns off-season outside of harvesting and planting time should be prioritized in the future to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Food-borne diseases are a major public health concern worldwide, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Ethiopia. Poor food hygiene practices primarily exacerbate food-borne illness transmission. Prior studies on the food hygiene practices among food handlers in Ethiopia were inconsistent. Therefore, this meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to estimate the pooled proportion of good food hygiene practices and identify the determinants in Ethiopia., Methods: The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) instruments were used, and a systematic search was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, POPLINE, HINARI, Science Direct, Cochrane Library databases, and Google Scholar were systematically last searched on the 24th February 2022 for relevant articles. Only the observational studies that reported the proportion of good food hygiene practices and their associated factors among food handlers were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed by two independent authors. Articles with unclear methodologies and did not report the overall proportions of good food hygiene practice were excluded. The effect estimates for pooled proportion and pooled odds ratio (POR) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were determined conducting using DerSimonian-Laird's random effect model., Results: Among 817 retrieved studies, 23 eligible articles with a total sample size of 7153 study participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled proportion of good food hygiene practices among food handlers was 50.5% [95% CI: (41.6, 59.4%]; I 2  = 98.7%, p value = 0.001]. Food handlers with formal education (POR = 4.60, 95% CI: 3.05, 6.93), good knowledge (POR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.26, 3.11), training (POR = 3.52, 95% CI: 2.35, 5.28), and a positive attitude (POR = 3.41, 95% CI: 2.52, 4.61) about food hygiene components, as well as regular medical checkups (POR = 6.75, 95% CI: 4.49) were significantly associated with good food hygiene practice., Conclusions: Only half of Ethiopia's food handlers had good food hygiene practice., Implication of the Study: The key elements of effective food hygiene practice that will aid in the development of feasible interventions to increase food handler compliance with food hygiene components have been identified., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Anemia found in diabetes patients is often unrecognized like many other chronic diseases. The occurrence of anemia is also an additional burden to the micro vascular complications of patients with diabetes. In the selected study structure no published data were found on the prevalence of anemia and associated factors in diabetic patients. Hence, the findings of this study are very fruitful as an input for further studies and after the repetition of similar studies in different frameworks. It is helpful as input for the development of guidelines at diabetes clinics to request the laboratory assessment of hemoglobin as a routine activity., Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among diabetic patients who attended Bale zone hospitals., Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted from September 2020-to January 2021 GC among adult diabetic patients who had follow-up at Bale zone hospitals. A total of 238 study participants were determined by single population proportion sample size calculation formula taking prevalence of anemia among adult diabetic patients 19.0%. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Information on demographic and associated factors of anemia in diabetic patients was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Blood sample collection was performed under aseptic conditions by a licensed medical laboratory professional. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1, cleaned and exported to statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25 software tools. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with anemia in diabetic patients. P-value less than 0.05 and 95% CI were considered as statistically significant. The odds ratios were reported to indicate the strength of associations. Frequencies, percentages, charts and tables were used to summarize the characteristics of study participants., Results: In this study anemia among adult diabetic patients is 18.1% (95% CI (13.2, 23.0%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the sex of the study participants and the type of diabetes mellitus were found to be statistically significant to associate with anemia. The odds of having anemia among females are nearly three times higher when compared with males (AOR 2.78, 95% CI 1.40-5.52). In addition, the odds of having anemia among adult diabetic patients who had type II diabetes mellitus (AOR 2.18, 95%CI 1.04-4.54) were 2.18 times higher than those who had type I diabetes mellitus patients., Conclusion: Nearly one out of five adult diabetic patients had anemia. Sex of the patients and the type of diabetes are associated with anemia among adult diabetic patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist