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Yared Ayelign Belete,1 Natnael Lakachew Assefa,2 Melkamu Temeselew Tegegn2 1Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia; 2Department of Optometry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Melkamu Temeselew Tegegn, Department of Optometry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, P.O.BOX:196, Gondar, Ethiopia, Email melkamuopta@gmail.comIntroduction: Work-related ocular injury is a global public health problem, particularly among welders and is reduced through proper ocular protection practice. No previous studies have explored ocular protection practice and associated factors among welders in Ethiopia or in the study area.Objective: This study aimed to assess the proportion of ocular protection practice and associated factors among welders in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 welders in Gondar city, selected using systematic random sampling with an interval of 2, from July 6 to 23, 2021. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and an observational checklist. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with ocular protection practice and association was expressed using an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Variables with a P-value of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: Of 396 participated welders, 81.8% worked without job training, and 33.1% had faced ocular injury. Nearly 86% of welders had access to personal protective eyewear but their knowledge and attitude towards personal protective eyewear were 48.2% (95% CI: 44.8, 51.4) and 61.4% (95% CI: 57.6, 64.7), respectively. The proportion of a good-level of ocular protection practice was 56.8% (95% CI: 52.8, 61.9). Being gas welder (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=0.26, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.53), work experience (AOR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21), job training (AOR = 4.90, 95% CI: 2.32, 10.35), welders rated the cost of personal protective eyewear as fair (AOR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.26, 4.20) and history ocular injury (AOR = 4.20, 95% CI: 2.40, 6.97) were positively associated with a good-level proportion of ocular protection practice.Conclusion: This study found that the proportion of a good-level of ocular protection practice of welders was fair. Being gas welder, job training, work experience, history of ocular injury and welders rated the cost of personal protective eyewear as fair were significantly associated with a good-level of ocular protection practice.Keywords: ocular protection practice, personal protective eyewear, welders, Gondar city

Birhanu Belete Aragaw,1 Haile Woretaw Alemu,2 Aragaw Kegne Assaye,2 Yared Ayelign Belete,1 Henok Biruk Alemayehu1 1Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia; 2Department of Optometry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences University of Gondar, Gondar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Birhanu Belete Aragaw, Tel +251923701934, Email birhanubelete2009@hu.edu.etIntroduction: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a disease with common clinical ocular manifestations. Ocular manifestations lead to blindness, which has a common social and economic impact.Purpose: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of ocular manifestations of acquired immune deficiency syndrome among adults at the University of Gondar Hospital, North West Ethiopia, 2021.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 401 patients from June to August 2021. Samples were selected based on a systematic random sampling technique. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. Data extraction format was used to collect the clinical characteristics of patients including ocular manifestations. Data entry was done by EpiData version 4.6.0.6 and exported to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 for data analysis. Associated factors were analyzed by binary logistic regression. P-value < 0.05 with a 95% confidence level was used to declare a significant association.Results: A total of 401 patients were involved with a response rate of 91.5%. The overall prevalence of ocular manifestations of acquired immune deficiency syndrome was 28.9%. The common ocular manifestations were seborrheic blepharitis at 16.4% and squamoid conjunctival growth at 4.5%. Age > 35 years (AOR=2.52, 95% CI: 1.19, 5.35), Clusters of differentiation 4 count < 200 cells/μL (AOR=4.76, 95% CI:2.50, 9.09), World Health Organization stage II (AOR=2.60, 95% CI: 1.23, 5.50), history of eye disease (AOR=3.05, 95% CI: 1.38, 6.72), and duration of Human Immunodeficiency Virus > 5 years (AOR=2.79, 95% CI: 1.29, 6.05) were statistically associated with the ocular manifestation of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.Conclusion and recommendations: In this study, the prevalence of ocular manifestation of acquired immune deficiency syndrome was high. Age, CD4 count, duration of HIV, eye disease history, and WHO clinical staging were the significant factors. Early eye checkups and regular ocular examinations of HIV patients would be helpful.Keywords: ocular manifestation, HIV/AIDS, Gondar, Ethiopia