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Background: Depression affects a large proportion of the global population. It is reported to affect about a quarter of pregnant women in Ethiopia. Some studies indicate that anemia might bea risk factor for depression. This underscores the need for an iron-folic acid supplement (IFAS). IFAS adherence by pregnant women is however not satisfactory. Studies again implicate that depression might affect adherence to IFAS. Nevertheless, thispotential vicious cycleis not a well-explored area of research. The objective of this study is therefore to assess the association of antenatal depression with anemia and adherence to IFAS among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at selected health centers. Methods: a facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women who attended ANC service in Yeka sub-city, Addis Ababa. A total of 406 pregnant women were recruited in the study. Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), a validated tool in Ethiopia, was used to assess antenatal depression. IFAS adherence was assessed using pill count method. Bivariableand subsequent multivariable logistic regression were employed for data analysis. Results: it was found that anemic pregnant mothers had an increased odds of having antenatal depression [AOR=2.63; 95% CI (1.13, 6.14)] compared to non-anemic mothers. Having financial hardship, whether current pregnancy is planned and emotional abuse from an intimate partner also significantly associated with antenatal depression. Antenatal depression at cut-off (PHQ- 9≥5) failed to show statistically significant association with IFAS adherence. Major depression (PHQ-9≥10) was however found to be significantly associated with adherence to IFAS [AOR=1.97; 95% CI (1.09, 3.56)] in pregnant women. Besides, factors significantly associated with IFAS adherence were parity, knowledge of the use of IFAS and current pregnancy complication. Conclusion: the study revealed a significant association that exists between two important public health problems, anemia and antenatal depression; and the association between antenatal depression and IFAS adherence. Further investigation of these associations is a warranted area of future studies. In the meantime, putting these underlying determinants into consideration is beneficial as they might complicate diagnosis and have a negative impact on treatment outcomes. 2 1.

Background Globally, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is higher among patients with schizophrenia than the general population, and this leads to higher morbidity and mortality in this population. The aim of this study was to investigate the MetS prevalence among patients with schizophrenia in Ethiopia. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data of 200 patients with schizophrenia recruited from Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Lipid profile and blood glucose levels were measured using Roche Cobas 6000 clinical chemistry analyzer. The prevalence of MetS was assessed based on National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Patients’ demographic information, clinical and laboratory data, lifestyle habits, particularly smoking and Khat chewing, were evaluated vis-à-vis MetS. Results The overall prevalence of MetS in patients with schizophrenia was 21.5% (17.1% male, 29.6% female) where Low HDL-cholesterol value was the most common metabolic disorders components in both males and females subgroups. In the multivariate analysis, the positive and negative symptoms score (PANSS, AOR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.001–1.054) was associated factors with MetS. Conclusion In Ethiopia, patients with schizophrenia were found to have higher prevalence of MetS than the general population. Physicians/health care providers should routinely screen patients with schizophrenia for MetS and initiate timely management of those who develop the syndrome to reduce the health cost from caring for NCDs, improve the patients’ quality of life, and prevent premature mortality.