Background: Preconception care is the provision of biomedical, behavioural, and social health interventions provided to women and couples before conception. However, in Ethiopia, little is known and practised to support preconception care. Therefore, this study aimed to assess women’s knowledge and utilisation of preconception care and its associated factors in Ethiopia using systematic review and meta-analysis. Method: In the current meta-analysis, variables were searched from different electronic database systems, which included PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, HINAR, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Grey literature. Data were extracted using a standardised data collection measurement tool. The data were analysed by using STATA 14 statistical software. I² tests assessed heterogeneity between the studies. A random-effect model was used to forecast the pooled knowledge and utilisation of preconception care. Results: Thirteen full-text studies were included. The pooled prevalence of knowledge and utilisation of preconception care among women in Ethiopia was 30.95% and 16.27% respectivelly. Secondary education (OR = 2.78, 95% CI,2.01–3.85), college and above (OR = 5.05, 95% CI,2.70–9.44), and antenatal care (OR = 3.89, 95% CI, 1.69–8.98) were significantly associated with knowledge level whereas; age (OR = 2.43, 95% CI, 1.30–4.53) and knowledge on preconception care (OR = 3.95, 95% CI,2.35–6.62) were positively associated with utilisation of preconception. Conclusions: Women’s level of knowledge and utilisation of preconception care was significantly low. Educational status and antenatal care follow-up were factors shown to affect knowledge of preconception care. Age and having a sound knowledge of preconception care indicated a significant association towards utilisation of preconception care. Thus, integrating preconception care strategies and policies that can address all the components of preconception care services with other maternal and child health services will be essential when designing effective implementation strategies to improve preconception care uptake. Besides this, advocating for better education for women, awareness creation, and increasing antenatal care services are essential. Prospero registration: CRD42020218062

Background: The intrauterine contraceptive device, a type of long-acting reversible contraception, is one of the most effective and safe contraceptive methods. In Ethiopia, intrauterine contraceptive device is little known and practised to delay pregnancy. Therefore, this study aimed to assess post-partum intrauterine contraceptive device utilisation and its associated factors among women in Ethiopia. Method: In the current meta-analysis, variables were searched from different electronic database systems, including PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, HINAR, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Grey literature. Data were extracted using a standardised data collection measurement tool. The data were also analysed by using STATA 16 statistical software. I² tests assessed heterogeneity between the studies. A random-effect model was used to forecast the pooled utilisation of postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device. Results: Twelve full-article studies were included. The pooled prevalence of post-partum intrauterine contraceptive device among women in Ethiopia was 21.63%. Occupation (OR = 4.44, 95% CI, 2.24–8.81), educational level of college and above (OR = 5.93, 95% CI, 2.55–13.8), antenatal care (OR = 2.09, 95% CI, 1.4–3.12), age (OR = 4.8, 95% CI, 2.3–10.04), good knowledge (OR = 4.16, 95% CI, 1.65–10.49), counseling (OR = 3.05, 95%CI, 1.41–6.63), husband support (OR = 11.48, 95% CI, 6.05–21.79) and awareness about IUCD (OR = 3.86, 95% CI, 1.46–10.2) were positively associated with utilization of postpartum intrauterine contraception device. Conclusions: Utilisation of post-partum intrauterine contraceptive device was significantly low. Scaling up women’s educational status and ANC use has paramount importance in increasing post-partum IUD use, which further improves maternal and child health in general. This finding may be useful in both reproductive health promotion at an individual level and policy-making regarding this issue.

Purpose: Although its fetal outcomes and practicality are unclear time interval between decision-to-delivery ≤ 30 minutes in emergency caesarean section (CS) is the internationally accepted standard of practice. This study aimed to determine whether a decision to delivery interval (DDI) of approximately 30 minutes was achieved in daily practice, its fetal outcomes, and associated factors among emergency caesarean section delivery at South Gondar Zone Hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia. Patients and Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out from August 1– 30/2020 among emergency caesarean sections. Information was collected from the birth register book and individual files of standardized facility booking forms. The data was encoded and entered into Epi-Data version 4.2 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. A bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted and a significant association was recorded at p< 0.05. Results: Only 17.5% of parturients attained a decision-to-delivery interval ≤ 30 minutes. The average median of decision to delivery interval was 54 minutes with interquartile range (IQR) of 48– 80 minutes. Time taken to collect material with Adjusted odds ratio (AOR=10.3, 95% CI 5.87– 45.7), time of decision (AOR=0.32, 95% CI, 0.15– 0.67), and time taken from decision to delivery to delivery of anesthesia (AOR=4.74, 95% CI, 1.30– 17.3) were the predictors of prolonged delivery time interval. Significant fetal adverse outcomes were not observed in a decision to delivery interval higher than 30 minutes. Conclusion: In most cases, delivery was not completed within the prescribed ≤ 30-minutes interval, particularly in developing countries with infrastructural challenges, however, fetal outcomes were not directly correlated. Despite lack of substantial linkage between the delivery time declaration and fetal events, an unreasonable gap from the decision-making to birth of the child is not appropriate and should be discouraged.

Background: Contraception is widely recognized as an effective technique for avoiding unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Promoting contemporary contraceptive methods would minimize the number of unplanned pregnancies and the high number of maternal fatalities connected with unsafe abortions. Objective: This study aims to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of modern contraceptive methods and its associated factors among housemaid residents of Debre Tabor Town, northwest Ethiopia: Methods: A structured questionnaire supplemented with face-to-face interviews was used to conduct a community-based cross-sectional study with 423 housemaids’ women of reproductive age in Debre Tabor City. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, binary analysis, and multivariable logistic regression. Results: A 12.8% of respondents in this study used modern contraceptive methods. A 44.68% of study participants had good knowledge of modern contraceptive methods, and 36.40% had a positive attitude towards them. Housemaids’ older age, urban location, educational status, work experience, and family situation were found to be positive predictors of a good understanding of current contraceptive techniques. Housemaids’ older age, urban residence, educational level, work experience, family situation, and first sex before now are all positive predictors of a positive attitude and good practices. Conclusions: Housemaids’ knowledge, attitude, and practice of modern contraceptive methods were influenced by a variety of socio-demographic factors. As a result, housemaids should be educated about modern contraceptive methods by the health sector and other stakeholders to improve their knowledge, attitude, and practices.

Purpose: The current emerging respiratory disease known as the novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is now an international concern and a pandemic with non-availability of treatment. Due to altered physiology, weakened mechanical and immunological features pregnant mothers constitute a particularly suspectable segment of population in any infection pandemic. The goal of this study was to assess level of knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 and determinants among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care (ANC) in Debre Tabor General Hospital Northwest Ethiopia. Patient and Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was performed from June 05 to 26, 2020. A total of 403 pregnant mothers participated and were selected by systematic random sampling. Data were collected via face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered using Epi-Data version 4.2 and analyzed by SPSS version 23. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed and p-value < 0.05 at 95% CI was considered as statistically significant. Results: Overall, 52.1% and 52.6% of participants had a good level of knowledge and positive attitude towardCOVID-19, respectively. Level of knowledge was significantly associated with participants’ age (15– 24 years) (AOR: 4.58; 95% CI: 1.721– 12.201), educational status (AOR:7.78; 95% CI: 2.31– 15.65) occupation (AOR:2.26; 95% CI: 1.23– 4.15), and condition of pregnancy (AOR:4.55; 95% CI: 1.84– 11.25). Whereas age (25– 34 years) (AOR:2.61; 95% CI: 1.23– 5.55), participants husband completed secondary education (AOR=2.75, 95% CI: 1.13– 6.70) and college and above (AOR:3.77; 95% CI: 1.1.62– 8.76), wanted pregnancy (AOR:2.70; 95% CI: 1.22– 5.97) and knowledge (AOR:1.65; 95% CI: 1.06– 2.572) were the significant predictors for attitude. Conclusion: Findings show that almost half of the participants had a good level of knowledge and positive attitude towards COVID-19. Age, educational status, occupational status, condition of current pregnancy was positively associated with women level of awareness of COVID-19. Additional research is needed to see the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy and feto-maternal effect.

Introduction: Teenage pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and perinatal health outcomes, and also has a major social and economic impact. Its magnitude and determinants in Ethiopia are not well understood, therefore the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated...