Most of child mortality and under nutrition in developing world were attributed to suboptimal childcare and feeding, which needs detailed investigation beyond the proximal factors. This study was conducted with the aim of assessing associations of women’s autonomy and men’s involvement with child anthropometric indices in cash crop livelihood areas of South West Ethiopia. Multi-stage stratified sampling was used to select 749 farming households living in three coffee producing sub-districts of Jimma zone, Ethiopia. Domains of women’s Autonomy were measured by a tool adapted from demographic health survey. A model for determination of paternal involvement in childcare was employed. Caring practices were assessed through the WHO Infant and young child feeding practice core indicators. Length and weight measurements were taken in duplicate using standard techniques. Data were analyzed using SPSS for windows version 21. A multivariable linear regression was used to predict weight for height Z-scores and length for age Z-scores after adjusting for various factors. The mean (sd) scores of weight for age (WAZ), height for age (HAZ), weight for height (WHZ) and BMI for age (BAZ) was -0.52(1.26), -0.73(1.43), -0.13(1.34) and -0.1(1.39) respectively. The results of multi variable linear regression analyses showed that WHZ scores of children of mothers who had autonomy of conducting big purchase were higher by 0.42 compared to children's whose mothers had not. In addition, a child whose father was involved in childcare and feeding had higher HAZ score by 0.1. Regarding age, as for every month increase in age of child, a 0.04 point decrease in HAZ score and a 0.01 point decrease in WHZ were noted. Similarly, a child living in food insecure households had lower HAZ score by 0.29 compared to child of food secured households. As family size increased by a person a WHZ score of a child is decreased by 0.08. WHZ and HAZ scores of male child was found lower by 0.25 and 0.38 respectively compared to a female child of same age. Women’s autonomy and men’s involvement appeared in tandem with better child anthropometric outcomes. Nutrition interventions in such setting should integrate enhancing women’s autonomy over resource and men’s involvement in childcare and feeding, in addition to food security measures.

Diarrheal diseases (DD) are leading causes of disease burden, death, and disability, especially in children in low-income settings. DD can also impact a child's potential livelihood through stunted physical growth, cognitive impairment, and other sequelae. As part of the Global Burden of Disease Study, we estimated DD burden, and the burden attributable to specific risk factors and particular etiologies, in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) between 1990 and 2013. For both sexes and all ages, we calculated disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which are the sum of years of life lost and years lived with disability. We estimate that over 125,000 deaths (3.6% of total deaths) were due to DD in the EMR in 2013, with a greater burden of DD in low- and middle-income countries. Diarrhea deaths per 100,000 children under 5 years of age ranged from one (95% uncertainty interval [UI] = 0–1) in Bahrain and Oman to 471 (95% UI = 245–763) in Somalia. The pattern for diarrhea DALYs among those under 5 years of age closely followed that for diarrheal deaths. DALYs per 100,000 ranged from 739 (95% UI = 520–989) in Syria to 40,869 (95% UI = 21,540–65,823) in Somalia. Our results highlighted a highly inequitable burden of DD in EMR, mainly driven by the lack of access to proper resources such as water and sanitation. Our findings will guide preventive and treatment interventions which are based on evidence and which follow the ultimate goal of reducing the DD burden.

Background: Immunization is a cost-effective public health strategy. Immunization averts nearly three million deaths annually but immunization coverage is low in some countries and some regions within countries. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess pooled immunization coverage in Ethiopia. Method: A systematic search was done from PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, HINARI, and SCOPUS, WHO’s Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (IRIS), African Journals Online databases, grey literature and reviewing reference lists of already identified articles. A checklist from the Joanna Briggs Institute was used for appraisal. The I² was used to assess heterogeneity among studies. Funnel plot were used to assess publication bias. A random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of immunization among 12–23 month old children using STATA 13 software. Result: Twenty eight articles were included in the meta-analysis with a total sample size of 20,048 children (12–23 months old). The pooled prevalence of immunization among 12–23 month old children in Ethiopia was found to be 47% (95%, CI: 46.0, 47.0). A subgroup analysis by region indicated the lowest proportion of immunized children in the Afar region, 21% (95%, CI: 18.0, 24.0) and the highest in the Amhara region, 89% (95%, CI: 85.0, 92.0). Conclusion: Nearly 50% of 12–23 month old children in Ethiopia were fully vaccinated according to this systematic review and meta-analysis this indicates that the coverage, is still low with a clear disparity among regions. Our finding suggests the need for mobile and outreach immunization services for hard to reach areas, especially pastoral and semi-pastoral regions. In addition, more research may be needed to get more representative data for all regions. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020166787.

Background: Ethiopia is one of the four low income countries in achieving MDG4, however, minimizing child undernutrition became critical undertaking thus far. This review aimed at identifying the predictors of under-5 children nutrition in Ethiopia. Methods: Databases searched were Med Line, HINARY, MedNar and Embase. Furthermore, gray literatures were also sought. All papers selected for inclusion in the review were subjected to a rigorous critical appraisal using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Quantitative papers were pooled for statistical analysis and narrative synthesis. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for analysis. Papers of optimal quality but without optimal data set for meta-analysis were subjected for narrative synthesis Results: Nonadherence towards Optimal feeding recommendations was the most reported predictor of stunting and wasting, while, maternal education and ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ factors were the second. The findings of the Meta-analysis showed no evidence of association between household income/wealth and stunting of children in Ethiopia (OR=1.14, 95% CI= 0.97, 1.34), heterogeneity test:i2 = 92%, df = 20, (P < 0.00001). On the other hand, children in low income/wealth group were 1.73 times more likely to have wasting compared to children of the higher income/wealth households (OR=1.73, 95% C I= 1.51, 1.97) heterogeneity test: i2 = 71%, df = 20, (P < 0.00001). Conclusion: An over-reliance on macroeconomic growth as a solitary factor towards undernutrition should not be the way forward. Supplementary and more focused nutrition specific and sensitive interventions are needed in Ethiopia.

Substantial evidence is emerging on the coexistence of double burden of malnutrition on adolescents of low-income countries, shaping the health challenges of the upcoming adult generation for the worst. Whether nutritional status markers of adolescents in the cash crop setting are on par with economic gains remains uncertain. Thus, we investigated the nutritional outcomes of adolescents and their determinants in coffee farming households. The survey was carried out in 3 top coffee-producing districts of Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. Five hundred fifty mothers/caregivers and their respective adolescents were selected using multistage random sampling. Anthropometric data were converted into height-for-age and body-mass-index-for-age Z scores using WHO Anthroplus software and analyzed by SPSS for windows. Prevalence of thinness, stunting, and overweight/obesity were 11.6%, 15.6%, and 7.1%, respectively. The odds of stunting among adolescents in households in the lowest wealth tertile was nearly 6-fold higher compared to the highest tertile (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 5.6 [2.6-12]). Conversely, the odds of overweight/obesity was higher among adolescents in the households in the middle wealth tertile (AOR = 2.72 [1.08-6.86]) compared to the highest tertile. Adolescents living in households with low-dependent age-groups were more than twice likely to be overweight/obese (AOR = 2.58 [1.06-6.24]). The current study revealed the presence of substantial dual burden of malnutrition. In such a setting, it is critical to draw a fine line and trade-off for eliminating morbidity and mortality of undernutrition, without triggering the risk of overweight/obesity.

Background: Globally, hypertension is becoming a serious problem affecting the health and wellbeing of the adult population. Anthropometric indices like body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) have long been utilized to screen hypertension; in contrast, other evidence indicates the superior utility of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) to screen hypertension. There are inconclusive results from different studies done in different settings regarding the best screening index for hypertension. In addition, there is a paucity of information on the evaluation of anthropometric indices for screening hypertension in the study area. Therefore, this study evaluates the utility of anthropometric indices for screening hypertension among Mizan Tepi University employees, southwestern Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Mizan Tepi University employees. A gender-based stratified simple random sampling technique was used to select 585 employees. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between anthropometric indices and hypertension. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was employed to evaluate anthropometric indices for screening hypertension, and optimal cutoff points were also developed based on Youden index (sensitivity + specificity – 1) and presented with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV). Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension was 20.9%, which was 22.5% in males and 18.7% in females. Among males, WHtR, WHR, and BMI were significantly associated with hypertension, while, in females, only BMI was associated with hypertension. WHtR had a higher screening ability for hypertension followed by WC in both sexes. For males, the cutoff point for WHR, WC, BMI, and WHtR for screening hypertension was 0.897, 85.17cm, 24.6kg/m², and 0.51, respectively. In females, the cutoff point developed for screening hypertension for WHR, WC, BMI, and WHtR were 0.92, 85.67cm, 24.8kg/m², and 0.52, respectively. Conclusion: The waist-to-height ratio was found to be the best obesity index to screen hypertension than BMI, WC, and WHR. The finding supports the use of WHtR for screening hypertension in resource-limited settings.