Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the health setting is a global public health problem. The risk of occupational exposure to HBV among health care workers is a major concern, especially among students in health professions. In Ethiopia, very little is known about the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of trainees in the health professions towards occupational risk of HBV. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the level of KAP of medicine and health Sciences students in Northwest Ethiopia towards occupational risk of HBV infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2015 to June 2015. A total of 246 students of health care professions were included into the study using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using self-administered structured questionnaire and analysed by using SPSS version 20. Majority of the study participants, (>80 %) had an adequate knowledge on risk factors for HBV, its mode of transmissions, and preventions. Two hundred of 246 (83.3 %) participants had positive attitude towards following infection control guidelines, and 201 (81.7 %) respondents believe that all HCWs should take HBV vaccine. However, only 5 (2 %) students had completed the three doses schedule of HBV vaccination. Whereas, a significant number of students, 66 (26.8 %), had been exposed to blood/body fluid via needle stick injury at least once since they started their training in the health facility. Our study found that trainees in health profession are at a very high risk of contracting HBV infection during their training owing to the low HBV vaccine uptake rate and high rate of accidental exposure to blood. Thus, we recommend that all students in the health profession should be vaccinated prior to their entry into professional practices.

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a measure of the change in size of red blood cells and it is used in combination with other hematological parameters for the differential diagnosis of anemias. Recent evidence suggested that the change in RDW level may be a predictive biomarker of morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death globally as compared to cancer and communicable diseases. Early diagnosis and prompt intervention of these diseases are very important to minimize their complications. Nowadays, the diagnosis of most cardiovascular diseases majorly depends on clinical judgment, electrocardiography and biochemical parameters. Red blood cell distribution width as a new predictive biomarker may play a pivotal role in assessing the severity and progression of CVDs. However, the underlying mechanisms for the association between RDW and CVDs are not clear. A deeper understanding of their association could help the physicians in more careful identification, early prevention, intervention, and treatment to prevent adverse cardiovascular events. This review aims to elaborate on the recent knowledge on the association between RDW and cardiovascular diseases and some possible pathophysiological mechanisms.

Background: Dyslipidemia is one of the major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in a type-2 diabetic (T2DM) patient. Dyslipidemia in T2DM patients is attributed due to increased free fatty acid flux secondary to insulin resistance. Despite its high prevalence and related complication of dyslipidemia in T2DM patients, there is a paucity of data on the prevalence of dyslipidemia in T2DM patients in Ethiopia. Objective: To determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its associated risk factors among T2DM patients at Jimma medical center (JUMC) Jimma, Ethiopia. Methods and Materials: An institution-based- cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1 to August 4, 2019. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 248 T2DM patients in the study. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral, and clinical factors were collected using a structured questionnaire through face to face interviews. Five milliliters of the fasting venous blood sample was collected for serum glucose and lipid profile analysis. Blood pressure, weight, and height were measured. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed and p-value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia among study participants was 68.1%. Isolated lipid profile abnormality of hypertriglyceridemia was found in 48%, hypercholesterolemia in 13.7%, high level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) in 28.6%, and low level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in 50.8% study participants. Being in an age group ≥ 30 years, physical inactivity, being obese, hypertension, and high blood glucose value were significantly associated factors with dyslipidemia. Conclusion: High prevalence of dyslipidemia was found among T2DM in the study area. The findings of this study should be taken into account to conduct appropriate intervention measures on the identified risk factor, and implement routine screening, treatments, and prevention of dyslipidemia.

Background: Medical and health science students are among the frontline health care workers who are at high risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection during their clinical attachments and future career. As health care providers, they are expected to promote and administer the COVID-19 vaccine and counsel vaccine-hesitant patients. It is, therefore, imperative to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical and health science students. Thus, this study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its associated factors among medical and health science students of Wolkite University. Method: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 420 medical and health science students attending Wolkite University from March 1 to 30, 2021. Simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Self-administered and structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.2.0 and exported to SPSS version 23 software package for further analysis. Bivariable and multivariable analysis was used to identify associated factors. P values <0.05 result were considered as a statistically significant association. Results: The level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was 41.2% (95% CI; 35.2%-50.4%). Student age ≤23 years were 1.9 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 1.94, 95% CI; 1.14–3.28], being female were 1.7 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 1.76, 95% CI; 1.14–2.72], resided in rural area were 1.6 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 1.63, 95% CI; 1.06–2.49], source of information from social media were 2.7 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 2.68, 95% CI; 1.58–4.54], and good practice to COVID-19 mitigation measures were 47% less likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 0.53, 95% CI; 0.34–0.83] compared to their counterpart. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is found to be high. Therefore, students are advised to receive COVID-19 vaccine information from government lead mass media (i.e. television and radio), increase awareness and adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures is recommended.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant global public health problem. Health care providers and medical students in developing countries including Ethiopia are at an increased risk of contracting HBV due to the high burden of this infection. The most effective way of prevention against HBV infection is vaccination of health care providers. However, there is a paucity of data on the HBV vaccination coverage among students of health science in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine HBV vaccination coverage and associated factors, level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards HBV among students of medicine and health science at Wolkite University. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Wolkite University among 417 study participants from November to December 2020. The study participants were recruited by using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 21. A binary logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with full-dose vaccination status. Statistical significance was set at P-value <0.05. Results: Out of the 417 study participants, 5.8% (95%CI: 3.8–7.9) received a full-dose of the HBV vaccine in this study. Unavailability and high cost of the vaccine were frequently mentioned reasons for not being vaccinated against HBV. About 73.6%, 36.2%, and 47% of participants had good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices towards HBV, respectively. Being male gender (AOR: 8.8; 95%CI: 2.9–27), rural residence (AOR: 3.6; 95%CI:1.2–10.6), positive attitude (AOR: 0.44; 95%CI: 0.1–1.1), good practice (AOR: 0.17; 95%CI: 0.05–0.5), medicine department (AOR: 5.9; 95%CI: 1.2–29), being second-year student (AOR: 11.7; 95%CI: 2.7–50.9), third-year student (AOR: 19; 95%CI: 4.25–45), and fourth-year student (AOR: 27; 95%CI: 5.8–56) were significantly associated factors with full-dose vaccination status. Conclusion: Our study revealed that only small proportions (5.8%) of study participants received full-dose HBV vaccination. Vaccinations of students before starting clinical attachments, provisions of training for students on infection prevention mechanism and universal precautions particularly on HBV, increasing the uptake of the HBV vaccine, creating awareness on attitude and practice of students towards HBV to enhance uptake of the vaccine are recommended.

Background: Lipid profile abnormalities are an integral part of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and major underlying causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Lipid profile abnormalities in a patient with MetS are resulted due to the presence of central obesity and insulin resistance. In Ethiopia, the burden and predictors of lipid profile abnormalities in a patient with MetS are not well known. Thus, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of lipid profile abnormalities and predictors among patients with MetS in southwest Ethiopia. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 381 patients with MetS from September to December 2019 with a response rate of 100%. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and behavioral factors. Waist circumference, height, weight, and blood pressures were measured. The venous blood sample was collected for glucose and lipid profile determination. Data were entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 21. Binary logistic regression and Pearson’s correlation analyses were performed. A p-value was set at a < 0.05 for statistical significance. Results: In this study, about 58% of participants were at least one or more lipid profile abnormalities with the 95% CI (52.8– 62.7). About 67.2%, 44.6%,18.4%, and 14.2% of study participants were low HDL, high TG, LDL, and TC, respectively. Central obesity (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.89, 95% CI: 1.14– 3.14), increasing age (AOR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.27– 3.4), higher BMI (AOR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.23– 3.4), being hypertensive (AOR: 3.48, 95% CI: 2.12– 5.7) and increasing blood glucose level (AOR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.36– 4.03) were independent predictors of lipid profile abnormalities (dyslipidemia). Conclusion: In this study area, a high (58%) prevalence of dyslipidemia was observed in study participants, and increasing age, higher BMI, central obesity, hypertension, and high blood glucose level were identified as independent predictors of dyslipidemia among patients with MetS. Prevention and control of dyslipidemia and its predictors among patients with MetS were recommended.