Background: Women’s empowerment is essential for achieving sustainable development goals. It involves enabling women to take control of their lives by giving them the agency, resources, and opportunities they need to make their own choices and reach their full potential. If more women are empowered to use modern contraceptives, greater reductions in maternal mortality will follow. By understanding this association, we can identify key women empowerment dimensions that have an association with family planning utilization and consider ways forward to improve reproductive health outcomes for women. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between women’s empowerment and modern contraceptive utilization among married mothers in Ethiopia. Design: A facility-based quantitative study was employed. Methods: A facility-based quantitative cross-sectional study was employed among 305 mothers selected by systematic random sampling at Jimma Town Public Hospital from July 1 to August 31, 2022. The interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected data were entered into EpiData Manager, version 4.6.0.6, and then exported to SPSS, version 26. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between the dependent and independent variables. Results: Among a total of 305 study subjects, 301 were used in the analysis. Approximately 65% (95% CI = 59.8, 70.8) of the women utilized modern contraceptive methods. High general self-efficacy (AOR = 4.17; 95% CI = 2.11, 8.23), an internal locus of control (AOR = 3.92; 95% CI = 2.01, 7.65), labor work participation (AOR = 4.53; 95% CI = 1.99, 10.31), and enrollment in elementary education (AOR = 8.30; 95%; CI = 2.96, 23.27) have a statistically significant association with modern contraceptive utilization. Conclusion: Numerous dimensions of women’s empowerment are significantly associated with modern contraceptive utilization. The dimension of women’s empowerment needs considerable focus from stakeholders to empower women and enable them to utilize contraceptives and other maternal healthcare services.

Puerperal sepsis is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and is responsible for nearly one-fifth of maternal deaths worldwide. In Ethiopia, it remains a significant contributor to maternal mortality; however, a comprehensive understanding of its determinants is still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled prevalence of puerperal sepsis and to identify its determinant factors in Ethiopia, thereby providing comprehensive and up-to-date evidence to inform maternal health interventions. The review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological guidance for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Systematic review and meta-analysis protocol was pre-registered on PROSPERO with registration number CRD42024619492. Databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect and gray literature were explored. Initially, 668 studies were identified. Newcastle–Ottawa scale was used to appraise included studies. The review included primary observation studies including cross-sectional, cohort, and case–control studies conducted on postpartum women in Ethiopia. This review excludes reviews, commentaries, case studies and pure qualitative studies. After screening and assessing eligibility criteria sixteen were included in the meta-analysis and systematic review. Data were extracted using an Excel sheet, and STATA version 15 was used for the meta-analysis. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Q test and I2 statistic. A funnel plot and Egger's test were used to assess publication bias. Pooled prevalence of puerperal sepsis and effect sizes of determinant factors were assessed with 95% C. I. The pooled estimates were presented using a random effect model. This study involved 5247 postpartum women in Ethiopia. The prevalence of puerperal sepsis was 15.82% (95%CI 9.84–21.80). Determinant factors of puerperal sepsis were cesarean section deliveries AOR 2.86(95%CI 2.17–3.76), more than five repeated vaginal examinations AOR 4.91(95%CI 3.84–6.28), low number of antenatal care contact AOR 5.52 (95%CI 3.63–8.40), prolonged labor AOR 5.56(95%CI 4.14–7.47), premature rupture of membranes AOR 3.86(95%CI 3.00–4.96), rural residence AOR 5.15(95%CI 3.99–6.65),and home deliveries AOR 3.45(95%CI 2.28–5.24). The prevalence of puerperal sepsis in Ethiopia is high. Cesarean delivery, more than five vaginal examinations, lack of antenatal care, prolonged labor, premature rupture of membranes, rural residence, home delivery, and gestational diabetes were identified as significant risk factors for puerperal sepsis in Ethiopia. Therefore, adhering to labor care guide, and infection prevention protocol are paramount.

Women’s empowerment is a multidimensional global development goal. Women in low-income countries are often disempowered, which can lead to increased mortality and morbidity by inhibiting their access to essential maternal health care, such as antenatal care. It is impossible to decrease maternal mortality without sufficient and timely antenatal care. However, the association between women’s empowerment and antenatal care utilization has been understudied. Therefore, this research aims to assess the association of women’s empowerment dimensions with antenatal care use. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 1 to August 31, 2022, in public hospitals within Jimma town, Ethiopia. Participants were 305 women who attended childbirth and postpartum services, selected by systematic random sampling. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to determine the association between variables. Of 305 respondents, 301 provided complete responses, resulting in a response rate of 99.1%. Approximately 187 (62%) study participants utilized adequate antenatal care [95% CI: 56.4–67.6]. In multivariate logistic regression women’s empowerment dimensions showed statistically significant association with antenatal care utilization. High general self-efficacy [AOR = 1.89 (1.02–3.50)], high self-esteem [AOR = 3.10 (1.67–5.76)], an internal locus of control [AOR = 2.13 (1.17–3.86)], and labor work participation [AOR = 1.98 (1.06–3.72)]. All these factors were associated with increased antenatal care utilization. Women empowerment dimensions have a positive and statistically significant association with antenatal care use. So, to improve recommended antenatal care utilization by mothers, empowerment of women by health professionals, hospitals, and other stakeholders is very important.

A nurse’s clinical handover is an important and complex form of communication in healthcare organizations that involves the exchange of patient-related information during shift change. Nurse-to-nurse clinical handover is frequently implemented at inpatient and emergency units, with an increased risk of information loss. Ineffective clinical handover is responsible for about 80% of the causes of serious, preventable adverse health events. However, the evidence is unknown in Ethiopia, particularly in the study setting. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the lived experience of clinical handover among nurses working in the Jimma Medical Center in South Western Ethiopia in 2022. This study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of nurses in medical, surgical, and emergency outpatient departments. Data collection occurred between July 1st and August 31st, 2022. Nine nurses, purposively selected for their diverse experiences, participated in individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews. To provide additional context, five key informants were also interviewed. Additionally, twenty non-participatory observations were conducted. Interview recordings and field notes were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method, facilitated by Atlas.ti 8 software. Rigor was ensured through adherence to Lincoln and Guba’s criteria for trustworthiness. Findings are presented through thematic narratives supported by direct participant quotations. Analysis of the data revealed three emerged core themes of the clinical handover experience: i) “Inconsistent, non-standardized handover processes and content”- with subthemes:“communication styles”,“location of handover”,“time of handover”, “the content of handover”,“patient involvement”, and“handover responsibility.” ii) “Obstacles to consistent handover”, with subthemes such as” healthcare system-related factors”, “care provider-related factors”, and “patient’s health status-related factors”. iii) “Negative impacts on patients from inconsistency in handover.” All participants reported that ineffective clinical handover was harming the holistic quality of nursing care. This study found that consistent and standardized clinical handover practice has a significant deficit, which was affected by obstacles related to nurses, the organizational healthcare system and the patient’s health status. Therefore, tailored intervention is needed to improve the clinical handover in nursing practice.

Background: Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is extension of existing power dynamics and patriarchal systems that continue to oppress and marginalize women and girls. However, the mechanisms through which technology enables such violence and its effects on victims remain underexplored, particularly in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives: This review aimed to examine how technology facilitates gender-based violence and to explore its impact on women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological guidance for scoping reviews and adhered to the PRISMA-ScR checklist for standardized reporting. The literature search was conducted across multiple databases, including EBSCO, Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, other source including Google Scholar, and AJOL. Eligibility criteria were defined using the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework. Thematic analysis was employed to identify and organize emerging concepts and themes. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti version 7.5.4 and the results were presented in tables, narrative descriptions, and diagrams. Result: From a total of 344 articles identified through databases and other sources, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The review finding shows how technologies enable gender-based violence. These include the anonymity of perpetrators and the increased accessibility of victims, coercive control through digital surveillance, the viral spread of harmful content leading to public shaming, and specific features of digital platforms that facilitate abuse. Another finding was effect of technology facilitates gender-based violence (TFGBV)on victims. Reported effect include psychological harm, negative effects on academic and educational performance., social and reputational damage, as well as barriers to seeking help and long-term trajectories like depression and poor academic performance Conclusion: These findings indicate that technology plays a substantial role in facilitating gender-based violence, and the impact on victims is significant. Protocol Registration: OSF ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/47ZB8 ).