Background: The prevalence of malnutrition in cancer patients ranges from 30 to 60%. While it is known that malnutrition is prevalent among cancer patients, the relationship between undernutrition and quality of life among breast cancer patients has not been adequately explored. Therefore, the present study was aimed at assessing the association between undernutrition and quality of life among Breast Cancer patients under treatment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study on breast cancer patients under treatment at the outpatient and in-patient departments of oncology centers of two tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa – Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) and St. Paul Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) oncology was conducted from May 12 to August 26,2020. Nutritional status was assessed using Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) screening tool. Quality of life was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Cancer 30 (EORTC QLQ C30) a standard quality of life measurement scale for cancer patients. To determine the relationship between quality of life scores and nutritional status multivariable linear regression was fitted. Results: A total of 411 breast cancer patients with mean age of 44.4 (± 11.47) years. And 393 (95.6%) of them female were included in the study. A high prevalence of moderate 127 (30.9%) and severe 106 (25.8%) malnutrition was observed. Moderate (β = −9.21 CI (− 14.59, − 4.67)) and severe (β = −17.81 CI (− 16.6, 2 − 2.91)) malnutrition were negatively associated with the overall quality of life. Malnutrition also showed negative associations with all domains of functional status (P < 0.05) and strong positive associations with symptom scores covered in the EORTC QLQ C-30 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study indicated that malnutrition is a major problem among breast cancer patients and the nutritional status breast cancer patients was related to their quality of life….

Background: Vitamin D is essential for health and its shortage exacerbates overall mortality. Health care workers (HCWs) need to educate on its uses and sources although studies indicate their low level of practice. The main aim of this study is therefore to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of measuring adult vitamin D status, diagnosis of deficiency and managing health consequences among HCWs in Ethiopia. Methods: This study was conducted in three ecologies covering lowland, midland and highland districts. A total of 405 health care workers with different levels were interviewed. Tablets were used for data collection to archiving in a cloud server. Data were exported to Stata version 14 software for cleaning and analysis. Rates were computed and the Chi-square test was used to compare differences between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to measure the strength, direction and significance of the association between different covariates and the practice of HCWs. Result: The level of knowledge, positive attitude and good practice in measuring adult vitamin D status, diagnosis of deficiency and managing health consequences among HCWs was 210 (51.8%), 261(63.5%) and 195(47.4%) respectively. The odds of good practice in the provision of adult vitamin D service were AOR = 6.87: 95% CI (3.57, 13.21) and AOR = 2.20: 95% CI (1.23, 3.92) times higher among HCWs in Addis Ababa and highlands compared with those working in lowlands. Good practice among clinicians was AOR = 4.26: 95% CI (1.48, 12.25) times higher compared with those working in leadership positions. The likelihood was AOR = 1.96: 95% CI (1.19, 3.23) times higher among those with good knowledge compared with those with poor knowledge. Besides, good practice in adult vitamin D service provision was AOR = 2.30: 95% CI (1.40, 3.78) times higher among those with positive attitude compared with those who had negative attitude. Conclusions: A little over half of HCWs have good knowledge and close to two-thirds of them have positive attitude while less than half of them have good practice on adult vitamin D deficiency. Besides, HCWs’ residential ecology, clinical position, knowledge and attitude is associated with good practice on adult vitamin D. It is essential to provide rigorous and continuous training for HCWs focusing on their deployment ecology.

Background: A new coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since the times of the 1918 influenza pandemic, malnutrition has been known as a risk factor for severity and mortality from viral pneumonia. Similarly, the recently identified SARS-Cov2 infection (COVID-19) and related pneumonia may be closely linked to malnutrition. Therefore, this study will contribute to new knowledge and awareness of the recording and evaluation of each COVID-19 patient’s nutritional status by assessing the effect of malnutrition on ICU admission and death of COVID-19 patients in developing countries. Method: We conducted a prospective cohort study in adult COVID-19 patients admitted to selected COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment Centers, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Baseline data of the patients were collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and data on the adverse outcomes of follow up were extracted from follow up chart. The main clinical outcomes (ICU admission and death) were captured every week of follow up. We ran a multivariate Cox’s regression analysis to determine the relationship between malnutrition at admission and its effect on ICU admission and death. Results: A total of 581 COVID-19 patients were enrolled. From the total of recruited patients, 346 (59.6%) were males and 235 (40.4%) were females. The mean age of the respondents was 55 years (16.45) years. The Cox proportional hazard model controlled for sex, age group, number of co-morbidities, and number of medications found that malnutrition at admission was associated with ICU admission and death. When compared to well-nourished patients, the rate of ICU admission was significantly associated and found to be higher among underweight [(adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 10.02, 95% CI: (8.64–12.10)] and overweight [(AHR = 7.7, 95% CI: (6.41–9.62)] patients. The rate of survival probability was significantly associated and was found to be better among well-nourished patients (AHR = 0.06, 95% CI : (0.01–0.44) when compared with malnourished COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Malnutrition at the time of admission was shown to increase the risk of ICU admission and mortality among COVID-19 patients. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate patients’ nutritional condition early in their admission and provide timely intervention to minimize the effects on patients and the healthcare system.

Dietary fiber contributes to cardio metabolic health, yet contextual evidence in Ethiopia is scarce. This study examined the effect of dietary fiber intake on blood pressure (BP) control among patients with type 2 diabetes. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2024 among 287 type 2 DM patients. Dietary intake was assessed using a repeated multiple-pass 24-hour recall, which involved collecting detailed recipes and estimating portion sizes in grams using dietary scales, proxy indicators, and standardized conversion and yield factors. Nutrient analysis, including dietary fiber (g/day), was performed using NutriSurvey 2007 based on the Ethiopian Food Composition Table and complementary regional and USDA sources. Blood pressure was measured using a calibrated digital sphygmomanometer, and HbA1c values were extracted from recent laboratory records. A significant proportion (79.4%) of respondents exhibited poor blood pressure control, while over half (56.7%) demonstrated poor glycemic control. Additionally, 10.3% of participants were classified as obese and 39% had stage 2 hypertension. The mean dietary fiber intake was 32.5 ± 20 g/day. Fiber intake showed significant inverse correlations with BP ( r = -0.551), BMI ( r = -0.605), and HbA1c ( r = -0.341), all p < 0.001. In multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for age, duration of diabetes, diet, and physical exercise, showed that higher dietary fiber intake remained an independent predictor of good blood pressure control. Each 1 g/day increase in dietary fiber was associated with a 6% reduction in the odds of poor BP control (AOR = 0.936; 95% CI: 0.913–0.959; p < 0.001). Regular physical activity also significantly reduced the odds of poor BP control (AOR = 3.35 for non-exercisers). Higher dietary fiber intake and regular exercise were strongly associated with improved BP and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients. These findings support not only public health initiatives to promote fiber-rich diets but also integration of dietary counseling and lifestyle modification into routine clinical diabetes and hypertension management.

Existing studies focus on moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) management, with little attention to integrating MAM services into the health system. This study examines barriers and facilitators to integrating m (MAM) services into primary health care. We conducted a qualitative exploratory study at the policy, primary health care, and community levels in six regions of Ethiopia. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide the development of the data collection tools and the analysis and presentation of the findings. We purposively selected participants and conducted in-depth interviews with 128 participants at the national, regional, district, and facility levels. Hybrid deductive-inductive analysis analysis was applied and the analysis was conducted using NVivo software version 14. Ratings were used to understand how strongly the constructs facilitated or hindered MAM integration, and patterns across levels were compared using heat maps. Integrating MAM management into the health system was considered useful and feasible, with a reliable and adaptable system in place. However, the absence of a dedicated government budget for supply chains, transport and storage services, and supervision creates heavy reliance on external donor funding, undermining government ownership. At the primary care level, understaffing and extensive paperwork and documentation requirements reduce self-efficacy and contribute to inconsistent implementation. These challenges are further compounded by community-level pressures, including misconceptions that the targeted medical supplement is a general food distribution, which increases demand beyond eligibility criteria. Additionally, access barriers such as distance, mobility constraints, and seasonal conditions, along with household dynamics such as sharing of supplements, affect utilization. Integrating MAM management into routine primary healthcare is perceived as valuable and adaptable, with support from existing policies. However, successful and sustained implementation remains constrained by context-specific health system challenges.