Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Hysterosalpingography and Endocervical Microbial Assessment of Infertile Women in Ogun State, Nigeria.","authors":"Abiola O Adekoya, Adeniyi K Akiseku, Deboral A Osisanwo, Austin C Egwuogu, Damilola O Egbetayo, Ayodeji A Olatunji","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.3","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Infertility is a global health issue with varying etiology. This study determined the prevalence and pattern of tubal and uterine pathologies with genital tract microbial infection among infertile women in Ogun State, Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted in a year among 230 infertile women aged 20 years and above scheduled for hysterosalpingography (HSG). Samples for high vaginal and endocervical swabs were analyzed as part of the study.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age was 34.65 (6.18) years, and the age group 30 - 39 years had the highest frequency of infertility. The mean duration of infertility was 4.93 (3.88) years, and secondary infertility (77.8%) was higher than primary infertility (22.2%). Tubal pathology was the most common (36.1%), followed by uterine pathology (30.0%), where the tubal blockage was 82.5% and hydrosalpinx was 17.5%. There were 57 (54.8%) and 47 (45.2%) patients with single and bilateral tubal blockage, respectively. Hydrosalpinx was observed in four (20%), nine (45%), and seven patients (35%) with a right, left and bilateral distribution, respectively. Univariate regression analysis showed older women with tubal pathology were 2.01 times more likely to be infertile than the younger patients (95% CI: 1.042 - 4.100, p = 0.005), and patients with longer duration of infertility were 1.1 more likely to be infertile than patients with shorter infertility duration (95% CI: 0.995 - 1.187, p = 0.010). Of the microbes, 33.9% and 22.2% were isolated in the high vaginal and endocervical swabs of participants with tubal pathologies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Increasing age, infertility duration, and genital microbes are significant risk factors for tubal infertility; hence, their prompt evaluation is essential.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 4","pages":"271-280"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837803/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143466609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Mothers in the Management of Diarrhoea among Under-five Children in a Rural area of India.","authors":"Kayala Venkata Jagadeesh, Ashwini Narasannavar, Mahantesh Kamble, S Prakasha, Bandaru Yeswanth Raja","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.8","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of loose, liquid or watery stools more than three times a day. Though simple and effective treatment measures are available which can markedly reduce diarrhea associated morbidity and mortality, yet in developing countries due to poor diarrhea and Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) related knowledge, diarrhoea still continues to be a major public health problem. The study aimed to estimate the knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers in the management of diarrhoea among under-five children in a rural area of India.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A Cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers having children below five years of age in rural area of India. Proportionate sampling technique was used to recruit mothers. A pretested, pre designed structured questionnaire was used to obtained the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 382 mothers were participated in the study. The mean age of study participants was 25.72 ± 3.98 years. Overall knowledge score showed that (74.6%) three-fourth of the study participants had average knowledge regarding diarrhoeal management. Majority of the mothers (62.6%) showed positive attitude in diarrhoea management The practice scores showed that nearly half of the study participants (50.3%) had good practice regarding diarrhoea management.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The knowledge of mothers regarding management of diarrhoea among under-five children was average and most mothers had positive attitude. However, only half of the mothers had good practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 4","pages":"321-330"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837805/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143466613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the Brain-Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Syndrome (VKH): A Rare Brain Eye and Ear (BEE) Syndrome Presenting initially as Aseptic Meningitis- a Neurologist Perspective.","authors":"Erum Shariff, Asma Khalaf Alzuabi","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.10","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.10","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The triad of central nervous system, hearing, and visual disturbances is an often encountered scenario. Vogt Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) is a rare syndrome affecting tissues with melanocytes and characterized by bilateral diffuse granulomatous uveitis, meningeal involvement, and hearing impairment. VKH is considered a rare cause of Brain Eye and Ear (BEE) syndrome.</p><p><strong>Case: </strong>We describe a case of a 32-year-old healthy lady who was admitted to neurology with the initial impression of aseptic meningitis. She had subacute onset of headache and fever, associated with blurring of vision and painful eye movements. Visual acuity 20/250 of the right eye and 20/80 of the left eye. Intra-ocular pressure measured 12 for the right eye and 14 for the left eye, and extraocular muscle movements were full Slit lamp examination showed a quite conjunctiva and clear cornea; however, there was an anterior chamber reaction of 2+ cells. The fundus exam showed mild vitritis with hyperemic disc swelling of both eyes and exudative retinal detachment bilaterally. Macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated the presence of vitritis, pockets of subretinal fluids with bacillary layer detachment, and choroidal thickening. She was treated with steroids and mycophenolate mofetil with an excellent outcome.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Early diagnosis has good outcomes and of crucial to prevent damage to the photoreceptors and subsequent poor visual outcomes. The presence of a distinctive expression in one BEE organ should prompt the appropriate investigations and multidisciplinary team involvement to avoid permanent vision loss.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 4","pages":"345-349"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837806/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143466638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and Phenotypic Characterization of Antibiotic-resistant <i>Enterococcus Species</i> Isolated from Chicken Faecal Samples in Accra, Ghana.","authors":"Philip Asumang, Frank Amoakohene, Collins Amponsah, Frank Kwasikumah, Emmanuel U Osisiogu, Israel M Attipoe","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.2","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Enterococci are bacteria found naturally in the gastrointestinal tract of both chickens and humans, serving as a commensal bacterium. These opportunistic pathogens are recognized for their involvement in human diseases like urinary tract infections (UTIs), endocarditis, and sepsis. Infection sources encompass food, hospital environments, and animals, particularly chickens. Their increasing resistance to multiple drugs poses a growing concern for public healthThis study aimed to isolate the enterococcus species and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility profiles.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Swab samples of gut content from poultry in specific slaughterhouses located within selected markets in Accra were collected, cultured on MacConkey agar No.2, and incubated overnight for growth. Colonies suspected to be Enterococcus species were subjected to biochemical testing, and confirmed colonies underwent antibiotic testing against commonly used medications for bacterial infections. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used to assess the antibiotic susceptibility of the recovered isolates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 160 samples examined, 97 (61%) were found to be contaminated with Enterococcus species. Each of the isolates displayed resistance to a minimum of three antibiotic classes tested in the study. Notably, high levels of resistance were observed for specific antibiotics, including penicillin (91.75%), vancomycin (87.63%), and tetracycline (80.41).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings of this study revealed a high prevalence of multi-drug resistant Enterococcus species isolated from chicken rectal swab samples collected from three selected markets in Accra, Ghana. All the isolates exhibited resistance to at least three classes of antibiotics tested.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 4","pages":"262-270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837801/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143467110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Magnitude and Risk Factors for Paediatric Congenital Heart Surgery Complication and its association with Patient Outcomes in the Cardiac Center of Ethiopia.","authors":"Mohammed Nasir Beshir, Muluken Ahmed, Temesgen Tsega, Tadesse Getahun","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.6","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Congenital heart disease surgery is related to significant postoperative complications which have been associated with poor patient outcomes. However, the prevalence, predictors, and effect of complications on outcomes have only been evaluated in a few numbers of studies. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of postoperative complications after congenital heart surgery, their predictors, and the associations between complications and patient outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective, single-center cross-sectional study was done at the Cardiac Center of Ethiopia (CCE) on children who had undergone cardiac surgery between 2009 and 2022. All 919 pediatric patients aged below 18 years who had undergone congenital heart surgery were included in the study.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Of the 919 patients who underwent surgery in the cardiac center of Ethiopia, Ventricular septal defect (VSD) was the most common diagnosis (41%) and VSD patch closure (39.4%) was the most common surgical procedure. The presence of at least one complication was identified in 39.5% of patients. Of all patients, 11.3% had cardiac, 23.1% had extra-cardiac complications, and 5.3%% had major complications. Higher age at diagnosis, lower weight at admission, cyanotic congenital heart disease, higher Risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery score (RACH-1 score), higher vasoactive inotropic score, Cardiopulmonary bypass use during surgery, higher cardiopulmonary bypass time, higher aortic cross-clamp time, higher duration of surgery, and the higher number of surgeries were associated with complications. The duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit stays, and length of hospital stay was significantly prolonged in patients with complications.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Congenital heart disease surgeries pose a high risk of complications, and these complications are associated with poor patient outcomes in Ethiopia. Therefore, predicting complications based on risk factors and early detection and treatment is crucial to improve the patient's outcome.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 4","pages":"301-312"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837804/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143466617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surveying the Digital Competencies of Health Profession Educators at Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions.","authors":"Equlinet Misganaw Amare, Robel Tezera Zegeye, Awoke Giletew Wondie, Bekalu Assamnew Andargie","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.4","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i4.4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The digital competency of health professional educators is crucial for institutions to develop digital skill policies and initiatives, plan professional development, and integrate technology into teaching practices. However, the development of policies, initiatives, and professional development programs related to digital skills is limited in low and middle-income countries due to a lack of empirical evidence. This study seeks to evaluate the digital competency of health professional educators in Ethiopian medical education.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A survey was conducted at public Higher Education Institutions that provide health training programs in Ethiopia from April to September 2023 using the digital competency level assessment tool. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the skill levels, and a chi-square test analysed the relationship between digital skills and various factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study involved 498 health professional educators from 16 institutions. Most were male and taught clinical science. Over half worked in research institutions and held academic positions as assistant professors or above. About 10% were beginners in digital skills, with over half at an explorer level. Only a small percentage were experts. The majority had low digital skill competency, with only 7.2% showing high competency. There was no significant association between digital skill competency and factors like the type of institutions, program, course type or academic rank.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>There is a notable lack of digital skill competency among faculty members, with the majority lacking expertise in this area. Educators require guidance, collaborative encouragement, and knowledge exchange to enhance their digital competencies and effectively harness technology in their teaching.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 4","pages":"281-289"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837802/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143467144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quality of Life Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Iraqi Patients.","authors":"Ula Munther Al-Azzaw, Laith Thamer Al-Ameri","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.6","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Knowledge about quality of life following brain trauma is necessary to improve public health programmes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted at Ghazi al-Hariri Surgical Specialties Hospital, Dr. Saad Al-Witry Neuroscience Hospital in the Baghdad governorate, and Baqubah General Hospital in the Diyala governorate from first January to the end of April 2022. The study's target population was patients aged 18 years and older with traumatic brain injury six to 12 months post-injury, Quality of life was evaluated by a structured questionnaire using the quality of life after brain injury (QOLIBRI) scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 225 participants were included. The highest proportion (52.9%) was within the age group of 18-29 years. The male-to-female ratio was 3.09:1. Road traffic accidents were the main cause of brain damage, affecting 67.6% and 52.7%, respectively. The average levels of satisfaction with thinking ability, emotions, independence, and social relationships were 56.9%, 52.9%, 42.2% and 43.6%, respectively. The average levels of dissatisfaction with feelings and physical activity were 48.4% and 53.8%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Most patients with traumatic brain injury had average overall satisfaction with their thinking abilities, emotions, independence, and social relationships. Majority of them had an average level of discontent with their feelings and a low level of discontent with their physical activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 2","pages":"149-158"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837779/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143467458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Appendico-Ileal Knotting: A Rare Cause of Strangulated Small Bowel Obstruction.","authors":"Najeem Adedamola Idowu, Waheed Olalekan Ismaeel, Akeem Aderogba Adeleke, Joshua Adejare Faleye, Suliyat Adebisi Adeleye-Idowu, Kehinde Aderonke Ademoye","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.7","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Bowel obstruction is a common surgical emergency worldwide. It may result into high morbidity or mortality whenever intervention is delayed. It affects all age groups. The most commonly seen etiologies of bowel obstruction are post-operative adhesions, neoplasm and hernia in that order. Intestinal knot syndrome is an extremely rare cause of intestinal obstruction, and when it occurs, it poses diagnostic challenges. We report a case of appendico-ileal knotting causing strangulated small bowel obstruction due to its rarity and diagnostic difficulty. Our objective is to discuss the clinical presentation and management of this rare cause of surgical emergency.</p><p><strong>Case: </strong>A-72- year old man was seen at the emergency unit of our center with 4 days history of gradual onset of colicky abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting. He had a two-day history of constipation and a one-day history of fever. He was acutely illlooking and his vital signs were abnormal. Urgent abdominopelvic ultrasound and plain abdominal x-ray was performed and were suggestive of intestinal obstruction. He had emergency laparotomy, and intra-operatively appendico-ileal knotting was seen with gangrenous appendix and terminal ileum. This necessitated limited right hemicolectomy and ileo-colonic anastomosis. The patient was managed post-operatively and discharged on post-operative day 10.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Appendico-ileal knotting is a cause of small bowel obstruction although it is very rare. The diagnosis is commonly confirmed intra-operatively. There are reports of simple small bowel obstruction secondary to appendico-ileal knotting, but this case confirmed that it could also lead to strangulated intestinal obstruction.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 2","pages":"159-162"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837782/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143467415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maternal High-Risk Fertility Behavior and Its Associated Factors in Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Samuel Kusheta, Robel Demelash, Elias Kenea, Genet Kasa, Woineshet Ermako, Haregewoin Limenih, Wudu Yesuf","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.2","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The fertility behavior of women is characterized by maternal age, birth spacing and order, and it impacts the health of women and children. Evidence on the factors associated with maternal high-risk fertility behavior is scant in Ethiopia. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with maternal high-risk fertility behavior in Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Three hundred women of reproductive age admissions to public hospitals in the Hadiya Zone who gave birth in the five years preceding this study were selected using systematic random sampling. Face-to-face interviews were held to gather data using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models were used to analyze data. Statistical significance was assessed using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and declared at a p-value of less than 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall proportion of maternal high-risk fertility behavior was 60.3%. Mother, who lived in rural areas (AOR = 4.85; 95% CI: 2.56, 9.19), had early marriage (AOR = 3.39; 95% CI: 1.87, 6.14) and had unplanned last pregnancy (AOR = 2.62; 95% CI: 1.28, 5.39) were more likely engaged in high-risk fertility patterns.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the study area, there was a high overall proportion of married women engaging in high-risk fertility behavior. Mothers with early marriages, unplanned pregnancies, and rural residence were more likely engaged in high-risk fertility behaviors. Plans for interventions aimed at preventing maternal high-risk fertility behavior should center on expanding access to family planning services and ending the practice of early marriage by giving rural women extra care and attention.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 2","pages":"115-124"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837781/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143467452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Students' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Solar Ultraviolet Exposure in Karachi, Pakistan.","authors":"Mubashir Zafar, Tafazzul Hyder Zaidi, Nadira Hyder Zaidi, Muhammad Waqas Nisar Ahmed, Sobia Memon, Faheem Ahmed, Yusra Saleem, Zuhaa Rehman, Anabia Akhlaq, Sana Sajjad Khan, Sana Saleem, Rehan Zaidi","doi":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.3","DOIUrl":"10.4314/ejhs.v34i2.3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) from the sun is a significant environmental component that impacts on human health. Excessive UVR exposure has immediate impacts like burning and tanning, as well as long-term consequences including skin damage, photo-aging, skin malignancies. The objective for this study is to determine the student's knowledge, attitude and practice regarding solar ultraviolet exposure in Karachi, Pakistan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was done in Public Sector University; total 361 students were recruited through stratified cluster sampling from different colleges of university. Data collection was done by validated structured questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of outcome variables with risk factors and p-value of <0.05 as a threshold of statistical analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most of the students were appropriate knowledge (71%), positive attitude (51%) and safe practice (54%) regarding ultraviolet solar exposure. Almost half (69%) of participants were used sun protective agents. After adjustment of covariate, female gender (OR 2.20 (95% CI 1.29-4.07) (p-value 0.004), significantly associated with in-appropriate knowledge, third year students (OR 2.93 (95% CI 1.01-8.95) p-value 0.048) were significantly associated with negative attitude. Age group 18-21 years (OR 1.75(95% CI 1.43-5.31) p-value 0.003) were significantly associated with un-safe practice regarding solar ultraviolet exposure harmful effects.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study found that knowledge level was appropriate but attitude and practice level need to improve for prevention of harmful effects of solar ultra violet ray exposure. The study encourages students to be more aware of sun protection behavior in order to avoid the long-term effects of sun exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":12003,"journal":{"name":"Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences","volume":"34 2","pages":"125-132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837783/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143467459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}