Eshetu Girma

• MPH, PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Addis Ababa University

Background Work-related psychosocial factors increase the likelihood of poor professional quality of life (PQoL) outcomes, which are composed of three subscales burnout (BO), compassion fatigue(CF), and low compassion satisfaction (CS). However, studies on the impact of work-related psychosocial factors and the mediating role of workplace social su...

Background: Undernutrition is a major public health concern in Ethiopia. Interventions aimed at changing child feeding practices during the critical period from conception to the child's second year (the first 1000 days), have the potential to provide long-term benefits. In 2009 G.C, the "first 1000 days" campaign was launched in Ethiopia with the...

Sex workers are a marginalized group that often faces a heightened risk of experiencing violence, however little is known from the perspectives of sex workers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the violence experienced by commercial sex workers in Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia. An exploratory qualitative study using a phe...

Background Despite the rising prevalence of common mental symptoms, information is scarce on how health workers make sense of symptoms of mental disorders and perceive a link with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as work stressors to understand causation and produce useful knowledge for policy and professionals. Therefore, this stud...

Background Stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health conditions by their communities are common worldwide. This can result in a range of negative outcomes for affected persons, including poor access to health care. However, evidence is still patchy from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on affordable, community-based interv...

Background Psychological distress (PD) is a common mental health problem faced by caregivers of children with cancer. The involvement of families in childcare was found to be associated with lower levels of distress. Objective The study aims to determine the associations between family-centered care (FCC) and PD among caregivers of children with c...

Studies on the prevalence and factors of depression, and anxiety symptoms from a work-ascribed or causal perspective are not available and studies on the prevalence of occupational stress in Ethiopia are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of occupational depression, job anxiety, and occupational stress, and to identify...

Background In response to the COVID-19 challenge and the consequent concerns and misconceptions about potential mother-to-child virus transmission, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, launched a 3-month nationwide media campaign to promote appropriate and safe breastfeeding practices...

Background The development of health concepts beyond traditional markers of illness and death has made the evaluation of quality of life (QoL) crucial to patient care. Yet, there is little research evaluating the pre- and post-treatment QoL of cervical cancer survivors in Ethiopia. Objective This study aimed to assess the pre- and post-treatment Q...

Background Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women, even though it is a preventable disease. Most deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. In addition to early detection and receipt of standard treatments, survivorship is an important component of high quality of care across the cancer continuum. Objective To...

Introduction Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) plays a critical role in improving behavior and health outcomes across the continuum of healthcare. Failing to implement tailored SBCC strategies continues to pose a risk of ill health, increase disease burden, and impact the quality life of people. In Ethiopia, front-line healthcare syst...

Background Ethiopia has committed to ending undernutrition by implementing nutrition intervention strategies, including promoting optimal feeding and care practices. To monitor and evaluate optimal infant feeding practices, it is crucial to have reliable and quality data on infant feeding indicators. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the exte...

Background Family-centered care (FCC) is an intervention approach based on a respectful relationship between family and health care providers (HCPs) to ensure the health and well-being of children and their families. Although HCPs have a better perception of FCC, the level of its implementation is low. Reasons for low implementation include limited...

BACKGROUND Family-centered care (FCC) is an intervention approach based on a respectful relationship between family and health care providers (HCPs) to ensure the health and well-being of children and their families. Although HCPs have a better perception of FCC, the level of its implementation is low. Reasons for low implementation include limited...

BACKGROUND Psychological distress (PD) is a common mental health problem faced by caregivers of children with cancer. The involvement of families in childcare was found to be associated with lower levels of distress. OBJECTIVE The study aims to determine the associations between family-centered care (FCC) and PD among caregivers of children with c...

Background Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions, which are specifically targeted towards young children—known as “BabyWASH”—reduce exposure to environmental contamination and prevent microbial burden in their play and feeding environments. The purpose of this endline study was to evaluate the effectiveness and potential sustainabilit...

Background The prognosis for cervical cancer varies greatly between nations. The disparity in cancer survival rates within nations is largely a result of disparities in public knowledge, the accessibility of cancer services, diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the survival rate and associate...

Background: The increasing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) calls for the development and dissemination of effective and viable interventions. In this respect, behavioral and lifestyle modification interventions (BLMIs) offer the most effective means of addressing the underlying lifestyle...

Background Household air pollution is the major public health problem in developing countries. Pregnant women spent the majority of their time at home and are the most affected population by household air pollution. Exploring the perception of pregnant women on adverse health effects is important to enhance the mitigation strategies. Therefore, thi...

Background Family-centered care (FCC) is a globally accepted health care delivery system characterized by collaboration among the parents, by facilitating family participation, effective communication and respect/dignity care. The implementation of FCC in different settings employed various implementation strategies based on what works best for a s...

Background Stigma and discrimination towards people with mental health conditions by their communities are common worldwide. This can result in a range of negative outcomes for affected persons, including poor access to health care. However, evidence is still patchy from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on affordable, community-based interv...

Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the level of home-based optimal newborn care practice and associated factors among mothers in Ethiopia. Design A community-based longitudinal panel survey design. Setting, participants and outcomes We used data from the Performance Monitoring for Action Ethiopia panel survey (2019–2021). A t...

Background: Pregnancy is a state of continuous changes in feelings and emotions, and highly stressful experiences such as a relationship breakup during this period may result in additional stress for the woman, making pregnancy and motherhood challenging. This study aimed to investigate pregnant women's lived experiences of partner relationship br...

There is increasing attention to the impacts of stigma and discrimination related to mental health on quality of life and access to and quality of healthcare. Effective strategies for stigma reduction exist, but most evidence comes from high-income settings. Recent reviews of stigma research have identified gaps in the field, including limited cult...

Background Evidence has suggested that maternal use of skilled birth attendant is the most important factor to reduce maternal mortality because of more than three-fourths of maternal deaths occur during child delivery or within 24 hours after delivery due to hemorrhage, hypertension, ruptured uterus and sepsis. In Ethiopia, more than 42% of pregna...

Background Mental health and other health professionals working in mental health care may contribute to the experiences of stigma and discrimination among mental health service users but can also help reduce the impact of stigma on service users. However, few studies of interventions to equip such professionals to be anti-stigma agents took place i...

Introduction: The impact of COVID-19 on people with Severe Mental Health Conditions (SMHCs) has been neglected. We aimed to describe the effect and explore the consequences of COVID-19 on people with SMHCs and mental health services in rural districts of Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a mixed-method study nested within well-characterized populatio...

Background WHO states risk communication as the conversation of actual information, guidance, and thoughts between specialists and people fronting risks to their well-being, economic or social safety. As risk communication activities are complex and costly usually, evaluation assessment are the best approach to advance risk communication interventi...

Background Increased service user involvement is recommended to improve weak mental health systems in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, involvement is rarely implemented and interventions to support involvement are sparse. In this study we evaluated the acceptability, feasibility and perceived outcomes of an empowerment and training...

Background People with mental illnesses are at an increased risk of experiencing human rights violations, stigma and discrimination. Even though mental health stigma and discrimination are universal, there appears to be a higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. Anti-stigma interventions need to be grounded in local evidence. The aim of t...

Background Increased service user involvement is recommended to improve weak mental health systems in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, involvement is rarely implemented and interventions to support involvement are sparse. In this study we evaluated the acceptability, feasibility and perceived outcomes of an empowerment and training...

Background: Mental health and other health professionals working in mental health care may contribute to the experiences of stigma and discrimination among mental health service users, but can also help reduce the impact of stigma on service users. However the few studies of interventions to equip such professionals to be anti-stigma agents those t...

Background The increasing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) calls for the development and dissemination of effective and viable interventions. In this respect, behavioural and lifestyle modification interventions (BLMIs) offer the most effective means of addressing the underlying lifestyl...

Background People with mental illnesses are at an increased risk of experiencing human rights violations, stigma and discrimination. Even though mental health stigma and discrimination are universal, there appears to be a higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. Anti-stigma interventions need to be grounded in local evidence. The aim of t...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/6726798.].

Background: Substance use is predominantly associated with male behavior and is becoming one of the major public health challenges across the globe, including in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was to estimate the magnitude and predictors of polysubstance use behavior among males in Ethiopia. Methods: Data were extracted from the 2016 Ethiopia...

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global public health problem. The disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ethiopia. Early identification of cases and commencement of effective chemotherapy is an effective method to control the spread of tuberculosis. Delay in diagnosis and starting tuberculosis treatment increases severit...

Background: World health organization recommends that women wait at least 2 years after a live birth to reduce the risk of adverse birth outcomes, like preterm birth, in the subsequent pregnancy. However, studies have reported inconsistent finding regarding short birth interval as risk factor for preterm birth. Therefore, the aim of this systematic...

Abstract Background Information on the degree of internalized stigma experienced by patients with mood disorders in Ethiopia is limited. This study attempted to assess the levels of internalized stigma and factors associated with it in patients with mood disorders who were on follow-up as an outpatient in a Psychiatry clinic at Saint Paul’s Hospita...

Objective The study aimed to assess nutritional practice and its associated factors among lactating mothers in Kombolcha Town, South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2017. Design and Setting A community-based cross-sectional study design supplemented with qualitative research was conducted at Kombolcha Town from October 23 to November 10, 2017...

Background: For women in most low- and middle-income countries, the diagnosis with serious mental illness (SMI) leads to stigma and challenges related to starting or maintaining marriages. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore perspectives on marriage, divorce and family roles of women with SMI in rural Ethiopia. Methods: A qualit...

Considerable variation in the gender-specific prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) has been reported in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In the rural setting of Butajira, Ethiopia, the male-to-female prevalence ratio of schizophrenia was reported to be 5:1. This qualitative study explores gender-specific experiences of SMI and the ex...

Editorial

Background: Many people with mental illness perceive and experience stigma caused by other people's knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. The stigma can lead to patients' impoverishment, social marginalization, poor adherence to medication, and low quality of life, worsen the disease, decrease health-seeking behavior, and have a negative impact on s...

Background Globally, the mental health help-seeking behavior of university students is reported to be poor; less than one-third of university students with common mental disorders (CMDs) report having sought help from formal sources. Failure to seek treatment is associated with prolonged disability and poor mental health outcomes, including suicide...

Most of the sexual initiation and sexual practice of the youth begins at secondary school level. At this stage student assumed to be exposed to many risky sexual behaviors. However, little research had been explored in the Oromia region particularly in East Wollega zone on this area. A cross-sectional study design was used to assess risky sexual be...

Background: Partograph is a pre-printed paper that provides a visual display of recorded observations carried out on mother and fetus during labor process. It enables health professionals to monitor feto-maternal wellbeing and progress of labor. It also alerts the care providers to take timely intervention when required. Despite its importance and...

BACKGROUND: The inability to attract medical graduates to specialize in psychiatry has always been a serious challenge to psychiatry training programs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the attitude of medical students towards psychiatry. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 122 fourth year medical students...

Individual factors associated with HIV testing have been studied across multiple populations; however, testing is not just an individual-level phenomenon. This secondary analysis of 2005 and 2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data was conducted to determine the extent to which the 2007 institution of an opt-out policy of HIV testing during...

Background Stigma towards people with mental illness (PWMI) can result in low self-esteem and isolation and threaten employment. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of public stigma against PWMI and factors associated with it among Jimma town residents. Methods A community-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted in...

Background Burnout is a physical, physiological and psychological stress reaction syndrome Caused by long-term exposure to intense work-related emotional and interpersonal pressures. There is no evidence on the issue in Ethiopian setting. Methods An institution based cross-sectional study design was conducted on 403 health care providers. Burnout...

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission and the spread of tuberculosis and improve quality of life. Patient's adherence is crucial to get the best out of ART. As ART is scaled up in Ethiopia, there is a need for better understanding of the factors that influence patients' adher...

Background Breast cancer is by far the most frequent cancer of women. It is the second leading cause of death in women worldwide. Approximately one out of eight women develops breast cancer all over the world. Majority of cases of cancer of the breast are detected by women themselves, stressing the importance of breast self-examination. The main ob...

Background: Health care is a demanding profession physically and mentally which contributes risk for mental distress. Even though it studied well in economically advanced nations, little is known among health professionals in Africa. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence and risk factors of mental distress among health professionals. Metho...

Introduction: Over the last decade, a lot of advocacy work has been done to increase long acting and permanent contraceptive methods (LAPMs) use in Ethiopia. However, LAPMs uptake is very low compared to short acting ones where eventual disinterest and subsequent removal of the method is observed. Objective: This study was carried out to explore re...

Understanding the feasibility of achieving widespread coverage with Insecticide-Treated Nets has to be preceded by learning how people value the Insecticide-Treated Nets and estimating the potential demand and willingness to pay so that sustainability of the intervention can be assured. The objective of this study was to determine willingness to pa...

Public stigma against family members of people with mental illness is a negative attitude by the public which blame family members for the mental illness of their relatives. Family stigma can result in self social restrictions, delay in treatment seeking and poor quality of life. This study aimed at investigating the degree and correlates of family...

Background In addition to economic and material burdens, caregivers of people with mental illness are exposed to psychosocial challenges. Self-stigma is among the psychological challenges that can be exacerbated by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors. Caregivers’ self-stigma can negatively influence the patients’ treatment and rehabilitation process...

Public understanding about mental illnesses and attitudes towards people with mental illness (PWMI) play a paramount role in the prevention and treatment of mental illness and the rehabilitation of PWMI. The aim of this study was to measure public stigma against PWMI and the factors associated with stigma in the Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center (G...

Information on adherence of adult psychiatric patients to biological modes of treatment is scarce in Ethiopia. Knowledge on adherence is essential in terms of future prognosis, quality of life and functionality of such patients. This study was conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of non-adherence to medication. A hospital based...

To endorse involvement in voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT), it is essential to recognize factors that influence people in deciding whether to access VCT services and their underlying route factors. Theory of planned behavior (TPB) constitutes a proficient framework for predicting behaviors and intentions. The aim of the study reported her...

This study sought to determine trends in and factors associated with stigma against people with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. Rural data from the 2005 and 2011 Demographic and Health Surveys were analyzed. HIV testing rates among males increased dramatically from 2005 to 2011 (8-35 %). Among females, testing rates dropped 10 % during the same period. HIV k...

Self stigma among people with mental illness results from multiple cognitive and environmental factors and processes. It can negatively affect adherence to psychiatric services, self esteem, hope, social integration and quality of life of people with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to measure the level of self stigma and its correlate...

This cross-cultural study was designed to examine cultural differences in empathy levels of first-year medical students. A total of 257 students from the academic year 2010/11, 131 at Jimma University, Ethiopia, and 126 at the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany, completed the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES), the Reading the Mind...

Background Incorporation of information technology advancements in healthcare has gained wide acceptance in the last two decades. Developed countries have successfully incorporated information technology advancements in their healthcare system thus, improving healthcare. However, only a limited application of information technology advancements is...

Background Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing (VCT) forms one of the cornerstones of HIV prevention strategies. It is imperative to understand HIV testing correlates and their theoretical underpinnings in order to promote VCT uptake. The aim of this study was to predict the intention to VCT and associated factors among health professionals in Jim...

Background: Under-five mortality is one of the indicators of the millennium development goals (MDGs) for the child mortality reduction goal. Understanding the social determinants of under-five mortality is helpful to narrow the gap between different social classes. Therefore, this study focused on the social determinants of under-five mortality inE...

Background Stigma and discrimination against people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are obstacles in the way of effective responses to HIV. Understanding the extent of stigma / discrimination and the underlying causes is necessary for developing strategies to reduce them. This study was conducted to explore stigma and discrimination...

There is general consent that empathy is crucial for the physician-patient relationship and thus an important issue in medical education. This comparative study was designed to examine the differences in empathy between first year and final year medical students in Jimma University, Ethiopia. A comparative cross-sectional study among 131 first year...

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that requires lifelong medical treatments and a life style adjustment. To prevent serious morbidity and mortality, it requires dedication to demanding self-care behaviors in multiple domains. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of self care behaviors among patients with diabetes. From a tota...

Stigma and discrimination (SAD) against people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are barriers affecting effective responses to HIV. Understanding the causes and extent of SAD requires the use of a psychometrically reliable and valid scale. The objective of this study was to validate an HIV-related stigma scale among health care provide...

In Ethiopia maternal mortality rate is very high more than one in five women die from pregnancy or pregnancy related causes. The use of contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion is an important strategy to minimize maternal mortality rate. Among various forms of contraception, emergency contraceptives are the only one that...

Due to its perception as a disease of development, road traffic accident and related injuries tend to be under recognized as a major health problem in developing countries. However, majority of the world's fatalities on the roads occur in low income and middle income countries. Since the main cause of road traffic accident is attributed to human ri...

Early recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders is important because early intervention is critical to restoring the mental as well as the physical and the social health of an individual. This study sought to investigate patterns of treatment seeking behavior and associated factors for mental illness. A quantitative, institut...

Questionnaire. A questionnaire for assessing duration and determinants of birth interval among women of child bearing age

Longer intervals between consecutive births decrease the number of children a woman can have. This results in beneficial effects on population size and on the health status of mothers and children. Therefore, understanding the practice of birth interval and its determinants is helpful to design evidence based strategies for interventions. The objec...

Women in developing countries are either under collective decision making with their partners or completely rely on the male partner's decision on issues that affect their reproductive live. Identifying the major barriers of married women's decision making power on contraceptive use has significant relevance for planning contextually appropriate fa...

Cessation of smoking reduces morbidity and mortality related to tobacco smoking. It is essential to explore the intention of individuals to quit smoking to design effective interventions. The objective of this study was to assess cigarette smokers' intention to quit smoking in Dire Dawa town using the Transtheoretical model. From February 15 to 19,...