IntroductionInformation regarding workers’ practices concerning safety measures in Ethiopia’s sugar industries is inadequate.ObjectivesTo assess occupational health and safety practices and associated factors among workers in Ethiopia’s Metehara and Wonji sugar industries.DesignA convergent parallel mixed design.SettingMetehara and Wonji sugar industries in Ethiopia (December 2021 through May 2022).ParticipantsWe used a stratified random sampling method to select 1648 participants for the collection of quantitative data. We employed a purposive sampling method to carry out 20 in-depth interviews in order to gather qualitative data.Primary outcome measuresWe computed the extent of occupational health and safety practices using a 21-item questionnaire. Finally, results were graded as ‘good’ if ≥60% of them were answered correctly and ‘poor’ if <60% were correctly answered. We created a qualitative data interpretation from the subject’s perspective.ResultsThe percentage of good occupational health and safety practices was 29.6% (95% CI: 27% to 32%). Inappropriate provision of personal protective equipment (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.42, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.83), a lack of strict safety regulation (AOR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.27 to 2.12), a lack of incentives (AOR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.66) and inadequate management support (AOR=1.19, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.66) were identified as associated factors. Health service usage defects, inappropriate protective equipment use and failure to follow occupational safety commands were identified as challenges.ConclusionsOccupational health and safety measures were not used effectively. The qualitative component of this study confirmed that most participants expressed undesirable practices in occupational health and safety measures. Inappropriate protective device provisions, a lack of strict safety regulation, the absence of incentives and inadequate management support were found to be linked with the use of occupational health and safety measures. The contributing factors we identified potentially indicate areas for future intervention.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a huge public health problem. Among health professionals, medical and health sciences college students are risk groups. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices towards Hepatitis B virus prevention and associated factors among private Medical, and Health Science’s College students in Bahir Dar city, North West Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1st – 30th /2017. All the available four private Medical and Health Sciences Colleges in Bahir Dar city were considered and included in the study to select 390 students using a systematic sampling technique. A pre-tested structured questionnaire, which has socio-demographic, knowledge, attitude and practice sections, was used to collect the data. Data were coded, entered and cleaned using Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 21.0 software for analysis. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify potential variable for multivariable logistic regression and those variables with 0.2 and less P-value entered in the next logistic regression model to identify the possible factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and practice towards Hepatitis B virus prevention. Significance level was set at P-value less than 0.05. Results: The age of the respondents ranged from 18-48 years with the mean (±SD) age of 23.74(3.48). About eighty-four, percent (83.8%) of respondents had good knowledge, whereas 44.6% had a favorable attitude and 32.6% had a good practice. Being unmarried (AOR=2.34, 95% CI: 1.32-4.15), age category 20-24 (AOR=11.5, 95% C.I: 2.60-51.5), and ≥ 25 (AOR=11.6, 95% CI: 2.47-54.4) was associated to knowledge, whereas study year (AOR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.01,2.51) and practice (AOR=2.95, 95% CI: 1.89, 4.58) were significantly associated to attitudes; and good knowledge (AOR=2.07, 95% C.I: 1.06, 4.04) and favorable attitude (AOR=2.79, 95% CI: 1.79,4.34) were significantly associated with practice, respectively. Conclusion: The overall knowledge status of the respondents about Hepatitis B virus prevention was good. But their attitudes and practices were unfavorable and not good respectively.