Background:The COVID-19 crisis has already resulted in an economic and labor market shock and a rise of informal work sectors. Being an informal job, traditional coffee vending can predispose women to a myriad of mental disorders. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated factors among street traditional coffee vendors in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed on 180 women engaged in street traditional coffee vending business in Harar town. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview using a Public Health Questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Binary logistic regression was executed to identify factors associated with depression at a cut-off point of P < 0.05. Results:The mean age of the study participants was 31.83 (±10) years. The majority of the participants were currently married (n = 77, 42.8%), attended primary education (n = 68, 37.8%), had a family member of four or more (n = 60, 33.3%), and had two years or less work experience (n = 123, 68.3%). Most of the study participants obtained COVID-19-related information from television (n = 125, 69.4%). The prevalence of depression was found to be 18.9%. Attending primary education (AOR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.98), attending secondary education or higher (AOR: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.69), and having four or more family members (AOR: 2.81; 95% CI: 1.14, 6.92) were significantly associated with depression. Conclusion:One in five street traditional coffee vendors suffered from depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower odds of being depressed were observed in those who attended a minimum of primary education. On the contrary, having a greater family size was associated with higher odds of being depressed. This finding will direct the government and other concerned bodies to be involved in the provision of psychological and material support for such informal workers during COVID-19.

Background Drug–food interactions can result in unfavorable outcomes during the treatment of patients. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) should advise patients on drug–food interactions. Knowledge of such interactions is crucial to avoid their occurrence. However, there is no information regarding the knowledge of HCPs about drug–food interactions in Harari Regional State. Objective To assess knowledge of drug–food interactions and associated factors among HCPs working in public hospitals in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia from April 15 to May 15, 2022. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia, among 251 HCPs. After stratification was done based on profession (pharmacists, nurses, and doctors), the sample size was proportionally allocated for the respective groups. Data were collected using a standardized self-administered questionnaire, entered into Epi-Data 3.1 and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 26.0. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize variables. Multivariable logistic regression was done to determine factors associated with knowledge of drug–food interactions. P < 0.05 was used to declare significant association. Results Among the HCPs who completed the questionnaire, 56 (22.3%), 36 (14.3%), and 159 (63.3%) were doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, respectively. The majority of the HCPs were males (174 (69.3%)). The mean age of the HCPs was 27.6±3.8. The mean knowledge score±SD of the HCPs was 28.6±6.6 out of an overall score of 59. The HCPs poorly identified drug–food interactions and the correct administration time of drugs relative to meals. Being a pharmacist (AOR: 2.8, CI: 1.3–6.4, p-value=0.012), and working at a tertiary hospital (AOR: 3.9, CI: 2.1–7.3, p-value <0.001), were associated with higher knowledge of drug-food interactions. Conclusion The HCPs in this study had inadequate knowledge of drug–food interactions. Thus, additional educational courses and training should be provided in order to improve knowledge regarding drug-food interaction.