Background Colostrum is a yellowish and sticky breast milk produced in late pregnancy. Annually, 60% of 10.9 million under-five deaths globally are due to malnutrition. Of these, over two-thirds of the deaths are accounted by sub-optimal feeding practices in the first year of life, including colostrum discarding. However, evidence on the magnitude of colostrum avoidance and its associated factors at the community level is very limited in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Thus, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of colostrum avoidance and associated factors among mothers who gave birth in the last six months in Gozamen district, northwest Ethiopia, 2019. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 741 (741) mothers who gave birth in the last six months in Gozamen district from August 1 to September 12, 2019. A stratified cluster sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected by face-to-face interviewer-administered, pretested, and semi-structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regressions (bi-variable and multivariable) were fitted to identify statistically significant variables. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was used to declare statistically significant variables on the basis of p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable binary logistic regression. Results This study indicated that the magnitude of colostrum avoidance was 22.1% (95% CI, 19.0, 25.2%). Mothers who did not get counseling on timely initiation of breast feeding (AOR = 3.91[95% CI, 1.98, 7.72]), not participate in pregnant woman forum (AOR = 2.59[95% CI, 1.30, 5.14]), initiate breast-feeding lately (more than 1 h) (AOR 2.27[95% CI, 1.18, 4.34]), and those having unfavorable attitude towards colostrum feeding (AOR = 7.35[95% CI, 3.89, 13.91]) were factors associated with the increased likelihood of colostrum avoidance. However, institutional delivery (AOR; 0.06[95% CI, 0.02, 0.19]) and prelacteal feeding (AOR; 0.10[95% CI, 0.05, 0.21]) were predictors associated with reduced likelihood of colostrum avoidance. Conclusion Colostrum avoidance is a common practice in the study area. Therefore, in order to reduce this practice, strengthening infant feeding counseling, promoting institutional delivery, timely initiation of breastfeeding, health education, and community advocating are recommended interventions. In addition, creating awareness on the benefits of colostrum feeding is very instrumental to tackle the practice of colostrum avoidance.

Background: In the perspective of health care, community perception is defined as a combination of experiences, expectations and perceived needs. The community and client's perception of health services seem to have been largely ignored by health-care providers in developing countries. There is a knowledge gap about communities' perception and perspective of maternal health. If the community's perception is known, the quality of maternity care may be improved, maternal morbidity and mortality could be decreased, and the overall health of the mother can be improved. The aim of this study was to explore community's perception of maternity service provision in public health institutions. Methods: A qualitative study with the underpinning philosophy of phenomenology was conducted in five subcities of Mekelle city, Ethiopia. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDSs) with participants who are residing in Mekelle city and who experienced maternity service as a client or as attendants were conducted to collect the necessary information. Using a semi-structured tool that has been translated into the local language, collected data were analyzed thematically using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software ATLAS version 7. Qualitative data were transcribed through replaying the tape recorded interview from IDIs and FGDs. The text was carefully read and similar ideas were organized together. The participant's inductive meanings were extracted verbatim and described in narratives. The researcher and research assistants independently transcribed participant's comments verbatim to confirm the reliability of the findings. Results: Participants reported that maternal health services in public health institutions were negative. Participants described experiencing poor staff attitude, lack of prescribed drugs in the institutional pharmacies, long waiting time, family proximity by professionals, poor attention to women during labor, lack of privacy and mistreatment made them develop a negative perception towards public health institutions. Despite these complaints, participants acknowledged public health facilities for affordable, accessible, qualified personnel and usually stocked with quality medications and equipment. Conclusion: This study revealed that the community has a negative perception of the maternal health services in the public health institutions. The main reasons for their negative perception were poor staff attitude, unavailability of prescribed drugs in the institutional pharmacies, long waiting time, family proximity by professionals, poor attention to women during labor, lack of privacy and mistreatment.

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Background: In developing, countries young women have little awareness about safe sex practice and do casual sexual activities. The consequences such as teenage and unplanned pregnancy and birth, unsafe abortion, miscarriages, and maternal deaths due to unsafe sex practice make youth sexuality much more serious and common in developing countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess family planning, utilization at first sexual initiation, and associated factors among high school youth female students in Alamata, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed in Alamata town, south Tigray region, Ethiopia from June 01-30, 2019. A Self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS statistical package version 22. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess the factor associated with family planning utilization at first sexual initiations.Results: A total of 538 youths female who initiated sexual activities with an average age of 18.2+1. 6 years participated in this study. More than half of youths 297 (55.2%) were grades 9-10 and 283 (52.6 %) were living with both their mother and father. About 122 (22.7%) of youths used family planning methods at their sexual debut. The most common methods used were emergency contraceptive pills 90 (73.8%) and male condom 32 (26.2%). For those who start sexual activities without using family planning, 42 (7.8%) experienced unwanted pregnancy. Students those who got >100birr monthly pocket money were 88% less likely to use a family planning method at first sex [AOR 0.124CI 95% (0.05-0.32)] and regards to religion students categorized as other religions were more likely to use family planning methods [AOR 1.67 CI 95% (1.17-2.57)].Conclusions: Most youth females are not using family planning at first sexual debut. This might expose them to different reproductive health problems. Therefore, an active effort to promote sexuality education and family planning use is recommended at the high school level.

Background: Prelacteal feeding is administration of any food or fluid other than breast milk before initiation of breast feeding. Optimal breastfeeding including discouraging prelacteal feeding could save 823,000 lives per year among children ages five years old and younger. Despite of this mothers give prelacteal feeding to their child in different part of Ethiopia; However, there is a paucity of information on prevalence of prelacteal feeding and associated factors in the study area. Thus, the current study aimed at determining of the prevalence of prelacteal feeding and associated factors among mothers of children aged less than six months in Gozamen district, East Gojjam zone, North West Ethiopia, 2019-2020Methods: A community -based cross-sectional study was conducted among 741 mothers of children aged less than six months in Gozamen district from August 2019 to Feb 2020. Stratified cluster sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected by face to face interviewer-administered, pretested and semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression model were employed. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to identify factors associated with prelacteal feeding.Results: In this study the prevalence of prelacteal feeding was found to be 17.1%with 95%CI [14.3, 20]. Mothers who had no ANC follow up [AOR: 7.53, CI; 3.32, 17.05], those mothers who did not discard colostrum [AOR: 0.12, CI; 0.07, 0.12] time of breast feeding initiation [AOR: 3.53, CI; 2.05, 6.11] and mothers who had single ANC visit [AOR: 2.98, CI; 1.52, 5.85] were significant independent factors associated with prelacteal feeding.Conclusion: This study concluded that prelacteal feeding was high in the study area .Therefore, in order to tackle this problem strengthening antenatal follow up, timely initiation of breastfeeding, health education and awarenes creation of the communities are recommended interventions.