Background. Psychiatric illnesses involve alterations in the brain or nervous system function and result in altered perception, responses to the environment, and daily functioning, which ultimately diminish the capacity to cope with the regular demands of life, including nutritional intake. Little is known about nutritional status in psychiatric patients in our setup, particularly in northeast Ethiopia. Thus, this study is aimed at assessing the nutritional status and associated factors among adult psychiatric patients in Dessie referral hospital, northeast Ethiopia. Methods. A facility-based cross-sectional study was employed among 530 psychiatric patients using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements were taken from April 10 to June 20, 2018. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associated factors with the nutritional status of adult psychiatric patients. Results. The study revealed that the proportion of undernutrition and overnutrition was 20.0% (95% CI: 16.80-23.60) and 23.4% (95% CI: 19.80-27.00), respectively. Being male (AOR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.28-4.47), private employed (AOR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02-0.31), and not consuming alcohol (AOR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.56-0.74) were factors associated with undernutrition. Whereas not involved in physical activity (AOR: 2.98, 95% CI: 1.37-6.49), being newly diagnosed patient (AOR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.01-3.42), and not chewing Khat (AOR: 3.92, 95% CI: 1.63-9.42) were factors associated with overnutrition of adult psychiatric patients. Conclusion. The proportion of both undernutrition and overnutrition was above the national average. Notably, nutrition significantly affects the production and use of neurotransmitters, and this may result in significant effects on physical, mental, or emotional processes. This undoubtedly affects the stabilization processes of neuropsychiatric patients. Therefore, healthcare managers, supervisors, and policymakers identify those vulnerable groups early and thereby design effective nutritional strategies to intervene in malnutrition among adult patients with a psychiatric disorder.

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. High parity has long been suspected with an increased risk of cervical cancer. Evidence from the existing epidemiological studies regarding the association between parity and cervical cancer is variable and inconsistent. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the best available evidence on the epidemiological association between parity and cervical cancer. Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed, HINARI, Google scholar, Science direct, and Cochrane Libraries were systematically searched. Cochrane Q statistics and I2 tests were performed to assess heterogeneity among included studies. Begg's test and egger's regression analysis were performed to assess publication bias. A random-effect meta-analysis model was used to compute pooled odds ratio of the association between parity and cervical cancer. Results: A total of 6975 participants (1998 patients; 4977 controls) were incorporated in the 13 articles included in the final meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that women with parity greater than or equal to three had 2.4 times higher odds of developing cervical cancer compared to women with parity less than three [pooled odds ratio (POR) = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.9-3.2]. Conclusion: High parity is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer. Strong epidemiological studies are recommended to further explore the mechanisms and role of parity in the causation of cervical cancer.

Background Obesity and overweight are known are public health scourge challenges affecting populations across the world. These conditions have been associated with a wide range of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and cancers. In Ethiopia, literature regarding the burden of central (abdominal) obesity is scarce. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing the prevalence and risk factors associated with central obesity among adults in Ethiopia. Methods From May to July 2021, a community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 694 adults aged >=18 years in administrative towns of Bale zone, Southeast Ethiopia. Multi-stage sampling followed by systematic random sampling was employed to identify study participants. Waist and hip circumferences were measured using standard protocols. The World Health Organization STEPS wise tool was used to assess risk factors associated with central obesity. Bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with central obesity. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported to estimate the strength of associations. Results The overall prevalence of central obesity using waist circumference was 39.01% (15.44% for men and 53.12% for women). Multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis revealed that female sex (AOR=12.93, 95% CI: 6.74-24.79), Age groups: 30-39 years old (AOR=2.8, 95% CI: 1.59-4.94), 40-49 years (AOR=7.66, 95% CI: 3.87-15.15), 50-59 years (AOR=4.65, 95% CI: 2.19-9.89), >=60 years (AOR=12.67, 95% CI: 5.46-29.39), occupational status like: housewives (AOR=5.21, 95% CI: 1.85-14.62), self-employed workers (AOR=4.63, 95% CI: 1.62-13.24), government/private/non-government employees (AOR=4.68, 95% CI: 1.47-14.88) and skipping breakfast (AOR=0.46, 95% CI: 0.23-0.9) were significantly associated with central obesity. Conclusions Abdominal obesity has become an epidemic in towns of southeast Ethiopia, and the prevalence is higher among women. Female sex, older age group, being employed, not skipping breakfast were significantly associated with central obesity.