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Utilization of Environmental Health Services of Urban Health Extension Program and Associated Factors in Debretabor Town, North West Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study

Received: 5 October 2014     Accepted: 13 October 2014     Published: 20 October 2014
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Abstract

Back ground: Studies in a number of countries have shown that wherever indiscriminate waste disposal is high, infant and child mortality rates are high. Although utilization of environmental health services is an important indicator for measuring success of the health extension program; data on environmental health services of urban health extension program are scarce in the study area and elsewhere in Ethiopia. Objective: To assess utilization of environmental health services of urban health extension program and associated factors in Debretabor town, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in Debretabor town from September 1-30, 2013. A total of 422 households were included in the study using systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Degree of association between independent and dependent variables was assessed with a 95% confidence level and p-value less than 0.05 was used to detect statistical significance. The findings of quantitative data were triangulated with the qualitative one. Result: In this study 69.8% and 65.5% of households practiced proper solid and liquid waste management mechanisms respectively. Income was found to be predictors for liquid waste management (AOR=1.82) Educational status of respondents was found to be predictors for liquid waste management (AOR=1.83). Conclusion: Solid and liquid waste management practices were lower than the minimum 75% expectation of the national health extension program package and, Educational status, house ownership, income and graduated as model family were main factors affecting environmental health services. Improving socio economic status of households, provision of continuous advice and technical support at household level on the utilization of environmental health service are recommended.

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 2, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28
Page(s) 494-501
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2014. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Environment, Health, Urban Health Extension, Ethiopia

References
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[4] J. K.Tumwine, et al, Diarrhea and effects of different water sources, sanitation and hygiene behavior in East Africa, Trop Med Int Health, WHO. 2007,vol. 7, no 9, pp. 750-756,
[5] Prüss A, Kay D, Fewtrell L, et al: Estimating the Burden of Disease fromWater, Sanitation, and Hygiene at a Global Level. Environ Health Perspect 2002, 110(5):537–542
[6] World Health Organization: WHO | Facts and figures: Water, sanitation and hygiene links to health. 2004. Available from:URL: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/
[7] WHO \UNICEF : Progress on drinking water and sanitation, 2012
[8] Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Health: Health Extension Program in Ethiopia profile. Addis Ababa; Health Extension and Education Center,2007
[9] Kebede.F, Tadese.A. Mamo.W. Dejene. H: Lecture notes for Environmental Health Students, Human and Other Liquid Waste Management, Jimma University, November 2002
[10] Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Health: Health Extension Program in Ethiopia profile. Addis Ababa; Health Extension and Education Center,2007
[11] Health Extension Program-Major training packages. Available from:URL: http://cnhde.ei.columbia.edu/training/index.html
[12] USID/Ethiopia: End of project Evaluation for urban health extension program April 2012
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[14] USAID: Planning guide line for urban health extension workers,2010
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[16] Ministry of health of Ethiopia special Bulletin 14th annual Review meeting 2012
[17] Ministry of Health: National Hygiene and Sanitation Strategy. Addis Ababa Ethiopia; 2005. Available from:URL: http://www.wsp.org/sites/wsp.org/files/publications/
[18] Mirkuze W, Contribution of the HEP to improve coverage and comprehensiveness of PHC services in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia, 2009
[19] Bizatu M, Negga B. Community based assessment on household management of waste and hygiene practices in Kersa Woreda, Eastern Ethiopia. Ethiop. J. Health Dev.2008; 24(2):104-109
[20] Mohammed A. Assessing environmental sanitation in urban setting of Dukem Town, Ethiopia, University Of South Africa, 2011. Available from:URL: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/6296/dissertation_mohammed_a.pdf?sequenc
[21] Korma S. Assessment of the extent of implementation and affecting factors of environmental health extension packages at house hold level in Damboya Woreda, Kembata Zone, South Nation Nationalities and Peoples’ Region 2011. Available from:URL: http://etd.aau.edu.et/dspace/handle/123456789/2387
[22] Awoke W, Muche S. A cross sectional study: latrine coverage and associated factors among rural communities in the District of Bahir Dar Zuria, Ethiopia. BMC Public Health.2013 Feb 4; 13:99.
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    Yilkal Tafere, Mirkuzie Woldie, Henok Assefa, Amanu Aragaw. (2014). Utilization of Environmental Health Services of Urban Health Extension Program and Associated Factors in Debretabor Town, North West Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study. Science Journal of Public Health, 2(5), 494-501. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28

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    ACS Style

    Yilkal Tafere; Mirkuzie Woldie; Henok Assefa; Amanu Aragaw. Utilization of Environmental Health Services of Urban Health Extension Program and Associated Factors in Debretabor Town, North West Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study. Sci. J. Public Health 2014, 2(5), 494-501. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28

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    AMA Style

    Yilkal Tafere, Mirkuzie Woldie, Henok Assefa, Amanu Aragaw. Utilization of Environmental Health Services of Urban Health Extension Program and Associated Factors in Debretabor Town, North West Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study. Sci J Public Health. 2014;2(5):494-501. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28,
      author = {Yilkal Tafere and Mirkuzie Woldie and Henok Assefa and Amanu Aragaw},
      title = {Utilization of Environmental Health Services of Urban Health Extension Program and Associated Factors in Debretabor Town, North West Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {2},
      number = {5},
      pages = {494-501},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20140205.28},
      abstract = {Back ground: Studies in a number of countries have shown that wherever indiscriminate waste disposal is high, infant and child mortality rates are high. Although utilization of environmental health services is an important indicator for measuring success of the health extension program; data on environmental health services of urban health extension program are scarce in the study area and elsewhere in Ethiopia. Objective: To assess utilization of environmental health services of urban health extension program and associated factors in Debretabor town, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in Debretabor town from September 1-30, 2013. A total of 422 households were included in the study using systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Degree of association between independent and dependent variables was assessed with a 95% confidence level and p-value less than 0.05 was used to detect statistical significance. The findings of quantitative data were triangulated with the qualitative one. Result: In this study 69.8% and 65.5% of households practiced proper solid and liquid waste management mechanisms respectively. Income was found to be predictors for liquid waste management (AOR=1.82) Educational status of respondents was found to be predictors for liquid waste management (AOR=1.83). Conclusion: Solid and liquid waste management practices were lower than the minimum 75% expectation of the national health extension program package and, Educational status, house ownership, income and graduated as model family were main factors affecting environmental health services. Improving socio economic status of households, provision of continuous advice and technical support at household level on the utilization of environmental health service are recommended.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Utilization of Environmental Health Services of Urban Health Extension Program and Associated Factors in Debretabor Town, North West Ethiopia: Cross Sectional Study
    AU  - Yilkal Tafere
    AU  - Mirkuzie Woldie
    AU  - Henok Assefa
    AU  - Amanu Aragaw
    Y1  - 2014/10/20
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
    SP  - 494
    EP  - 501
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140205.28
    AB  - Back ground: Studies in a number of countries have shown that wherever indiscriminate waste disposal is high, infant and child mortality rates are high. Although utilization of environmental health services is an important indicator for measuring success of the health extension program; data on environmental health services of urban health extension program are scarce in the study area and elsewhere in Ethiopia. Objective: To assess utilization of environmental health services of urban health extension program and associated factors in Debretabor town, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in Debretabor town from September 1-30, 2013. A total of 422 households were included in the study using systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Degree of association between independent and dependent variables was assessed with a 95% confidence level and p-value less than 0.05 was used to detect statistical significance. The findings of quantitative data were triangulated with the qualitative one. Result: In this study 69.8% and 65.5% of households practiced proper solid and liquid waste management mechanisms respectively. Income was found to be predictors for liquid waste management (AOR=1.82) Educational status of respondents was found to be predictors for liquid waste management (AOR=1.83). Conclusion: Solid and liquid waste management practices were lower than the minimum 75% expectation of the national health extension program package and, Educational status, house ownership, income and graduated as model family were main factors affecting environmental health services. Improving socio economic status of households, provision of continuous advice and technical support at household level on the utilization of environmental health service are recommended.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Nursing, college of Health Sciences, Debre tabor Health Science College, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia

  • Department of Health Services Management, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

  • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia

  • Department of Nursing and midwifery, college of Health sciences, Bahir Dar Health Science College, Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia

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