Gender-based violence and its socio-cultural implications in South West Ethiopia secondary schools.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Wondimu H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9309679 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Gender-based violence and its socio-cultural implications in South West Ethiopia secondary schools.
Heliyon 20220719 7
The present study aimed to examine the determinant factors of school-related gender-based violence and its socio-cultural implications for female academic fulfillment in Wolkite town secondary schools. In terms of the research approach, sequential mixed explanatory methods were used. This study took Wolkite secondary schools students and respondents (n = 215). The study results have shown that the most significant socio-cultural determinant factors for school-related gender-based violence result ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundAs communities face serious pressures on traditional values, such as those posed by HIV infection, cultural inertia may result, whereby existing trends towards more liberalized views of sexuality are stalled. We examined changes in attitudes around HIV in Bagalkot district, south India, between 2003 and 2009.MethodsGeneral population surveys were conducted in 2003 and 2009, among approximately 6,600 randomly sampled men and women in 10 villages and 20 urban blocks of Bagalkot. Questions about HIV knowledge, sexuality, gender and condoms were included. We compared responses in the two surveys using a multivariate logistic regression model.ResultsAwareness of HIV increased significantly from 76.9% in 2003 to 87.8% in 2009, and condom awareness increased significantly (37.4% to 65.4%) in all groups studied. However, in 2009, only 23% of people mentioned condoms as a means of prevention, an improvement from 8% in 2003 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.3; 95%CI 2.6-4.1, p <0.001). There was a significant increase in the number of women believing sex workers should be compulsorily tested for HIV (76.3%-86.4%%, AOR 1.8; 95%CI 1.4-2.4, p<0.001). An increasing number agreed that "it is wrong to talk about sex" (p=0.05), especially women (21.9% vs. 32.4%, p<0.01). There was an increase in women who thought it "wrong to talk about AIDS in a respectable family", and more respondents in 2009 thought it improper to discuss condoms (15.6% vs. 27.4%, AOR 1.9, 95%CI 1.4-2.8, p=0.001). In 2003, 31.4% agreed that "access to condoms promotes promiscuity", increasing to 45.2% in 2009 (AOR 1.7; 95%CI 1.3-2.3, p<0.001). Educated and young urban women were the most likely to believe this. In 2003, 19.3% and in 2009 30.2% (AOR 1.8, 95%CI 1.4-2.3, p<0.001) thought that sex education promotes sexual activity and promiscuity.ConclusionsDespite increases over time in HIV-related knowledge and reductions in stigmatizing attitudes, resistance to changing cultural mores was apparent, with less willingness to embrace openness and discuss sexuality. Young and female respondents appeared to be the most resistant to change, reflecting a cultural inertia that mirrors studies of other pressures on traditional societal values. More effort is required to advocate among women and young people for healthy sexuality, openness and safe sex practices.
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Project description:IntroductionEqually Safe at School (ESAS) is a whole-school intervention to reduce gender-based violence (GBV) in secondary school. ESAS comprises self-assessment, student-led action group, two-tier staff training, curriculum enhancement and policy review. Schools set up key activities in Year 1 and embed them in Year 2. GBV, including sexual harassment, is common in secondary schools and disproportionately affects young women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth.Methods and analysisWe will evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, mechanisms of action and implementation of ESAS. We will recruit 36 schools across Scotland. The evaluation comprises three linked studies:Study 1: Pragmatic cluster randomised trial with 1:1 school allocation to either immediate ESAS intervention start (intervention schools) or 12-month delayed intervention start (control schools). Our primary outcome of student experience of sexual harassment will be measured at 12 months post-randomisation. Analysis of primary and secondary outcomes (student and school level) will be conducted on an intention to treat (ITT) basis comparing schools according to their original allocation.Study 2: Mixed-methods evaluation. Study 2A: Longitudinal follow-up will assess primary, secondary and intermediate outcomes at baseline, 12 months and 24 months of follow-up. Study 2B: Systems and realist-informed process evaluation will assess intervention and control school context, fidelity, dose and reach, acceptability and actor response, and how this varies by school and students. We will also assess implementation processes and mechanisms of action (beneficial or harmful), including if and how change is embedded over time, and if and how ESAS helps schools leverage other assets and resources.Study 3: Economic evaluation to assess the within-trial and longer term cost-effectiveness of ESAS.The methods include surveys in three out of six year groups (Years 2, 4 and 6) in all schools (baseline, 12 months and 24 months of follow-up); interviews with staff, students and other stakeholders; activity observations; brief surveys with key actors and analysis of trial documentation.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval by University of Glasgow MVLS Ethics Committee (200220268). Findings will be disseminated via multiple channels to researchers, GBV and education sector stakeholders, study participants and the public.Trial registration numberISRCTN29792495.
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Project description:Yeasts are common inhabitants of most fruit trees' rhizospheres and phyllospheres. Wild yeasts are the major driving force behind several modern industrial biotechnologies. This study focused on determining the occurrence and frequency of wild yeasts associated with domestic and wild edible tree barks, fruits, and rhizosphere soil samples collected over two seasons (i.e., spring and summer) in South West Ethiopia. A total of 182 yeast strains were isolated from 120 samples. These strains belonged to 16 genera and 27 species as identified based on the sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (26S) ribosomal RNA gene. Candida blattae, Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida glabrata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Candida humilis were the most dominant yeast species isolated from the bark samples. Only Pichia kudriavzevii was regularly detected from the bark, rhizosphere, fruit, and sugarcane samples. The retrieval of yeasts from bark samples was more frequent and diverse than that of soil, fruits, and sugarcane. The frequency of detection of yeasts during the spring was significantly higher than in the summer season. However, there was no significant seasonal variation in the frequency of detection of yeast species between the rhizosphere and phyllosphere samples.
| S-EPMC6956043 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMultiple lifestyle risk factors exhibit a stronger association with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) compared to a single factor, emphasizing the necessity of considering them collectively. By integrating these major lifestyle risk factors, we can identify individuals with an overall unhealthy lifestyle, which facilitates the provision of targeted interventions for those at significant risk of NCDs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the socio-demographic correlates of unhealthy lifestyles among adolescents and adults in Ethiopia.MethodsA national cross-sectional survey, based on the World Health Organization's NCD STEPS instruments, was conducted in Ethiopia. The survey, carried out in 2015, involved a total of 9,800 participants aged between 15 and 69 years. Lifestyle health scores, ranging from 0 (most healthy) to 5 (most unhealthy), were derived considering factors such as daily fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking status, prevalence of overweight/obesity, alcohol intake, and levels of physical activity. An unhealthy lifestyle was defined as the co-occurrence of three or more unhealthy behaviors. To determine the association of socio-demographic factors with unhealthy lifestyles, multivariable logistic regression models were utilized, adjusting for metabolic factors, specifically diabetes and high blood pressure.ResultsApproximately one in eight participants (16.7%) exhibited three or more unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, which included low fruit/vegetable consumption (98.2%), tobacco use (5.4%), excessive alcohol intake (15%), inadequate physical activity (66%), and obesity (2.3%). Factors such as male sex, urban residency, older age, being married or in a common-law relationship, and a higher income were associated with these unhealthy lifestyles. On the other hand, a higher educational status was associated with lower odds of these behaviors.ConclusionIn our analysis, we observed a higher prevalence of concurrent unhealthy lifestyles. Socio-demographic characteristics, such as sex, age, marital status, residence, income, and education, were found to correlate with individuals' lifestyles. Consequently, tailored interventions are imperative to mitigate the burden of unhealthy lifestyles in Ethiopia.
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