Damitie Kebede - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Damitie Kebede

PLOS ONE

Growth curve analysis can help to optimize the management, determine nutritional requirements, pr... more Growth curve analysis can help to optimize the management, determine nutritional requirements, predict the weight of animals at a specific age, and to select highly productive animals. Therefore, this study aimed to find the best-fitted nonlinear functions to provide a specific shape of the growth curve from birth to yearling age in different generations of Boer x Central Highland goats. Gompertz, Logistic, Brody, Von Bertalanffy, Monomolecular, Negative exponential, and Richards models were evaluated to quantify their ability to describe the biological growth curve. Root mean square error (RMSE), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), adjusted coefficient of determination (AdjR2), and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) were used to evaluate the goodness of fit and flexibility of the models. Data were analyzed using the nonlinear regression procedure of SAS. High AdjR2 and lower AIC, BIC, and RMSE values are indicators of best-fitted model. The best-fitting model for the first fili...

Research Square (Research Square), Sep 9, 2020

Background: Childhood under-nutrition is far-reaching in low and middle-income nations. Under-nut... more Background: Childhood under-nutrition is far-reaching in low and middle-income nations. Under-nutrition is one of the major open wellbeing concerns among newborn children and youthful children in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of under-nutrition and its related variables among under-ve children in Somali Region, Ethiopia. Methods: The data for this study was extricated from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016. The data collected from 1339 children born 5 years before was considered within the analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was utilized at a 5% level of signi cance to decide the individual and community-level variables related to childhood malnutrition. Results: the incidences of stunting, underweight and wasting were 27.4%, 28.7% and 22.7%, respectively. About 16.1% of children were both stunted and underweight; the extent of both being underweight and wasted was 11.7%, the prevalence of both stunted and wasted children was 5.5%, and all three malnutrition conditions were 4.7% children. Among the variables considered in this study, age of the child in months, type of birth, anemia level, size child at birth, sex of the child, mothers' BMI and sources of drinking water were signi cantly related to stunting, underweight and wasting in Somali Region. Conclusions: The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was relatively high. Under-nutrition is one of the major open wellbeing concerns among children in Somali region. The impact of these variables ought to be considered to develop strategies for decreasing the lack of healthy sustenance due to malnutrition in the study areas. Hence, intercession should be centered on making strides the undernutrition determinant variables of the children to be solid, to improve the child's wholesome status, and decrease child mortality quickly.

Research Square (Research Square), May 11, 2020

Background: Increased nutritional needs of adolescents relate to adolescents gain up much of thei... more Background: Increased nutritional needs of adolescents relate to adolescents gain up much of their adult weight, height and skeletal mass during this period. Under nutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in developing nations including Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of nutritional status among school adolescents in Finote Selam town, northwest Ethiopia, 2018. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study among adolescent students aged 10-19 in public primary and secondary schools was carried out in Finote Selam town from February 05 to March 27, 2018. A total of 397school adolescents were included in this study. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select study subjects. Pre tested structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data was entered using Epi info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO Anthro Plus software. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with malnutrition. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% level significance were used to measure the strength of association, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value less than 0.05. Result: The prevalence of stunting and thinness among school adolescents were 21.8% and 14.9, respectively. About 9.7% of school adolescents were both stunting and thinness. Being male (AOR= 2.27; 95% CI 1.32, 8.13), coming from rural area (AOR= 2.38; 95% CI 109, 5.18) and having less than four dietary diversity (AOR= 2.61; 95% CI 1.04, 6.50) were significantly associated with stunting at a

LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing eBooks, Mar 1, 2016

This book explains about the evaluation of genetics parameters and growth traits,linear body meas... more This book explains about the evaluation of genetics parameters and growth traits,linear body measurements and body condition scores of Hungarian Simmental cattle breed. Simmental cattle breed is one of the most known dual purpose cattle breed worldwide. It is good in milk and meat production. The breed is mainly spread in the Alpine region and hilly regions of Central Europe. It has a number of important attributes; they are widely distributed throughout the world, implying adaptability to varied environments and management practices easy to handle, excellent mothering ability, high and long term fertility, short intervals between calving, good grass converters early maturity, longevity good growth rates, they have continued to thrive over hundreds of years, implying utility, functional efficiency and productivity. This book provides detailed information to animal scientists who are involving in cattle researches, students, farm owners and policy makers.

Veterinary medicine and science, Sep 4, 2021

BackgroundUnderstanding the phenotypic and genetic parameter estimates of growth traits is import... more BackgroundUnderstanding the phenotypic and genetic parameter estimates of growth traits is important for an effective livestock genetic improvement programme.ObjectivesIn this study, we evaluated the phenotypic performances and estimated genetic parameters for birthweight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), pre‐weaning average daily gain (PADG), pre‐weaning Kleiber ratio (PKR), pre‐weaning growth efficiency (PGE) and pre‐weaning relative growth rate (PRGR) of Fogera cattle in Ethiopia.MethodsGrowth data collected from 2000 to 2018 in Andassa Livestock Research Center were used for the study. General linear model of SAS 9.1 was used to estimate the least squares mean (LSM) ± standard error (SE) for phenotypic performances, and AI‐REML of Wombat software combined with a series of five single‐trait animal models to estimate phenotypic variance and its direct, maternal and residual components. Calf sex, calf birth season and calf birth year were the fixed effects considered.ResultsThe overall LSM ± SE BWT, WWT, PADG, PKR, PGE and PRGR were 21.28 ± 0.05 kg, 97.99 ± 0.67 kg, 320.29 ± 2.79 g, 10.10 ± 0.04, 3.51 ± 0.35 and 1.95 ± 0.00, respectively. All the fixed effects considered significantly (p < 0.001) affected all the traits. The direct heritability estimates for BWT, WWT, PADG, PKR, PGE and PRGR were 0.21 ± 0.07, 0.26 ± 0.01, 0.55 ± 0.19, 0.53 ± 0.18, 0.33 ± 0.00 and 0.50 ± 0.00, respectively. The genetic correlations among the traits ranged from negative (−0.20 ± 0.04; BWT‐PKR) to positive (0.99 ± 0.00; BW‐PGE, BW‐GR, WWT‐PGE, WWT‐PGR, ADG‐PGR, PKR‐PGR, PKR‐PGE and PGE‐PGR). Similarly, the phenotypic correlations ranged from −0.03 ± 0.20 to 0.99 ± 0.01; BWT‐PGE, BWT‐PRGR, WWT‐PGE, WWT‐PRGR, PKR‐PGE, PKR‐PRGR and PGE‐PRGR).ConclusionThe positive and larger phenotypic and genetic correlations between most of the traits implied that selection based on one trait could improve the other traits. However, the negative phenotypic and genetic correlation between BWT‐PKRA implies that selection of Fogera calves based on either of the traits has an adverse effect on the other. Therefore, caution should be taken when designing the selection criteria for growth improvement.

Background Childhood malnutrition is the most widely prevalent among under-ve children in Amhara ... more Background Childhood malnutrition is the most widely prevalent among under-ve children in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. This study intended to explore the major determinants of malnutrition and its association with anemia among under-ve children in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Methods The data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey were used. A total of 977 under-ve children were included in this analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used at a 5% level of signi cance to determine the individual-and community-level factors associated with childhood malnutrition. Results The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight were 46.3%, 9.8%, and 28.4%, respectively. About 23.1% of children were both stunting and underweight, 7.3% were both underweight and wasting, and only 4.5% of children had all the three conditions. Among the factors considered in this study, Age of child in months, size of child at birth, mother highest education level, sex of household head, sources of drinking water, and type of toilet facility were signi cantly associated with malnutrition in Amhara Region. Conclusion Malnutrition among under-ve children was one of the public health problems in the Amhara Region. The in uence of these factors should be considered to develop strategies for reducing

PLOS ONE

Additive genetic and non-additive parameters for reproductive traits of Boer x Central Highland g... more Additive genetic and non-additive parameters for reproductive traits of Boer x Central Highland goats were estimated. Pedigree and performance records comprised of Central Highland and their crosses with Boer goats were collected from 2009 to 2018 in the Sirinka Agricultural Research Center sheep and goat breeding station. Least-squares means for genotypes were obtained using a general linear model procedure in SAS. To estimate crossbreeding parameters, breed additive, heterotic, and recombination effects were fitted as fixed covariates instead of genotypes. Variance, heritability, and repeatability estimates were estimated through the AI-REML algorithm using WOMBAT software. Genotype did not significantly (P>0.05) influence most of the reproductive traits studied except for gestation length. The additive effect for litter size at birth (LSB), total litter birth weight (LBW), total litter weaning weight (LWW), litter size at weaning (LSW), and gestation length (GL) was estimated ...

PLOS ONE

Morphological characterization of Animal Genetic Resources is the first step to documenting diver... more Morphological characterization of Animal Genetic Resources is the first step to documenting diversity and designing breed specific breeding programs. The current study characterized the morpho-biometric variation of indigenous chicken ecotypes prevailing in northwestern Ethiopia. A multi-stage purposive, stratified, and random sampling method was employed to select the study areas and chickens. A total of 1200 adult chickens were sampled and characterized for 12 qualitative and 11 quantitative traits. Univariate and multivariate data analysis methods were employed to analyze the data using SAS and R statistical software. Red plumage colour (33.2%), white and red earlobe colour (73.8%) and yellow shank colour (57.0%) were the most predominant colour trait categories. Sex, agro-ecology, location, and the interaction of sex and location had a highly significant (p<0.001) effect on all body measurements. Shank traits were found to have the highest discriminating power in both sexes. ...

PLOS ONE

Ethiopia is the gateway of livestock genetic resources to Africa and has a wide range of altitude... more Ethiopia is the gateway of livestock genetic resources to Africa and has a wide range of altitude. It is endowed with huge diverse cattle genetic resources. The aim of this research was to determine the morphometric and potentioally adaptive characteristics of cattle populations. Multi-stage purposive and random sampling methods were employed to select the study areas, households and animals. A total of 1200 adult cattle were sampled and characterized for 14 qualitative and eight morphometric variables. The comparison of marginal means, chi-square tests, canonical discriminant analysis, and clustering analysis were employed using SAS and SPSS statistical software. The sex of the animal, location and agro-ecology were fitted as fixed effects in the model and had highly significant (p<0.001) effects for most body measurements. The chi-square test values of all categorical variables were significantly different (p<0.001) and potentioally adaptive characteristics such as coat colo...

Tropical Animal Health and Production, Aug 3, 2020

Accurate performance evaluation and genetic parameters estimation are the prerequisites for any s... more Accurate performance evaluation and genetic parameters estimation are the prerequisites for any successful genetic improvement program. This study was conducted to estimate genetic parameters for growth and Kleiber ratio traits in Boer x Central Highland goats. On-station data collected from 2009 to 2018 were utilized for the study. A general linear model procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, version 9.0) was used to analyze fixed effects, and genetic parameters were estimated using the WOMBAT software fitted animal model. The log-likelihood ratio test was used for selecting the best fitted model. Based on best fitted models, the total heritability (h2t) estimate for birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), six-month weight (SMWT), nine-month weight (NMWT), and yearling weight (YWT) were 0.38, 0.12, 0.05, 0.30, and 0.28, respectively. The total heritability (h2t) estimates for weight gain from birth to weaning (ADG1), 3 to 6 months (ADG2), 6 to 9 months (ADG3), and 9 to 12 months of age (ADG4) were 0.09, 0.08, 0.16, and 0.14, respectively. The heritability estimates for Kleiber ratios in different growth phases were found to be low (0.09 to 0.18) based on the selected models. Even with this figure, including the Kleiber ratio in the selection criteria would be imperative to improve the feed efficiency of crossbred goats. The direct genetic correlation estimates among growth traits range from 0.60 ± 0.14 to 0.97 ± 0.12. Except for NMWT, ADG4, and Kleiber ratio from 9 months to yearling age, the maternal effect had a significant influence on all considered traits. However, the contribution of the maternal genetic effect was more important for early growth traits. Thus, considering both the direct additive genetic effect and the maternal genetic effect is imperative for accurate genetic evaluation and for high selection response. The moderate heritability estimates for most of the growth traits implies the possibility of selection in conjunction with crossbreeding for a better genetic response. The positive and high genetic correlation estimates among growth traits confirm the possibility of a selection of goats at an early age.

Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, Jan 10, 2015

In Ethiopia, crossbred cattle are mainly cross of zebu with Holstein-Friesian. The cattle have be... more In Ethiopia, crossbred cattle are mainly cross of zebu with Holstein-Friesian. The cattle have been used for milk production for decades. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of crossbreeding on performance of crossbred dairy cows and indigenous cattle genetic resources. The study was conducted in three districts in 2013 namely, Farta, Gondar zuria and Bahir Dar zuria districts. Informal and formal field surveys were employed. Purposive sampling method was used giving due consideration of phenomic traits for cattle populations. Major ecological zones, the distribution of crossbred cattle populations and their socioeconomic importance were considered. The results revealed that the mean daily milk production for 50% Holstein Friesian and 50% indigenous cattle crosses in the Farta (9.14±4.32), Bahir Dar zuria

Introduction: Smallholder farmers predominate in developing countries and they are entirely depen... more Introduction: Smallholder farmers predominate in developing countries and they are entirely dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods (Dixon et al., 2001). About three fourth of the poor in developing countries live in rural areas and two-thirds of the rural people in these countries keep livestock (Owen et al., 2005). In Ethiopia, more than 85% of the human population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods (Solomon Abegaz, 2014) and usually keep livestock as pastoralists or in mixed crop livestock systems. The livestock population of Ethiopia is currently estimated to be 53.99 million cattle, 25.5 million sheep, 24.06 million goats, 6.75 million donkeys, 1.91 million horses, 0.35 million mules and 0.92 million camels excluding nomadic areas and is diverse genetically. Goats aged two Years and older accounts about 51.44%; among

Research Square (Research Square), Oct 11, 2021

Background Undernutrition is one of the major public health concerns among infants and young chil... more Background Undernutrition is one of the major public health concerns among infants and young children in the country. Childhood under-nutrition is widespread in low and middle-income countries. This study was initiated to assess the prevalence of under-nutrition and its associated factors among under-ve children in Afar Region, Ethiopia. Methods The data for this study were extracted from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016. The information collected from 937 children born 5 years before the survey was considered in the analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used at a 5% level of signi cance to determine the individual-and community-level factors associated with childhood malnutrition. Results The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in Afar region were 41.1%, 36.2% and 17.7%, respectively. About 26.7% of children in Afar region were both stunting and underweight, 12.7% were both underweight and wasting, 7.6% were both stunting and wasting and only 7.0% of children had all the three under-nutrition conditions. Among the factors considered in this study, age of a child in months, anemia level, mothers' BMI, household wealth index, size of child at birth, number of living children and place of residence were signi cantly associated with stunting, underweight and wasting in Afar Region. Conclusions The prevalence of all stunting, underweight and wasting was relatively high. Undernutrition is one of the major public health concerns among children in Afar Region. The effect of these factors should be considered to develop strategies to reduce under-nutrition in the study area. Thus, intervention should be focused on improving the under-nutrition determinants of the children to improve the child's nutritional status and reduce child morbidity and mortality. Globally, an estimated 165 million children under ve years of age, or 26%, were stunted, 101 million children under ve years of age, or 16%, were underweight and 52 million children under ve years of age, or 8%, were wasted. High prevalence levels of stunting among children under ve years of age in Africa (36% in 2011) and Asia (27% in 2011) remain a public health problem, one which often goes unrecognized. More than 90% of the world's stunted children live in Africa and Asia. Although the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting among children under ve years of age worldwide has decreased since 1990, overall progress is insu cient and millions of children remain at risk [3]. Undernutrition in children occurs due to the interplay of several factors, which include variables related to the maternal age, maternal education, poor feeding practice, maternal nutritional status, parity and multiple births, sex of the child, illness, birth interval and immunization status, poor wealth status, large families, water and sanitation, place of residence, and other factors relating to health services utilization [4-6]. Child under-nutrition and mortality rates are sensible reactions to both wellbeing programs and nancial conditions such as pay, unemployment, and lack of education [7]. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of under-nutrition is high which ranges from 14.6% in Addis Ababa to 46.3% in Amhara Region for stunting, 3.5% in Addis Ababa to 22.5% in Afar region for wasting and 5% in Addis Ababa to 35.5% in Afar region for underweight [8-11]. Although a few studies have been carried out on prevalence and identi cation of factors that are associated with children under ve years old of undernutrition in the Afar region, none of them uses the nationally representative data for the Afar region. The exertion made in decreasing under-ve children's undernutrition in the region is still high, and more effort is required to move forward the obstructions for advance diminishment. More research studies are, subsequently, required to inform policymakers to execute suitable mediation programs. To address these gaps, an all-inclusive cross-sectional analysis of the recent 2016 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) was done, to explore the potential risk factors of undernutrition among under-ve children in Afar region, Ethiopia. Methods Description of study design and area A cross-sectional study design was used for this study. The study was conducted in Afar regional state which is located in the northeastern part of Ethiopia. According to the 2007 Census, the state's population was 1,390,273 of which 615,156 were females. The urban residents of the region were 185,135 or 13.32% of the population, a further 409,123 or 29.43% were pastoralists. The region is well known for its early hominid fossil nds including 'Lucy', an Australopithecus afarensis, discovered in 1974, which lived about 3.2 million years ago and more recently in the summer of 2007 the discovery of hominid remains 3.5-3.8 million years old [12].

A study was undertaken in three districts (Dembia, Libo Kemkem and Fogera) in north eastern Amhar... more A study was undertaken in three districts (Dembia, Libo Kemkem and Fogera) in north eastern Amhara Ethiopia. The objective was to evaluate the productive and reproductive performance of Fogera cattle in the Lake Tana watershed at smallholder farmers' level. The study areas were purposively selected based on their potentiality of Fogera cattle population. A total of 126 households were considered. A cross-sectional survey and structured questionnaire were used for the study. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 (SPSS 2001). The overall reported age at sexual maturity, age at first calving, lactation length and calving interval were 47.24±0.85, 59.90+0.83, 10.48+0.17 and 25.52+0.52 months, respectively. The reproductive life span was 11.30+0.17 years. The age at puberty and reproductive life span for Fogera male cattle was 48.87+0.77 months and 6.79+0.1 years. The overall mean of lactation length of a cow and lactation length of first parity were 10.48±0.17 and 10.44±0.15, respectively. The reported lactation length of the cow were less than 6 months (2.4%), 6-9 months (32.4%), 10-12 months (63.7%) and greater than 12 months (1.5%).The calving intervals (CI) of cow were 12 months (2.8%), 18 months (10%), 24 months (67.8%) and 36 months (19.5%). The second and third parity of early, mid and late stage daily milk yield of Fogera cattle were (3.31±0.12, 3.40±0.14 and 2.41±0.16), (4.29±0.16, 3.52±0.12 and 3.39±0.14) and (4.98±0.18, 3.8±0.13 and 2.81±0.14), respectively. The overall early, mid and late stages of daily milk yield were 4.19±0.15, 3.57±0.13 and 2.87±0.15 kg, respectively. The major constraints were shortage of feed, disease outbreak and occurrences of drought, shortage of water during winter/healthy water, flooding during summer season, market and conflict by grazing land.

Advances in agriculture, Mar 24, 2022

e study aimed to characterize the production system, to evaluate the genetic merit of Boer × Cent... more e study aimed to characterize the production system, to evaluate the genetic merit of Boer × Central Highland crossbred bucks, and to solicit the perception of farmers about crossbred goats and crossbreeding program. Data were collected through a personal interview, focus group discussion, field observation, and measurement of the live animal. Besides, data on growth performance were extracted from available performance records at Sirinka sheep and goats breeding station. Data were analyzed using SAS, and the breeding values for bucks were estimated using WOMBAT software. Goats were the second most important animal species, and income generation, home meat consumption, and saving were found to be the main reasons for keeping goats with index values of 0.484, 0.355, and 0.085, respectively. e production system was characterized as a low-input production system. Feed shortage and disease/poor veterinary service were the most important constraints for the goat crossbreeding program. e overall mean estimated breeding values (EBV) for three-and six-month weight of disseminated crossbred bucks were 0.53 and 0.31 kg, respectively. e three-month weight EBV for crossbred goats disseminated in Amhara Sayint and Habru district was lower than their contemporary group. Likewise, the six-month weight EBV for crossbred goats distributed in Amhara Sayint was lower than the contemporary group mean. ese results depict the absence of buck selection based on their genetic merit. As per farmers' perception, crossbred goats were superior (odds ratio � 3.94 to 20.9, P < 0.001) to indigenous goats in terms of production traits. Besides, the price of the crossbred goat was higher (213 to 372 ETB/head) than indigenous goats with similar management and age. However, poor adaptability and fitness were the major demerits of Boer × Central Highland crossbred goats under a smallholder management system. erefore, while introducing exotic breeds, it is imperative to give due attention to nutrition and veterinary service.

The Ethiopian journal of science and technology, Jun 30, 2021

Growth, survival and egg production performance and profitability of exotic chicken breeds were e... more Growth, survival and egg production performance and profitability of exotic chicken breeds were evaluated under small-scale chicken producers in urban and peri-urban areas of Bahir Dar City from 2018 to 2019. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, monitoring and field observation. Thirty-three small-scale chicken enterprises (30 from urban and three from peri-urban areas) were included in this study. All questionnaire data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. The monitoring data was analyzed with ANOVA using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS version 9.0. The monitoring result revealed that the growth performance of chicken significantly varied with respect to breeds and production systems of producers. Sasso T44 had higher daily body weight gain (10.66 ± 0.03 g) and total body weight gain (1642 ± 5.02 g) within 22 weeks of age in the urban areas. The mean egg production for Bovans Brown at the age of six months was 124.8 ± 4.10 eggs. The annual mean egg production performance of Bovans Brown was 239.63 ± 4.32. The overall mortality rate of all exotic chicken was 6.5%. Despite many constraints, small-scale chicken production was profitable. Seasonal disease outbreaks, shortages of feed and housing problems were the major constraints of small-scale chicken producers. The growth performance and survival rate of exotic chicken was promising, but the egg production was low. Therefore, the management practices of small-scale chicken enterprises in the study area should be improved.

Research Square (Research Square), Jan 13, 2021

Background Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and it is considered that ev... more Background Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and it is considered that every fourth person dies of it. Under-nutrition is most commonly seen in cancer patients with some types of solid tumors, various chronic diseases, as well as in older persons and young children. This can result in longer hospital stay, reduced response to therapies, increased complications to therapy and surgery proceedings, poor survival and higher care costs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with under-nutrition on cancer patients attending Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2018 among 347 cancer patients in Tikur Anbessa Specialized hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All cancer patients 18-65 years of age who were on the 2nd cycle and above treatment phase were included. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires and the Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) score. Data was

Journal of Health Population and Nutrition, Oct 18, 2021

Background: Undernutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in developing natio... more Background: Undernutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in developing nations including Ethiopia. Adolescents need to have good-quantity and good-quality nutrients to cope with this rapid growth and other health risks which increase nutritional demand. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of stunting and thinness among school adolescents in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study among adolescent students aged 10-19 in public schools was carried out in Finote Selam Town from February 5 to March 27, 2018. A total of 397 school adolescents were included in this study. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select study subjects. Pretested structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data were entered using Epi info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO AnthroPlus software. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with stunting and thinness. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% level significance were used to measure the strength of association, and statistical significance was declared at a P value less than 0.05. Results: The prevalence of stunting and thinness among school adolescents was 21.8% and 16.9%, respectively. About 9.7% of school adolescents experienced both stunting and thinness. Being male (P = 0.031), coming from rural area (P = 0.046), having a family monthly income of less than 28.37(P=0.044)andhavinglessthanfourdietarydiversity(P=0.021)weresignificantlyassociatedwithstunting.Earlyadolescentstage(P=0.034),beingmaleadolescentstudents(P=0.37),havingafamilymonthlyincomeoflessthan28.37 (P = 0.044) and having less than four dietary diversity (P = 0.021) were significantly associated with stunting. Early adolescent stage (P = 0.034), being male adolescent students (P = 0.37), having a family monthly income of less than 28.37(P=0.044)andhavinglessthanfourdietarydiversity(P=0.021)weresignificantlyassociatedwithstunting.Earlyadolescentstage(P=0.034),beingmaleadolescentstudents(P=0.37),havingafamilymonthlyincomeoflessthan28.37 (P = 0.016), having a family monthly income between 28.37and28.37 and 28.37and56.74 (P = 0.021) (35.25 Birr = 1 USD) and using well water (P = 0.045) were significantly associated with thinness. Conclusion: Undernutrition was a predominant problem in the study area. Sex, age, place of residence, dietary diversity, sources of drinking water and family monthly income were important factors associated with stunting and thinness among the respondents. Strategies to improve the nutritional status of adolescent students should be given much attention.

PLOS ONE

Growth curve analysis can help to optimize the management, determine nutritional requirements, pr... more Growth curve analysis can help to optimize the management, determine nutritional requirements, predict the weight of animals at a specific age, and to select highly productive animals. Therefore, this study aimed to find the best-fitted nonlinear functions to provide a specific shape of the growth curve from birth to yearling age in different generations of Boer x Central Highland goats. Gompertz, Logistic, Brody, Von Bertalanffy, Monomolecular, Negative exponential, and Richards models were evaluated to quantify their ability to describe the biological growth curve. Root mean square error (RMSE), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), adjusted coefficient of determination (AdjR2), and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) were used to evaluate the goodness of fit and flexibility of the models. Data were analyzed using the nonlinear regression procedure of SAS. High AdjR2 and lower AIC, BIC, and RMSE values are indicators of best-fitted model. The best-fitting model for the first fili...

Research Square (Research Square), Sep 9, 2020

Background: Childhood under-nutrition is far-reaching in low and middle-income nations. Under-nut... more Background: Childhood under-nutrition is far-reaching in low and middle-income nations. Under-nutrition is one of the major open wellbeing concerns among newborn children and youthful children in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of under-nutrition and its related variables among under-ve children in Somali Region, Ethiopia. Methods: The data for this study was extricated from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016. The data collected from 1339 children born 5 years before was considered within the analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was utilized at a 5% level of signi cance to decide the individual and community-level variables related to childhood malnutrition. Results: the incidences of stunting, underweight and wasting were 27.4%, 28.7% and 22.7%, respectively. About 16.1% of children were both stunted and underweight; the extent of both being underweight and wasted was 11.7%, the prevalence of both stunted and wasted children was 5.5%, and all three malnutrition conditions were 4.7% children. Among the variables considered in this study, age of the child in months, type of birth, anemia level, size child at birth, sex of the child, mothers' BMI and sources of drinking water were signi cantly related to stunting, underweight and wasting in Somali Region. Conclusions: The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was relatively high. Under-nutrition is one of the major open wellbeing concerns among children in Somali region. The impact of these variables ought to be considered to develop strategies for decreasing the lack of healthy sustenance due to malnutrition in the study areas. Hence, intercession should be centered on making strides the undernutrition determinant variables of the children to be solid, to improve the child's wholesome status, and decrease child mortality quickly.

Research Square (Research Square), May 11, 2020

Background: Increased nutritional needs of adolescents relate to adolescents gain up much of thei... more Background: Increased nutritional needs of adolescents relate to adolescents gain up much of their adult weight, height and skeletal mass during this period. Under nutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in developing nations including Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of nutritional status among school adolescents in Finote Selam town, northwest Ethiopia, 2018. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study among adolescent students aged 10-19 in public primary and secondary schools was carried out in Finote Selam town from February 05 to March 27, 2018. A total of 397school adolescents were included in this study. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select study subjects. Pre tested structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data was entered using Epi info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO Anthro Plus software. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with malnutrition. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% level significance were used to measure the strength of association, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value less than 0.05. Result: The prevalence of stunting and thinness among school adolescents were 21.8% and 14.9, respectively. About 9.7% of school adolescents were both stunting and thinness. Being male (AOR= 2.27; 95% CI 1.32, 8.13), coming from rural area (AOR= 2.38; 95% CI 109, 5.18) and having less than four dietary diversity (AOR= 2.61; 95% CI 1.04, 6.50) were significantly associated with stunting at a

LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing eBooks, Mar 1, 2016

This book explains about the evaluation of genetics parameters and growth traits,linear body meas... more This book explains about the evaluation of genetics parameters and growth traits,linear body measurements and body condition scores of Hungarian Simmental cattle breed. Simmental cattle breed is one of the most known dual purpose cattle breed worldwide. It is good in milk and meat production. The breed is mainly spread in the Alpine region and hilly regions of Central Europe. It has a number of important attributes; they are widely distributed throughout the world, implying adaptability to varied environments and management practices easy to handle, excellent mothering ability, high and long term fertility, short intervals between calving, good grass converters early maturity, longevity good growth rates, they have continued to thrive over hundreds of years, implying utility, functional efficiency and productivity. This book provides detailed information to animal scientists who are involving in cattle researches, students, farm owners and policy makers.

Veterinary medicine and science, Sep 4, 2021

BackgroundUnderstanding the phenotypic and genetic parameter estimates of growth traits is import... more BackgroundUnderstanding the phenotypic and genetic parameter estimates of growth traits is important for an effective livestock genetic improvement programme.ObjectivesIn this study, we evaluated the phenotypic performances and estimated genetic parameters for birthweight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), pre‐weaning average daily gain (PADG), pre‐weaning Kleiber ratio (PKR), pre‐weaning growth efficiency (PGE) and pre‐weaning relative growth rate (PRGR) of Fogera cattle in Ethiopia.MethodsGrowth data collected from 2000 to 2018 in Andassa Livestock Research Center were used for the study. General linear model of SAS 9.1 was used to estimate the least squares mean (LSM) ± standard error (SE) for phenotypic performances, and AI‐REML of Wombat software combined with a series of five single‐trait animal models to estimate phenotypic variance and its direct, maternal and residual components. Calf sex, calf birth season and calf birth year were the fixed effects considered.ResultsThe overall LSM ± SE BWT, WWT, PADG, PKR, PGE and PRGR were 21.28 ± 0.05 kg, 97.99 ± 0.67 kg, 320.29 ± 2.79 g, 10.10 ± 0.04, 3.51 ± 0.35 and 1.95 ± 0.00, respectively. All the fixed effects considered significantly (p &lt; 0.001) affected all the traits. The direct heritability estimates for BWT, WWT, PADG, PKR, PGE and PRGR were 0.21 ± 0.07, 0.26 ± 0.01, 0.55 ± 0.19, 0.53 ± 0.18, 0.33 ± 0.00 and 0.50 ± 0.00, respectively. The genetic correlations among the traits ranged from negative (−0.20 ± 0.04; BWT‐PKR) to positive (0.99 ± 0.00; BW‐PGE, BW‐GR, WWT‐PGE, WWT‐PGR, ADG‐PGR, PKR‐PGR, PKR‐PGE and PGE‐PGR). Similarly, the phenotypic correlations ranged from −0.03 ± 0.20 to 0.99 ± 0.01; BWT‐PGE, BWT‐PRGR, WWT‐PGE, WWT‐PRGR, PKR‐PGE, PKR‐PRGR and PGE‐PRGR).ConclusionThe positive and larger phenotypic and genetic correlations between most of the traits implied that selection based on one trait could improve the other traits. However, the negative phenotypic and genetic correlation between BWT‐PKRA implies that selection of Fogera calves based on either of the traits has an adverse effect on the other. Therefore, caution should be taken when designing the selection criteria for growth improvement.

Background Childhood malnutrition is the most widely prevalent among under-ve children in Amhara ... more Background Childhood malnutrition is the most widely prevalent among under-ve children in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. This study intended to explore the major determinants of malnutrition and its association with anemia among under-ve children in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Methods The data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey were used. A total of 977 under-ve children were included in this analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used at a 5% level of signi cance to determine the individual-and community-level factors associated with childhood malnutrition. Results The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight were 46.3%, 9.8%, and 28.4%, respectively. About 23.1% of children were both stunting and underweight, 7.3% were both underweight and wasting, and only 4.5% of children had all the three conditions. Among the factors considered in this study, Age of child in months, size of child at birth, mother highest education level, sex of household head, sources of drinking water, and type of toilet facility were signi cantly associated with malnutrition in Amhara Region. Conclusion Malnutrition among under-ve children was one of the public health problems in the Amhara Region. The in uence of these factors should be considered to develop strategies for reducing

PLOS ONE

Additive genetic and non-additive parameters for reproductive traits of Boer x Central Highland g... more Additive genetic and non-additive parameters for reproductive traits of Boer x Central Highland goats were estimated. Pedigree and performance records comprised of Central Highland and their crosses with Boer goats were collected from 2009 to 2018 in the Sirinka Agricultural Research Center sheep and goat breeding station. Least-squares means for genotypes were obtained using a general linear model procedure in SAS. To estimate crossbreeding parameters, breed additive, heterotic, and recombination effects were fitted as fixed covariates instead of genotypes. Variance, heritability, and repeatability estimates were estimated through the AI-REML algorithm using WOMBAT software. Genotype did not significantly (P>0.05) influence most of the reproductive traits studied except for gestation length. The additive effect for litter size at birth (LSB), total litter birth weight (LBW), total litter weaning weight (LWW), litter size at weaning (LSW), and gestation length (GL) was estimated ...

PLOS ONE

Morphological characterization of Animal Genetic Resources is the first step to documenting diver... more Morphological characterization of Animal Genetic Resources is the first step to documenting diversity and designing breed specific breeding programs. The current study characterized the morpho-biometric variation of indigenous chicken ecotypes prevailing in northwestern Ethiopia. A multi-stage purposive, stratified, and random sampling method was employed to select the study areas and chickens. A total of 1200 adult chickens were sampled and characterized for 12 qualitative and 11 quantitative traits. Univariate and multivariate data analysis methods were employed to analyze the data using SAS and R statistical software. Red plumage colour (33.2%), white and red earlobe colour (73.8%) and yellow shank colour (57.0%) were the most predominant colour trait categories. Sex, agro-ecology, location, and the interaction of sex and location had a highly significant (p<0.001) effect on all body measurements. Shank traits were found to have the highest discriminating power in both sexes. ...

PLOS ONE

Ethiopia is the gateway of livestock genetic resources to Africa and has a wide range of altitude... more Ethiopia is the gateway of livestock genetic resources to Africa and has a wide range of altitude. It is endowed with huge diverse cattle genetic resources. The aim of this research was to determine the morphometric and potentioally adaptive characteristics of cattle populations. Multi-stage purposive and random sampling methods were employed to select the study areas, households and animals. A total of 1200 adult cattle were sampled and characterized for 14 qualitative and eight morphometric variables. The comparison of marginal means, chi-square tests, canonical discriminant analysis, and clustering analysis were employed using SAS and SPSS statistical software. The sex of the animal, location and agro-ecology were fitted as fixed effects in the model and had highly significant (p<0.001) effects for most body measurements. The chi-square test values of all categorical variables were significantly different (p<0.001) and potentioally adaptive characteristics such as coat colo...

Tropical Animal Health and Production, Aug 3, 2020

Accurate performance evaluation and genetic parameters estimation are the prerequisites for any s... more Accurate performance evaluation and genetic parameters estimation are the prerequisites for any successful genetic improvement program. This study was conducted to estimate genetic parameters for growth and Kleiber ratio traits in Boer x Central Highland goats. On-station data collected from 2009 to 2018 were utilized for the study. A general linear model procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, version 9.0) was used to analyze fixed effects, and genetic parameters were estimated using the WOMBAT software fitted animal model. The log-likelihood ratio test was used for selecting the best fitted model. Based on best fitted models, the total heritability (h2t) estimate for birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), six-month weight (SMWT), nine-month weight (NMWT), and yearling weight (YWT) were 0.38, 0.12, 0.05, 0.30, and 0.28, respectively. The total heritability (h2t) estimates for weight gain from birth to weaning (ADG1), 3 to 6 months (ADG2), 6 to 9 months (ADG3), and 9 to 12 months of age (ADG4) were 0.09, 0.08, 0.16, and 0.14, respectively. The heritability estimates for Kleiber ratios in different growth phases were found to be low (0.09 to 0.18) based on the selected models. Even with this figure, including the Kleiber ratio in the selection criteria would be imperative to improve the feed efficiency of crossbred goats. The direct genetic correlation estimates among growth traits range from 0.60 ± 0.14 to 0.97 ± 0.12. Except for NMWT, ADG4, and Kleiber ratio from 9 months to yearling age, the maternal effect had a significant influence on all considered traits. However, the contribution of the maternal genetic effect was more important for early growth traits. Thus, considering both the direct additive genetic effect and the maternal genetic effect is imperative for accurate genetic evaluation and for high selection response. The moderate heritability estimates for most of the growth traits implies the possibility of selection in conjunction with crossbreeding for a better genetic response. The positive and high genetic correlation estimates among growth traits confirm the possibility of a selection of goats at an early age.

Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, Jan 10, 2015

In Ethiopia, crossbred cattle are mainly cross of zebu with Holstein-Friesian. The cattle have be... more In Ethiopia, crossbred cattle are mainly cross of zebu with Holstein-Friesian. The cattle have been used for milk production for decades. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of crossbreeding on performance of crossbred dairy cows and indigenous cattle genetic resources. The study was conducted in three districts in 2013 namely, Farta, Gondar zuria and Bahir Dar zuria districts. Informal and formal field surveys were employed. Purposive sampling method was used giving due consideration of phenomic traits for cattle populations. Major ecological zones, the distribution of crossbred cattle populations and their socioeconomic importance were considered. The results revealed that the mean daily milk production for 50% Holstein Friesian and 50% indigenous cattle crosses in the Farta (9.14±4.32), Bahir Dar zuria

Introduction: Smallholder farmers predominate in developing countries and they are entirely depen... more Introduction: Smallholder farmers predominate in developing countries and they are entirely dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods (Dixon et al., 2001). About three fourth of the poor in developing countries live in rural areas and two-thirds of the rural people in these countries keep livestock (Owen et al., 2005). In Ethiopia, more than 85% of the human population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods (Solomon Abegaz, 2014) and usually keep livestock as pastoralists or in mixed crop livestock systems. The livestock population of Ethiopia is currently estimated to be 53.99 million cattle, 25.5 million sheep, 24.06 million goats, 6.75 million donkeys, 1.91 million horses, 0.35 million mules and 0.92 million camels excluding nomadic areas and is diverse genetically. Goats aged two Years and older accounts about 51.44%; among

Research Square (Research Square), Oct 11, 2021

Background Undernutrition is one of the major public health concerns among infants and young chil... more Background Undernutrition is one of the major public health concerns among infants and young children in the country. Childhood under-nutrition is widespread in low and middle-income countries. This study was initiated to assess the prevalence of under-nutrition and its associated factors among under-ve children in Afar Region, Ethiopia. Methods The data for this study were extracted from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016. The information collected from 937 children born 5 years before the survey was considered in the analysis. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used at a 5% level of signi cance to determine the individual-and community-level factors associated with childhood malnutrition. Results The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in Afar region were 41.1%, 36.2% and 17.7%, respectively. About 26.7% of children in Afar region were both stunting and underweight, 12.7% were both underweight and wasting, 7.6% were both stunting and wasting and only 7.0% of children had all the three under-nutrition conditions. Among the factors considered in this study, age of a child in months, anemia level, mothers' BMI, household wealth index, size of child at birth, number of living children and place of residence were signi cantly associated with stunting, underweight and wasting in Afar Region. Conclusions The prevalence of all stunting, underweight and wasting was relatively high. Undernutrition is one of the major public health concerns among children in Afar Region. The effect of these factors should be considered to develop strategies to reduce under-nutrition in the study area. Thus, intervention should be focused on improving the under-nutrition determinants of the children to improve the child's nutritional status and reduce child morbidity and mortality. Globally, an estimated 165 million children under ve years of age, or 26%, were stunted, 101 million children under ve years of age, or 16%, were underweight and 52 million children under ve years of age, or 8%, were wasted. High prevalence levels of stunting among children under ve years of age in Africa (36% in 2011) and Asia (27% in 2011) remain a public health problem, one which often goes unrecognized. More than 90% of the world's stunted children live in Africa and Asia. Although the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting among children under ve years of age worldwide has decreased since 1990, overall progress is insu cient and millions of children remain at risk [3]. Undernutrition in children occurs due to the interplay of several factors, which include variables related to the maternal age, maternal education, poor feeding practice, maternal nutritional status, parity and multiple births, sex of the child, illness, birth interval and immunization status, poor wealth status, large families, water and sanitation, place of residence, and other factors relating to health services utilization [4-6]. Child under-nutrition and mortality rates are sensible reactions to both wellbeing programs and nancial conditions such as pay, unemployment, and lack of education [7]. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of under-nutrition is high which ranges from 14.6% in Addis Ababa to 46.3% in Amhara Region for stunting, 3.5% in Addis Ababa to 22.5% in Afar region for wasting and 5% in Addis Ababa to 35.5% in Afar region for underweight [8-11]. Although a few studies have been carried out on prevalence and identi cation of factors that are associated with children under ve years old of undernutrition in the Afar region, none of them uses the nationally representative data for the Afar region. The exertion made in decreasing under-ve children's undernutrition in the region is still high, and more effort is required to move forward the obstructions for advance diminishment. More research studies are, subsequently, required to inform policymakers to execute suitable mediation programs. To address these gaps, an all-inclusive cross-sectional analysis of the recent 2016 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) was done, to explore the potential risk factors of undernutrition among under-ve children in Afar region, Ethiopia. Methods Description of study design and area A cross-sectional study design was used for this study. The study was conducted in Afar regional state which is located in the northeastern part of Ethiopia. According to the 2007 Census, the state's population was 1,390,273 of which 615,156 were females. The urban residents of the region were 185,135 or 13.32% of the population, a further 409,123 or 29.43% were pastoralists. The region is well known for its early hominid fossil nds including 'Lucy', an Australopithecus afarensis, discovered in 1974, which lived about 3.2 million years ago and more recently in the summer of 2007 the discovery of hominid remains 3.5-3.8 million years old [12].

A study was undertaken in three districts (Dembia, Libo Kemkem and Fogera) in north eastern Amhar... more A study was undertaken in three districts (Dembia, Libo Kemkem and Fogera) in north eastern Amhara Ethiopia. The objective was to evaluate the productive and reproductive performance of Fogera cattle in the Lake Tana watershed at smallholder farmers' level. The study areas were purposively selected based on their potentiality of Fogera cattle population. A total of 126 households were considered. A cross-sectional survey and structured questionnaire were used for the study. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 (SPSS 2001). The overall reported age at sexual maturity, age at first calving, lactation length and calving interval were 47.24±0.85, 59.90+0.83, 10.48+0.17 and 25.52+0.52 months, respectively. The reproductive life span was 11.30+0.17 years. The age at puberty and reproductive life span for Fogera male cattle was 48.87+0.77 months and 6.79+0.1 years. The overall mean of lactation length of a cow and lactation length of first parity were 10.48±0.17 and 10.44±0.15, respectively. The reported lactation length of the cow were less than 6 months (2.4%), 6-9 months (32.4%), 10-12 months (63.7%) and greater than 12 months (1.5%).The calving intervals (CI) of cow were 12 months (2.8%), 18 months (10%), 24 months (67.8%) and 36 months (19.5%). The second and third parity of early, mid and late stage daily milk yield of Fogera cattle were (3.31±0.12, 3.40±0.14 and 2.41±0.16), (4.29±0.16, 3.52±0.12 and 3.39±0.14) and (4.98±0.18, 3.8±0.13 and 2.81±0.14), respectively. The overall early, mid and late stages of daily milk yield were 4.19±0.15, 3.57±0.13 and 2.87±0.15 kg, respectively. The major constraints were shortage of feed, disease outbreak and occurrences of drought, shortage of water during winter/healthy water, flooding during summer season, market and conflict by grazing land.

Advances in agriculture, Mar 24, 2022

e study aimed to characterize the production system, to evaluate the genetic merit of Boer × Cent... more e study aimed to characterize the production system, to evaluate the genetic merit of Boer × Central Highland crossbred bucks, and to solicit the perception of farmers about crossbred goats and crossbreeding program. Data were collected through a personal interview, focus group discussion, field observation, and measurement of the live animal. Besides, data on growth performance were extracted from available performance records at Sirinka sheep and goats breeding station. Data were analyzed using SAS, and the breeding values for bucks were estimated using WOMBAT software. Goats were the second most important animal species, and income generation, home meat consumption, and saving were found to be the main reasons for keeping goats with index values of 0.484, 0.355, and 0.085, respectively. e production system was characterized as a low-input production system. Feed shortage and disease/poor veterinary service were the most important constraints for the goat crossbreeding program. e overall mean estimated breeding values (EBV) for three-and six-month weight of disseminated crossbred bucks were 0.53 and 0.31 kg, respectively. e three-month weight EBV for crossbred goats disseminated in Amhara Sayint and Habru district was lower than their contemporary group. Likewise, the six-month weight EBV for crossbred goats distributed in Amhara Sayint was lower than the contemporary group mean. ese results depict the absence of buck selection based on their genetic merit. As per farmers' perception, crossbred goats were superior (odds ratio � 3.94 to 20.9, P < 0.001) to indigenous goats in terms of production traits. Besides, the price of the crossbred goat was higher (213 to 372 ETB/head) than indigenous goats with similar management and age. However, poor adaptability and fitness were the major demerits of Boer × Central Highland crossbred goats under a smallholder management system. erefore, while introducing exotic breeds, it is imperative to give due attention to nutrition and veterinary service.

The Ethiopian journal of science and technology, Jun 30, 2021

Growth, survival and egg production performance and profitability of exotic chicken breeds were e... more Growth, survival and egg production performance and profitability of exotic chicken breeds were evaluated under small-scale chicken producers in urban and peri-urban areas of Bahir Dar City from 2018 to 2019. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, monitoring and field observation. Thirty-three small-scale chicken enterprises (30 from urban and three from peri-urban areas) were included in this study. All questionnaire data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. The monitoring data was analyzed with ANOVA using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS version 9.0. The monitoring result revealed that the growth performance of chicken significantly varied with respect to breeds and production systems of producers. Sasso T44 had higher daily body weight gain (10.66 ± 0.03 g) and total body weight gain (1642 ± 5.02 g) within 22 weeks of age in the urban areas. The mean egg production for Bovans Brown at the age of six months was 124.8 ± 4.10 eggs. The annual mean egg production performance of Bovans Brown was 239.63 ± 4.32. The overall mortality rate of all exotic chicken was 6.5%. Despite many constraints, small-scale chicken production was profitable. Seasonal disease outbreaks, shortages of feed and housing problems were the major constraints of small-scale chicken producers. The growth performance and survival rate of exotic chicken was promising, but the egg production was low. Therefore, the management practices of small-scale chicken enterprises in the study area should be improved.

Research Square (Research Square), Jan 13, 2021

Background Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and it is considered that ev... more Background Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world and it is considered that every fourth person dies of it. Under-nutrition is most commonly seen in cancer patients with some types of solid tumors, various chronic diseases, as well as in older persons and young children. This can result in longer hospital stay, reduced response to therapies, increased complications to therapy and surgery proceedings, poor survival and higher care costs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with under-nutrition on cancer patients attending Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2018 among 347 cancer patients in Tikur Anbessa Specialized hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All cancer patients 18-65 years of age who were on the 2nd cycle and above treatment phase were included. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires and the Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) score. Data was

Journal of Health Population and Nutrition, Oct 18, 2021

Background: Undernutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in developing natio... more Background: Undernutrition among adolescents is a major public health problem in developing nations including Ethiopia. Adolescents need to have good-quantity and good-quality nutrients to cope with this rapid growth and other health risks which increase nutritional demand. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of stunting and thinness among school adolescents in Finote Selam Town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study among adolescent students aged 10-19 in public schools was carried out in Finote Selam Town from February 5 to March 27, 2018. A total of 397 school adolescents were included in this study. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select study subjects. Pretested structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. Data were entered using Epi info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 and WHO AnthroPlus software. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with stunting and thinness. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% level significance were used to measure the strength of association, and statistical significance was declared at a P value less than 0.05. Results: The prevalence of stunting and thinness among school adolescents was 21.8% and 16.9%, respectively. About 9.7% of school adolescents experienced both stunting and thinness. Being male (P = 0.031), coming from rural area (P = 0.046), having a family monthly income of less than 28.37(P=0.044)andhavinglessthanfourdietarydiversity(P=0.021)weresignificantlyassociatedwithstunting.Earlyadolescentstage(P=0.034),beingmaleadolescentstudents(P=0.37),havingafamilymonthlyincomeoflessthan28.37 (P = 0.044) and having less than four dietary diversity (P = 0.021) were significantly associated with stunting. Early adolescent stage (P = 0.034), being male adolescent students (P = 0.37), having a family monthly income of less than 28.37(P=0.044)andhavinglessthanfourdietarydiversity(P=0.021)weresignificantlyassociatedwithstunting.Earlyadolescentstage(P=0.034),beingmaleadolescentstudents(P=0.37),havingafamilymonthlyincomeoflessthan28.37 (P = 0.016), having a family monthly income between 28.37and28.37 and 28.37and56.74 (P = 0.021) (35.25 Birr = 1 USD) and using well water (P = 0.045) were significantly associated with thinness. Conclusion: Undernutrition was a predominant problem in the study area. Sex, age, place of residence, dietary diversity, sources of drinking water and family monthly income were important factors associated with stunting and thinness among the respondents. Strategies to improve the nutritional status of adolescent students should be given much attention.