This study aims to assess the burden and predictors of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among older age patients with diabetes attending comprehensive specialised hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia.

A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted among older patients with diabetes using a systematic random sampling technique.

The study was conducted at five comprehensive specialised hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia from 8 May to 8 June 2023.

The study included 832 diabetic individuals aged 40 years and above.

Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and physical examinations.

In this study, a total of 832 participants were involved, with a response rate of 96.85%. The burden of AMD was 15.4% (95% CI 13.0% to 18.0%). Male sex (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.04, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.56), older age (AOR 6.91, 95% CI 3.17 to 15.08), diabetes duration of 10 and more years (AOR 3.00, 95% CI 1.91 to 4.69), higher body mass index (AOR 2.56, 95% CI 1.15 to 5.71), presence of hypertension (AOR 2.45, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.85) and family history of diabetes mellitus (DM) (AOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.40 to 3.76) were positively associated with AMD.

This study found that the prevalence of AMD among patients with diabetes was 15.4%. Older age, male sex, longer DM duration, higher body mass index, presence of hypertension and family history of DM were significantly associated with AMD. Targeted screening of at-risk individuals for AMD, public health awareness campaigns focusing on these factors and further research to understand the burden and underlying mechanisms of these associations with AMD are recommended.

Palliative cancer care is comprehensive, specialised medical care of patients that aims to alleviate physical, mental and emotional distress based on patients’ needs rather than on prognosis. In Ethiopia, the federal ministry of health started palliative care (PC) in 2016. Since then, services have been developed and integrated as important components of the Health Sector Transformation Plan II. However, there is a scarcity of nationally summarised data regarding PC service utilisation in Ethiopia. Therefore, this protocol describes a planned systematic review and meta-analysis that will evaluate utilisation of PC services and its predictors among adult cancer patients in Ethiopia.

The online databases of PubMed, Hinari, EMBASE, CINHAL, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar will be comprehensively searched from inception to 31 February 2025. To assess the quality of included studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools will be used. The statistical software STATA V.17 will be used for data analyses. To examine the heterogeneity between studies, inverse variance (I²) will be used. To calculate the pooled prevalence of PC service utilisation, a fixed or random effects meta-analyses model will be used with a 95% CI, depending on the presence or absence of heterogeneity between included studies. To look for publication bias, a visual inspection of the funnel plot and Egger and Begg’s regression test and a 5% level of significance will be used.

Ethical approval is not applicable. The results will be disseminated to academic beneficiaries and the public.

This study aimed to assess eye check-up practice and associated factors among patients with diabetes attending primary hospitals in the Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia.

A multicentre hospital-based cross-sectional study.

This study was conducted at primary hospitals in Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, from 10 June 2024 to 10 July 2024.

The study included 689 consecutive adult patients with diabetes who met the inclusion criteria.

Participants were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus by a general practitioner. Optometrists conducted interviews, reviewed medical records and administered a pretested, structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify associated factors, with significance considered at a p

A total of 689 participants were involved in this study, with a response rate of 98.4%. The proportion of good eye check-up practice was 20.6% (95% CI: 17.6% to 23.8%). Factors associated with good eye check-up practice included urban residence (adjusted OR, AOR=4.10, 95% CI: 1.72 to 9.82), diabetes duration of 12+ years (AOR=4.98, 95% CI: 1.43 to 17.38), previous eye disease (AOR=3.78, 95% CI: 1.79 to 7.95), good knowledge of diabetic retinopathy (AOR=3.22, 95% CI: 1.42 to 7.29), higher family income (AOR=3.80, 95% CI: 1.27 to 11.36), referral from a diabetic clinic (AOR=3.48, 95% CI: 1.58 to 7.67) and a favourable attitude (AOR=3.75, 95% CI: 1.46 to 9.65).

This study revealed a low proportion of good eye check-up practices among patients with diabetes. Urban residency, longer duration of diabetes, higher income, clinic referrals, history of eye disease, knowledge of diabetic retinopathy and a favourable attitude were significantly associated with good eye check-up practices. Therefore, targeted health education and strengthened referral systems are recommended to improve regular eye check-up practices among individuals with diabetes.