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Article History

Received: 3 October 2024

Accepted: 4 March 2025

First Online: 10 March 2025

Declarations

:

: Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Gondar;-reference number (Ref.No-426/2021). Detailed information about the study was explained to all study participants in the information sheet in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations of the ethical standards of Ethiopian medical research, which is comparable to the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki ethical standards. Each participant provided written informed consent; for those who couldn’t read and write the interviewer read the consent; and after they agreed to participate, informed consent was obtained by the use of their fingerprints. Participants had the right not to participate in the study and even to withdraw in between, as explained in advance. The privacy and confidentiality of study participants’ information were kept at every stage of data processing by excluding any personal identifiers in the questionnaire well explained. Finally, participants who had depression after screening received appropriate treatment.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.