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Dietary Intake and Nutrition Knowledge of Vitamin A and Iron among Lactating Teenagers in Referral Hospitals in Kisumu County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2024-06) Wanyonyi, Elizabeth Nanjala
Vitamin A and iron are essential micronutrients during lactation and deficiencies could have adverse health consequences for teenage mothers. Teenage pregnancy is a major health issue facing youth in Kisumu County. This population is faced with increased dietary intake of processed foods and rising prices for fresh, nutrient-dense foods. Kenya lacks adolescent-specific data in its National Health Information Management Systems, which makes it difficult to track micronutrient status of teenagers. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary intake and nutrition knowledge of vitamin A and iron among lactating teenage mothers aged 14-19 years in Kisumu County. A cross-sectional analytical study design was adopted and data was collected on a sample of 104 respondents. A questionnaire was used to gather information on the maternal demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the mothers. Nutri-Survey software was used to analyze dietary intake data from the 24-hour dietary recall and 7-day food frequency questionnaire. Data for both descriptive and inferential statistics was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. In the data analyses, a P-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. About a third (61.5%) of the mothers had inadequate dietary intake of vitamin while almost half (51.9%) of the them had inadequate consumption of iron rich foods. About a half (48.1%) and (53.2%) of the teenage mothers were found to have moderate nutritional knowledge on vitamin A and iron consumption, respectively. A Chi-square test revealed that nutrition education/counseling (P=0.001) and household income per month had a positive correlation (P=0.04) with iron intake. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between dietary diversity and vitamin A intake (P=0.02) and dietary diversity and iron intake (P=0.04). The study has shown that inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A and iron is a health concern among lactating teenagers despite most of them having moderate nutrition knowledge on the micronutrients. This is mainly due to low and medium IDDS as influenced by low household income. This study recommends interventions that focus on food preparation and meal selection for lactating teenagers and advocacy for income generating activities that are built around keeping teenagers in school.
Media Costruction on Global Terrorism: A Case on Kenya Media
(Kenyatta University, 2023-11) Njuguna, Isaiah Ngigi
Terrorism has always been rife especially the last two decades not only in Kenya but the whole globe, and specifically without forgetting the 9/11 attacks in the US. Transnational terrorism and delinquencies have obtained eminence with the coming up of novel media and international media broadcasting twenty-four hours. Nations are being confronted on their boundaries and their status in the global scene is in equal measure is being attacked by upcoming actors such as the terrorist groups and much more by the role played by both audio and print media to influence both public and foreign policy of states. The main objective of this research was to determine the construction of terrorism by media who are seen as supporters of global terrorism by their failure to gate keep and certainly setting an itinerary for the terrorists who have evidenced media as one of their crucial tools in the execution of violence on individuals. The research established how the media has set the public in the understanding of terrorism and its implication at the local and international levels. An interview with the key respondents was conducted to obtain primary data. 20 respondents were targeted to participate in the study. Secondary data was obtained from published and unpublished books, journals, and newspapers. Results showed that media framing has exacerbated ethnic or religious tensions in the aftermath of terrorism incidents, media framing as a security threat has impacted government policies and public attitudes toward national security and misinformation fueled by media perception has hindered rescue and response efforts on terrorism incidents. The study concludes that in all the four cases described in this study, the media portrayed these attacks as acts of terrorism aimed at causing fear, destruction, and casualties. They were not seen as self-defense or retaliation. These incidents were widely condemned by the international community and were considered to be massacres due to the intentional targeting of civilians. The study recommends the media to report accurately and responsibly on security-related issues to ensure that the public is well-informed and that policymakers can make rational decisions in the interest of national security.
Critical Success Factors and Implementation of Donor Funded Projects in Homabay County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2024-06) Mzee, Jeremiah
The achievement of project implementation hinges on both internal and external factors that dictate the optimal approach for planning, developing, monitoring, and executing the project until successful conclusion. Standards are crucial in a world that is becoming more and more complicated. This study investigated the critical success factors on the implementation of donor funded projects. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the effect of stakeholder involvement, resource availability, monitoring and evaluation, leadership and project risk management on the implementation of donor funded projects and to find out the effect of political environment on the implementation of donor funded projects in Homabay County, Kenya. The research was based on Stakeholders Theory Model, Critical Success Factors Model, Resource-Based Theory, and Realistic Evaluation Theory. The research involved 60 participants who were project managers, project team members, and were selected from 15 ongoing projects using a census method. Information was gathered through the use of a survey form. The instrument's validity was confirmed by consulting the supervisor. An initial study was carried out to confirm the instrument's trustworthiness. Cronbach alpha was utilized to assess reliability. Statistical analysis of data was conducted using both descriptive and inferential methods. Descriptive statistics consisted of averages, occurrence frequencies, percentages, and standard deviation, whereas inferential statistics included Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analysis. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) were utilized to analyze the data. The research showed that stakeholder engagement, access to resources, oversight, and leadership positively impact the execution of donor supported initiatives in Homabay County, Kenya. The research findings suggest that stakeholders possess a vast amount of knowledge regarding existing procedures, past data, and insights into the industry. Resource availability enables organizations to maximize their personnel by gaining knowledge about their workloads, availability, project time commitments, skills, and other factors. The process of monitoring and evaluating involves systematically assessing project development and progress, then reporting to stakeholders. Good leadership guides the project team by establishing clear goals and objectives, providing direction and vision. The research suggests that successful stakeholder engagement management needs a thorough strategy involving continuous communication, listening, and collaboration. Project managers must organize all the required resources for the project and categorize them based on tasks. In the project's development stage, shareholders must be informed about the team's challenges and new initiatives being implemented. Having good communication skills is essential for project managers. Great leaders must understand how to utilize conflict positively, as the most innovative ideas are often generated through confronting differing viewpoints
Academic Engagement as a Predictor of School Completion Intention of Pupils in Upper Classes in Primary Schools in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2024-05) Muthengi, Deborah M.
Despite increased enrollment following FPE, primary school education has continued to face the challenge of many pupils not completing school in Kenya. In Tharaka Nithi, particularly, Tharaka North Sub County, the issue of pupils not completing school is worrisome as reflected by educational statistics from area. Failure to complete school poses a considerable challenge not only to the individual pupil but also to the Kenyan society at large. Academic engagement is becoming an increasingly debated concept for conceptualizing learners’ educational success. Relevant studies that have concentrated on pupils’ characteristics such as academic engagement and its connection to pupils’ decision to quit school are particularly scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the link between academic engagement and intention to complete school among primary school pupils in Tharaka Nithi County. Guided by social cognitive theory and using correlational design this study targeted all the 12,250 pupils in the 63 primary schools in Tharaka North Sub-County. A stratified sample of 295 pupils in class six, seven and eight filled the questionnaires. Research instruments were piloted using a sample of 60 pupils from one school that was exempted during the actual data collection period. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential techniques. The results revealed a significant positive moderate correlations between cognitive academic engagement (r (285) = 0.50, p < 0.01), behavioural academic engagement (r (285) = 0.40, p >0.01), emotional academic engagement (r (285) = .39, p < .01) and school completion intention of pupils in upper classes. Regression analysis revealed that cognitive, behavioral and emotional dimensions of academic engagement significantly predicted school completion intention (F (3, 281) = 38.60, P = .00), and they jointly accounted for 29% of variability in school completion intention. Cognitive academic engagement had the greatest weight followed by behavioural academic engagement and with emotional academic engagement having a non-significant contribution to school completion intention. It was concluded that pupils’ academic engagement is significant in explaining and predicting primary school pupils’ intention to leave school. Therefore, schools and stakeholders in general should come up with interventions targeted at improving pupils’ academic engagement so as to raise their intention to complete school.
Working Capital Management Practices and Financial Performance of Manufacturing and Allied Firms Listed at Nairobi Securities Exchange Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2024-10) Chuol, Manyuon Dhieu
Manufacturing and allied firms in Kenya play a very important role in economic development. Nevertheless, the companies have seen fluctuations in their financial returns along with a downward trend in their overall performance. Various studies have been done but do not clearly indicate the extent to which the various components of working capital affect the performance of the firms. Further study is necessary to explore the diverse impacts of these factors on the financial performance of organisations. The objective of the study was to ascertain the relationship between working capital management practices and financial performance of manufacturing and allied firms listed in NSE. The specific objectives of the study was to; to determine the effect of inventory turnover management practices on financial performance, to ascertain the effect of accounts receivable management practices on financial performance and to determine the effect of accounts payable management practices on financial performance of firms listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange The key theory to anchor the study was be: Keynesian liquidity preference theory, financing advantage theory, Transactions costs theory, Net trade cycle theory and theory of Arbitrage Pricing. Explanatory research design, cluster random sampling was used in the study. The target population was 9 manufacturing and allied firms listed in the NSE. The research employed secondary data sourced from financial reports as published in the NSE manual and KNBS for the time frame spanning from 2010 to 2020. Panel regression analysis and Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis was employed for inferential analysis while means and standard deviations were utilized for purposes of descriptive analysis. Various diagonistic tests shall be carried out including normality, Multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, stationary test and test for fixed or random effect. The first objective sought to ascertain the effect of account receivable management practices on financial performance of manufacturing and allied firms in Kenya listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, regression analysis results showed that account receivables was significantly positively related to financial performance as showed by P- value of 0.004. Inventory management practices showed statistically significant positive effect as indicated by P-value of 0.030 while Account payables management practices showed that there was a statistically significant positive effect with P- value of 0.365. Finally, cash management practices showed that cash management practices had a positive effect on financial performance as evidenced by a γ = 0.419 with a P-value =0.004 at 5% level of significance. The study concluded that Manufacturing firms should prioritize account receivables management to improve operations and finances, Kenya's listed manufacturing and allied firms may benefit from improved inventory management, Management considers accounts payable in financial performance, Kenyan listed manufacturing and allied firms may benefit from cash management and that Size affects working capital management and financial performance of listed manufacturing and allied firms in Kenya. The study therefore recommends that Manufacturing enterprises should have a system that flags early supplier payments and that Manufacturing enterprises should buy qualified raw materials and goods just-in-time.