Browsing by Author "Njogu, Eunice Wambui"

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    Enhancement farming practices for improved household food and nutritonal security in Kamae, a peri-urban area-Nairobi
    (2011-07-27) Njogu, Eunice Wambui; Kuria, E. N.; Keraka, M.
    Urban food insecurity has risen to alarming levels. Urban agriculture is proposed as an effective strategy to reduce urban poverty and enhance urban food security. Kenyan urban poverty is high. This has pushed the urban poor to agricultural activities. Households in Kamae in the peri-urban area of Nairobi, produced crops but they lacked diversity. They needed intervention to diversify their farming activities by producing diversity of crops and rearing small livestock. It is in this light that this study was designed. The household food security and farming practices were determined from June to July 2005 in baseline survey covering 300 households obtained through cluster sampling. An intervention to diversify the household farming practices was designed and implemented from October 2005 to February 2006 to enhance household food security in 30 out of the 300 households. Another survey in 180 households (30 participating and 150 nonparticipating) households was done at the end of the research from March 2006 to April 2006 to determine the impact of the intervention. Data were collected using interview schedules, observation checklists and focus group discussion guides. The quantitative data were analysed using (SPSS) Programme. Nutrients were analysed using NutriSurvey, (2004) while nutrition status data were analysed using EpiInfo, (2000). Pearson product moment (r) established relationships and tested the hypothesis at 0.05 significant levels. Cross tabulation and t-test were used to determine the changes in the households after intervention. The qualitative data were organized into themes for interpretation. The results indicated improvement in social economic status, in farming practices and in food consumption. There were 13(43.3%) women without occupations before intervention, but they started farming, selling vegetables and did casual jobs after intervention. Participating households increased diversity of crops they produced from no crops to diversity of crops and they all started rearing small livestock. The mean caloric, vitamin A and iron intakes for all children in all age groups in the 300 households in baseline survey were below the RDAs. However, the mean protein intakes for the children in all age groups were above the RDAs. Consumption of calories, proteins, vitamin A and iron increased in all the 30 households. Those whose caloric intakes were below the RDAs decreased from 23(76.7%) before intervention to 20(66.7%) after intervention. Protein intake that was below RDAs decreased from 17(56.7%) to 12(40%), vitamin A intakes from 22(73.3%) to 18(60%) and iron intake from 29(96.7%) to 25(83.3%) before and after intervention, respectively. These improvements in consumption are attributed to the activities of the intervention of producing a diversity of crops and rearing of small livestock. The findings of the baseline survey showed that 62% of the children were stunted, 53.7% were underweight and 31% were wasted. T-test showed significant difference in iron intake before and after intervention t=2.715 and P= 0.009. There were positive relationships between nutrition knowledge and caloric r=0.040 p=0.494, protein r=0.055 p=0.341, vitamin A r=0.123 p=0.034 and iron r=0.052 p=0.372 intake. There was also a positive and significant relationship between crop diversity and dietary diversity r =0.123 and p =0.034. This shows that increase in food production and nutrition knowledge increased household food consumption. This project impacted positively on the community members by increasing access to more food. This improved their household food consumption by providing them with diversified diets that enhanced their household food and nutrition security. It is recommended that production of diversity of crops and rearing of small livestock be promoted in the available urban and peri-urban garden spaces. These gardens form a sustainable food based strategy to prevent malnutrition in the urban and peri-urban areas.
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    Feeding practices, morbidity patterns and nutritional status of HIV-exposed infants (6-52 weeks) at Lea Toto community-based program, Dagoretti, Nairobi! County
    (2014-07-24) Macharia, Elizabeth Wairimu; Njogu, Eunice Wambui
    The population of HIV -exposed children has been growing rapidly. HIV -exposed children have higher mortality and morbidity rates than children born to HIV-uninfected mothers even when feeding patterns are the same. There is a gap between PMTCT knowledge and infant feeding policy as infant feeding counselling does not necessarily translate into appropriate feeding practices irrespective of its quality and quantity. Social and economic factors have not been considered in the formulation of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) guidelines. The purpose of this study is to determine feeding practices, morbidity patterns and nutrition status of Hlv-exposed children at Lea Toto Community-Based Program, Dagoretti in Nairobi County. [his is a community-based outreach program which provides care to children infected with and affected by HIV in the community through the provision of medical services, nutrition education and rehabilitation and capacity building. Cross-sectional analytical study design will be used. Lea Toto program, will be purposively selected because the centre is one of programs in resource poor settings that offer pediatric HIV care together with nutrition support and has a stabilization centre for severely malnourished children. Comprehensive sampling method will be used whereby the entire group of HIV -exposed infants will be included in the sample. This will result k:> a sample size of approximately 130 infants from the two centres based in Dagoretti. The iample will include infants aged between 6 weeks-12 months born with normal birth weight and vith no congenital deformities attending Lea Toto Program Kawangware. A researcher idministered questionnaire will be used to collect household demographic and socio-economic .haracteristics, anthropometric measurements, morbidity patterns and infant feeding practices among HIV -exposed infants. Indicators of assessing IYCF practices and a seven day food frequency questionnaire will be used to collect data on feeding practices. Focus group 4iscussions will also be conducted. Data will be analysed using SPSS for descriptive and nferential statistics. Data on anthropometry will be analyzed using ENA for SMART package, 10 10 and interpreted through the use of WHO cut off points to determine their nutritional status. A chi-square test will be used to establish the associations between infants, age, demograghic characteristics, and socio-economic characteristicsand infant feeding practices. Pearson's product moment correlation will be used to establish the presence, strength and direction of the relationship bettween nutritional status and feeding practices in HIV -exposed infants.multiple regressions will determine whether -morbidity patterns and dietary bvfactors predict nutritional satus of the child. This study will be of great significant to Non-Governmental Organisations, givemment and other stakeholders interested in addressing infant feeding practices to formulate strategies towards enhancing infant feeding practices that are core in ensuring HIV -free survival of HIV -exposed infants and their nutritional status.
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    Household food security and nutritional status of children in tea and non-tea producing households in Ndia division of Kirinyaga district.
    (Kenyatta University, 2002) Njogu, Eunice Wambui; Ngige, L.W.
    The household food security and nutritional status of children in the tea and non-tea producing households was investigated in this comparative study. This study focused on generating food consumption/purchase information from the farmers themselves, in order to achieve the set objectives. The objectives of this study were: to establish how much land was utilized for tea and food crop production; to determine gender involvement in income utilization; to assess nutritional status of children below five years in tea and non-tea producing households; to compare the nutritional status of children below five years in tea and non-tea producing households; to determine the food security status of tea and non-tea producing households and establish the relationship between nutritional status of children and the household food security in Ndia Division of Kirinyaga District. The study was carried out in Ndia Division of Kirinyaga District, and interview and observation guides were used in this study in order to collect data from a sample of 120 households comprising of 60 tea and 60 non-tea producing households. The data collected was summarized and analyzed by the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. The qualitative data was organized into categories and then into themes where relationships were determined. Out of the 120 respondents, 116 (96.6%) had obtained education up to the secondary '0' level, while only 4 (3.4%) had achieved education beyond this level. The main source of income for the tea-producing households was sale of tea while the non-tea producing households did not have any specific source of income. Therefore most 37(30.8%), of the tea-producing respondents confessed regularity of their Income while only 7(5.8%) respondents from non-tea producing households confessed regularity of income. However, in both areas decisions on income use were mostly 106(80.8%) made jointly that is, by both spouses. The average size of the land holdings in the two areas was 1.8 acres. According to the results of the study, more than half that is, 37(30.8%) of the tea-producing households devoted half and above of their land to tea production and the other less than half to food crop production. On the contrary, all 60(50%) non-tea-producing households devoted more than half of their land to food crop production. Even with a regular income, the tea producers had more 39(32.5%) children who were malnourished than 15(12.5%) children who were malnourished in the non-tea-producing households. The tea-producing households were at the risk of food insecurity because they relied on purchased food to meet the household food needs. This was evident in the large number of malnourished children in their households and their non-diversified meals. The results revealed a relationship between nutritional status of children and the income regularity that is, whether it was regular or irregular and between nutritional status and the type of crops produced that is, whether tea or non-tea. The government, charitable organizations and the nutritionists have a task to undertake in order to improve the nutritional well being of all the individuals and the society as a whole.