Poor infant feeding practices and high prevalence of malnutrition in urban slum child care centres in nairobi: a pilot study

Little is known about the style and quality of feeding and care provided in child day-care centres in slum areas. This study purposively sampled five day-care centres in Nairobi, Kenya, where anthropometric measurements were collected among 33 children aged 6–24 months. Mealtime interactions were further observed in 11 children from four centres, using a standardized data collection sheet. We recorded the child actions, such as mood, interest in food, distraction level, as well as caregiver actions, such as encouragement to eat, level of distraction and presence of neutral actions. Of the 33 children assessed, with a mean age of 15.9 ± 4.9 months, 14 (42%) were female. Undernutrition was found in 13 (39%) children with at least one Z score <−2 or oedema (2): height for age <−2 (11), weight for age <−2 (11), body mass index for age <−2 (4). Rates of undernutrition were highest (9 of 13; 69%) in children aged 18–24 months. Hand-washing before the meal was lacking in all centres. Caregivers were often distracted and rarely encouraged children to feed, with most children eating less than half of their served meal. Poor hygiene coupled with non-responsive care practices observed in the centres is a threat to child health, growth and development

Effect of Spider Plant Accessions on Phenotypic Traits: Implications for Breeders and Farmers in Kenya

Spider plant (Cleome gynandra L.) is an important African leafy vegetable (ALV) that has been used by local African communities as a source of nutrition in their diets for many years. The plant has recently attracted an increasing demand for its highly nutritive and health-promoting bioactive compounds important in combating malnutrition and reducing human degenerative diseases. Despite the great value of the spider plant, its supply and cultivation remain low, a factor attributed to unavailability of superior genotypes. This study carried out at Ruiru Sub-county, Kiambu County in Kenya sought to establish the influence of genotypic variation on spider plant phenotypic diversity for future breeding and conservations. Experimental plots were set up in the field in Ruiru using split-plot design with three replications. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the significance of variables. Results indicated that genotypes MLSF3, UGSF36, UGSF14, and MLSF17 produced the highest number of flowers, large petioles, big stem sizes and large leaf area respectively.  In conclusion, the study recommends the adoption of genotypes MLSF17, UGSF14, UGSF36 and MLSF3 by farmers considering their outstanding positive effect on phenotypic traits

Electrochemical activation of molecular nitrogen at the Ir/YSZ interface.

Nitrogen is often used as an inert background atmosphere in solid state studies of electrode and reaction kinetics, of solid state studies of transport phenomena, and in applications e.g. solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), sensors and membranes. Thus, chemical and electrochemical reactions of oxides related to or with dinitrogen are not supposed and in general not considered. We demonstrate by a steady state electrochemical polarisation experiments complemented with in situphotoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that at a temperature of 450 °C dinitrogen can be electrochemically activated at the three phase boundary between N2, a metal microelectrode and one of the most widely used solid oxide electrolytes—yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ)—at potentials more negative than E = −1.25 V. The process is neither related to a reduction of the electrolyte nor to an adsorption process or a purely chemical reaction but is electrochemical in nature. Only at potentials more negative than E = −2 V did new components of Zr 3d and Y 3d signals with a lower formal charge appear, thus indicating electrochemical reduction of the electrolyte matrix. Theoretical model calculations suggest the presence of anionic intermediates with delocalized electrons at the electrode/electrolyte reaction interface. The ex situSIMS analysis confirmed that nitrogen is incorporated and migrates into the electrolyte beneath the electrode

Assessment of Relationships Between Genotypic Variation and Growth and Yield of Spider Plant in Kenya

Spider plant (Cleome gynandra L.) is an important African leafy vegetable (ALV) that has been used by local African communities as a source of nutrition in their diets for many years. The plant has recently attracted an increasing demand for its highly nutritive and health promoting bioactive compounds important in combating malnutrition and reducing human degenerative diseases. Despite the great value of spider plant, its supply and cultivation remain low, a factor attributed to unavailability of superior genotypes. This study carried out at Ruiru sub county, Kiambu county of Kenya sought to establish the influence of genotypic variation on growth and yield of spider plant. Experimental plots were set up in the field in Ruiru and greenhouse in Juja. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the significance of variables. Results indicated that genotypes MLSF17, UGSF14, P6, UGSF9 and UGSF36 yielded outstanding agronomic performance. However, there was no significant difference among growth parameters of genotypes in greenhouse compared to the field experiments. Keywords: African leafy vegetable, Cleome gynandra, genotypes DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-10-10 Publication date:May 31st 201

Towards Entrepreneurial Universities through Marketing strategy and entrepreneurship: A comparative study of Selected Public and Private Universities in Kenya

This study sought to make a comparative assessment of public and private universities in Kenya, in order to understand their orientation towards entrepreneurship and marketing practices used, as well as assessing whether entrepreneurial orientation has influence on marketing practices. The population of the study was 125 heads of department and program coordinators selected from 7 public and 5 private universities. A total of  92 out of the targeted 125 respondents responded from  the nine  universities that agreed to participate, giving a response rate of 73.6%.. A Semi structured questionnaires was administered by trained data collection assistants.  Pilot study was done to ensure validity and reliability of the data collection instrument. Analysis was included descriptive statistics, particularly means and standard deviation. Testing of paired sample means was done to test the 1st two hypotheses, while regression and correlation were done to test the third hypothesis. The study found that Private Universities were doing better than Public Universities especially in the area of looking for and exploiting new opportunities that generate money for the University. Private universities had a mean score of 3.8621 (SD 1.17) compared to a mean score of 3.1639 (SD 1.04) for public Universities for their ability to look for and exploit new opportunities that generate money for the University. Similarly, Private universities had a mean score of 3.24 (SD 1.32) for taking cautious posture in order to minimize the possibility of making wrong decisions, as compared to 2.98 (SD 1. 13) for public Universities.  Private universities were found to be doing better than public universities in most of the marketing indicators tested.  Private universities had a stronger believe in customer sovereignty (Mean 4.31, SD.76) than Public Universities (Mean 3.7, SD 0.86)  Further, Private universities had better established marketing department that handles marketing programs (Mean 4.1, SD 1.04) than Public Universities ((Mean 3.12, SD 1.3). However, public Universities were better  (Mean 4.1, SD.71) (in having systems for curriculum review that match industry needs than private universities (Mean 3.79, SD 1.17). regression and correlation analysis done showed that indicators of entrepreneurial spirit have a positive influence on indicators of marketing practices. The regression model had an R2 value of 0.325(F = 9.882, p =0.00) while the entrepreneurial factor of continuously looking  for and exploit new opportunities that generate money for university had positive and significant influence on having  marketing department that handles  marketing programs (r  =0. 321 ) and  on strong believe in customer sovereignty r =0. 382), both significant at 0.01).  Similarly the factor that a firm takes a cautious posture in order to minimize the possibility of making wrong decision has positive and significant influence on a marketing department that handles your marketing programs (r  =0. 445 ) and  on strong believe in customer sovereignty r =0. 472), both significant at 0.01). Key words: Entrepreneurial spirit, Private Universities, Public Universities, Marketing strateg

Factors Affecting Procurement Planning in Bungoma County Government in Kenya

The purpose of the study was to determine factors affecting procurement planning in Bungoma County Government in Kenya. The specific objective was to determine the effect of service delivery standards on procurement planning in Bungoma County Government. Theories on which the study was grounded included institutional theory, linear policy model theory and Hegelian Dialectic theory. A descriptive survey research design was used in this study. A target population census of forty three included procurement County officers and staff from Bungoma County Government. Of the forty three respondents, forty returned their questionnaires. Both primary and secondary data was collected by use of questionnaires. Validity of the instrument was done through pilot study and subjective judgments by the experts/supervisors while reliability was determined by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The hypothesis stated; service delivery had no significant influence on procurement planning in Bungoma County. The study rejected the null hypothesis because of the calculated P value. The conclusion was that service delivery had significant positive influence on procurement planning. This was because of the calculated B value of service delivery. This showed a significant influence on procurement planning in Bungoma County. The study recommended that; The County government of Bungoma to provide proper procurement plans to enable smooth running of procurement in the county, the procuring units to bring about integration of the diverse decisions and activities during procurement planning and be responsible for dividing requirements allocated to a single procurement process into separate lots, each user department to prepare a multi annual work plan based on the approved budget and let citizens also work with NGOs, CBOs and political parties to develop proposals for the council to consider during planning phase and the county government to employ skilled personnel to facilitate efficient and effective service delivery in public sector organization and meeting the rising needs of local people. A study on influence of procurement planning on County Government performance for the private sector was recommended by this research. The findings from the study may particularly be useful to existing and future organizations, all state corporations, stake holders in the County Governments and academic institutions, future researchers and other academicians who will undertake the same topic in their studies, policy makers within public and private sectors, leaders and managers in state corporations and societies. Keywords:  Service Delivery, Procurement Plannin

What can meal observations tell us about eating behavior in malnourished children?

Responsive feeding is an important aspect of child care, yet little is known about child eating and caregiver feeding behavior in Kenya. This study aimed to develop a mealtime observation methodology and assess child eating and caregiver feeding behavior in healthy and undernourished children in Nairobi. Healthy (n = 6) and undernourished (n = 13) children aged 6–24 months were observed during a meal, with standardized rating of child interest in food, mood, distraction and caregiver responsiveness. Eating and feeding behavior varied with the stage of the meal. Child interest in food decreased and child and caregiver distraction increased as the meal progressed. Healthy children were happy and interested in food during meals, but undernourished children often had low interest in food (7/13). The 7 undernourished children eating home food were distracted (3) and unhappy (5) but children eating ready-to-use therapeutic foods (6) were all happy and undistracted. Caregivers of healthy children offered encouragement more often during meals than caregivers of undernourished children (5/6 healthy, 3/13 undernourished). Meal observations were resource intensive and could give only a snapshot of the child feeding experience. More efficient research methods that can capture a general assessment of infant eating behavior are needed

Feeding, care-giving and behaviour characteristics of undernourished children aged between 6 and 24 months in low income areas in Nairobi, Kenya

Childhood undernutrition remains a public health problem in slums in Nairobi, yet little is known about current childcare practices, particularly child eating and maternal feeding behavior and their impact on child growth. Treatment options for malnutrition in this setting involve the use of sweet, high energy ready to use foods (RUF), which have the potential to displace home foods, but few studies have assessed this. This thesis therefore aimed to quantify high-risk caring practices in children aged 6-24 months and how these vary with nutrition status. The effects of RUF on meal frequency and eating and feeding behavior were also assessed. The programme of research was underpinned by the following research questions: • What are the commonest modifiable risk factors for undernutrition found in children and how does this pattern vary with nutrition status? • Do ready to use foods displace complementary foods in moderately undernourished children? • Do ready to use foods affect eating and feeding behaviour? Preliminary studies were carried out to test the feasibility of using observations to assess childcare practices. Caregivers of children aged between 6 and 24 months were recruited in Wagha town, a semi urban area in Lahore, Pakistan and in selected slums in Nairobi, Kenya. A structured observation guide was used to collect information on caregiver child interactions during mid-morning meals in Pakistan and lunch time meals in Kenya. A description of childcare practices in the household, specifically dietary practices, feeding behaviour and hygiene practices were assessed by asking the following questions: Who feeds the child? How is the child fed? What is the child fed and how often? What are the hygiene practices of caregivers? Thirty meal observations, 11 in Pakistan and 19 in Kenya, were carried out in homes, while 11 meals were observed in day-care centres in Nairobi. Eating and feeding behaviours varied between cultures. Compared to caregivers in Kenya, caregivers in Pakistan offered more encouragement during meals. In Kenya, encouragement was mainly in response to food refusal and undernourished children were more likely to show aversive eating behaviour. Caregivers would respond to this behaviour by either restraining the child or simply leaving them alone. In day-care centres, laissez faire feeding was common as children were left to feed themselves with little or no assistance. Poor hygiene practices were also common, especially in Kenya where caregivers did not wash their hands before feeding their children. Meal observations were not representative as only one meal could be observed and they were also not practical because of insecurity in the slums. Based on these findings, a cross sectional study carried out in seven health facilities was designed. Caregivers of children aged 6-24 months were recruited from health facilities in two stages. In the first stage, undernourished children (weight for age or weight for length below - 2 Z scores or length for age below -3 Z scores) were quota sampled either from outpatient therapeutic or supplementary feeding programs based on severity and supplementation status between February and August 2015. Undernourished children were recruited from well-baby clinics during growth monitoring. Between July and August 2016 healthy children (weight for age above-2 Z scores) were also recruited from well-baby clinics at the same health facilities. For both groups, child anthropometric measurements were taken and information on sociodemographic, hygiene breastfeeding frequency, meal frequency, dietary diversity, child eating and caregiver feeding behaviour collected using a structured interview guide. Among children receiving ready to use foods, information on child interest in food, food refusal and caregiver force-feeding was also collected for both family meals and ready to use food meals. We recruited 415 children (54.5% female), over half (58.6%) of whom were undernourished. Caregivers and their children came from disadvantaged backgrounds characterized by low parental education. They also lacked access to basic hygiene and sanitation facilities. There was no association between nutrition status and hygiene as nearly all children came from households that lacked piped water (83.6%) and shared toilets (82.9%). Compared to healthy children, undernourished children were more likely not to be breastfeeding (undernourished 11.5%; healthy 5.2% P=0.002) and to receive plated meals at a low frequency (undernourished 12.2%; healthy 26.2% P=0.002). Diets offered were mainly carbohydrate based and there was no association between dietary diversity and nutrition status. Close to one third of children showed low interest in food 25.8% (107) and high food refusal 22.5% (93). Force-feeding was also relatively common 38.5% (155). Compared to healthy children, undernourished children were more likely to show low interest in food (undernourished 34.2%; healthy 14.0% P<0.001) and high food refusal (undernourished 30.9%; healthy 10.5% P<0.001); and their mothers were more likely to be anxious about feeding them (undernourished 20.6%; healthy 6.4% P<0.001). Within the undernourished group, 49.4% had either low interest in food or high food refusal or both. Force-feeding was common in both groups, with a non-significant trend towards more force-feeding in the undernourished infants (undernourished 41.4%; healthy 34.5% P=0.087). Children were more likely to be force-fed if they had low interest in food (odds ratio[95% CI] 3.72 [1.93 to 7.15] P<0.001) or high food refusal (4.83[2.38 to 9.78] P<0.001), after controlling for maternal anxiety and child nutrition status. Children appeared to prefer RUF to home foods which is good for treatment compliance, but it may have a negative impact on intake of home foods. Although a single sachet of RUF appeared not to displace family meals in moderately undernourished children, actual energy intake was not measured in this study and these findings are therefore inconclusive. Children in slum areas in Nairobi are exposed to many risk factors which puts them at risk of infection and undernutrition and provision of ready to use foods as a treatment option does not address the underlying problem. There is therefore a need for poverty alleviation strategies which will lead to improved access to hygiene facilities and better environmental conditions. Measures to improve access and utilization of safe nutritious foods as well as mother-child interactions during meals are also required. A better understanding of child care practices and underlying factors that influence them is also required for the design of effective and sustainable interventions in this setting