Gender empowerment through ICTs: potential and challenges for women in the Caribbean

Information communication technologies (ICTs) have been promoted as tools for national development and for gender empowerment in many developing countries. In the Caribbean, governments, non-governmental organizations and training institutes play a key role in ensuring access to ICTs among women. Gender empowerment is equated to access to information and technology but there are several concerns related ICT access and their effective use among women that are not adequately addressed. This study addresses these issues as well as social, cultural, economic and other factors that challenge women’s access and use of communication technology. The study recommends further research in policy development to focus on identifies challenges and strategies that will ensure women’s participation in their own empowerment through ICTs

Alcohol consumption and reproductive health risks in rural Central Kenya

Objective: The goal of the current study is to explore the perceived reproductive health risks associated with alcoholism from the perspective of rural communities in Kenya where abuse of illicit liquor especially among men has become an epidemic. Methods: Data for the study were gathered qualitatively through focus groups among community members and in-depth interviews with opinion leaders and key informants who were selected through a snowball method. All recorded data were analyzed through constructivist and interpretive techniques, which started with a line-by-line examination of transcripts for identification of emerging themes. Results: Rural communities are aware of the lethal nature of the illicit liquor and the severe reproductive health problems associated with it among male consumers. Alcoholism also affects women’s sexual and reproductive needs and is attributed to risky sexual behaviors in alcohol-discordant relationships, which puts them at a higher risk of HIV infection. Conclusions: Results indicate a need to address alcoholism in rural Kenya as a public health problem focusing on education and understanding of the long-term health consequences. Addressing the impact on male reproductive health is crucial because it impacts the wider community. Given the complex relationship between alcohol abuse and HIV/AIDS, it is also important for prevention interventions to target married women and non-alcohol consumers. Furthermore, engaging communities will ensure development of culture- and gender-specific interventions. Such engagement requires facilitation of health practitioners for development of meaningful community-based initiatives

The Relationship of Organizational Structure and Return on Assets of large Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of organization structure on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The specific objective of this study was to determine the influence of organizational structure on return on assets of large manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study was a cross sectional survey targeting 102 large manufacturing firms and the response rate was from 94 firms. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Null hypothesis was tested and results indicated that organizational structure had no influence on return on assets. The study was limited in that change of variables of study was not monitored or observed over time as would be the case with longitudinal studies

Neutropenia as an adverse event following vaccination : results from randomized clinical trials in healthy adults and systematic review

Background : In the context of early vaccine trials aimed at evaluating the safety profile of novel vaccines, abnormal haematological values, such as neutropenia, are often reported. It is therefore important to evaluate how these trials should be planned not to miss potentially important safety signals, but also to understand the implications and the clinical relevance. Methodology : We report and discuss the results from five clinical trials (two with a new Shigella vaccine in the early stage of clinical development and three with licensed vaccines) where the absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were evaluated before and after vaccination. Additionally, we have performed a systematic review of the literature on cases of neutropenia reported during vaccine trials to discuss our results in a more general context. Principal Findings : Both in our clinical trials and in the literature review, several cases of neutropenia have been reported, in the first two weeks after vaccination. However, neutropenia was generally transient and had a benign clinical outcome, after vaccination with either multiple novel candidates or well-known licensed vaccines. Additionally, the vaccine recipients with neutropenia frequently had lower baseline ANC than non-neutropenic vaccinees. In many instances neutropenia occurred in subjects of African descent, known to have lower ANC compared to western populations. Conclusions : It is important to include ANC and other haematological tests in early vaccine trials to identify potential safety signals. Post-vaccination neutropenia is not uncommon, generally transient and clinically benign, but many vaccine trials do not have a sampling schedule that allows its detection. Given ethnic variability in the level of circulating neutrophils, normal ranges taking into account ethnicity should be used for determination of trial inclusion/exclusion criteria and classification of neutropenia related adverse events

Ветро-дизельная система электроснабжения поселка

Работа направлена на решение проблемы электроснабжения отдаленных районов. Объектом исследования является гибридная ветро-дизельная система электроснабжения, находящаяся на юге Кемеровской области на высоте 1260 метров. В процессе исследования проводились анализ материалов в открытом доступе, запросы производителям, технико-экономическое сравнение. В результате исследования определен наиболее выгодный вариант. Область применения: энергодефицитные отдаленные районы, наиболее перспективные с точки зрения малой энергетики и обладающие потенциалом ВИЭ, в частности ветропотенциалом. Экономическая эффективность проекта заключается в снижении стоимости электроэнергии в шесть раз.Die Arbeit zielt auf die Losung der Energieversorgung von entlegenen Gebieten. Gegenstand der Studie ist ein Hybrid wind-Diesel-System der Elektrizitatsversorgung, das sich im Suden vom Gebiet Kemerowo auf einer Hohe von 1260 Meter. In der Studie wurden fur die Analyse von Materialien in der offentlichkeit, Anfragen von Herstellern, die technisch-wirtschaftlichen Vergleich. Die Studie ermittelt die Gunstigste Variante. Einsatzbereich: energiedefizite Randgebiete, die vielversprechendsten in Bezug auf niedrige Energie und mit dem Potential der erneuerbaren Energien, insbesondere Energiepotenzial. Die Wirtschaftseffektivitat des Projektes besteht in der Reduzierung der Kosten der Stromerzeugung in sechs mal

Ignite-Sparking Youth to Create Healthy Communities: A Protocol for a Community-Centered Effort for the Prevention of Adolescent Obesity

Objective: To observe outcomes of a community-centered approach to identifying behavioral and environmental factors that influence overweight and obesity in 6th-8th grade youth in selected lowincome, racial/ethnic communities. Design: Five-year, tri-state, quasi-experimental design with environmental assessments and a questionnaire measuring nutrition and physical activity knowledge and behavior conducted in all communities at pre and post. Setting: Low-income, minority communities targeting 6th-8th grade youth. Participants: One experimental and one control communities will be selected via each state’s Cooperative Extension network through an application and review process with the random selection of participating communities. Intervention(s): Academic institutions will work with community leaders to establish and help support community committees tasked to plan, implement and evaluate one nutrition and one physical activity intervention. Main Outcome Measure(s): Assess environmental changes associated with increased intake and variety of fruits and vegetables; decreased intake of foods high in solid fats and added sugars; and an increase in physical activity among 6th-8th grade youth. Analysis: Baseline and post environmental data and pre and post questionnaire data will be analyzed using t-tests, chi-square, and ANOVA with a p < 0.05 to establish statistical significance

Engaging Communities to Enhance Physical Activity among Urban Youth

As part of a USDA multi-year grant, this project has used community-based participatory strategies to help overcome barriers to eating more fruits and vegetables and increasing physical activity, and ultimately sparking youth to create healthy communities for a lifetime. The project supports teams of community and school partners in limited income neighborhoods. Obesity is a multifaceted, complex problem, but a sedentary lifestyle is a major contributor to this national health issue. Approximately one-third of children nationwide are overweight or obese; and minority children and those with a low socioeconomic status have the highest prevalence rates. Urban youth have been shown to be less physically active than rural youth. Supportive physical activity environments (understood as the geography, observations, and perceptions of features such as recreational facilities, sidewalks, bike lanes, traffic patterns, etc.) have been positively associated with adolescent physical activity behaviors within urban settings. As part of a socio-ecological intervention to improve physical activity behavior, the Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA), the Active Neighborhood Checklist (ANC), and focus groups to assess the physical activity influences within an urban middle school and surrounding community were completed. The assessments suggested that lack of parks, lack of walkability in the streets, perceptions of crime, lack of school programs, and parental and peer influences were all barriers to physical activity opportunities. The ANC, PARA and focus groups each added valuable information for program planning to improve adolescent physical activity behavior. From our initial experiences, environmental audits and focus groups are relatively easy to conduct by Extension professionals, working in partnership with a school and community team, and support a socio-ecological approach to improving physical activity with an urban setting.AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Susan Zies, Educator, The Ohio State University Extension, [email protected] (Corresponding Author); Tandalayo Kidd, Extension Specialist, Kansas State University Extension; Kendra Kattelmann, Professor, South Dakota State University; Dan Remley, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition and Wellness, The Ohio State University Extension; Erika Lindshield, Extension Associate/Project Coordinator, Kansas State University; Nancy Muturi, Professor, Kansas State University; Koushik Adhikari, Assistant Professor, University of Georgia; Beth Stefura, Educator, The Ohio State University Extension; Marcia Jess, Program Coordinator, The Ohio State University Extension; Shannon Smith, Program Assistant, The Ohio State University Extension.A physical activity environmental assessment using the Physical Activity Resource Assessment and the Active Neighborhood Checklist instruments was completed as part of a United States Department of Agriculture grant targeting obesity in sixth- to eighth-grade students in an urban middle school. The assessments provided baseline data about the physical environments such as recreational facilities, sidewalk, bike lanes, and traffic patterns, in the neighborhood around the urban middle school identified in the project. Focus groups were conducted with adults and with youth to determine perceptions of physical activity in the neighborhood. The focus group data added valuable insight beyond the physical activity environmental assessment. Crime was a major concern among focus group participants as well as lack of non-competitive physical activity opportunities

An Examination of Factors Associated With Self-Efficacy for Food Choice and Healthy Eating among Low-Income Adolescents in Three U.S. States

Citation: Muturi NW, Kidd T, Khan T, Kattelmann K, Zies S, Lindshield E and Adhikari K (2016) An Examination of Factors Associated With Self-Efficacy for Food Choice and Healthy Eating among Low-Income Adolescents in Three U.S. States. Front. Commun. 1:6. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2016.00006Background: Self-efficacy is a crucial component in effective health communication and health promotion interventions and serves as a moderator for behavior change. Although awareness and risk perception are important in the behavior change process, self-efficacy gives people the necessary confidence in their ability to engage in advocated health behaviors. In addressing childhood obesity, self-efficacy plays a crucial role in dietary decisions. Informed by the social cognitive theory, this study examines the personal and environmental factors that determine self-efficacy for healthy food choices and healthy eating among adolescents in low-income communities

Effect of poor menstrual health on UTI diagnosis

Urinary Tract infections (UTIs) are microbial invasions of the urinary tract because of abnormal pathogen growth. They have short term symptoms like abdominal pain, fever and urinary frequency. Khayelitsha is a township that has a population of 2.4 million, 52% of which are women. This area is shaped by poor governance in South Africa that exacerbated medical issues due to a lack of resources. With lack of sanitary pad accessibility and knowledge of proper hygiene practices during the menstrual cycle, women are getting infected with UTIs 2-3 times a year. With an increase in antimicrobial resistance patterns, areas like Khayelistsha cannot properly treat UTIs in turn making the life of citizens difficult without accessibility to medicines and medical care. The purpose of this research is to highlight the factors that lead to increased UTIs in areas like Khayelitsha, where limited resources result in poor menstrual practices. I propose a short-term study that focuses on collecting baseline data for UTI diagnosis and treatment in Khayelitsha. It will involve 100,000 women and girls within the Khayelitsha Township area ranging from ages 13-45. I expect to see correlations between data such as, 1) financial stability and affording menstrual pads, 2) environmental hygiene and reported UTI/menstrual health issues. This study aims to not only inform the public on the importance of improving sanitary towel accessibility, but also act as a plea to the South African government to fund ESBL PCR testing kits aimed at aiding medical personnel in rapid testing of early UTI symptoms

Constructionism in Accounting Research: An Investigative Tool for Corporate Social Disclosure Practices

Most of the researches in accounting are based on the positivist approach. It has been noted, however, that the positivist approach cannot answer all research questions in social sciences such as accounting. This paper looks at constructionism as an approach that can be adopted for accounting and other business management researches. Key words: Constructivism, Positivism, Personal Construct Theory, Voluntary disclosures, Corporate Social Disclosure