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Factors that Contribute to Non-Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among HIV and AIDS Patients in Central Province, Kenya
No full textP. 159-173Adherence concerns have been one reason expressed by opponents of antiretroviral therapy in developing countries or resource poor settings. The objective of the study was to determine factors contributing to non-adherence to Anti-retroviral therapy among HIV and AIDS patients. This was a Cross sectional, descriptive study carried out in Provincial General Hospital Nyeri, Karatina and Thika District Hospitals. The participants included 300 interviewees, 15 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and 3 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 8 members each. In regards to the results, the Odds ratio was used to test for association between variables and level of significance. Results also showed that the prevalence of adherence to ART was 7 4%. Risk factors associated with non-adherence were: age (p<0.039 OR=l.287 95% CI 1.013-1.634), occupation (p<0.0001 OR=l.675 95% CI 1.449-1.937), food (p<0.002 OR=0.419 95% CI 0.242-0.726), level of education (p<0.023 OR=0.593 95% CI 0.378-0.930), and stigma (p<0.002 OR=2.456 95% CI 1.375-4.389). 23% of those who lacked community support were found to be suffering from stigma and did not adhere to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Through the FGDs the study revealed that co-treatment of HIV and other diseases like tuberculosis, diabetes, epilepsy and mental illness remains a major challenge. 66% of Key Informants reported pediatric ARV drugs formulations were inappropriate, unpalatable and inadequate, dependence on care givers and the laboratories were ill-equipped in terms of facilities, reagents and personnel. In conclusion, the level of adherence (74%) was sub optimal (less than 95% which is the acceptable) but comparable to that of other developing countries. Taking ARV drugs without eating any food made patients suffer from side effects thus making them avoid the medication. Stigma, discrimination, lack of family and community support were huge obstacles to ART adherence. Co-treatment of HIV and other infections remain a major challenge. Shortage of appropriate pediatric formulations, unpalatability of some ARV drugs and dependence on care givers contributed to pediatric ART non-adherence. Health facilities with functioning laboratory, adequate personnel and stock of ARV drugs enhanced ART adherence
Contribution of quality work life on employee job satisfaction.A survey of teachers in public boarding secondary schools in Tigania West District
No full textThe purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of Quality work life on employee job satisfaction in secondary schools; the study was narrowed down to Public Boarding Secondary schools in Tigania West District of Meru County. The study focused on organizational culture, job characteristics, career advancement opportunities and work environment as the independent variables and employee job satisfaction as the dependent variable, both theoretical and empirical literature was reviewed, under theoretical literature, Hackman and Oldham job characteristic model, Maslow's theory of motivation and Herzerberg's motivator hygiene theory are discussed. All permanent and pensionable teachers from the thirteen public boarding secondary schools in Tigania West District were sampled. To achieve the study objective both primary and secondary data was used, primary data was collected through the use of structured and semi structured questionnaires, after which the data collected, was analyzed using descriptive frequencies statistics and tested the significance using binary logistic regression at 0.05% significance levels with help of Statistical Package for Social sciences. Secondary data was obtained from journals and public boarding secondary school teachers registers. The target population was 153 permanent and pensionable academic staff, respond rate was 149 which are 97% of total number of respondent sampled and the study finding showed that quality work life contributes to employee job satisfaction on academic staff in public boarding secondary school in Tigania West district. The researcher recommend that the Kenyan government should ensure that; employee enjoy quality life at work in order to achieve vision 2030 by ensuring promotions of teachers is based on qualifications, experience and performance also regular training and development are put in place in secondary school. The researcher suggested that a similar study could be carried out in other districts in Kenya to find out the contribution of quality work life on employee job satisfaction in other regions
Influence of organisation development strategies on the performance of Non-Organisations' projects in Isiolo County
No full textThe study was conducted to establish the influence of strategic organization development strategies on the performance of NGOs projects in Isiolo district. The study was developed from a problems facing performance of NGO projects due to inadequate application of strategic methods of running their operations. As a result many projects after completion a handover fail to continue delivering the benefits they were intended to. The problem is the persistent living standards, poverty and underdevelopment of grass root communities. Prevalence of 'white elephants" that is the stalled projects, declined productivity of existing projects and run down/ closure of projects that were initiated to alleviate problems of people. This is viewed in this study as non-performance or non-performance of NGO projects. As a result, nationally, regionally and even at the local level, poverty reduction goals and millennium development goals are not being realized. The findings of the study were found to be of great use to NGO programme managers who will have more information on the techniques they can apply to enhance project performance. The study revealed areas of further research for future researchers. The study was guided by the following specific objectives to establish how resource mobilization, stakeholder participation and strategic partnerships influence the performance of NGOs' projects. Hypotheses were also tested and data analyzed using logistic regression. The survey research design was used, purposive, convenient sampling and the primary data collection technique was structured questionnaires. The number of respondents was fifty two NGO programme managers. The findings of the study were that the three variables influenced performance of NGO projects upto to 1.63 levels. The research also established that stakeholder participation and resource mobilization do not significantly affect performance of NGO projects whereas there is a significant relationship between strategic partnership and performance of NGO projects
Barriers to effective communication between student nurses and older- patient at chogoria hospital
No full textRT 84.P4 2013Older adults constitute a majority and a growing proportion of people who receive nursing care in Kenya. It's projected that by 2050; there will be a 470% increase in the number of older persons, representing 10% of the Kenyan population. This projected increase calls for action by the government because it's likely to pose a challenge to the health care system if tomorrow's nurses are not adequately equipped to communicate effectively with this generation. Though they are living longer, 80% of them have at least two chronic conditions known to cause communication problems. However, research findings indicate that the quality of nurse-older person communication has been and continues to be poor. Barriers to effective communication between student nurses and older patients are increasing their length of stay and resource use, eroding the quality of nursing care. The purpose of this descriptive research study was to examine the barriers to effective communication, determine how students and older patients perceive their communication and explore ways of improving communication between student nurses and older patients. This is relevant as today's Nursing students are tomorrow's registered nurses and the manner in which they currently communicate with older persons may indicate how they will interact with them in future. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a total sample size of 172 (patients n=84 and student nurses n=88) participants from Chogoria Hospital and Nursing Training School. Data was collected from the subjects using a questionnaire for both students and patients. Data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software version 17.0. The respondents acknowledged that there were barriers to effective communication. Fifty-four (64.3%) of the patients and 84 (95%) of the students asserted that age-related changes affected communication, 66 (78.6%) of the patients and 76 (87.4%) of the students believed that there was the need for additional information. It was found out that Eighty-three (98.8%) of the patients and 76 (87.4%) of the students thought that attachment of the students to qualified Registered Nurses would boost communication. These results expand our understanding of the barriers to effective communication between Nursing students and older patients. These insights will be used in training to reinforce a positive attitude of student nurses with regards to effective communication with older patients, improving the quality of nursing care. In subsequent research, these findings will be used to study faculty members' attitudes towards older patients since their attitudes have been found in studies to affect their students' attitudes
Factors influencing the performance of youth owned small and micro enterprises finance institutions: A survey of youth entrepreneurs financed equity bank in Imenti South District-Kenya
No full textHG 3729.N3 2013The main purpose of this study was to evaluate on factors influencing the performance of youth owned small and micro- enterprises financed by micro finance institutions in Imenti South District of Kenya It is in the light of the above that this study was inclined to access the factors that influence the performance of youth owned small and micro enterprises financed by micro finance institutions. The specific objectives of the study were:-To access the influence of access to credit facility on the performance of business enterprises owned by youth, to investigate the influence of location on business performance of micro financed enterprises owned by youth, to determine the influence of competition on the performance of the business, and to determine the influence of managerial skills in the performance of businesses owned by youth. Descriptive survey design was used where both qualitative and quantitate data was collected in order to access the factors influencing the performance of the micro financed enterprises owned by youth. The target population was individual youth enterprises that have benefited from microfinance institutions and the youth fund in Imenti South District. Random sampling method was used which realized a sample of 93youth enterprises out of 310 youth enterprises financed by Equity Bank, Nkubu Branch . The survey achieved a response rate of 81 % of all youth entrepreneurs targeted in the survey and the response rate was considered satisfactory for the study. Questionnaire was the main tool of data collection. Pearson's correlation coefficient was computed to indicate the correlation between the independent and dependent variable and the parametric test one way ANOVA was used to test the hypothesis. SPSS computer software aided the analysis of the data collected. The data was presented in summary tables based on the tests and analysis of research dimensions. The study concludes that access to credit has influence in the performance of youth owned enterprises financed by MFis. The study also found that business location has influence on the performance of youth owned enterprises financed by MFis. However the acceptance of null hypothesis that the managerial skill doesn't have influence on the performance youth owned enterprises indicates that there is no correlation between business training and success of the business. Lastly the study concluded that there was no relationship between the performance of the business owned by youth and competition. The study has made various recommendations to various stakeholders aimed at improving the performance of the youth owned enterprises
Analysis of work environment on gender placement in the Civil service.A survey of the provincial administration in Imenti North District in Meru County
No full textAlthough women make up half of the world's population and despite their achievement of equal citizenship status to men, they remain vastly under-represented in governance forums where women are 40%-50% of the labor force, they account for less than 8% of top managers. This has led to the "pipeline problem" with the proportion of women in senior roles stagnant and even decreasing. This study intended to look at the effect of work environment on gender placement in the civil service and the study objectives included, to determine the influence of affirmative action, Working Conditions, traditional culture values terms of employment on Gender Placement in Provincial Administration in Meru county and the neo-classical economics theory which applies the supply-demand framework to analyze the gender inequality in labor market outcomes did guide the study. The design of the study is a descriptive survey .The study was carried out in Imenti North district and the study sample was drawn from the five Divisions that comprise Imenti North District. The district is divided into five (5) divisions, twenty two (22) locations and fifty three (53) sub-locations. A total of five (5) District officers, seventy five (75) Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs were target population of the study. Stratified sampling design was used for the study. The researcher used both primary and secondary data collection methods. Primary data was collected by use of questionnaires. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques was used. Data that was collected was sorted, classified and coded then tabulated for ease of analysis. The data was then summarized and categorized according to common themes. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using frequency distribution tables, charts, and graphs. From the findings the researcher found that there was a significant relationship in affirmative action and working conditions towards gender placement in provincial administration in Meru County. Also the researcher found that traditional culture values and terms of employment had no significant relationship with gender placement in provincial administration in Meru County
Haematological and serological findings in Cercopithecus aethiops(African green monkeys) with Cyclospora infections in Kenya
No full textP 122-131Cyclospora,is a common cause of gastroenteritis in humans resulting in protracted life threat¬ening diarrhoea in immunocompromised patients worldwide.Cyclospora infections have been reported in African green monkeys. The objective of the study was to determine the haema¬tological and serological parameters in African green monkeys with Cyclospora infections.A cross-sectional laboratory based study was done at Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, from March 2008 to June 2009. Thirty three African green monkeys comprising of 10 male adults, 7 female adults, 3 male juveniles and 13 female juveniles were analysed for blood cell counts using a haematological analyser and screened for Cyclospora by ELISA. The red blood cell counts decreased in all study animals with mean decline of 1.2-1.5 (x 106/µl). The white blood cell counts varied among the study animals with highest increase among female adults from4.3-7.1 to 5.4-8.8 (x 103 /µl) and a decrease among the male adults from 3.9-8.7 to 1.5-5.3 (x 103/µl). Positive antibody responses to Cyclospora were observed in 20 of the study animals with highest mean optical density (OD) values of 0.816 ± 0.100 observed among the female juveniles and lowest among the male juveniles at mean OD value of 0.646 ± 0.055.
In conclusion, Cyclospora infections triggered both cellular and humoral responses in the African green monkeys
The effect of participatIve management on quality service delivery: A survey of Meru County star hotels
No full textHG 2051.M5 2013It is a challenge for hotel management to motivate their employees to stay on the job and to offer the efficient, good service which customers expect. Participatory Management is seen as the quick cure for poor morale, employee attrition, low productivity and job dissatisfaction. Hence the purpose of this study was to establish the effects of participative management on service delivery. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. Thirty (30) managers and 75 customers from 15 Star hotels in Meru County were used for the study. Validity and reliability were ascertained by careful development of the questionnaires and a pretest before using it for the data collection. Confidentiality was assured to guarantee ethical practice. Permit for the study and consent of the respondents were sought in advance. Primary data was collected by use of self-developed questionnaire through a drop and pick later method. Collected data was analyzed by help of SPSS computer software to obtain de~ptive and inferential statistics needed to support the hypothesis. The research found that some elements of participative management indeed had significant effect on service delivery. Autonomy, communication, customer care and computer literacy had significant positive effect on service quality but not on customer satisfaction. Training and customer care methods were also found to have significant and positive effects on both quality of service and customer satisfaction. The researcher concluded that while participative management is judged wholly as effective or ineffective, revelation that its components have different effects on service delivery requires that those components are treated singly on their own merits and where possible replicated across all management styles for service improvement
Determinants of utilization of information and communication technology by Lecturers at Kenya Medical Training College - Nairobi.
No full textThe use of Information and Communication Technologies (JCTs) has become one of the driving forces in facilitation of learning in most colleges. The ability to effectively harness the technology varies from college to college. The study objectives were to determine the lecturers' and institutional attributes that influence the utilization of lCT by the lecturers'. A cross sectional survey design was employed in order to empirically investigate the extent to which lecturers' personal and institutional attributes influence their utilization of JCT to facilitate learning. Kenya Medical Training College - Nairobi is the headquarters to all the thirty one constituent colleges. The target population of the study was 295 lecturers who facilitate learning at KMTC-Nairobi. Interview administered questionnaire was given to the lecturers. Quantitative data was scrutinized for completeness, accuracy and uniformity then coded. Data from questionnaires were analyzed in frequencies and percentages using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19, this was reliable tool for quantitative data analysis. A total of 155 completed questionnaires c\dministi;red were obtained from the respondents for the study that were subjected to analysis. The study found out that 93 (60%) of the respondents were male while 62 ( 40%) of the respondents were female. And that institutional support by provision of resources for JCT related training such as internet, computers, laptops and projectors had moderate impact (p = 0.049) at 5% significant level on use of lCT. The study concluded that institutional attributes and ICT policy (p = 0.013) were keys to utilization of lCT to facilitate learning by lecturers at KMTC. In particular, institutional support by provision of resources to fast track ICT utilization was critical in facilitating the use. The study also concluded that there was need for a mandatory policy on use of ICT by lecturers to facilitate learning. The study recommended that in order to achieve ICT policies that support facilitation of learning in collages, a mechanism should be put in place to make the use ofICT in teaching and learning mandatory
An investigation of factors that influence completion rate of boys in primary schools in Igembe South district Meru county Kenya.
No full textABSTRACT
Provision of education for all worldwide has not met its target due to dropping out of pupils from primary schools. Globally 64.5 million boys under the age of 10 years which is a primary school age are not in the school organization indicated that 58 million boys around the world are not in school. This indicates that boys' education is lagging behind to an extent that it is a justifiable cause for concern, leading to; dropping out of school. This calls for education researchers to investigate on the causes of boy child dropout which have affected the masculine education. It is due to this boys drop outs that this study has focused attention on the study, to investigate on the factors influencing completion rate of boys in primary schools in Igembe South District in Meru County Kenya. A population of 67200 pupils and heads of schools were targeted. Sample size of 336 subjects was used. Descriptive survey research was used in carrying out the study, with the help of the SPSS computer soft ware. Questionnaires were used to gather data for the study. Pilot study was conducted before the actual study in order to determine the quality of the instruments, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. After the data analysis and interpretations it was concluded that, the social factors especially circumcision of boys while in primary school were significant in affecting boys primary school completion in Igembe South District, the family background contributed to success and its outcome. The structural characteristics of families; the social economic status such as parental education and income predicted the school dropout behavior, Thus stable families, children were retained in school and vice versa. Poverty exposed the boy child to more risk of dropping out of school since they were used as supplementary bread winners. The boys who abused drugs (miraa) were unlikely to complete school. Miraa and substance abuse was a disease passed on from peer influence which automatically resulted into dropping out of school. Retention greatly increased the likely hood of dropping out, and thus no repetition should be encouraged. These findings are to benefit the education policy makers when setting the education policies. Teachers are also to benefit since they will understand the factors influencing completion rate of boys in primary schools in Igembe South District Meru County Kenya and therefore enhance
. counseling programmes in schools so as to reduce and eliminate dropping out of schools.
Recommendations emanating from the study were that, the community should discourage initiation of boys while they are in primary school. Boys access to education should not be compromised with despite all financial constrains .The District Officer (DO) in conjunction with education officers should bring children back to school and deal with parents who are ignorant in supporting their children's education. All the education stake holders should Curb Child labor in the miraa zones and address the issue of drug abuse through taking legal action. Guidance and counseling services should be encouraged. Boys child access to education should be encouraged and addressed by all education
. stakeholders Finally very body and all education stakeholders in the district should be sensitized on the importance of boys' school completion. Boys dropping out of school should be considered fatal and therefore dropping out should be discouraged with all means