Kyambogo University Institutional Repository
Not a member yet
2178 research outputs found
Sort by
Safety, toxicological and allergenic aspects of using algae for food
No full textConsumption of algae has been historically practiced, especially in East Asia and the Pacific region cultures. However, sporadic events and empirical studies have suggested that some compounds could be triggering intoxications, allergic reactions and mortalities in humans who consumed algae. This chapter is an effort to explore with in-depth attention the safety, toxicological and allergic reactions following human consumption of algae. Based on retrieved literature, it is clear that toxicities and allergies from ingestion of algae are not a rarity, and to date, at least seventy (70) illnesses, six (6) allergic reactions and fourteen (14) mortalities have been reported globally. Toxicities and mortalities from intake of edible algae has been reported in species of Gracilaria, Caulerpa and Acanthophora genus, and are associated with their bioaccumulation of contaminants such as excess iodine, heavy metals, cyanotoxins or toxic inherent compounds such as caulerpenyne, manauealides A and C, prostaglandin E2, polycavernosides, aplysiatoxins and their derivatives. Allergenicity has been reported in Arthrospira, Chlorella, Chondrus, Eucheuma, Gigartina and Palmaria species, with the sulfated polysaccharide (carrageenan) and the photosynthetic pigment (C-phycocyanin) being the implicated allergens. These allergic reactions are mediated through activation of innate immune pathways of inflammation that trigger NF-kB activation, modification of gut microbiota and thickness of mucus barrier. We contend that appropriate labelling of algae-derived food products, public education, proper cleaning of fresh algae before consumption and profiling of toxic and allergenic algal species and compounds could aid in reducing intoxications and allergic reactions from algae used in food and food products. Future studies should consider examining edible algae for contaminants of emerging concern such as microplastics, cyanotoxins, emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pharmaceutical residues and personal care products
The mediating role of financial discipline on the relationship between the youth livelihood fund and youth welfare : a case of Busitema sub-county in Samia Bugwe north in Busia district
No full textxiii, 80 p.The purpose of the study is to investigate the mediating role of financial discipline on the relationship between the Youth Livelihood Fund (YLF) and youth welfare in Busitema Subcounty in Samia Bugwe North Busia District. The specific objectives included: examining the relationship between the YLF and Youth Welfare, establishing the relationship between the financial discipline and Youth Welfare, and examining the mediating role of the financial discipline on the relationship between the YLF Fund and Youth Welfare in Busitema subcounty in Samia Bugwe North in Busia District. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was employed, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods.
The target population included the youths from Busitema Sub-county in Samia Bugwe North Constituency in Busia District, who were direct beneficiaries of the YLP. The study used stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques to select the respondents from the study population. The study utilized a structured questionnaire to gather quantitative data and an interview guide to collect qualitative data. The study employed descriptive and regression analysis techniques to address the research hypotheses. To investigate the association between the study variables, the research utilized Spearman's rank correlation test. The study tested the mediation effect using Partial Least Structural Equation
Modeling (PL-SEM) with the bootstrapping method. The findings from the study reveal that the youth livelihood fund had a positive and significant association with youth welfare in Busitema sub-county. The correlation findings reveal that there was a positive and significant relationship between financial discipline and youth welfare in Busitema SubCounty.
The PL-SEM findings showed that there was a positive partial mediating effect of financial discipline on the relationship between YLF and youth welfare in Busitema SubCounty.
In conclusion, the study provides evidence that financial discipline plays a remarkable positive role in mediating the effect of financial discipline on the relationship between YLF and youth welfare in Busitema Sub-County. There is a need for the expansion of the Youth Livelihood Fund to reach a wider group of eligible youth in the Busia district.
This could ensure that more young people have access to the fund. There is a need to develop and implement financial literacy programmes specifically tailored to the needs and circumstances of youth in Busitema Sub-County. These programmes should focus on budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt effectively. Enhance financial discipline training and education for youth beneficiaries of the Youth Livelihood Fund in Busitema district. This should include workshops, seminars, and educational materials to help them make responsible financial decisions
Assessing occupational safety and health hazards at workplaces in Uganda : a case of four engineering materials testing laboratories
No full textxvi, 158 p.Workplaces in Uganda are mandated to satisfy the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), 2006 regarding the Occupational Safety and Health of workers. Despite of the above, many workplaces in Uganda including Engineering Materials Testing Laboratories have continued not to satisfy the above requirements.
Although different strategies to manage OSH risks have been devised and several entities like Safety committees and Ministry of Gender Labour and Social OSH in engineering materials testing laboratories has remained a challenge; thereby exposing staff and visitors to the laboratories to serious OSH hazards including physical injuries and long-term health risks like cancer. It is these compliance gaps that this study is set to examine, using the case of Engineering Materials Laboratory EML), Central Materials Laboratory (CML), Geotechnical Foundation Services Ltd (GFS) and Geotechnical Engineering and Technology Laboratory Ltd (GET). The study used both quantitative and qualitative research designs. Quantitative data collection was supported by the use of questionnaires with closed ended questions administered to 60 respondents and then qualitative data, by use of an interview guide.
The study findings indicate that for all laboratories, risks due to chemical hazards ranked highest, followed by risks due to accident hazards. Risks due to physical hazards ranked third for EML as opposed to risks due to ergonomics and psychosocial factors that ranked third for CML, GFS and GET. Risks due to ergonomics and social factors ranked lowest for EML as opposed to risks due to physical hazards factors that ranked lowest for CML, GFS and GET. Consequently, the assessment of the level of compliance to Uganda’s OSH regulatory framework indicated that GET, GFS, EML and CML were 88%, 83.4%, 79.7% and 76% compliant respectively, implying that there are still gaps in the implementation of OSHA, 2006. In conclusion, the study attributes these gaps to inadequate financial resources allocated for OSH operations and laxity in implementing OSH management strategies by the various key players among others
“When you are alone you have a narrow mind, but when you are with others you think broader into the other aspects”. A qualitative study on the role of sense of belonging and mattering in attempted suicide in Uganda
No full textIntroduction: Suicide is globally a severe problem with an estimated 700.000 deaths annually.
Six of the 10 countries with the highest suicide rates worldwide are in Africa, though, reliable
statistics are scarce.
Method: In this qualitative interview study in Uganda, we analysed the stories of 16 people
admitted to hospital following a serious suicide attempt. We focussed especially on each
person’s decision process towards their resolution to attempt suicide.
Findings: Despite the huge heterogeneity of the narratives, we could identify problems
regarding the sense of belonging and mattering in all the stories. Both the sense of belonging
and mattering have been related to suicidal behaviour in earlier theories, but they were never
studied together or under consideration of the influence of this specific cultural context. We
found that the participants’ sense of belonging and mattering to a large degree was
influenced by their traditional communalistic context with a worldview where the line
between the natural and spiritual world was blurry.
Conclusion: This kind of knowledge could be a valuable source for health professionals in
their treatment of suicidal persons; it could direct their approach to the core of each person’s
relational problems and meaning-making, which is crucial for their decisions with regard to
suicide
Ethnomedicinal uses and nutritional composition of yams (Dioscorea hispida Dennst.) In Kitholhu, Kasese District, Uganda
No full textYams (Dioscorea species) are traditionally valued as famine foods and medicinal lianas in countries such as Uganda, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Thailand and Singapore. However, little information exists on the traditional medicinal uses and nutritional composition of yams in Uganda, despite them being cultivated and considered to have medicinal benefits in Eastern and Western Uganda. This study was sought to document the ethnobotanical knowledge and assess the nutritional composition of Dioscorea hispida Dennst. (D. hispida) in Kasese District of Western Uganda. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out from November 2022 to May 2023 in Kitholhu subcounty, a flood-prone area in Kasese District to assess the indigenous knowledge on the medicinal uses of D. hispida. Using semi-structured questionnaires, a total of 47 respondents selected using snow ball technique were interviewed. The proximate composition (moisture, ash, crude fat, protein, crude fiber and total carbohydrate contents) of sampled D. hispida tubers were analyzed. The ethnobotanical data obtained was analyzed using descriptive statistics while nutritional data was subjected to a one-way analysis of variance at P < 0.05. Up to 83% of the respondents cultivate D. hispida, with 94% of these indicating that the tuber is used in traditional management of typhoid, diabetes mellitus, malaria, yellow fever, intestinal inflammation, cancer, peptic ulcers and hypertension, among other ailments. Proximate analysis indicated that D. hispida samples from Kitholhu had 72.29 ± 0.38% moisture, 6.08 ± 0.15% crude fiber, 1.24 ± 0.05% crude fat, 3.05 ± 0.03% ash, 5.65 ± 0.29% proteins and 11.67 ± 0.52% carbohydrates. Our results suggest that there is rich ethnobotanical knowledge on the use of D. hispida for the treatment of ailments among the local communities of Kitholhu. Thus, D. hispida is a famine and medicinal plant that needs to be considered for conservation to enhance food security in Kitholhu and Uganda as a whole. Further studies are required to assess D. hispida for its claimed bioactivities against the reported diseases and conditions
Entrepreneurial resources and the well-being of women entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry of Uganda
No full textP. (1-17) ;Purpose – The purpose of this study is to establish whether all the dimensions of entrepreneurial resources matter in fostering the well-being of women entrepreneurs.
Design/methodology/approach – An explanatory research design was used to collect data through a questionnaire survey of 283 women entrepreneurs who benefited from the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP). This study used Statistical Package for Social Sciences to analyze the data.
Findings – Study results show that social and human capital matter unlike financial capital in boosting the well-being of women entrepreneurs.
Originality/value – This study provides maiden empirical evidence on contribution of entrepreneurial resource dimensions in fostering the well-being of women entrepreneurs, unlike extant studies that mostly focused on entrepreneurial resources as a global variable. This was done using evidence from Uganda, a developing context where the government and other stakeholders are still grappling with improving the wellbeing of women as a pathway for social-economic development.
Keywords Entrepreneurial resources, Social capital, Human capital, Financial capital, Entrepreneurial well-being, Women entrepreneurs, Ugand
Analysis of the Influence of Forms of Urban Agriculture on the Socio- Economic Status of the Farmers in Kampala and Mbarara Cities, Uganda
No full textThe study analysed the influence of the forms and drivers of urban agriculture
on the socio-economic status of farmers in Kampala and Mbarara cities in
Uganda. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design using multiple
methods of data collection. A multistage cluster sampling technique involving
simple random sampling to get both primary and secondary sampling units,
snowball to get target respondents and purposive sampling for key informants
and focus group members was used. Data were collected using social survey
questionnaires for households, focus group discussions checklist (FGDs), key
informant interview guides and observations, from a sample of 384 respondents.
The study found a strong association between forms of urban agriculture and the
socioeconomic status of the urban farmers in Kampala and Mbarara Cities.
Subsistence forms (backyard, roadside and rooftop gardens), commercial forms
(zero grazing, poultry, fish farms and crop farms), and tourist forms
(demonstration sites) had a significant influence on household food and income
security of urban farmers. The study established the lack of land, improved
technologies and training as major obstacles and recommended the
establishment of community networks, availing subsidies and credit and
recruitment of extension personnel as interventions to help urban farmers
Effect of 1-methylcyclopropene treatment on the physico-chemical attributes and postharvest green life of Ugandan indigenous and hybrid cooking bananas
No full textxi, 76 p. ;In this study, the efficacy of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene inhibitor was evaluated in extending the green life of harvested mature green East African Highland (EAH) bananas including hybrid cooking bananas (Matooke). The main objective was to lengthen the green life of the EAH cooking bananas while maintaining physico-chemical and sensory properties. Five cooking banana varieties, two indigenous (Mpologoma and Nfuuka), and three hybrids (NARITA 2, NARITA 4 and NARITA 16) were evaluated in this study. The choice of varieties was dependent on final consumer acceptability, availability of mature bunches, and ability to change color from green to yellow during ripening. Mpologoma is a popular local cooking variety grown by Ugandan farmers and produced for home consumption. Harvested bunches were declustered, fingers plucked and labelled. Thereafter, 100 fingers from each variety were treated with 1-MCP in sealed boxes for 24 hours, while 100 fingers were kept as a control. The bananas were observed for changes in the physico-chemical and sensory attributes, as well as green life during storage. Data was analyzed using XLSTAT (Student 2020.5.1.1063). The rate of respiration and ethylene production were significantly lower (P<0.05) in 1- MCP treated bananas than in the controls over the green life period. The rate of increase of total soluble sugars (TSS) was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the control than in treated bananas. 1-MCP treatment did not have a significant effect (P<0.05) on the dry matter content, titratable acidity and sensory attributes of the cooking bananas under study. For texture, no statistical differences (P<0.05) were obtained in the different treatments because according to the settings, no numerical values were obtained from the texture analyser on soft bananas yet 1-MCP treatment delayed softening of the banana peel and pulp especially the hybrids during storage by three to four day. Cooking bananas treated with 1-MCP displayed delayed ripening. Indigenous bananas treated with 1-MCP stayed green for 16 to 18 days while their controls stayed green for about 13 days. On the other hand, 1-MCP treated hybrid banana varieties stayed green for 12 to 13 days while their controls stayed green for about six days. However, no significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in the sensory attributes of the steamed bananas (both treated and un-treated green banana samples) during the storage period. Despite that, the sensory characteristics of the indigenous and hybrid cultivars remained significantly different (P<0.05). From the results of the study, it was observed that 1-MCP (at 5 ppm used in this study) can be used to extend postharvest green life of Ugandan indigenous and hybrid cooking bananas by about 5 days while maintaining their physico-chemical and sensory attributes.
KEY WORDS: 1-methylcyclopropene, Ethylene, Indigenous and hybrid cooking bananas, Physico-chemical attributes, Postharvest green lif
Ethnobotanical Survey of Phytotherapeutic Management of Diabetes and Hypertension Diseases in Mpigi District, Uganda.
No full textDiabetes and hypertension are escalating global health challenges, affecting over 500 million and 1.3 billion
people respectively, and significantly contributing to mortality, especially in less developed regions. The
prevalence of these diseases is rapidly increasing underscoring the urgent need for effective prevention,
management, and treatment strategies. Various allopathic medicines have been produced but with low
curative efficiency and side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants have been a key alternative form
of treatment for human ailments including diabetes and hypertension. Despite their importance, the
majority of them have not been studied and documented. This study was conducted to assess the use of
medicinal plants in the management of diabetes and hypertension diseases in the Mpigi district, Uganda.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with traditional herbalists followed by field visits for
taxonomic classification of the plants. Data was analysed using Atlas.ti software and IBM SPSS Statistics 29
was used to calculate frequencies. Fifty-four herbalists were interviewed, and 64% of them had an
experience of more than 6 years in treating diabetes and hypertension. One hundred and twenty plant
species were mentioned to be used by herbalists to manage diabetes and hypertension. Forty-seven percent
(47%) of these plants treat diabetes, 24% treat hypertension and 29% treat both diabetes and hypertension.
These plants were distributed to 52 different families, key among them include Asteraceae, Solanaceae, and
Euphorbiaceae. The most frequently used parts included leaves (38.7%) and bark (20.6%). Highly
mentioned plants included Tithonia diversifolius, Aloe vera, Catharanthus roseus, Kigelia africana, Prunus
africana, Momordica foetida, and Centella asiatica. Key threats and conservation strategies were also
mentioned. It is concluded that traditional healing knowledge still plays a key role in managing human
ailments and therefore these findings are key for the management of diabetes and hypertension and for
future research in drug development
Variations in onset, cessation of the long rainfall (MAM) season and it’s impact on maize yields in Iganga district, Uganda
No full textxii, 100 p.Variations in rainfall patterns has an impact on rainfall dependent sectors especially those in agricultural production. Knowledge on variations in rainfall patterns and its impact on yields is vital in agriculture. The specific objectives of this study were on the assessment of rainfall and maize trends, variations in the onset and cessation of rainfall in the March, April, May (MAM) season and the effect of start and end of the long rains on crop yield product (maize) in Iganga district. To achieve the objectives, gridded rainfall point data (secondary) from 1990 – 2022 for Iganga district and Annual MAM maize yield data (secondary) from 2013-2022 in Iganga was obtained from Iganga district agricultural office. Climate data tool (CDT) software, which considers the methodology of a Pentad approach of wet days, Evapotranspiration and a regression using Pearson’s correlation coefficient in SPSS, were the methodology employed to achieve the changes in the onset, cessation dates and the correlation between rainfall onset, cessation and maize yields respectively. Trend’s significancy of the MAM rainfall and maize yields were tested using the Mann-Kendall trend test, the P-Value approach and level of significancy. Likewise, onset, cessation, length of the rainfall season significancy on maize yield using P-value approach were further re- evaluated using the Mann-Kendell tau statistic. Results showed an increasing trend in rainfall for March, April, while May was decreasing with P-values 0.64,0.49,0.35, respectively that were not statistically significant yet the MAM long rainfall season showed an increasing trend with a P-value of 0.35 that was statistically insignificant. The MAM maize production (2013-2022) showed an increasing trend in maize yields with a Sens’s slope of 92.863 tons and a significant P-Value (0.043) showing a positive trend over the years. Study findings regarding variations in rainfall onset showed 26th February as the earliest and 8th April as the latest onset date. Rains started 24 times in March which accounted for 75% of total occurrences. 1st May was the earliest date while 26th June was the latest cessation date. The rains ended 21 times in May which accounted for 66% of the total occurrences. The relationship between onset, cessation and maize yields was analyzed using Pearson correlation showed (-0.091 with a P- value of 0.420), (0.188 with a P- value 0.960) respectively, which is a negative (inverse) relationship for onset and a positive relationship for cessation. While Mann-Kendall tau statistical analysis showed onset results (-0737, P-value 0.3293), cessation results (0.1345, P-value 0.0746), length of season results showed (0.1585, P-value 0.0355). The results showed that the time of cessation of the rains and length of the growing season have more effect on maize yields than onset in the study area. UNMA should therefore collaborate with the local farmers and give timely information about when the rains will start and end to avoid food insecurity