The University of Zambia Journals
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Association between bag weight, carrying style and low back pain and spinal curvatures among school children in Accra, Ghana
Get PDFBackground: Carrying school bags forms part of the daily routine of school children in the Accra Metropolis. Carrying of these heavy school bags has been found to have negative musculoskeletal effects on developing children. We set out to determine the association between bag weight, carrying style and deviations in the normal curvature as well as low back pain among school children.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved school children who were selected from 20 public and private schools, in Ablekuma South. Participants and school bags were weighed using a weighing scale. The vertical plumb line was used to screen for sagittal and frontal curvatures and the backpack questionnaire was used to obtain data. Chi square and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the association between the relative weights of the bags, the carrying style, spinal curvature and low back pain among the school children.
Results: Out of 624 participants recruited, 90.2% used backpacks as school bags. There was a significant association between the carrying style and spinal curvatures – frontal and sagittal curvature (p = 0.005 & 0.003 respectively), but not low back pain (p = 0.962). The bag weight was significantly associated with sagittal curvature (p = 0.000) but not for frontal curvature (p = 0.784) and low back pain (p = 0.914).
Conclusion: Carrying of heavy school bags consequently affects forward deviation of the spine in the sagittal plane. The carrying style also has an effect on the spinal curvature. However, the bag weight and carrying style have no significant effect on the occurrence of low back pain
Compounding effects of COVID-19 on health and socio-economic needs of artisanal small-scale gold miners at Chawagona site, Bindura, Zimbabwe
Get PDFBackground: COVID-19 pandemic has apart from causing infections and deaths ravished worldwide economies on a level not experienced before. This disease has shown that it can potentially affect businesses, livelihoods, industries, communities and overwhelm health systems. The ASGM sector which faces a plethora of existing challenges, has not been exempted from these shocks. The intention of this study was to investigate the compounding effects of COVID- 19 on the health and socio-economic needs of ASGM in Chawagona farm.
Methods: A mixed methods approach was carried out. The quantitative aspect employed a descriptive non- interventional cross-sectional study and the qualitative component, a case study. A logistic regression model, chi- square and a t-test were used as estimation techniques. Statistical package used was Stata 16. Qualitative data analysis used thematic analysis with CAQDAS. Multiphase sampling techniques were adopted for the survey and in-depth interviews with a total of 181 respondents, all ASGM at Chawagona farm, Bindura, Zimbabwe.
Results: Study indicated that COVID-19 severely affected respondents’ main source of income, food security and thereby affecting their health and livelihoods. Results show an association between loss of income and socio- demographic characteristics such as sex, role in the ASGM, education, age, accommodation, household size. They also show that apart from the existing socio-economic conditions, the ASGM KAPs around COVID-19 are influenced by lack of information, lack of access or barriers to health care are more likely to promote non-compliance with preventive protocols.
Conclusion: COVID-19 has compounded the vulnerabilities of ASGM, who already had pre-existing health and socio-economic challenges. As such, there is need for multiple stakeholder interventions in improving health access, structural support, income stabilization, food security and recovery of livelihoods, during and post the pandemic. Therefore, the study promoted the adoption of a broader approach to build capacity and resilience in the ASGM communities in the event of future pandemics.
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Keywords: Artisanal small-scale gold miners, COVID-19, health, socio-economic, pandemi
Understanding adolescent perspectives on fertility control during Covid-19
Get PDFBackground: This study investigates adolescents' perspectives on fertility control strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in the urban township of Lusaka District. The background highlights existing challenges, such as high HIV rates and teenage birth rates. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, utilizing in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires. The study involves 20 adolescents and 5 healthcare workers for qualitative data and 130 adolescents aged 13-24 for quantitative data, selected through purposive and convenience sampling.
Results: The findings reveal that a majority of participants are sexually active, using contraceptives, with a noteworthy proportion experiencing pregnancies despite contraceptive use. Vaccination status is linked to contraceptive use. Factors such as social support, economic support, spiritual/religious influence, self-efficacy, and assertiveness in sexual situations significantly influence the inclination to abstain from sexual intercourse. Higher education and older age are associated with increased contraceptive use. Some participants report being affected by COVID-19, citing challenges like condom shortages, strict measures, and fear of infection. Healthcare workers note the pandemic's impact on contraceptive accessibility, contributing to a surge in unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among young people.
Conclusion: The study concludes by emphasizing the necessity of enhancing contraceptive access and promoting safer sex practices, particularly targeting less-educated individuals, those with limited economic and social support, and younger demographics
Review Fr. Dominic Nchete
No full textZambian scholars have started paying attention to local stories by either retelling the missionary tales from a Zambian perspective or bringing new cases to the fore. Reverend Father Hector Mwale, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Monze, combines the two when he narrates the story of Fr. Dominic Nchete, the first Tonga Catholic Priest. At just over 200 hundreds pages, the book is a quick pick for early scholars of religion and education in Zambia. It utilises the omniscient 3rd person narrative style with simple, straight forward language to explore the life of Fr. Nchete from his royal childhood under Chief Monze the ‘Rain Maker,’ priestly training and early service during a racially and politically charged period in Zambia’s history through his trials and perseverance, up to his death in 1992
CHALLENGES OF CRAFTING AND IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE CULTURAL POLICY FOR MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN ZIMBABWE
Get PDFManagement and governance of people from different cultural backgrounds can be made possible through a cultural policy. As a multicultural nation, Zimbabwe is expected to have legislation to govern people from culturally diverse areas. It is against this background that the Zimbabwe draft cultural policies of 2007 and 2016 were put in place, although they seem to be deficient, resulting in the failure of their implementation. Guided by the theory of hegemony and ideology, this article seeks to unravel the challenges hampering the generation of an appropriate cultural policy for governing cultural diversity in Zimbabwe. Using a qualitative research approach through document analysis of the draft policies and interviews with policymakers and cultural practitioners to gather data, the study established that Zimbabwe’s draft cultural policies of 2007 and 2016 are not accommodative of various cultural groups and, hence, pose many challenges to governance
PRIMARY PUPIL SCHOOL ABSENTEEISM AMONG TOBACCO AND NON-TOBACCO FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN NKEYEMA DISTRICT IN ZAMBIA
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to ascertain the link between tobacco farming and the factors which contributed to learner absenteeism in selected primary schools of Nkeyema District. The study was qualitative with a sample of 44 participants (class teachers, learners from both tobacco and non-tobacco farming households, and tobacco and non-tobacco farming parents from the communities of the two selected schools) purposively selected from two primary schools. A case study design was employed and data were collected using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data were later analysed thematically. The findings revealed that tobacco farming had a negative effect on learner attendance at school. The study suggested sensitising both parents and their children on the importance of regular school attendance, increasing parents-teachers collaboration on matters affecting learners and that the tobacco farming companies operating in Nkeyema District should work together with the school administrators to introduce mobile education programmes for learners in the tobacco farming camps
An Epistemic Survey of African (Igbo) Notions of Knowledge in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Get PDFThis study undertakes an epistemic survey of the notions of knowledge among Igbos of Nigeria as couched in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. In this work, Achebe relives the vibrant world of Igbo people before the advent of colonialists in Nigeria. The study therefore unveils the roles and significances of knowledge among the Igbos, the beauty and depth of the people’s values system as enshrined in their culture and traditions. It also exposes the place of elders and oral tradition as both purveyors and repository of knowledge hence, their relevance in Igbo knowledge acquisition process. The work showcases that life among the Igbos was chiefly communal. Knowledge in this society, was acquired through collective experience and wisdom by individual persons’ participation in the community’s rituals, myths and folklores. However, the researcher adopted the hermeneutical and textual analysis methods of inquiry which enabled us to interpret and analyse the Novel, Things Fall Apart. In line with our hermeneutical method, we clarified the meaning of Omenani (traditions) of the people and its’ influence on the epistemology of the people. Our study found that any strongly held beliefs or cultural values which bring only crises when people of different cultures interact necessitates the need for the cultivation of proper epistemological modesty instead of a tenacious attachment to customs and traditions. Lastly, our study recommends a relevant epistemic change as panacea to cultural and social rifts. This more balanced knowledge system being recommended has the capacity of engendering inter-cultural interactions and ensuring social harmony even in the face of the challenges of cultural globalization. This novel problem-solving system is located in our idea of epistemic inter-culturalism
Towards the Development of a Finger Millet (Elesine Coracana) l. Garten) Breeding Programme in Zambia: A Multivariate Analysis of Agronomic Traits of Mutation Derived Lines
Get PDFFinger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) is one of the climate-resilient cereal crops with the potential to mitigate the effect of climate change among the smallholder farmers who are the major growers of finger millet. It can adapt to extreme environmental conditions and grow under a wide range of diverse agroecologies, which is an advantage to breeding high-yielding stress-tolerant genotypes. However, the strength of breeding high-yielding, climate-resistant genotypes is highly or largely dependent on the genetic information of the base breeding population. The lack of knowledge on the genetic information of finger millet in Zambia has hampered the breeding of climate-resilient genotypes. Therefore, a study assessed the diversity of M6mutant lines. The mutants were selected from a pure line selection derived from a landrace finger millet variety called Mutubila.The Mutubila pure line was irradiated with a dose of 100gy gamma rays. The irradiated seed was planted to raise the M1 generation for eventual advancement to the sixth generation. From the M2 to M4 generations, mutants were selected based on the number of productive tillers and finger length using the independent culling selection approach at a selection intensity of 10%. In the M5 and M6 generations, however, the selection of advanced lines was expanded to include the number of fingers per ear head and other important agronomic traits. This resulted in 40 mutant lines being selected in the M6 generation. The 40 mutant lines and eight checks were planted using an Alpha Lattice design with two replications and eight blocks. The 48 genotypes were evaluated for agronomic performance, and the data collected was analysed using R software. The results revealed that the mutant lines were diverse in the number of productive tillers per plant (3 to 15), main ear length (4.4 to 14.5cm), number of fingers per ear head (3 to 17) and grain yield (0.58 to 2.95tons/ha). The yield components (number of productive tillers, Finger length, number of fingers, strawweight, and thousand seed weight) were strongly and positively correlated to grain yield (R2 > 0.67) as well as strongly and positively inter-correlated. Days to flowering were weakly and negatively correlated to grain yield (R2 > -0.17.The Mahalabonis analysis grouped the genotypes into ten (10) clusters, with cluster I having the highest number of sub-clusters (11) and cluster IX and X having the lowest sub-clusters (1). The highest inter-cluster distance (> 572,618) was observed between clusters V and IV; V and VII; V and IX; and VII and XI, indicating wider divergence among these clusters. The least inter-cluster distance
Growth Performance of Kuroiler (Rhode Island Red x White Leghorn) Chickens Fed Aflatoxin Contaminated Maize-Based Diets Treated with Different Amounts of Lemon (Limon Citrus) Juice
Get PDFAflatoxin contamination in feed and feed ingredients is prevalent worldwide and poses serious risks to both livestock and humans. This study assessed the effects of feeding Aflatoxin (AF) contaminated maize-based diets treated with varying levels of lemon juice to Kuroiler chickens’ growth performance. Lemon juice was extracted from fruits purchased from the local market and mixed with isocaloric and isonitrogenic diets (starter, grower and finisher) containing AF-contaminated maize, at 0, 250, 500 and 750ml lemon juice/Kg of feed. The diets were left to dry for 24 hours, after which 100g samples were collected from each diet to measure and compare the residual AF levels. Then, 100 day-old Kuroiler chicks were sourced from a local hatchery and divided into four treatment groups (n = 25). Each group was replicated four times. The treatment groups were randomly assigned to 0, 250, 500, and 750ml lemon juice/Kg feed–treated diets. These feeds and clean drinking water were supplied to the birds ad libitum for 49 days. Feed intake was monitored daily, and body weights, weight gains, and feed conversion ratios were assessed weekly. It was observed that the amount of residual AF in each diet depended on the amount of lemon juice used to treat it. The untreated diet had the highest AF levels at 36 ppb, followed by that which was treated with 250, 500, and 750 ml lemon juice/Kg feed at 28.1, 21.3, and 7.4 ppb, respectively. Growth performance variables assessed were also influenced by the amounts of residual AF levels in the diet. Birds fed diets with the lowest residual AF levels at 7.4 ppb had the best (p < 0.05) growth performance in all the variables, while the least (p < 0.05) was observed in birds fed untreated diet, followed by those that were fed diets treated with 250 and 500ml Lemon juice/kg feed. It was concluded that lemon juice was able to degrade AF in diets that had maize contaminated with AF, but the extent to which it inactivated it, depended on the amount of juiced used. Similarly, growth performance of birds fed diets with AF-contaminated maize treated with lemon juice was also dependent on the levels of residual AF in feeds after treatment, with the best performance observed in chickens fed diets treated with 750ml lemon juice per kg feed
Investigating Practices Predisposing Fish Farmers to Malaria Infection: An Analytical Cross Section Survey of Mongu and Limulunga Districts of Western Province of Zambia
Get PDFMalaria is a parasitic disease transmitted between humans through the bite of the infected female Anopheles mosquito. Zambia has recently experienced a growing demand for fish, which is largely triggered by the growing population and an emergent urban middle class within Zambia and neighbouring countries. Various fish farming practices are conducted on small-scale, smallholder and commercial levels. Western Province is among the provinces in Zambia where fish farming is done. In 2014, Zambia became the sixth largest producer of farmed fish (mainly breams – a local name for tilapia) in Africa and the largest in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) between 2012 and 2015. From 2012 to 2015, malaria prevalence started to increase from 12.6% to 15.6% in the Western Province of Zambia. This study set out to investigate the practices of fish farmers that predispose them to malaria infection in Mongu and Limulunga districts of Western Province of Zambia. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Out of a total of 75 fish farmers, 83% of the participants had good knowledge of malaria, while 17% had poor knowledge, and an association was found between the two highest levels of education (Tertiary and Secondary) and knowledge of malaria according to the chi-squared test (