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Reproductive biology of Protopterus aethiopicus in Lake Bisina, Uganda and performance of Larvae under experimental diet
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Zoology (Fisheries and Aquaculture) of Makerere University.Protopterus aethiopicus (Heckel, 1951) is an important food fish due to its meaty and taste qualities. It is an air breather and can survive desiccation of its habitat and low dissolved oxygen levels. Its population is declining in Uganda due to over exploitation, environmental degradation and large scale conversion of wetlands to agriculture and settlements. Aspects of reproductive biology of P. aethiopicus in Lake Bisina, Kumi district, Uganda were investigated from October 2015 to March 2016, and performance of larvae reared from wild spawned eggs and fed on different diets was examined in experimental glass tanks for 28 days. The study aimed at improving conservation strategies for P. aethiopicus in the wild, and to advance knowledge towards captive breeding of the species. A total of 605 fish of body length 8cm to 124cm TL (mean 38.66 ± 14.16cm) and body weight 14g to 6660g (mean 241.78 ± 72.12g) were used for this study. The sex ratio was 1:0.704 males to females and statistically significantly different from the 1:1 expected ratio (X2 = 18, df = 1, P < 0.05 n = 605). Males attained 50% maturity at 26.54 cm TL, females at 22.39 cm TL. Size limit for harvest in the wild was established to be 30cm. Total fecundity ranged from 564 to 19,570 eggs (mean = 5330 ± 841.32 SD) in fish measuring 387g to 2020g TW (mean = 793.83 ± 125.3 SD). The mean relative fecundity was 7 eggs per gram. There was a significant positive linear relationship between fecundity and total length (y=503.1x – 27377; R2 = 0.909; p=0.01) and between total weight (y=11.59x – 3876; R2 = 0.964; p=0.01). The overall mean condition factor ranged from 0.09 to 1.58 (mean = 0.31± 0.16) and for separate sexes 0.09 to 1.40 (mean = 0.31 ± 0.15) in males and 0.18 to 1.58 (mean = 0.31 ± 0.17) in females and was not statistically significantly different (t = 0.863 p = 0.723). Survival after 28 days of culture was higher for larvae fed on a combination of artificial dry feeds and live feed-moina (77%) than that fed separately on live feed-moina (71%) and artificial dry feed (66%). The results reveals that larval co-feeding on live and inert feeds favors the growth performance for P. aethiopicus. Conclusively, the harvest size limit of 30cm should be included in the national regulations for capture fisheries of P.aethiopicus. Secondly, further research towards artificial induction of P.aethiopicus to spawn in activity warrantee further research, given the high survival of larvae registered in this study
Factors associated with the survival of children within the first three months of life in Uganda
No full textA dissertation submitted to Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Statistics of Makerere UniversityThis study investigated the factors associated with the survival of children within the first three months of life in Uganda, using secondary data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS) of 10263 children. The study used a two-stage cluster sampling design to generate a nationally representative sample of households. The analysis was conducted at three stages. First, a descriptive summary of socio-economic factors, maternal factors, and child factors was performed. Summary statistics and a life table were used to describe the survival time or probability of dying. Second, differentials in survival time by socio-economic factors, maternal factors, and child factors were assessed using the Log-rank Chi-square test. Associations were established at a 5% level of significance using the general format for the Log-rank (χ2) Chi-Square test statistics for categorical variables. Third, the influence of socio-economic factors, maternal factors and child factors on survival time was assessed using multilevel proportional hazards model. The multilevel proportional hazards model using the Weibull distribution revealed that various factors were associated with the survival of children during the first three months of life. These factors included sex, geographical region, contraceptive use, tetanus immunization, postnatal care, and birth size. Specifically, female children (HR=0.732, p=0.013), those from the eastern region (HR=0.520, p=0.002), and those whose mothers’ utilized contraceptives were more likely to survive longer. Additionally, children whose mothers received the recommended dose of tetanus injection prior to birth (HR=0.503, p=0.001) and those whose mothers participated in postnatal check-ups (HR=0.363, p=0.000) also demonstrated improved survival rates. Conversely, children with low birth size were associated with a shorter survival time or higher mortality risk (HR=2.216, p=0.000). The study recommends that the government and relevant stakeholders should enhance family planning initiatives, increase awareness about the benefits of postnatal check-ups and encourage mothers to maintain a balanced diet both before and after childbirth to improve the weight of unborn and newborn infants. Additionally, educational campaigns should be implemented to motivate families to seek medical attention at health centers before, during and after delivery
Healthcare worker treatment practices for severe malaria for children Aged 6 Months to 12 years at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Medicine in Pediatrics and Child Health of Makerere University.Background: Malaria remains an important public health concern, it is estimated that 3.2 billion people are at of risk contracting malaria annually. In Uganda, malaria is among the leading causes of illness and death. Malaria case management, consisting of early diagnosis and prompt effective treatment, remains a vital component of malaria control and elimination strategies. In 2022 World Health Organization/Ministry of Health updated malaria treatment guidelines recommending 1. Test and treat approach, 2. Use Malaria RDTs if quality-assured malaria microscopy is not readily available,3. Parenteral artesunate use for severe malaria and treatment is completed with a full course of Dihydroartemisinin Piperaquine (DP) then monthly for 3 months as chemoprevention. As to if this is followed is unknown since no study has been carried out since the changes. This study seeks to determine health care worker severe malaria treatment factors and influencing factors at Mulago National Referral Hospital. Objective To determine the treatment practices among health care workers in managing children of age 6 months to 12 years with severe malaria and the influencing factors at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda. Methods: This was a parallel convergent mixed methods cross-sectional study that recruited children 6 months to 12 years with a diagnosis of with severe malaria admitted to the pediatric wards in Mulago National Referral Hospital. Quantitative data was collected using a structured questionnaire by interviewing patient care givers and a data abstraction tool was used to collect data from patient files from admission until discharge. This data was exported to STATA 17.0 for analysis. Eleven in-depth interviews(IDIs) were conducted among the health care workers to obtain information on the influencing factors to treatment practices. The transcripts were thematically analyzed using Nvivo software. Results: A total of 204 children with severe malaria were recruited. Majority of the children were males 128 (62.7%), median age was 4 years. A total of 196 (96.1%) were treated with iv artesunate and the rest of the patients were treated with both iv artesunate and iv quinine, after which oral antimalarials were prescribed to 195 (96.4%) of the patients. A total of 190 (97.4%) received Dihydroartemisinin/ Piperaquine (DP), and 5(2.6%) artemether lumefantrine as oral continuation dose and 181 (88.7%) received an explanation on how to take them. Post discharge chemoprevention at discharge was provided to 181 (88.7%) of the patients with 163(90%) receiving DP. Availability of diagnostic tools and equipment, availability of antimalarial drugs, patient’s age and weight, training on malaria treatment guidelines were identified as some of the factors that influenced malaria treatment practices. Conclusion: This study indicates there was a high adherence to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for management of children with severe malaria admitted in the hospital. Availability of drugs and diagnostic tools, and training of health care workers on current guidelines greatly influenced better treatment practices
Social anxiety, internet Usage, and depression among undergraduate students at Makerere University Post-COVID Pandemic
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Department of Mental Health, School of Psychology in partial fulfillment for the award of a Master’s of Science in Clinical Psychology of Makerere UniversityThere has been an increase in the prevalence of depression since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cause of this change was one of the focus areas of this study. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social anxiety, internet usage, and depression among undergraduate students at Makerere University post-COVID pandemic. The study was quantitative involving a sample of 379 undergraduate students from all the 10 colleges within the university, of which 173 females and the rest were males. A cross-sectional study was adopted, data was entered and analyzed using SPSS particularly linear regression, which assessed the relationship between the first three objectives, and process macro was used to determine the fourth objective. The results indicated the high prevalence of each variable, social anxiety disorder at 94.2%, Internet addiction at 78.6%, and depression at 55.4%. The study results also indicated that social anxiety predicted internet usage and depression, internet usage predicted depression. There was a mediating factor of internet usage between social anxiety and depression but no moderating effect of internet usage between social anxiety and depression. Based on the findings, the high prevalence of mental health problems demands urgent and effective measures to be taken to treat the affected students
Fetal anomaly scan rates, information collected, and prenatal referral patterns among pregnant women at Kawempe Hospital: A prospective observational study
No full textA research dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree of Masters of Medicine in General Surgery.Background: Congenital anomalies account for approximately 5% of global neonatal mortality and 8% of under-five mortality, with 90% of these deaths occurring in LMICs. The disparities between HICs and LMICs are largely due to delays in diagnosing and managing congenital anomalies. It is recommended that pregnant women undergo anomaly scans between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation, and those with fetal anomalies be referred to multidisciplinary fetal medicine centers for comprehensive management. Efforts to reduce neonatal and under-five mortality rates have plateaued in LMICs, primarily due to congenital anomalies. Objective: To assess the fetal anomaly scan rates, information collected, and prenatal referral patterns for pregnant women with anomalous scans in Kawempe National Referral Hospital Methods: This hospital-based, prospective observational study employed quantitative methods. A total of 427 respondents were consecutively recruited. Data on the proportion and information gathered from anomaly scans were collected using semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires. Referral patterns were determined through follow-up phone calls to women with anomalous scans seven days after the scan was performed. Data analysis was conducted using Stata software version 15.0. Results: The mean age of the participants was 26.9 years (standard deviation [SD]: 6.7), with a mean gestational age of 21.6 weeks (SD: 2.0). Of the 1,141 gravid women between 18 and 24 weeks seen at the study center during the study period, only 427 (37.4%) underwent ultrasound scans. However, none of the 472 scans performed met the minimum criteria for an anomaly scan. The most commonly reported items were fetal movements and cardiac activity, both noted in 100% of the scans. Only five (1.2%) of the 427 scans detected abnormalities, and none of these women were referred for prenatal care to a multidisciplinary team or a pediatric surgical specialist. Conclusion and recommendations: The proportion of fetal anomaly scans performed was low, and none of the scans met the minimum requirements for an anomaly scan. Furthermore, no prenatal referrals were made for the detected fetal anomalies. It is essential to assess the knowledge of healthcare workers on congenital anomalies, the appropriate timing of anomaly scans, and referral patterns to multidisciplinary teams. Additionally, the expertise of imaging personnel in performing and reporting on anomaly scans should be evaluated to improve outcomes
Provision of business information to small and medium women entrepreneurs in Buwunga Sub-County, Bugiri District, Uganda
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Information Science of Makerere University.Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in the world economy. They not only provide a vast range of employment opportunities but are also a breeding ground for innovations in all sectors of the economy. SMEs make up 70% of Uganda’s business sector and when the Micro businesses which employ less than 5 people are included the figure comes up to 99%. All the major sectors in Uganda’s economy are also dominated by SMEs. However, despite accounting for a big percentage of Uganda’s business sector, SMEs still heavily rely on internal information or retained earnings to meet their long-term information and financing needs which significantly limits their ability to take advantage of new market opportunities, access new technology, and build internal capacity. Therefore, this paper looks at the provision of business information to small and medium women entrepreneurs in Buwunga sub county, Bugiri District, Uganda with particular emphasis on how business enterprises can be developed and promoted so as to fill the Small and Medium Enterprises’ long-term financing and business information gap. The purpose of this study was to investigate the provision of business information to small and medium women entrepreneurs in Buwunga Sub- County, Bugiri district, Uganda. The specific study objectives were to determine the business information needs of small and medium-sized female entrepreneurs, to ascertain the sources of business information that these entrepreneurs use, to determine the information access channels available to these entrepreneurs, to identify the obstacles these women face in obtaining business information, and to suggest strategies for improving the dissemination of business information to small and medium-sized women entrepreneurs. The study was carried out using convergent parallel design, Mixed-Methods research approach and the research process was symbolized as quantitative and qualitative approach. The purposive and snowball sampling method was used to select respondents (who included women entrepreneurs) with in-depth business information and knowledge relating to the topic under study. Data was collected using three methods: interviews, observation, and questionnaire. Thematic analysis and the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that respondents’ commonly needed business information regarding family budgeting followed by business information on market price, loan facilities and income generating activities. The women entrepreneurs consulted informal than formal sources of business information and social-political meetings like burial ceremonies, radio, mobile phones, weddings and harvest festivals were the most used channel of communication. The major challenges that respondents faced were lack of awareness and knowledge on where to get useful business information and financial obstacles. The strategy seconded by the respondents was exposing and training the women entrepreneurs in different income generating activities and women empowerment through education and enlightenment programs. The study recommended regular training of women in income generating activities, financial literacy programs, making loan facilities available to the women entrepreneurs for business investments, repackaging of information, business information entrepreneurship, introduction of adult education in different villages, deployment of extension workers and gender sensitization
Analyzing the adoption of accounting practices in small businesses. A case study of traders in Kikuubo trading centre in Kampala, Uganda
No full textA research report submitted to the College of Business and Management Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Master of Business Administration of Makerere UniversityThe aim of the study was to examine the accounting practices adopted by traders in Kikuubo. The objectives of the study included assessing the prevailing accounting practices adopted by small businesses in Uganda, identifying the challenges of implementing accounting practices in small businesses, and providing recommendations for increasing the adoption of accounting practices in small businesses. A sample of 379 traders in Kikuubo trading center in Uganda was considered. The majority of respondents were male, while females represented a smaller portion of the sample. The largest proportion of respondents fell within the 36-40 years age group. A majority of respondents did not use internal controls such as stocktaking and issuing receipts to protect assets and minimize losses. The findings indicated that while small businesses in Uganda utilized various accounting practices, many still relied on informal methods and faced significant challenges in implementing more structured approaches. Key obstacles included limited financial resources, a lack of basic accounting knowledge, complex regulatory requirements, and inadequate access to technology. Despite these hurdles, there was a clear opportunity for improvement through targeted recommendations, such as providing affordable accounting software, enhancing financial literacy, and establishing support systems like business advisory centers and peer learning networks. Strengthening the enforcement of accounting regulations could also foster a more compliant and financially aware business environment. The study recommended implementing comprehensive financial literacy initiatives tailored for small business owners. Further studies should focus on longitudinal research to assess the long-term impacts of implemented recommendations on the adoption of accounting practices among small businesses, as tracking changes over time could provide deeper insights into effectiveness and sustainability. Additionally, further studies should explore comparative studies across different regions or countries to identify how varying economic, cultural, and regulatory environments influenced the adoption of accounting practices
Impact of blended learning on the academic performance of pharmacology students of Victoria University, Kampala: Quasi experimental study
No full textA research dissertation submitted to the School of Medicine in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Health Professions Education of Makerere University.Introduction: - As technology advances, innovative teaching-learning practices are advancing in higher education globally. The 21st century skills require stakeholders of higher education to be acquainted with the emerging trends of information technology (IT) in higher education. Blended learning is one of the evolving trends in higher education. It is an innovative teaching-learning practice which incorporates traditional classroom and online learning. Objectives: - In this study, the Impact of blended learning on the academic achievement of Pharmacology Students at VU was investigated. Methods: - The study design was a quasi-experimental. The study was done among Fifty-six (56) students. Twenty-eight (28) students were enrolled in the experimental group and the other twenty-eight (28) students in the control group. Group C was the control group and Group E was the experimental group. Both groups were given the same pre-test on day one of week one and the same post-test on last day of week three. In between the tests, Group C was exposed to Online Learning and Group E to blended learning for three weeks. The obtained data was analyzed using independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test, ANOVA, and frequency distribution and computer program SPSS 2022. Results: - Overall, there was no statistical difference among student pretest scores, mean scores 42.39 vs 41.75. However, students had better post-test scores in BL compared to OL. BL contributed an increase in student performance of 11.75% compared to OL. This was clearly indicated by better mean knowledge scores using ANOVA analysis for students in BL compared to OL, 61.79+/-18.15 vs 50.68+/-13.12, p=0.003; higher value of mean score using t-test analysis of 62 vs 46.9, p=0.006. Conclusion: - Blended learning provided a positive influence upon the academic performance of pharmacology students within Victoria University. It was found out that the initial pre-scores within both groups such as online and blended learning are similar, the post-test score effectively shows the positive impact of blended learning
Identification of unique molecular signatures in the envelope Glycoproteins of HIV-1 transmitted/founder viruses from East Africa
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Bioinformatics of Makerere University.Background: HIV-1 mucosal transmission undergoes a genetic bottleneck that allows a single
virus termed HIV-1 Transmitted/Founder (T/F) virus to establish a productive clinical infection
in most heterosexual transmission incidents. Studies emphasize that the presence of unique
molecular signatures in the envelope glycoproteins (Env) of HIV-1 T/F subtypes B and C
enhances transmission fitness, including, higher infectivity of target cells, and immune evasion.
However, there is limited evidence on the unique molecular signatures in the Envs of HIV-1
T/F subtype A1, D and A1/D recombinants predominant in East Africa. To bridge the gap, we
detected the T/F Env sequences, their subtypes, and unique molecular signatures associated
with them compared to the chronics of the same subtype. We also explored the association
between the molecular signatures and HIV-1 T/F Env structural characteristics.
Methods: Single genome amplification (SGA), Sanger sequencing, highlighter plots and
maximum likelihood trees identified HIV-1 T/F Env sequences. The Entropy, GenSig and HIV
genome browser tools were deployed for the unique molecular signature analysis where 90
HIV-1 T/F Envs from acutely infected individuals were compared to 118 HIV-1 chronic Envs.
Results: Subtype analysis based on the complete HIV-1 Env (gp160) gene revealed a high
proportion of subtype A1 T/Fs, followed by A1D recombinants, and fewer subtype D T/Fs in
East Africa, from 2006 to 2021. The same subtype trend was consistent among HIV-1 chronic
infection in the same period. Signature analysis revealed that HIV-1 T/F subtype A1 viruses
(85.37%) are less likely to have a robust Leucine signature at position 22 (L22) in the signal
peptide domain compared to subtype A1 chronic viruses (100%) (Fisher's exact test, p-value =
0.00235, q-value = 0.12). Additionally, the HIV-1 T/F subtype A1 viruses (84.62%) are less
likely to carry a robust Leucine signature at position 784 (L784) in the lentiviral lytic peptide
2 in the gp41 region compared to subtype A1 chronics (100%) (p-value = 0.00228, q-value =
0.12). Notably, both the robust L22 and L784 are sensitivity signatures to bnAbs in subtype C
early viruses. In addition, the HIV-1 A1D recombinant chronics (100%) are more likely to
select the robust Glutamate signature at position 734 (E734) in the gp41 cytoplasmic tail
compared to the A1D T/F viruses (75%) (p-value = 0.00122, q-value = 0.146). The E734
signature is an HXB2 site of interest associated with extraordinary immunogenicity.
Conclusion: The presence of the robust L22 and L784 signature sites in subtype A1 T/F viruses
and the robust E734 signature site in A1D recombinant T/F viruses may contribute to the
successful establishment of acute infection as well as maintenance of chronic infection.
Therefore, effective therapeutics should target these principal amino acid signatures pattern
Prevalence and factors associated with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder among female students attending Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery.
No full textA research report submitted to the Department of Obstestrics and Gynaecology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Makerere University.Background: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe mood disorder impacting a substantial number of women in their reproductive age. Despite a global prevalence of 3-8%, PMDD remains poorly understood, particularly in African regions. Methods: This study aimed to explore the prevalence and associated factors of PMDD among female students attending Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery in Uganda. We employed a cross-sectional quantitative design to investigate PMDD's prevalence and associated factors among females aged 18 to 49 at Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery. The research utilized a sample size of 301 participants, determined by a 95% confidence interval. Data collection involved socio-demographic questionnaires and the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool (PSTT), adhering to DSM-IV criteria for PMDD diagnosis. Collected data was statistically analyzed using STATA 14 software. Results: PMDD was found to be 20% among the participants. The most common premenstrual symptoms reported to be severe were physical symptoms and fatigue/lack of energy. Drinking more than one cup of coffee daily (AOR = 4.399; 95% CI: 1.1-17.8, P=0.037), and use of oral contraceptives (AOR =4.893, 95% CI: 1.2-19.9, P=0.026) were found to be significantly associated with PMDD in this study. Conclusions and recommendations: The prevalence of PMDD among female students attending Mulago school of nursing and midwifery was high, at 20%. Significant associations were found between PMDD and both the consumption of more than one cup of coffee and the use of oral contraceptives. It is recommended that screening for PMDD be implemented in educational institutions to facilitate timely care and support for affected individuals