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Services Related Barriers for Male Involvement in Utilization of Family Planning in Chato District Tanzania
Get PDFTanzania has one of the highest Total Fertility Rate in Africa of 4.8 and a 32% level of Family planning utilization. The Ministry of Health Community Development Gender and Elderly of Tanzania through Family planning Research Agenda has established that, low involvement of men in Family planning services is one of the barriers towards contraceptive uptake in many African societies due to male dominance in decision making including Family planning issues. The study was conducted to document current family planning (FP) utilization and identify possible underlying barriers affecting male involvement in utilization of Family planning in Chato District, Geita Tanzania. A cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative techniques was conducted. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 496 participants in 4 wards of Chato District. Focused Group Discussions and Key Informant interviews were conducted from each of these areas. Descriptive statistics was done to determine frequencies of FP methods used. Using odds ratios, bivariable analysis was done to assess the effect of individual factors on FP use. Inferential logistic regression was then run to assess for the effect of potential confounding variables. The proportion of men or their partner using Family planning was found to be 17.5%, which suggest that, there is low male involvement in utilization of family planning in Chato District due to many barriers. Logistic regression results suggested that it was 2 times more likely for participants that reported residing near Family planning service delivery points to use FP [ (OR=1.949, 95%CI=1.069-3.555, p=0.030)] than those that reported residing distant from FP services delivery points and 2 times more likely for participants who had FP side effects not to use FP [1.888, 95%CI =1.067-3.341, p=0.029], than those who never had side effects after use of FP methods. Overall 17.5% men currently utilized Family Planning. Access to FP service delivery points and side effects were more likely to be associated with FP use. The study underscored the need for Family Planning programs to adopt approaches that improve access to Family Planning methods and improved skilled provision of Family Planning methods to reduce side effects, in order to promote FP use in line with National objectives for scale up of Family planning utilization to 60%
Knowledge of Child Sexual Abuse Warning Signs among Secondary School Children in Temeke – Tanzania
Get PDFThe study aimed at assessing the level of warning sign knowledge as the primary prevention measure among secondary school children in Temeke Municipal. Specifically, the study intended to establish the knowledge level of warning signs as well as identifying common and least known warning signs among children. This study was a descriptive in nature which employed a sample size of 175 research subjects. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire; where the study was carried out in five secondary schools in Temeke. The study findings revealed that children have limited knowledge of warning signs; though, scores among identified warning signs had marginal differences. Further, fear of some people or places, developing lying habit and the knowledge of good, bad and confusing touching were identified by the research subjects as the common warning signs while developing new names of the genital was identified as the least known warning sign among others. Thus, the study recommends for programs geared towards imparting knowledge of warning signs in order to combat incidents of child sexual abuse
Adaption and Optimization of the Ferric-nitrilotriacetate Spectrophotometric Method for Quantification of Lactoferrin in Raw Milk
Get PDFThis study aimed at adapting and optimising the Fe3+-nitrilotriacetate (Fe3+-NTA) spectrophotometric method for determining lactoferrin (LF) content in raw milk and milk fractions. Isolation of LF from acid whey was achieved by using cellulose phosphate resin. LF was quantified from the standard curve based on spectrophotometric reading at 465nm. The purity of LF isolates was established based on lactoperoxidase (LP) activity. The adopted method indicated under estimation of LF content. However, this was modified by incorporation of NaHCO3 and Fe3+-NTA in both the blank for the standard and test samples, which improved the performance of the method. Results generally indicated that modified Fe3+-nitrilotriacetate (Fe3+-NTA) method is a simple, quick and reproducible method that can give a better quantitative estimation of LF. A batch procedure using cellulose phosphate resin was highly effective for the isolation and purification of LF as demonstrated with less contamination of LP
Assessment of Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change Scenarios for 50 years in Salima District, Malawi
Get PDFSmallholder farmers are significantly considered being amongst the poorest that are most affected by climate change. Climate change is rated the greatest threat to smallholders’ food production in the 21stcentury. Despite scientists agreeing that the world is getting warmer, it was important for this study to assess whether climate change is a reality that is known and experienced by smallholder farmers in Malawi. This paper assesses smallholder farmers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions (KAP) towards climate change in comparison with available meteorological data for 50 years. Descriptive research design with a mixed approach of both qualitative and quantitative research methods was adopted. A sample of 183 respondents was randomly and purposefully selected to include both household heads and key informants. Data collection method included Survey Questionnaire, Key Informants Interviews, Focused Group Discussions as well as literature review. Meteorological data for 50 years was analyzed to underpin farmers’ perceptions on climate change. The result shows that survey respondents’ knowledge of climate change is derived from their experiences, thoughts and ideas about how to cope with changing drought and rainfall seasons. Those results are in tandem with the conventional view based on scientific evidence that suggests changing climate in Malawi with profound impact on seasons
The Linkage between Resource Users Discourse Variations and Land Conflicts Proliferation in Lake Rukwa Basin, Tanzania
Get PDFConflicts between migrant agro-pastoralists, crop cultivators and nature conservators are invariably linked with resource scarcity. In the light of the Malthusian and Neo-Malthusian tradition, an increase in the human population and livestock in a locality is a sufficient condition for the proliferation of resource use conflicts. But this linkage is not the only determinant of land-use conflicts. This study uses the political ecology framework to explore conflicts determining factors beyond population growth and resource scarcity linkages. To ascertain this point, we conducted a descriptive study in the purposefully selected villages of Mtenga, Totowe, Mbuyuni and Ivuna in the Lake Rukwa basin. Data were gathered from the sample of 399 respondents through the use of semi-structured interview complemented in part by documentary sources. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22 and Microsoft EXCEL computer programs to establish patterns of the respondents’ opinions on the problem investigated. Results indicated that the persistence of the land-use conflicts was a function of differential resource use discourses held by resource users in the locality. Such variations were reflected in the differences over the land resources demands, perceptions, values, and power imbalances. The study concluded by calling for the need to establish a middle ground based on negotiation rather than forceful means currently used to manage resources in the basin
Pre-primary Education in Tanzania: Teachers’ Knowledge and Instructional Practices in Rural Areas
No full textRecently, the Ministry of Education Science and Technology though Tanzania Institute of Education introduced a new Pre-Primary Education Curriculum and Syllabus. Consequently, pre-primary teachers were orientated towards implementing the newly-established curriculum. However, little is known on the pre-primary teachers’ knowledge and practices vis-à -vis-effectiveness in teaching. This study, therefore, sought to narrow this gap of knowledge by assessing the pre-primary teachers' knowledge and practices regarding the implementation of the curriculum. A descriptive survey design informed this study. A total of 19 rural pre-primary teachers working in six wards in Mwanza and Morogoro regions were recruited to participate in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire with Likert scales and a classroom observation schedule. The findings reveal that overall, pre-primary teachers had little knowledge (M=2.12,SD=.58) regarding Early Childhood Education. On the other hand, however these teachers were knowledgeable on the importance of play to children (M=2.36, SD=.76) and understood the objectives of pre-primary education (M=2.47, SD=.79). Teachers’ instructional practices, however, were unsatisfactory (M=2.07, SD=.62). Statistically, however, their knowledge scores did not significantly correlate with their practice (r = .344, p>.05). On the whole, the pre-primary teachers’ instructional practices were unsatisfactory. This suggests a need for continued provision of in-service educational programmes to the teachers. Keywords: Knowledge, Practice, Early Childhood Education, Pre-primary teacher
The Effects of Repeated Heating on Thermal Degradation of Cooking Oil and its Implication on Human Health - A Review
No full textFrying is one of the most common food processing methods at household level and in different catering settings. Repeated frying or reuse of vegetable cooking oils is commonly exercised as a cost serving and profit maximization strategy though the practice exposes cooking oils to thermal degradation. The cooking oils in a non-degraded form have nutritional and health supremacy, which are attributed to their fatty acid composition and other minor components. However, the products of thermal degradation due to repetitive use of cooking oil are implicated to destroy their nutritional and health benefits. Besides, the consumption of food products fried with reused oil on the other hand is indicated to pose health risks to the consumers. This has attracted the attention of several researchers to investigate the health risks associated with thermal degradation products of cooking oil. The present review provides an enriched overview and insight into deteriorative effect on cooking oils due to repetitive deep frying and the associated health risks they inflict. The information on repeatedly used cooking oil, degradation compounds, deteriorative effects and other related literatures were gathered through electronic search (Science Direct, Pub Med, and Google Scholar) and desk reviewed. A narrative literature review approach was used in which the different literatures were critically evaluated and summarized with conclusions drawn and inconsistence / gaps in a body of knowledge revealed. The retrieved data demonstrated and confirmed a variety of deleterious health effects ranging from histo-pathological alterations, damage to the alimentary canal (duodenum and colon) and vital organs (change in size of the liver including swelling heart, kidney and testes cells) and rise in blood pressure BP. Though some mitigation approaches are available including the use of antioxidant and adsorbent extracts, their applicability at household and in other catering service settings can hardly be practiced. It’s thus important for stakeholders to limit the repetitive use of cooking oil to protect the consumers’ health.  Key words: Vegetable cooking oil, repeated frying, thermal degradation, deteriorative effects, health risk
Examining Teacher Trainees’ Attitude towards Teaching Profession and Teaching Subjects in Tanzania
Get PDFTeacher trainees’ positive attitude on teaching is fast becoming a key instrument in teacher trainees’ motivation to teaching. Thus, it is regarded as a central policy agenda that has recently captured the minds of academics and researchers. Based on those facts, we examined the extent to which teacher trainees hold positive attitude on two dimensions—attitude towards teaching profession and teaching subjects. Additionally, we investigated whether these dimensions of attitudes are significantly related to demographic variables such as gender, GPA, whether or not they had worked before joining teacher education university programme, years of work, future work preferences and subjects of specialization. Participants for this study constituted a sample of 901 final-year teacher trainees from one of the teacher education university college in Tanzania. Findings indicated that teacher trainees’ attitude and GPA were not significantly related. Instead, a significant correlation was observed between the two dimensions of attitudes. Shockingly, findings indicated that more than 50% of teacher trainees had no preferences of working as teachers. Worse enough, the figures were similar even among science and mathematics majors who are highly demanded in the teaching career. Finally, the implications for policy and future research are put forth
Socio-Cultural Factors, Attitude and Belief on Compliance to Covid-19 Preventive Measures among Abuja Residents, Nigeria: Pivotal Roleof Health Education
Get PDFSocio-cultural factors, attitude and belief have been identified as major factors of diseases compliance and are germane to preventing COVID-19 because of their direct influence in the preventive process of COVID-19. There is dearth of data concerning these variables in the spread of COVID-19. This study examined the influence of socio-cultural factors, attitude, and belief in the prevention of COVID-19 in Abuja, Nigeria and the pivotal role of health education in order to ascertain how the listed factors affect compliance of Abuja residents in preventing the spread of the disease. A cross-sectional survey design, and 338 participants selected using snowball sampling technique. A self-structured validated questionnaire (coefficient reliability 8.0) administered electronically for three weeks (June 2020) was used for data collection. Data analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and mean for demographic data. Hypotheses tested using inferential statistics of regression, T-test, ANOVA and Schefft’s Post Hoc at 0.05 significance level. Attitude and belief were significant predictors of participants’ preventive measures, F (2, 335) = 6.373 where p < 0.05; indicating that increase in attitude and belief of the participants led to taking more precautionary measures of COVID-19. Family type of the participants influenced compliance to COVID-19 (T (336) = -3.109 where p < 0.05). Other socio-cultural factors: occupation, education, ethnicity, and income influenced participants’ compliance to COVID-19 prevention (p < 0.05). Religion and neighborhood did not influence the participants’ compliance to COVID-19 prevention (p > 0.05). Health education is a veritable tool to ameliorate socio-cultural factors influencing compliance to COVID-19 and has a pivotal role to play in preventing the spread of COVID-19. It should be positioned proactively to reduce the impact of the influence of socio-cultural factors on the spread of COVID-19. Similar studies should be carried out in other parts of Nigeria for comparison
Customers’ perception on service performance: A comparative analysis between foreign and local banks in Tanzania
Get PDFThis study was a comparative study of the level of service performance between foreign and local banks. It focused on customers’ perception of service performance. This comparison was purposely done due to the fact that different international banks have opened their branches in Tanzania, and this has in one way or another forced to change the competitive landscape of the country’s banking industry. The study had a sample size of 380 respondents who were the customers of these banks. Confirmatory Factor Analysis at the second-order level was analyzed by looking at the Chi-square statistical values, Incremental Fit Index, the Tucker-Lewis Fit Index, the Comparative Fit Index, the Parsimony Normed Fit Index, and the Root Mean Square Error Approximation as the indicators of the model fit. Mean values were compared between foreign and local banks. The main findings from the study indicate that the fit indices indicated measurement invariance of service performance. quality of service, service innovativeness, and cash distribution facilities were perceived better by foreign banks’ customers than local banks’ customers