Uganda Christian University Digital Institutional Repository
Not a member yet
807 research outputs found
Sort by
Wampiti, Wakayima Ni Benseni
Get PDFThis is a children's story book.This is a children's story narrated about three animals which were friends among themselves
Knowledge, sources and use of family planning methods among women aged 15-49 years in Uganda: a cross-sectional study
Get PDFThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This article is available online at: http://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/24/39/full/Introduction: Lack of knowledge of where to obtain correct family planning (FP) information and methods can be a critical barrier to eventual uptake of FP services. We assessed knowledge, sources and use of FP methods among women of reproductive age in rural Uganda.
Methods: This secondary analysis uses data from a larger cross-sectional study conducted to measure changes in perceptions towards long-term and reversible contraceptive use among 2,033 women of reproductive age (15-49years) resident in 34 districts of Uganda. Both users and non-users of FP methods were interviewed. Data were analyzed using STATA statistical software, version 12.
Results: Majority of the women were less than 30 years of age (64.3%). Nearly three-quarters were married (73.1%), 51.1% had primary education and more than half (57%) were engaged in employment. Knowledge of FP methods was universal (98.1%). Clinic providers (60.4%), friends (56.9%) and the media (51.3%) were the most trusted sources of contraceptive information. Government (27.6%) and private (21.1%) health facilities were the main sources of modern FP methods. Sixty two per cent of women reported current use of any FP method. Among non-users of FP, injectables (50.4%), implants (22.8%) and pills (20.2%) were the most preferred FP methods.
Conclusion: Our findings show that knowledge of FP methods is almost universal and that six in ten women use any FP method. Clinic providers, friends and the media are the most trusted sources of FP information. Government and private health facilities are the main sources of FP services
Human resource management practices, employee engagement and organizational citizenship behaviours in selected firms in Uganda
Get PDFThis paper researchers within human resource management (HRM) field have been concerned with how HRM can lead to improved organizational performanceThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between human resource (HR) practices, employee engagement and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) in selected firms in Uganda. Adopting a pragmatic philosophy with a quantitative methods strategy using quantitative cross-sectional survey design (N = 210) the researcher examined the relationship between nine antecedents, employee engagement and one outcome – OCB. Self-administered questionnaire of four scales were administered to sampled employees of soft drink and sugar firms Kampala, Mukono and Buikwe districts of Uganda. Hypotheses were tested through correlation and hierarchical regression. All the nine antecedent variables studied were significantly related to employee engagement and employee engagement was significantly related to OCB. The hierarchical regression analysis results shows that five antecedent variables demonstrated a significant relation with OCB - role clarity, collaboration, job security, compensation fairness and development. This research has validated the organizational citizenship behaviour model, extended the engagement model and social exchange theory and established that all the nine antecedents studied were related to engagement but only five were significantly related to OCB
Setting research priorities to improve global newborn health and prevent stillbirths by 2025
Get PDFThis study was much greater number suffer from long term impairment associated with preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, congenital anomalies, and perinatal or infectious causes. With the approaching deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, there was a need to set the new research priorities on newborns and stillbirth with a focus not only on survival but also on health, growth and development.Background In 2013, an estimated 2.8 million newborns died and 2.7 million were stillborn. A much greater number suffer from long term impairment associated with preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, congenital anomalies, and perinatal or infectious causes. With the approaching deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, there was a need to set the new research priorities on newborns and stillbirth with a focus not only on survival but also on health, growth and development. We therefore carried out a systematic exercise to set newborn health research priorities for 2013–2025.
Methods We used adapted Child Health and Nutrition Research
Initiative (CHNRI) methods for this prioritization exercise.
We identified and approached the 200 most productive researchers and 400 program experts, and 132 of them submitted research questions online. These were collated into a set of
205 research questions, sent for scoring to the 600 identified experts, and were assessed and scored by 91 experts.
Results Nine out of top ten identified priorities were in the domain of research on improving delivery of known interventions, with simplified neonatal resuscitation program and clinical algorithms and improved skills of community health workers leading the list. The top 10 priorities in the domain of development were led by ideas on improved Kangaroo Mother
Care at community level, how to improve the accuracy of diagnosis by community health workers, and perinatal audits.
The 10 leading priorities for discovery research focused on stable surfactant with novel modes of administration for preterm babies, ability to diagnose fetal distress and novel tocolytic agents to delay or stop preterm labour.
Conclusion These findings will assist both donors and researchers in supporting and conducting research to close the knowledge gaps for reducing neonatal mortality, morbidity and long term impairment. WHO, SNL and other partners will work to generate interest among key national stakeholders, governments, NGOs, and research institutes in these priorities, while encouraging research funders to support them.
We will track research funding, relevant requests for proposals and trial registers to monitor if the priorities identified by this exercise are being addressed
A comparision of the yield of three tuberculosis screening modalities among people living with HIV: a retrospective quasi-experiemental study
Get PDFThis study explored Intensified Case Finding (ICF) tool which was approved for TB screening in 2011; however there is still paucity of robust data comparing yields of the different ICF screening modalities.Background: The Intensified Case Finding (ICF) tool was approved for TB screening in 2011; however there is still paucity of robust data comparing yields of the different ICF screening modalities. We compared yields of three different screening modalities for TB among Patients Living with HIV (PLHIV) in Uganda in order to inform National
TB Programs on the most effective TB screening method.
Methods: This was a retrospective quasi-experimental study conducted at an Out-Patient HIV/AIDS clinic in Uganda. We set out to determine yields of three different TB screening modalities at three time periods: 2006/07 where Passive Case Finding (PCF) was used. Here, no screening questions were administered; the clinician depended on the patient’s self-report. In 2008/09 embedded Intensified Case Finding Tool (e-ICF) was used; here a data capture field was added to the patient clinical encounter forms to compel clinicians to screen for TBsymptoms. In 2010/11 Independent Intensified Case Finding Tool (i-ICF) was used; here a screening data collection form, was used, it had the same screening questions as e-ICF. Routine clinical data, including TB status, were collected and entered into an electronic clinical care database. Analysis was done in STATA and the main outcome estimated was the proportional yield of TB cases for each screening modality.
Results: The overall yield of TB cases was 11.18 % over the entire period of the study (2006 – 2011). The intervention–specific yields were 1.86 % for PCF, 14.95 % for e-ICF and 12.47 % for i-ICF. Use of either e–ICF (OR:9.2, 95 % CI: 4.81-17.73) or i– ICF (OR: 7.7, 95 % CI: 4.02-14.78) significantly detected more TB cases compared to
PCF (P <0.001). While the yields of the Active Case Finding modalities (e-ICF & i-ICF) were not significantly different (OR: 0.98, 95 % CI 0.76-1.27, P = 0.89).
Conclusion: The active screening modalities (e-ICF & i-ICF) had a comparable TB yield and were eight to nine times more efficient in identifying TB cases when compared to the PCF. Cost effectiveness studies would be informative
Changes in whole-blood PUFA and their predictors during recovery from severe acute malnutrition
Get PDFThis prospective study took place in a paediatric nutrition rehabilitation unit in Kampala, Uganda, and assessed whole-blood fatty acid composition of children with SAM at admission, transition, discharge and follow-up (8 and 16 weeks). ANCOVA was used to identify predictors of change in whole-blood PUFA.Children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with complications require in-patient management including therapeutic feeding. Little attention has been given to the effects of these feeds on the essential fatty acid status of children with SAM. The objective of this study was to describe changes in the PUFA composition in whole blood in children with SAM during treatment and to determine predictors of change. This prospective study took place in a paediatric nutrition rehabilitation unit in Kampala, Uganda, and assessed whole-blood fatty acid composition of children with SAM at admission, transition, discharge and follow-up (8 and 16 weeks). ANCOVA was used to identify predictors of change in whole-blood PUFA. The study included 120 children with SAM and twenty-nine healthy control children of similar age and sex. Among the SAM children, 38 % were female and 64 % had oedema. Whole-blood n-6 PUFA proportions increased from admission to follow-up, except for arachidonic acid, which decreased by 0·79 (95 % CI 0·46, 1·12) fatty acid percentage (FA%) from admission to transition and 0·10 (95 % CI 0·23, 0·44) FA% at discharge. n-3 Long-chain (LC) PUFA decreased by 0·21 (95 % CI 0·03, 0·40) FA% at discharge and 0·22 (95 % CI 0·01, 0·42) FA% at 8 weeks of follow-up. This decrease was greater in children from families with recent fish intake and those with nasogastric tube feeding. Current therapeutic feeds do not correct whole-blood levels of LCPUFA, particularly n-3 LCPUFA, in children with SAM. Increased attention is needed to the contents of n-3 LCPUFA in therapeutic feeds
Health and wholeness undergraduate course in Uganda: potential public health impact and transferability
Get PDFThis article was published in the Christian Journal for Global Health. Vol 3 No 2 (2016): Educating for Health Globally and the Formative Years / Case Studies.Over 26,000 students at a major Christian University in Uganda have completed a single semester course on Health and Wholeness. While common in other higher education contexts, general education courses and health education courses in particular are uncommon in the Africa higher education context. This course therefore is a bold initiative by Uganda Christian University. The course is designed to help students in a wide range of programs understand how to promote and improve health in their own lives as well as their homes, communities, workplace and society. Students learn about the definitions of health and wholeness. They discuss hygiene; nutrition; sanitation, water and land use; common occurring health problems, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections; sexuality; first aid and early intervention; family health, dependence, fitness and life skills and leadership for a healthy society. Through discussion, students are expected to identify factors that hinder or enhance health. Challenges and lessons learned in the course include confronting cultural practices, improving critical analysis skills, addressing information at the right technical level, and improving behavior change. Because graduates come from, and move on to, virtually all facets of economic, civil and social life in Uganda and beyond, this course could carry tremendous potential to improve the public’s health
Estimation of the HIV-1 backward mutation rate from transmitted drug-resistant strains
Get PDFOne of the serious threats facing the administration of antiretroviral therapy to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infected patients is the reported increasing prevalence of transmitted drug resistance. However, given that HIV-1 drug-resistant strains are often less fit than the wild-type strains, it is expected that drug-resistant strains that are present during the primary phase of the HIV-1 infection are replaced by the fitter wild-type strains. This replacement of HIV-1 resistant mutations involves the emergence of wild-type strains by a process of backward mutation. How quickly the replacement happens is dependent on the class of HIV-1 mutation group.
We estimate the backward mutation rates and relative fitness of various mutational groups known to confer HIV-1 drug resistance. We do this by fitting a stochastic model to data for individuals who were originally infected by an HIV-1 strain carrying any one of the known drug resistance-conferring mutations and observed over a period of time to see whether the resistant strain is replaced. To do this, we seek a distribution, generated from simulations of the stochastic model, that best describes the observed (clinical data) replacement times of a given mutation. We found that Lamivudine/Emtricitabine-associated mutations have a distinctly higher, backward mutation rate and low relative fitness compared to the other classes (as has been reported before) while protease inhibitors-associated mutations have a slower backward mutation rate and high relative fitness. For the other mutation classes, we found more uncertainty in their estimates.The work was supported by a Wellcome Trust Uganda Ph.D. Fellowship in Infection and Immunity held by Kitayimbwa Mulindwa John, funded by a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award, grant number 084344
The Impact of Access to Agricultural Services on Maize Productivity in Uganda.
Get PDFThis paper was presented in the Annual SME Conference hosted by Uganda Christian University, Faculty of Business and Administration; October 2016.The study examined the influence of access to agricultural services on maize productivity in Uganda. It was motivated by the fact there are low maize yields and yet the government has continuously increased funding to the agricultural sector through providing agricultural services to the maize farmers. The study analysed the access to credit services, extension services and access to markets and their influence on maize productivity. Using the multiple linear regression analysis and the Uganda Census of Agriculture 2008/2009 data, collected by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBoS), we found that access to credit services leads to an increase in maize productivity, access to extension services increase maize productivity and access to markets leads to an increase in maize productivity. On the basis of these observations, we recommend that there is need for government to strengthen measures for farmers to access credit through farmer membership groups, VSLS, farmer banks, need by government to employ more extension workers to cover the largely unreached areas at the village levels and the central government should work together with the local governments in establishing maize produce markets in each sub-county in order to reduce the distance farmers take to reach the markets and through group marketing under farmer groups
Kugabana Ekyenkani
Get PDFThis is a children's story book.This is a children's story about the discipline of sharing equally among each other