ABSTRACT The production of aircraft meals can pose risks of global dimensions. Microbiological hazards are the most prominent risk factors associated with this kind of food production and arise owing to the complexity of the operation in the flight kitchen, long food production chains and onboard services with limited facilities. Food borne diseases constitute a significant cause of reduced economic activity in this sector and are also a growing public health problem worldwide. Regular micro...
ABSTRACT Many institutions have invested in health and fitness facilities with the aim of promoting productivity and reducing escalating healthcare cost associated with conditions that result from physical inactivity amongst employees. However, the reported uptake of these services is quite low. This study analysed the determinants of participation in physical activity in on-site fitness centres among employees of Kenyatta University and Africa Nazarene University in Kenya. A cross-sectional...
ABSTRACT Job satisfaction among healthcare workers plays an important role in influencing productivity, performance efficiency, effectiveness, and the quality and safety of health care services. While there are numerous factors that influence healthcare workers’ job satisfaction, there is a need to identify the factors and address them adequately to improve the satisfaction and enhance the quality of health care services provided to the general public. As the Kenyan Government, through the...
ABSTRACT Malaria is associated with more than 216 million episodes and an estimated 655,000 deaths annually world-wide. In Africa, it remains the leading cause of childhood and maternal morbidity and mortality, accounting for more than two-thirds (81%) of reported cases of disease, as well as approximately 91% of the deaths. Out of the five species of Plasmodium (P falciparum, P vivax, P ovale, P malariae, and P knowlesi) that cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum is the most danger...
ABSTRACT Health Information System (HIS) is important in policy making and improvement of health care. Developed countries across the world continue to improve HIS as a means of promoting uptake of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, in developing countries especially Africa, HIS is not considered important factor in achieving UHC. In Kenya, it remains a significant challenge to determine level of feedback from health dispensaries, county hospitals and national hospitals yet the facili...
ABSTRACT Despite the many advancements made in health in the world, many countries continue to exhibit negative trends concerning the health of their people largely due to the AIDS pandemic. Voluntary counseling and HIV Testing (VCT) is an essential component of an effective response to the AIDS pandemic world wide. VCT services can serve as an entry point to HIV care and support. However, it has become increasingly apparent that workplace programmes on HIV have overlooked hospital workers e...
ABSTRACT Poor accessibility to safe water is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries where mechanisms to monitor and enforce regulations for quality water are inadequate or lacking. The aim of this study is to determine the microbial and chemical quality of water in Nyeri Town and assess the health risks associated with the water used and the preferred water. Water supply system in Nyeri Town consists of Municipal piped water, natural river and stream water running d...
ABSTRACT Malaria is a life threatening parasitic disease of major Public Health concern especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it kills more than 1 million children every year. The main objective of the study was to investigate the factors that influence health care seeking behavior for childhood malaria in Makuyu Division of Maragua District, Kenya. To achieve a desired representation, simple random sampling of the households with under fives was carried out. About 306 mothers/caretakers ...
ABSTRACT It is estimated that Kenya has 1.6 million people living with HIV and 88,000 new adult infections annually. The country has adult HIV prevalence rate of between 5.6 - 7.2% and incidence rate of 0.4 – 0.7%. Recent studies on HIV disclosure among adult sexual partners revealed HIV 70-80% disclosure rates. A number of studies on HIV and AIDS have been undertaken in Kenya. However, determinants of disclosure among persons living with HIV remain unclear. The objective of this study was...
ABSTRACT Utilization of unskilled birth attendants’ (UBA) services by women in Mbirikani division of Kajiado County was studied. The study described the proportion of women who utilized UBA services, determined factors that influenced the utilization, established the levels of awareness and acceptance of the 2007 RH policy action on TBAs and suggested ways to engage UBAs in RH. 328 women, 15 TBAs and 3 key informants were sampled in the cross sectional study. Questionnaires and interviews...
ABSTRACT Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is a lifesaving treatment for HIV positive people. Adherence to treatment protocol is extremely important to ensuring that drug efficacy does not fail with time. Research findings by other researchers in developed countries indicate that adherence to ART treatment protocol is a problem.. It implies that in developing countries like Kenya which have poor health infrastructure the problem is much bigger. The research was conducted in Homa-Bay District whic...
ABSTRACT The literature supports that overtraining is characterised by psychological disturbances. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychological markers of overtraining amongst elite male hockey and soccer players in top national leagues in Kenya. The study was limited to selected mood states of anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension and vigour that are applicable when assessing the mood states of athletes in exercise settings. Association between mood state...
ABSTRACT Cancer Cervix refers to malignant cell growth in the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in developed countries and the third most common cancer among women worldwide, with an estimated 569,847 new cases and 311,365 deaths recorded in 2018. Cervical cancer is primarily associated with young women. Women aged 50 years and below accounts for 62%, of all cervical cancers. More than a million women in the world are li...
ABSTRACT Soil-Transmitted Nematodes (STNs) are roundworms transmitted through faecally contaminated soil. Globally, major STNs include Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale). School going children are mostly affected by STN infections. STNs cause malnutrition, intellectual retardation and cognitive deficits. They are distributed worldwide, Kenya included and they are of public health importance. Kenya has embarked on mass dewormi...
ABSTRACT Oral health is not only the absence of disease but also the optimal functioning of the mouth and its tissues in a manner, which preserves the well-being of the oral cavity and the individual’s highest level of self-esteem. It is a state that enables an individual to eat, speak and socialize with minimal discomfort or embarrassment. In Kenya, a large number of children suffer from poor oral health largely due to poor oral health knowledge, attitude and practices.Since poor oral he...