Access to Communication Channels and Use of Family Planning among Women in Tanzania: Spatial and Socio-demographic Analysis

This study examined the relations and access to communication channels on the use of Family Planning (FP). Relationships between independent variables including access to communication channels and the use of FP services, and demographic characteristics were examined. This study used cross-sectional data from the Tanzania Demographic Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey (TDHS-MIS) of 2015-2016 from 11,127 women aged between 15-49 years. The sample was weighted to ensure representativeness. Univariate, bivariate and binary logistic regression analyses were used. Results in this study revealed a statically significant correlation between access to FP messages and use of family planning services (p<.001). Access to radio, television, printed media, and mobile phones was observed more among women who were never in a union, those with tertiary education, women in urban areas and among those within a high wealth index. Use of FP services increased with the fluency of access to FP messages. Printed media predicted more likelihood in the use of FP at 0.460, p<0.001; radio at  0.368, p<0.001; health facilities at 0.284, p<0.001 and education level at 0.276, p<0.001. The study concludes that despite the fact that there was a correlation between access to FP messages and the use of FP, the use or not use of the same is also influenced by factors.&nbsp

The Social Learning Theory and Gender Representations in Leadership Positions. A case of Health Sector in Tanzania

Using the Mbinga council as a case, this study sought to document the influence of the social learning theory on gender representation in leadership positions in the Tanzanian health sector. Interviews, semi-structured questionnaires, and a literature review were used to collect data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study revealed that in the Tanzanian health sector, the number of women employees is more than that of men, with most of them holding lower positions, which is directly associated with the socialization of boys and girls during their upbringing. Based on the study findings, the study concludes that, despite Tanzania being a signatory to many gender-related international conventions and having many-gender related laws, policies and programs, the gender gap in leadership positions in the health sector is still wide, caused by, among other things, how males and females were brought up. Therefore, full commitment is needed, starting at the family level, to challenge the patriarchal system in the raising of male and female children. Based on the study findings and conclusion, the study recommends that: (i) the government should raise awareness at the grassroots level of discriminative norms and traditions to discourage them. (ii) multiple actors should collaborate (i.e., the family, schools, organizations, the private sector, non-government organizations (NGOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), the local communities themselves and the state) to ensure gender equality in raising children, which will improve gender representation in administrative leadership positions

Research and publication at crossroads: exploring the catalysts of ethical misconducts of scholarly work

Writing and publishing scientific and rigorous work needs a high level of integrity and adherence to ethical guidelines. Several publications have been rejected by authentic journals as a result of not adhering to a deontological standpoint. This laxity has posed deadly repercussions to the beholder including ruining its institutional image in academic scholarship. Notwithstanding, numerous writers are acquainted with the consequences of not observing ethical standards in research and publication, yet in trying to put up their pieces of work get caught in the same quandary. Anchored on a thematically oriented review of literature, it was imperative to try to explain the key ethical misconduct bases in research and publication. To fulfil this quest many journal articles were analysed. It was found that numerous aspects form the basis for misconduct in research and publication including; the pressure to ‘publish or perish’, the limitation of mentorship and guidance programs, knowledge on research and publication, promotion and academic advancement, competition among colleagues, workload pressure, financial motives, pressure from individual morality, and the challenge of research culture. Consequently, it is imperative to note that to publish a scholarly piece of work, adhering to ethical standards is non-negotiable