Contribution of street food to dietary intake of habitual urban consumers: a cross-sectional study in Kampala city, Uganda

Background: Street food has continued to be a popular food source in the urban settings of developing countries and is proving to be a vital urban dietary source. However, its dietary contribution among urban populations is yet to be comprehensively understood. Aim: To assess how street food contributes to the dietary intake of habitual street food consumers. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among habitual street food consumers in Kampala city. We defined habitual intake as consumption of a serving of any street food for ≥2 days/week regardless of the food group and number of times it was consumed in a particular day. Questionnaires were used to capture quantitative data on sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometry, 24-hour diet intake and 2-month street food consumption frequency. The Nutritics® diet analysis software version 4.3 and STATA version 13.0 were used for nutrient and statistical analyses respectively. Results: Street food contributed considerably to the daily intake of fat (49.1%), sodium (38.4%) and calcium (36.5%) and least towards the daily intake of vitamin A (11.3%). The majority of consumers opted for street food at breakfast (50%) whereas lunch and snacks featured the least for overall street food inclusion (all 20%). Overall, men demonstrated more dietary intake and inclusion at meals from street food than women. Conclusions: This study indicates a significant contribution of street food for urban consumers but men derive more benefit than women in terms of nutrient intake and inclusion of street food in meals

Public spending composition and public sector efficiency: Implications for growth and poverty reduction in Uganda

The paper examines the interrelationships between public spending composition and Uganda's development goals including economic growth and poverty reduction. We utilize a dynamic CGE model to study these interrelationships. This paper demonstrates that public spending composition does indeed influence economic growth and poverty reduction. In particular, this study shows that improved public sector efficiency coupled with re-allocation of public expenditure away from the unproductive sectors such as public administration and security to the productive sectors including agriculture, energy, water and health leads to higher GDP growth rates and accelerates poverty reduction. Moreover, the rate of poverty is faster in rural households relative to the urban households. A major contribution of this paper is that investments in agriculture particularly with a view of promoting value addition and investing in complementary infrastructure including roads and affordable energy contributes to higher economic growth rates and also accelerates the rate of poverty reduction.Sennoga, Matovu, EPRC, Public expenditure, Economic growth - Uganda, Poverty reduction, Computable General Equilibrium, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Financial Economics, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Production Economics, Public Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, C68, D58, E62, F15, H62, 132,

Increasing world food prices: blessing or curse?

This study evaluates the potential impact of the recent world food prices on the Ugandan economy and possible policy options to respond to it. Uganda is largely a net exporter of some cereals whose prices increasing considerably especially maize. Using a recursive dynamic CGE model, we attempt to answer questions on who are the beneficiaries and losers after the surge in food prices. The rural producers of maize tend to benefit considerably with their poverty levels reducing. On the other hand, the urban purchasers of cereals are affected owing to the higher prices of food. this therefore suggests that the Ugandan government should take advantage of the increasing food prices by stimulating and undertaking policies that would enhance productivity especially for crops where on the urban population, the government could design targeted programs for the urban poor.Urban poor, Food prices, CGE model, Food security, Matovu, Twimukye, Economic Policy Research centre, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Livestock Production/Industries, Production Economics,

Macroeconomic and welfare consequences of high energy prices

The current wave of volatile international oil process coupled with the low hydro-energy generation continues to exert negative impacts on the Ugandan economy. This paper analyzes the extent to which changes in energy prices affect the economy and examines policy options that can be undertaken to circumvent the negative effects. The impact of higher oil prices takes a large toll on all sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and services. With the existing loses in productivity of generating hydro electricity, this has exacerbated the energy crisis. The combined output loss for the manufacturing sector due to increase in fuel prices and a shortage of electricity is estimated at 2 percent on annual basis. While the government has title control on the international prices of oil, further private and public investments in the energy sector are called for to alleviate the shortages of energy.Oil, Energy, Hydro-electricity, Public investment, Twimukye, Matovu, EPRC, Industrial Organization, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Development, International Relations/Trade, Political Economy, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, Public Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty,

ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: AN ANTECEDENT TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS

This study analyzed the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic performance among university undergraduate students. The study was conducted to attest the relationship and differences between academic self-efficacy and academic performance among university undergraduate students. The sample was drawn from two universities (public and private) on which the questionnaire to measure academic self-efficacy and the Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) was distributed to participants (140 females and 153 males) selected from three faculties (Education, humanities, science) using stratified sampling. The universities were selected purposively. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the differences and relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic performance among university undergraduate students. The results obtained revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic performance among university undergraduate students (r (293) = .816, p < .01). There were differences noted as regards gender in the students’ academic self-efficacy (t (291) = 2.76, p < .01), and academic performance (t (291) = 1.56, p < .05). From the results of this study it is recommended that universities institute measures to enhance students’ academic self-efficacy as it has been noted that it is related to their academic performance.  Article visualizations

A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING OF THE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES INVENTORY MODIFIED (APIM) SCALE: AN ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

This research analysed the psychometric properties of the Assessment Practices Inventory Modified (APIM) using structural equation modelling. The APIM scale was distributed to a sample of 350 academic staff selected from both private and public universities in Uganda. A purely quantitative approach with a stratified random sampling technique to select the participants was adopted for this study. The objective of this study was to; test the psychometric properties of the APIM scale. The results of the psychometric properties revealed that the APIM scale is an adequate instrument in measuring assessment practices among university academic staff. The hypothesised model was found to be adequate in explaining assessment practices among academic staff in universities; χ² = 902.619, χ²/df = 1.842, df = 490, p = .000, CFI = .906, RMSEA = .052, and SRMR = .050. The findings revealed that the APIM hypothesised model was fit and adequate to explain the factors assessment practices of staff in higher education institutions. This has led to a recommendation that formal assessment training programmes should be made mandatory to all academic staff in universities in Uganda to understand assessment design, administration, interpretation and application.  Article visualizations

Learning Molecular Structures and Interactions Using Immersive Virtual Reality

This thesis critically evaluated the educational possibilities of immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) in the context of learning about molecular structures and interactions. Following a systematic review, empirical case studies were conducted to investigate the influence of collaborative IVR activities on students’ conceptual understanding and collaborative interactions. Overall, this thesis illustrates significant learning benefits of collaborative IVR and generates insights for innovative and effective utilisation of IVR in science education

Restoring African Women to History: A History of Pre-Colonial East African Baganda Women

In his narrative, colonial administrator Harold Ingram describes the perspective that many missionaries and colonial executives held towards the African peoples. The notion of the ‘White man’s burden’ to save the world from uncivilized, and animalistic customs coupled with the theory of Africa as the Dark Continent, is one of the main reasons why early explorers and missionaries placed women in subordinate positions. This move thus overlooked the critical significance of contributions that pre-colonial African women contributed to the political, economic and social developmental structure in African communities. Missionary C.W. Hattersley confirmed the same notion towards pre-colonial Baganda women when he jotted in his 1908 book, The Baganda at home, that Ganda women had invariably occupied a place of subordination in society. Thus African women’s history was either overlooked or placed in positions of inferiority in preference for their male counterparts

THE STATE OF INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS IN UGANDAN UNIVERSITIES: ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

It should be been within the interest of any university to know and ensure quality in the teaching and assessment of its students. The services offered by universities include; teaching of students, undertaking research and offering community service. These to be attained effectively, universities should institute quality assurance systems in order to ensure that they offer quality services to their stakeholders. This paper highlights, the implementation of internal quality assurance systems in universities in Uganda, and the region as a means of improving the teaching and learning of the students. It has been observed that many universities in Uganda and in the region have not enhanced their quality assurance systems, and thus offering pitiable services to their stakeholders. Research has shown that putting in place functional internal quality assurance systems is the only way universities can advance and also enhance quality in the services they offer. Some universities in Uganda and in the region have been found to lack the will of advancing and enhancing functional quality assurance systems despite having the means. On the other hand, though some universities have the zeal to implement and operationalize quality assurance systems, they lack adequate resources while quality assurance is attached to a price. It is recommended that universities in Uganda and in the region should ensure that quality assurance systems are in place and also, allocate adequate resources to quality assurance activities within their universities.    Article visualizations

Macroeconomic Variables and Stock Market Returns: Evidence from Norway and Denmark

Masteroppgave i finansiering og investering - Nord universitet 202