An Investigation of Public Perceptions of Youth Crime and Juvenile Delinquency in Embakasi Sub-county in Nairobi County, Kenya

Youth crime and juvenile delinquency have continued to elicit concerns among stakeholders. This paper reports findings of a study to investigate public perceptions of youth crime and juvenile delinquency in public primary schools in Embakasi West Constituency, Nairobi County.  A survey design was adopted and the sample drawn using systematic random method to select participants. The questionnaire was the key research instrument. Validity was ascertained by ensuring that the items were aligned to the construct in question. The study found that the public perceives youth crime and juvenile delinquency to be increasing dramatically, as is the seriousness of the crimes committed. The media, urbanization, family, economic factors, school and peer influences were found to be determinants that shape public perceptions of youth crime and juvenile delinquency. The study recommends continuous and extensive research on youth crime and juvenile delinquency with a view to informing policy to respond appropriately to youth crime. Keywords: Juvenile delinquency, youth crime, perceptions, deviant behaviour, students, children, adolescents, parents, school, neighbor hoo

A culture-sensitive semi-quantitative FFQ for use among the adult population in Nairobi, Kenya: development, validity and reproducibility

Objective: To develop a semi-quantitative FFQ and to evaluate its validity and reproducibility for the assessment of total dietary intake of Kenyan urban adult population, given its non-existence in Kenya. Design: The current study adopted a cross-sectional design. A culture-sensitive semi-quantitative FFQ was developed and its validity was tested relative to thre non-consecutive 24-h recalls (24hR). Reproducibility was tested by the test–retest method, with a 3-week interval. Spearman’s correlation coefficients and intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated for several macro- and micronutrients. Cross-classification into quartiles and Bland and Altman plots were analysed. Setting: Nairobi county (Dagoreti South and Starehe constituencies). Participants: A convenient sample was recruited in three different clusters in Nairobi. Results: A culture-sensitive 123-food-item semi-quantitative FFQ showed higher nutrient intakes compared with the 24hR (total energy median 12543·632 v. 8501·888 kJ, P < 0·001). Energy-adjusted and deattenuated Spearman’s correlations for macronutrients ranged between 0·21 (total fat) and 0·47 (protein). The agreement in the same quartile varied from 28 % (protein) to 41 % (carbohydrates). Including adjacent quartiles, the range increased: 76 % (protein and fat) to 81 % (carbohydrates). The extreme disagreement was low. The first FFQ application resulted in higher mean values for all nutrients compared with the second FFQ (total energy median 12459·952 v. 10485·104 kJ, P < 0·001). Energy-adjusted correlations for macronutrients ranged from 0·28 (carbohydrates) to 0·61 (protein). Intra-class correlation coefficients for macronutrients were moderate, between 0·6 and 0·7. Conclusions: The developed semi-quantitative FFQ was shown to be a valid and reproducible tool for ranking urban adult Kenyans according to their dietary intake.N/

Yield and Coverage of Active Case Finding Interventions for Tuberculosis Control:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background. Active case finding (ACF) for tuberculosis (TB) is a key strategy to reduce diagnostic delays, expedite treatment, and prevent transmission. Objective. Our objective was to identify the populations, settings, screening and diagnostic approaches that optimize coverage (proportion of those targeted who were screened) and yield (proportion of those screened who had active TB) in ACF programs. Methods. We performed a comprehensive search to identify studies published from 1980-2016 that reported the coverage and yield of different ACF approaches. For each outcome, we conducted meta-analyses of single proportions to produce estimates across studies, followed by meta-regression to identify predictors. Findings. Of 3,972 publications identified, 224 met criteria after full-text review. Most individuals who were targeted successfully completed screening, for a pooled coverage estimate of 93.5%. The pooled yield of active TB across studies was 3.2%. Settings with the highest yield were internally-displaced persons camps (15.6%) and healthcare facilities (6.9%). When compared to symptom screening as the reference standard, studies that screened individuals regardless of symptoms using microscopy, culture, or GeneXpert®MTB/RIF (Xpert) had 3.7% higher case yield. In particular, microbiological screening (usually microscopy) as the initial test, followed by culture or Xpert for diagnosis had 3.6% higher yield than symptom screening followed by microscopy for diagnosis. In a model adjusted for use of Xpert testing, approaches targeting persons living with HIV (PLWH) had a 4.9% higher yield than those targeting the general population. In all models, studies targeting children had higher yield (4.8%-5.7%) than those targeting adults. Conclusion. ACF activities can be implemented successfully in various populations and settings. Screening yield was highest in internally-displaced person and healthcare settings, and among PLWH and children. In high-prevalence settings, ACF approaches that screen individuals with laboratory tests regardless of symptoms have higher yield than approaches focused on symptomatic individuals

A systematic review of analgesia practices in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy

Aim: This was a systematic review conducted to evaluate the analgesic drugs and techniques used in the management of pain in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Materials and Methods: Systematic searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect were conducted for peer-reviewed articles written in English and published from 1995 to 2015. The key search words were dogs, ovariohysterectomy, pain, and analgesics. This was followed by a manual search of the references within the primary data sources. Inclusion and exclusion of studies and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. All randomized studies evaluating the effects of analgesics during ovariohysterectomy in dogs were included. Results: A total of 31 trials met the criteria and were, therefore, included in the study. Data on the type of analgesic drugs used, the technique of administration, and the need for rescue analgesia were extracted from the papers. Individual analgesic protocols were used in 83.9% of the studies compared to multimodal drug therapy, which was used in 16.1% of the studies. Opioids were used in 39.0% of studies, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in 19.4%, a combination of NSAIDs and opioids in 19.4%, local analgesics in 6.5%, and acupuncture in 3.2% of the studies. Drug administration was done using three approaches that included pre-operative (64.5%), post-operative (22.6%) as well as combined pre- and post-operative approach (12.9%). In 77.4% of the studies, administration of analgesics was done once, while in 12.9%, it was done as a 72-h post-operative course. 24-h and 48-h courses of post-operative pain therapy were done in 6.5% and 3.2% of the studies, respectively. About 57% of the dogs in the control groups required rescue analgesia as compared to 21.6% in the single and 11.3% in multimodal drug therapy groups. The requirement for rescue analgesics was highest in dogs treated using acupuncture (43.8%) and lowest in dogs treated using NSAID-opioid combination (8.6%). Fewer dogs among those that received pain medication preoperatively and postoperatively required rescue analgesia compared to those in groups given drugs before and after surgery only. More dogs (26.4%) among those given analgesics only once postoperatively required rescue analgesia as compared to those that received analgesics daily for 72 h (4.4%). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that opioids are the mainstream analgesic drugs used in managing acute post-operative pain in dogs' post-ovariohysterectomy. In addition, multimodal drug therapy, particularly, NSAID-opioids combination is more effective for pain management than single drug administration. Administering analgesics both before and after surgery is associated with better outcomes and so is a protracted course of post-operative pain therapy. Although these practices should be encouraged, controlled studies should be conducted to conclusively determine the best practices for pain management in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy

A retrospective study on findings of canine hip dysplasia screening in Kenya

Aim: The current study was undertaken to evaluate the findings of canine hip dysplasia screening in Kenya. Materials and Methods: Records for 591 dogs were included in this study. The data was obtained from the national screening office, Kenya Veterinary Board, for the period between the years 1998 and 2014. Monthly screening records were assessed and information relating to year of evaluation, breed, sex, age, and hip score captured. Descriptive statistics of hip scores was computed based on year, sex, age, and breed. Results: A total of 591 records from the year 1998 to 2014 were retrieved at the National Screening Centre, the Kenya Veterinary Board. Each record was examined and data pertaining to year of screening, the breed, sex, age of the dogs, and the total hip score were recorded. The highest number of dogs screened for hip dysplasia (HD) was in the year 2009 and the lowest in the year 1998. More females than males were screened for HD and the mean age of all the dogs was 22.9±12.7 months. The most common breeds of dogs screened during the study period were German Shepherd (67.0%), Rottweiler (15.6%), and Labrador Retriever (12.2%). The mean hip score for the 591 dogs was 15.1±10.9 and the median 12.0. The mean hip scores per breed were; German Shepherd (16.3±12.1); Golden Retriever (16.0); Hungarian Vizla (15.0); Labrador Retriever (3.0±6.7); Great Dane (13.3±3.2); Rottweiler (12.2±8.2); Doberman (10.3±4.2); Rhodesian Ridgeback (9.6±3.8); and Boxer (9.3±0.6). Based on the hip score, moderate to severe HD was diagnosed in 16.6% of the dogs, mild HD in 32.7%, Borderline HD in 37.7%, fair HD in 6.9%, and good HD in 6.1%. Conclusion: Canine HD is a common occurrence in Kenya with most dogs suffering mild to border line HD. In addition, German Shepherd and Golden Retriever appear to be the most affected breeds. It is therefore recommended that stringent measures be imposed to dog breeding programs to avoid transmission of this undesirable trait and consequently improve the welfare and the quality of dog breeds in Kenya