Relationship between Personality Types and Career Choices of Undergraduate Students: A Case of Moi University, Kenya

This study investigated the relationship between personality types and career choices of undergraduate students of Moi University. In Kenya, students are allowed to revise their career choices at various levels of education before they settle on one course of study in the University. The process of choosing careers begins in form three where students selects subject that would lead them to specific career. Before the final year in high school they choose University courses they would pursue in the University. After the releases of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination results, they are allowed to revise their choices. On admission to the University they are given another opportunity to apply for inter-faculty change. Consequently, there is a possibility that students are in career that are not in line with their personality types. The population for the study was undergraduate students admitted by the University Joint Admission Board (JAB). Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select five schools, and a sample 399 participants. A survey research design was used because the study aimed at assessing relationships among the naturally occurring variables with the goal of identifying predictive relationships. The study was based on John Holland Personality Theory of Career Choice (Holland, 1997). The study used Questionnaires adapted from Holland’s Self-Directed Search (SDS) to sort out student’s personality types, and Holland’s Occupational Finder checklist was used to categorize degree programmes into career choices according to Holland’s Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional (RIASEC) model. A reliability of 0.86 of the instruments was established through a pilot study in two non-sampled degree programmes. The data collected were analysed descriptively by use of frequency tables and figures. Chi-square was used to test the null hypothesis at level of significance of 0.5. Results indicated that there was a relationship between personality types, and career choice. The study also found that most of the students (73.3%) are satisfied with their course of study.  Research findings will enhance the understanding of personality types on career planning, development and career guidance and counselling in both secondary school and the University. An appropriate career choice for students would enhance satisfaction and success in their course of study and future employment. Keywords: Relationship, Personality types, Career choice, congruence, satisfactio

Students Becoming Supervisors: Student Transformation during a Cross-National, Collaborative Community Engineering Project

The Tumaini Innovation Center in Eldoret, Kenya, is an alternative primary and vocational school for former street youth. The DeBoer Lab at Purdue has partnered with Tumaini for the last five years to develop and support integrated engineering activities for the students, which apply their learning to solve problems in their own communities. A Purdue Service Learning Grant project started in November 2018 resulted in the construction of a community gym at Tumaini. A low-cost custom made gym was designed by a team of doctoral and undergraduate students at Purdue in collaboration with Tumaini. In addition to the design and implementation, the project was integrated as a learning opportunity for the Tumaini students. The students were taught 3D modeling principles and prototyping, culminating in teams of students testing the gym equipment they have modeled using a 3D printer. The final implementation integrated the welding and machining skills they are learning, along with the engineering design process and modeling skills. During the final implementation process, three students were involved as welders overseen by a locally appointed technician by the center. As the implementation progressed, one of the students exhibited higher engineering and leadership skills, growing to the role of supervising the project. In this research study, we investigate the experiences of the student leaders at Purdue and Tumaini in their transformation, and how they applied the engineering knowledge in practice. The main factors that led the Purdue and Tumaini student to take on a leadership role were to gain experience in the field, to demonstrate their ability, and the level of self-confidence and the confidence that their mentors had in the

Violence Against Women and Girls: Providing Therapy for Gender Based Violence Survivors

The purpose of the study was to highlight the factors associated with violence against women and girls and how they can benefit from therapy. The study was guided by the following objectives: to establish the factors associated with the occurrence of violence, determining the effectiveness of therapy in dealing with survivors of violence, exploring factors influencing or blocking effectiveness of therapy. A cross sectional research design was used in which questionnaires, an interviewing guide, focus group discussion and psychological assessment scale were used to collect study data. A sample of 75 women and girls was purposively selected from health facilities, counselling centres, chief camps, police station, NGOs and CBOs within Kibra Constituency. All respondents were females aged 18 years and above. The findings showed that all the respondents (100%) had been exposed to violence. The respondents who reported physical abuse were 30%, sexual abuse was reported by 10%, psychological and emotional abuse was reported by 16%, financial coercion was reported by 15%, neglect of children and duty by 13%, and verbal assault was reported by 16%.  Further, the results showed that the most common victims of violence are expectant mothers and children who are under the care of irresponsible persons. The most reported people to perpetrate violence were cited to be men. The responses given by the respondents as factors that trigger violence are: Previous assaults (61%), cultural expectations (61%), alcohol abuse and other drugs (49%), poor communication skills (49%), poor problem solving skills (49%), perpetrator outstretched demands on resources (49%), infidelity(37%), unemployment (37%), peer pressure (37%), frustration emanating from blocked goals (24%), childlessness (24%) and  personality traits (12%). Violence against women and girls impact negatively on their lives. The most common negative impact mentioned are depression by 75 respondents, children suffering cited by 65 respondents, family disintegration cited by 56 respondents, non-productivity, physical injury, and anxiety respectively cited  by 46 respondents. The survivors of violence have knowledge of where they can access help in order to cope with the consequences of violence. Of the 75 respondents, 75 of them said that counselling is very helpful. Perseverance is another coping mechanism mentioned by 75 respondents. Separation and keeping quite are strategies mentioned by 65 respondents. Going to hospital is another support and help available mentioned by 56 respondents. The respondents who opted for spiritual intervention were 47 while those who opted to start a business for sustainability were 38. Those who preferred sharing with significant others as a coping mechanism were 28. Last but not least, 18 women indicated that support groups are helpful in dealing with violence. The study recommended that women and girls should be empowered financially and policies put into place to curb violence. The government and other stakeholders should partner to support women and girls to overcome violence in the society

Distance learning approach to train health sciences students at the University of Nairobi

Background: The University of Nairobi (UoN) College of Health Sciences (CHS) established Partnership for Innovative Medical Education in Kenya (PRIME-K) programmeme to enhance health outcomes in Kenya through extending the reach ofmedical training outside Nairobi to help health sciences students enhance their handson skills. The institution partnered with 18 hospitals in rural and urban centers as the UoN teaching hospitals referred to as decentralised training sites and appointed medical staff from these sites as adjunct faculty of the University of Nairobi to train health sciences students on hands-on skills. Webcasts  presentations were conducted by undergraduate students from all the schools at the College of Health Sciences during their elective term and clinical rotations at the decentralised training sites to present on the ground health issues.Objective: To describe how the University of Nairobi (UoN) used the distance  learning platform from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) grant to outspread medical education to the underserved communities located in rural and urban surroundings across the country.Design: A cross-sectional studySetting: The University of Nairobi College of Health SciencesSubjects: Health Sciences students of the College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi and Hospital staff in 18 hospitals in rural and urban centersResults: A total of 670 health sciences students participated in the decentralised learning, a total of 549 health sciences  students participated in webcast presentations over a period of four years from 2012 to 2015, and a total of 48 medical  consultants and specialists from the decentralised training sites were appointed as Adjunct Faculty of the College of Health Sciences – University of Nairobi.Conclusion: Webcast presentations provided information on priority health conditions afflicting the communities at the  decentralised sites which would not be the case in the institution’s teaching hospital. Adjunct faculty at the decentralised training sites provided a platform enabling students to enhance their practical skills in line of  health profession and offered mentorship on coping in rural settings where there is scarcity of medical equipment and disposable materials in the health facilities and lack of constant electric power supply and clean water among other

The role of women in production and management of RTB crops in Rwanda and Burundi: Do men decide, and women work?

This paper evaluates the determinants of decision-making in relation to the production of four crops (banana, cassava, potato, and sweet potato). Understanding the division of labor and decision-making in crop management may lead to designing better interventions targeted at improving efficiency in smallholder agriculture. In 2014, the research team conducted a quantitative household survey with heads of households involving 261 women and 144 men in Burundi and 184 women and 222 men in Rwanda. Most of the decisions and labor provision during the production of both cash crops (potato and banana) and food crops (sweet potato and cassava) were done jointly by men and women in male-headed households. Higher values for ‘credit access’, ‘land size’, and ‘farming as the main occupation of the household head’ increased the frequency of joint decision-making in male-headed households. A decline in the amount of farm income reduced the participation of men as decision-makers. A reduction in total household income and proximity to the market was correlated with joint decision-making. Gender norms also contributed to the lower participation of women in both decision-making and labor provision in banana and potato cultivation. Although a large proportion of decisions were made jointly, women perceived that men participate more in decision-making processes within the household during the production of cash crops. Increased participation by women in decision-making will require an active and practical strategy which can encourage adjustments to existing traditional gender norms that recognize men as the main decision-makers at both the household and community levels

Health Care Workers’ Perspectives of the Influences of Disrespectful Maternity Care in Rural Kenya

While disrespectful treatment of pregnant women attending health care facilities occurs globally, it is more prevalent in low-resource countries. In Kenya, a large body of research studied disrespectful maternity care (DMC) from the perspective of the service users. This paper examines the perspective of health care workers (HCWs) on factors that influence DMC experienced by pregnant women at health care facilities in rural Kisii and Kilifi counties in Kenya. We conducted 24 in-depth interviews with health care workers (HCWs) in these two sites. Data were analyzed deductively and inductively using NVIVO 12. Findings from HCWs reflective narratives identified four areas connected to the delivery of disrespectful care, including poor infrastructure, understaffing, service users’ sociocultural beliefs, and health care workers’ attitudes toward marginalized women. Investments are needed to address health system influences on DMC, including poor health infrastructure and understaffing. Additionally, it is important to reduce cultural barriers through training on HCWs’ interpersonal communication skills. Further, strategies are needed to affect positive behavior changes among HCWs directed at addressing the stigma and discrimination of pregnant women due to socioeconomic standing. To develop evidence-informed strategies to address DMC, a holistic understanding of the factors associated with pregnant women’s poor experiences of facility-based maternity care is needed. This may best be achieved through an intersectional approach to address DMC by identifying systemic, cultural, and socioeconomic inequities, as well as the structural and policy features that contribute and determine peoples’ behaviors and choice

Trends in bednet ownership and usage, and the effect of bednets on malaria hospitalization in the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KHDSS): 2008-2015.

BACKGROUND: Use of bednets reduces malaria morbidity and mortality. In Kilifi, Kenya, there was a mass distribution of free nets to children  2500 parasitemia per μl) among children < 5 years were captured using a system of continuous vital registration that links admissions at Kilifi County Hospital to the KHDSS population register. Survival analysis was used to assess relative risk of hospitalization with malaria among children that reported using a bednet compared to those who did not. RESULTS: We observed 63% and 62% mean bednet ownership and usage, respectively, over the eight-survey period. Among children < 5 years, reported bednet ownership in October-December 2008 was 69% and in March-August 2009 was 73% (p < 0.001). An increase was also observed following the mass distribution campaigns in 2012 (62% in May-July 2012 vs 90% in May-October 2013, p < 0.001) and 2015 (68% in June-September 2015 vs 93% in October-November 2015, p < 0.001). Among children <5 years who reported using a net the night prior to the survey, the incidence of malaria hospitalization per 1000 child-years was 2.91 compared to 4.37 among those who did not (HR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.85 [p = 0.001]). CONCLUSION: On longitudinal surveillance, increasing bednet ownership and usage corresponded to mass distribution campaigns; however, this method of delivering bednets did not result in sustained improvements in coverage. Among children < 5 years old bednet use was associated with a 33% decreased incidence of malaria hospitalization

Deliver on Your Own: Disrespectful Maternity Care in rural Kenya

Background: Under the Free Maternity Policy (FMP), Kenya has witnessed an increase in health facility deliveries rather than home deliveries with Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) resulting in improved maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite these gains, maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates in Kenya remain unacceptably high indicating that more needs to be done. Aim: Using data from the Access to Quality Care through Extending and Strengthening Health Systems (AQCESS) project’s qualitative gender assessment, this paper examines women’s experience of disrespectful care during pregnancy, labour, and delivery. The goal is to promote an improved understanding of the actual care conditions to inform the development of interventions that can lift the standard of care, increase maternity facility use, and improve health outcomes for both women and newborns. Methodology: We conducted sixteen focus group discussions (FGDs), two each for adolescent females, adult females, adult males, and community health committee members. As well, twenty-four key Informants interviews (KII) were also conducted including religious leaders, and persons from local government representatives, Ministry of Health (MOH), and local women’s organizations. Data were captured through audio recordings and reflective field notes. Research site: Kisii and Kilifi Counties in Kenya. Findings: Findings show nursing and medical care during labour and delivery were at times disrespectful, humiliating, uncompassionate, neglectful, or abusive. In both counties, male health workers were preferred by women giving birth, as they were perceived as more friendly and sensitive. Adolescent females were more likely to report abuse during maternity care while women with disabled children reported being stigmatized. Structural barriers related to transportation and available resources at facilities associated with disrespectful care were identified. Conclusions: A focus on quality and compassionate care as well as more facility resources will lead to increased, successful, and sustainable use of facility care. Interpreting these results within a systems perspective, Kenya needs to implement, enforce, and monitor quality of care guidelines for pregnancy and delivery including respectful maternity care of pregnant women. To ensure these procedures are enforced, measurable benchmarks for maternity care need to be established, and hospitals need to be regularly monitored to ensure these benchmarks are achieved