Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Alcohol Abuse among Egerton University Students in Njoro-Kenya

The main objective of higher institutions of learning in Kenya is to provide education and growth experiences for its students but alcohol abuse has continued to be a problem in the university campuses that is slowing down their progress and the Kenya vision 2030 that envisages a healthy population free from the impact of alcohol abuse through the reduction of the prevalence and the impact of alcohol abuse disorders in order to attain the highest possible level of physical, social and mental health. Despite the growing problems of global alcohol abuse, accurate information on the prevalence of alcohol abuse among university students in Kenya is still inadequate. The study therefore aimed to determine the socio-demographic factors associated to alcohol abuse among the Egerton University students. This was a cross sectional study among 355 students of Egerton university Njoro campus. Stratified random sampling was utilized to select the study sample and a questionnaire was used to collect the data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data with an aid of SPSS version 18.0. Data presentation was done using frequency tables, charts and in narratives. The study was cleared by the Kenyatta National Hospital and the University of Nairobi ethics board. The study found significant association between the prevalence of alcohol abuse and the year of study, marital status, family's economic status and  the living arrangements (with whom). There was no significant association between the prevalence of alcohol abuse and age, programme of study undertaken and place of residence. It was concluded that alcohol is associated with year of study, marital status, family economic status and living arrangement. Based on the findings of this study, there is need to detect, strengthen various policies and programmes and accordingly make changes to address the factors that contribute to socio-demographic factors associated with alcohol abuse in the institutions of higher learning in Kenyan. The findings of the study will help Commission of University Education (CUE) to better understand the current situation and accordingly make changes to address the factors that contribute to alcohol abuse in these institutions. Keywords: Alcohol, Prevalence, Alcohol abuse, Socio-demographic factors

Modifying Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Peripartum Adolescents in Sub-Saharan African Context: Reviewing Differential Contextual and Implementation Considerations

Background: This study describes adaptation and modification of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) for depressed peripartum adolescents. The adaptation process includes accommodating contextual factors and strategies to address intervention implementation barriers, such as engagement problems with adolescents, caregivers, and providers, and stigma and dearth of mental health specialists. The modifications include and adolescent relevant iterations to the therapy format and content. Methods: A multi-stakeholder led two-stage intervention adaptation and modification process integrating mixed qualitative methods were used with pregnant and parenting adolescents, their partners, and health care workers. In-depth interviews focusing on personal, relationship, social, and cultural barriers experienced by adolescents were carried out modeled on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Focus group discussions with depressed adolescents on their experiences, feedback from caregivers, partners, health workers inform focused modifications. An IPT expert committee of three practitioners, along with UNICEF adolescent officer, and mental health policy expert from Ministry of Health and representative community advisory body reviewed the adaptations and modifications made to the WHO IPT-G manual. Discussion: Integration of mental health needs of peripartum adolescents as demonstrated in the stakeholder engagement process, adaptation of key terms into locally relevant language, determination of number of sessions, and user-centric design modifications to digitize a brief version of group interpersonal psychotherapy are presented

Development of maize single cross hybrids for tolerance to low phosphorus

Low available phosphorus (P) is one of the major hindrances to maize (Zea mays L.) productivity in acid soils. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop P-efficient maize inbred lines, (2) develop single cross hybrids from the P-efficient inbred lines, and (3) determine their response to P application in the P-deficient acid soils of western Kenya. Ninety-eight inbred lines and 49 single crosses were developed and screened at P-deficient (2.0 to 2.2 mg P/kg soil) soils of Sega and Bumala. Mean grain yield (GY) for the hybrids was 75.3% higher with P-fertilizer than without P for the same hybrids. Thirty-three percent (33%) of these hybrids were inefficient but responsive to P application, 27% were efficient and none responsive, only 13% were efficient and responsive, while the rest were inefficient and non-responsive. GY was positively correlated (r = 0.57**) with plant height (PH) and ear height (EH) (r = 0.60**) and PH was correlated with EH (r = 0.86***). This study has developed and identified P-efficient maize germplasm that can be utilized directly or in developing other hybrids for use in acid soils of western Kenya and in other acid soils where P is limiting

Working Alliance Predicts Symptomatic Improvement in Public Hospital-Delivered Psychotherapy in Nairobi, Kenya

Objective: Although patient-therapist collaboration (working alliance) has been studied extensively in Europe and America, it is unknown to what extent the importance of working alliance for psychotherapy outcome generalizes to lower-and middle-income countries. Additionally, there is a need for more studies on the alliance using methods that are robust to confounders of its effect on outcome. Method: In this study, 345 outpatients seeking care at the 2 public psychiatric hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya, filled out the Session Alliance Inventory (SAI) and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) during each session. The effect of alliance on next-session psychological distress was modeled using the random intercept cross-lagged panel model, which estimates a cross-lagged panel model on within- and between-subjects disaggregated data. Results: Changes in the working alliance from session to session significantly predicted change in psychological distress by the next session, with an increase of 1 point of the SAI in a given session resulting in a decrease of 1.27 points on the CORE-OM by the next session (SE = 60, 95% confidence interval [-2.44, -.10]). This finding represents a medium-sized standardized regression coefficient of between.16 and.21. Results were generally robust to sensitivity tests for stationarity, missing data assumptions, and measurement error. Conclusion: Results affirm cross-cultural stability of the session-by-session reciprocal effects model of alliance and psychological distress-symptoms as seen in a Kenyan psychiatric outpatient sample, using the latest developments in cross-lagged panel modeling. A limitation of the study is its naturalistic design and lack of control over several variables.Funding Agencies|Sormland County Council [1R24TW008889]; [DLL-514111]; [DLL-569981]</p

Influence of Phosphorus Fertilizer on Potato Seed Production in Acid Soils in Kenya

One of the major challenges facing potato (Solanum Tuberosum L) production in Kenya is the inadequate supply of high-quality seed. The required amount of potato seed in Kenya is about 70,000 tones annually but, only 1 % is available. Otherwise, farmers use low quality farm saved seed (KEPHIS, 2016). A major contributor to this situation is low and declining soil fertility, particularly phosphorus, among other challenges. Unfortunately, there is no available phosphorus fertilizer rate recommendation for seed potato production in Kenya. This hinders economic utilization of phosphorus fertilizers to achieve optimal production of quality potato seed in Kenya where its deficiencies are dominant. Therefore, this study investigated influence of different rates of phosphorus fertilizer on seed potato tuber yield and quality in three acidic (pH ≤ 5.8) test sites: Lari, Ainabkoi and Saboti sub Counties. Unica and Shangi varieties were tested. The field experiment was a split plot arrangement in Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six treatments (0 N & 0 P), 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha-1 phosphorus, replicated three times. Data collected included tuber weight, number of tubers, tuber grade, number of eyes per tuber, tuber specific density and final germination percentage. To monitor soil nutrient dynamics, soil pH, soil available phosphorus, total nitrogen, total carbon, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, sodium and exchangeable acidity (Lari only) were determined at planting while available phosphorus and potato tuber phosphorus were determined at harvesting. Data was statistically analysed using ANOVA at 5 % confidence levels with General Statistics (GENSTAT) and excel softwares. Results indicated that phosphorus rate significantly influenced seed tuber yield in the test sites. At Saboti, (0N & 0P) and no phosphorus application treatments for Shangi and Unica resulted in the highest seed tuber yield of 33.7 t ha-1 and 33.2 t ha-1 , respectively. At Ainabkoi, application of 60 kg ha-1 and 30 kg ha-1 phosphorus produced the highest seed tuber yields of 20.0 t ha-1 and 18.9 t ha-1 of Shangi and Unica, respectively. In Lari, application of 60 kg ha-1 and 90 kg ha-1 phosphorus produced the highest seed tuber yields of 19.0 t ha-1 and 10.4 t ha-1 of Shangi and Unica, respectively. Unica had better final germination percentage than Shangi. During the season, there was a build-up of soil available phosphorus. Thus, there is need for farmers to test their soils at the onset of every potato season

Factor analysis of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measures (CORE-OM) in a Kenyan sample

There is no generic psychotherapy outcome measure validated for Kenyan populations. The objective of this study was to test the acceptability and factor structure of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure in patients attending psychiatric clinics at two state-owned hospitals in Nairobi