Comparison of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and maximum likelihood estimators to establish determinants of immunization in Trans - Nzoia County

The client factors that influence under-five child guardian compliance to the immunization schedule are interlinked based on household characteristics, socioeconomic status, and maternal health practices. An incentive to motivate the mothers to prioritize their child’s health practices especially on vaccination, works perfectly towards the achievement of full immunization coverage. A randomly sampled study carried out within Weonia Location–Trans Nzoia County in March 2014 with target population of under-five children showed the vital role an incentive innovation plays towards immunization coverage. Multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the determinant of partial or none-immunized and the parameters estimated using the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) and the shrinkage estimator-Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO). The shrinkage estimator method gave a sparse model that was easy to interpret and increased the estimated predictability accuracy. Maternal health practices and access to a motivating intervention are significant factors that ensure a guardian’s compliance to their child immunization

Investigation of the possible influence of Urbanization on Rainfall Variability over Nairobi City, Kenya

The objective of the study was to investigate the possible effect of urbanization on rainfall variability over Nairobi City, Kenya. The daily rainfall and wind datasets for last 30 years were sourced from Kenya Meteorological Department while the monthly land albedo was obtained from Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). The data was subjected to homogeneity test by using Short-Cut Bartlett test. Wind variation, rainfall trend and spatial distribution of rainfall were performed by using Wind Rose Plot (WRPLOT) View software, Mann-Kendall test and surfer respectively in the study. The results show that the dominant winds over the study area are easterlies. Higher rainfall is experienced on the western part of area as compared to the eastern side of the city. The reducing albedo over the city is a good indicator that the city is getting urbanized. The intensity of wet events is higher than dry events, characterized by high positive anomaly values. The number of rainy days is decreasing while the total rainfall is increasing in the study area. The study also reveals an increase in total rainfall with decrease in the number of rainy days. Land albedo can only explain less than 10 percent change in rainfall over the city. There remains need for further research employing higher resolution and long time data sets to ascertain the causes of the observed changes of rainfall over the city

The role of agri - business incentive on under - five child immunization in Trans - Nzoia County

Immunization is effective in the reduction of child infant morbidity and mortality. The client factors that influence under-five child guardian compliance to the immunization schedule are interlinked based on household characteristics, socioeconomic status of the family, and maternal health practices. An incentive to motivate the mothers to prioritize their child’s health practices especially on vaccination works perfectly towards the achievement of full immunization coverage. In this paper, sampled study carried out in Weonia Location, Trans Nzoia County in March 2014 whose target population were children under the age of five years. A multinomial logistic regression model used to analyze the determinant of partial or noneimmunized. Maternal health practices and access to a motivating intervention are significant factors that ensure a parent/guardian’s compliance to their child immunization. The study recommends sustainability and diversification of incentive as well as education of the community on the essence of vaccination