The Role of Sexual Reproductive Health Education in Adolescents: Sexual Behaviours in Secondary Schools in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

HIV/AIDS, STD, unwanted pregnancies and abortion are indicators for the existence of adolescents’ sexual behaviours. Young people accounted for 40 per cent of new HIV infections in 2006 and about 6 millions of girls aged 15 to 19 years gave birth each year worldwide. The sexual and reproductive health education in secondary schools was a key strategy for promoting safe sexual behaviours among teenagers. This study examined the role of sexual and reproductive health education on adolescents' sexual behaviours. A cross sectional design was employed by using open and closed ended questionnaires, interview guides and focus group discussions (FGD). Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Some adolescents, (28.8 %) in secondary schools in Morogoro Municipal were sexually active; they were involved in risky sexual behaviour such as having multiple partners, practising sex at early age as early as from 10-15 years,Lack use of condoms, engaging with sexual partners who were much older. Also adolescent students’ awareness of sexual and reproductive health matters was average. Moreover it was revealed that, students’ awareness on sexual and reproductive health had positive influence on students’ risky sexual behaviours i.e. students with high level of awareness were less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour.Key words: Sexual behaviour, reproductive health, awareness and adolescent

Body composition in lupus nephritis patients

Background: The assessment of body fat distribution is an important evaluation in patients with lupus nephritis (LN), which does not practice routinely. The objectives of this study were to determine the body composition by using bioelectrical impedance analysis and to identify the effects of age, body mass index, disease activity, and corticosteroid therapy on body composition.Methods: This was a single-centered, cross-sectional, and observational study conducted at the nephrology unit, National Hospital Kandy, Sri Lanka. Seventy-nine patients with biopsy-proven LN have participated in the study.Results: There were 79 lupus nephritis patients enrolled in this study. The duration of LN ranged from 8 months to 32 years. The main non-renal clinical manifestations included skin lesions (59%), arthritis (54%), and oral ulcers (48%). The disease activity was low with a mean SLEDAI score of 1.01 (SD=2.3). The body fat (BF) percentage (p=0.002) and subcutaneous fat (SF) percentage (p<0.001) were significantly low in males compared to females. And, BF percentage was significantly low among patients with SLEDAI-2K 6 (p=0.03). Moreover, there were positive correlations found between SLE disease activity with the BMI (p=0.004), body fat percentage (p=0.001), and visceral fat percentage (p=0.001).Conclusions: Females are more prone to have a high mean value of body composition parameters than males in this study. There is a negative influence of the body composition parameters reported against the disease activity among LN patients in Sri Lanka.

Appropriateness of Sexual and Reproductive Health Information Provided to Adolescents in Primary Schools: A Case Study of Morogoro Municipality

Adolescents are exposed to, they still indulge in risky sexual behaviours includingpre-marital sex, multiple sex partners and unprotected sex despite the various sources of sexual and reproductive health information. A qualitative research design was done in two  primary schools in Morogoro Municipality. The study revealed various formal and informal sources of sexual and reproductive health information. The information is through simple Kiswahili and a mixture of English/Kiswahili  languages. Television uses Kiswahili slang words that may bring confusion. They get very important information as they apply and practice the information in their day to day life

Socioeconomic Benefits of Traditional Beef Cattle Feedlots in the Lake Zone Regions of Tanzania

More than 90% of the national cattle herd is found in the traditional sector, in which over 95% of the cattle originate from the small East African Zebu (EAZ) known as the Tanzania Shorthorn Zebu (TSZ). The system is faced by many challenges such as; poor animal nutrition, animal diseases, water shortage and the low genetic potential of the indigenous cattle and their entire dependence on seasonality and availability of grazing pasture and water. These contribute to the production of low quantity and quality meat which is locally consumed at low price and make the farmers being excluded from regional and international market. The traditional beef cattle feedlots emerged initially as coping strategy of the drought season where many cattle died due to lack of pasture. However the contribution of feedlots to the socioeconomic development of the operators has been under researched. A cross-sectional survey of 119 Traditional Beef Cattle Feedlot operators was employed by using open and closed ended questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGD) Traditional beef cattle feedlots benefits out of the operation as the respondents admitted to build modern house and purchase many plots. However lack of reliable market to sell their fattened cattle is a big challenge to them. Any efforts from government and non-government organization to address the reliable markets should not be ignored

Marketing Practices and Distribution System of Rice in Punjab, India

The study focuses on the marketing practices, market structures, and firms’ motives for vertical co-ordination of the paddyrice distribution system during the post green revolution period in the Punjab state of India. The study is based upon secondary data taken from several published sources and intensive interviews with the market agents in the entire distribution chain from growers to the retailers. Study highlighted the emergence of public sector as a giant player in the paddy (non-basmati) wholesale markets, unscrupulous practices for paddy/rice supplies, wide disparities in the issue prices for the below and above poverty line families, reduced off take from the public distribution system, launching of several schemes to off load excessive stocks, and improve market efficiency. Open market segment of the industry is highly fragmentedwherein a large majority of themarket agents have confined at the levels they can be best managed, vertical co-ordination plays a pivotal role to cope up with market imperfections and supply agents constitute a strategic link for rice sales. However, private milling gains momen-tum particularly during the downward phase of the industry due to increased profitabilit