Complete Spirit, Soul and Body Health Production in Kenya: Application of Principal Components Analysis and Path Analysis

Abstract

In Kenya, three disease domains namely communicable diseases, non-communicable conditions and violence/injuries continue to contribute to the high disease burden; and the total disease incidences reported increased by 31.2 percent from 2017 to 2018, with the three leading causes of morbidity being diseases of the respiratory system, Malaria and diseases of the skin (including ulcers). In addition to asharp decline observed in the three dimensions of financial health namely the ability to manage the day-to-day needs, cope with shocks and invest in livelihood and future. The objective of this study was to establish the production of complete spirit, soul and body health in Kenya through application of the principal components analysis and path analysis techniques. The study established that bad report deteriorates individuals’ health; conversely, good report improves their health. Male individuals have worse health compared to their female counterparts and individuals residing in rural areas have worse health compared to their counterparts in urban areas. Consumption of white ugali prepared using refined / sifted maize flour makes individual’s health deteriorate but their health improves with the consumption of brown ugali; and/ or white ugali prepared using coarse loose maize taken with dried/smoked fish and traditional vegetables. In addition, an individual’s health improves with the consumption of groundnuts, sweet potatoes and other roots and tubers including cooking banana, arrow roots, and yams; and consumption of sugarcane, pears, and soya drink. Individuals’ health also improves due to consumption of fried githeri; consumption of pasta and taking candies, however, consumption of tinned proteins like meat and beans; taking flavoured fresh milk, lard, preserved fruits and other berries; and taking nicotine products makes individuals’ health deteriorate. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the government ought to devise more ways of encouraging individuals /households to be deployed by providing financial education and increasing the financial services like the hustler fund project; the government and both local or/and international NGOs should collaborate in giving a helping hand whenever it calls for a response to severe water shortage/ drought or flood; every individual/household ought to have a spiritual authority for seeking spiritual help especially due to chronic illness such as the corona virus to cushion the individuals/households from separation experienced through death shocks; more concerted efforts on health education ought to be put in place and promoted to improve the health of individuals, especially males in the rural areas; individual’s need to improve their health by chewing sugarcanes in the morning, taking soya drink or tea prepared using sweet potato leaves with either groundnuts, sweet potatoes, cooking banana, arrow roots, and/or yams for breakfast; and/or in addition to consumption of fruits specifically pears; individuals and households ought to be encouraged to consume brown ugali prepared using cassava, sorghum, and millet grain/wimbi flour; and/ or white ugali prepared using coarse loose maize taken with dried/smoked fish with scales and traditional vegetables especially during lunch time; and they need to consume fried githeri prepared using a mixture of loose maize grain, beans, salt, onion leeks, and cooking fat for their supper or even pasta/spaghetti.