Arusha Region In Tanzania Research Articles

Contribution of Community Member Participation in Promoting Sustainability of Water Development Projects at Kikwe in Meru District, Arusha Region in Tanzania.

Contribution of Community Member Participation in Promoting Sustainability of Water Development Projects at Kikwe in Meru District, Arusha Region in Tanzania.

The relevance of youth engagement to climate change adaptation in Monduli district, Tanzania – East Africa.

The relevance of youth engagement in climate change adaptation lacks critical investigations in previous studies from Sub-Saharan Africa. To bridge the knowledge gap, this study used a mixed research design to collect and analyse data from youth respondents (n = 105) aged between 15 and 35 within an agro-pastoral community in Naitolia village in Monduli district, Arusha region of Tanzania, East Africa. Direct field observations, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and questionnaire surveys were used to collect primary data. Internet searches, library exploration, and desk reviews of published and unpublished information aided researchers in collecting ideal secondary data. Qualitative data deployed thematic content analysis, while quantitative data used descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.Approximately 95.2% of respondents were aware of the negative impacts of climate change on rural livelihoods in the study area. Some 87.6% of local youth actively engaged in climate change adaptation implicit and indigenously-led interventions that enhance adaptive capacities and livelihood resilience. Almost 88.6% of respondents confirmed a stronger relevance of youth engagement to climate change adaptation. The explicit and one-size-fits-all strategic interventions on adaptation were found inconsistent, competing, mismatched, misaligned and unpopular, benefiting only 16.2% of respondents. Respondents confirmed tokenism, reluctance, dissatisfaction, anxiety, misinformation, mistrust, low self-esteem, resentment, dissent, dislike and mismatched youth engagement in explicit interventions. Lastly, not all predictors had positive significance on the relevance of youth engagement to climate change adaptation. Only crop farming, mixed livelihoods activities, and the primary level of education significantly predicted the relevance of youth to climate change adaptation. The study recommends an inevitable paradigm shift to acknowledge, support, and mainstream indigenously led and modern adaptation potentials to enhance youth engagement and livelihood resilience.

Exploring Administrators’ Use of Instructional Advisory Approaches in Enhancing Implementation of Structured Play Activities in Tanzanian Government Pre-primary Schools in Longido and Monduli Districts

This study examines the extent to which school administrators use instructional supervisory approaches in enhancing implementation of structured play activities in government pre-primary schools in Longido and Monduli Districts, in Arusha Region in Tanzania. The study was guided by Clinical Supervision Model developed by Goldhammar (1969,1993). Convergent research design was used because it allowed the researcher to collect quantitative and qualitative data so as to understand the problem in detail and triangulate the collected information. The sample consisted of 268 participants who were obtained through stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, document analysis, and lesson observation. These tools were validated using triangulation and experts in the fields of research, administration and early childhood education. Reliability was ensured using. Cronbach alpha and triangulation techniques. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate the school administrators’ supervisory role on the implementation of structured play activities in pre-primary classes to be very low. Findings also show that school administrators used several approaches in supervising teaching and learning in pre-primary classes. These includes checking pre-primary teachers’ schemes of work and lesson plans, classroom observation, monitoring of pre-primary pupils’ progress and checking pre-primary pupils’ works. However, the approaches were moderately used by the school administrators. Structured play activities were also sparingly used. The study recommends that school administrators have to use instructional supervisory approaches to enhance application of the implementation of structured play activities in teaching and learning.

Mobile Application for Research Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination: The Case of Nm-Aist Univeristy Tanzania

The utilization of mobile and web applications has surpassed all other platforms in terms of disseminating researchers’ knowledge among diverse communities throughout the world. The current method of disseminating researchers’ knowledge to the communities in the Arusha region in Tanzania is through meetings, workshops, and focus group discussions held by researchers, agricultural extension officers and community members after every three months or during field study. Yet the strategy is inefficient and ineffective in practice. The purpose of this study was to determine the most efficient and successful method of disseminating knowledge in communities. The study began with a qualitative phase, utilizing an interpretive technique and a qualitative multiple case study research design. The Arusha region in Tanzania was selected as a case study where different social activities were undertaken, including farming, livestock keeping, tourism activities and fishing. Individual participants were interviewed by using a semi-structured questionnaire. In addition, focus group discussions were conducted to gather more information regarding the needs of the mobile application. Through the implementation of the application, the second phase of the study led to the development of a mobile application that includes community members, agricultural extension officers, and researchers that will enable anyone to install the application on their mobile phones to access knowledge regarding activities undertaken in Arusha. According to the findings of the first phase of the research, a substantial percentage of community members own mobile phones, and hence a mobile application would be sufficient. The research also found that most researcher-community interactions occur at the data collection and intervention assessment (field trials) stages. Hence, the mobile application will benefit community members, district agricultural, irrigation, and cooperative officers (DAICO), and researchers.

Tax compliance in an EFD-enabled environment: Evidence from a developing economy

The focus of this study was to assess the contribution of Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) to ensuring tax compliance among small business owners in the Arusha Region in Tanzania. The study was motivated by the fact that the government of Tanzania has invested effort and funds to ensure that revenue adequately supports development projects. Regardless of effort, there is continued reliance on external sources of funds to support development projects. This poses a question on how the introduction of EFDs would increase tax compliance and eventually impact the government income for development projects. The main objective of the study was to determine whether the rate of using EFDs, the level of transparency, fairness in tax procedures, and the perceived audit effectiveness affect the level of tax compliance. Data was analyzed using descriptive procedures, One Way ANOVA, Chi-Square, and ordinal regression. Findings of the study are as follows: First, fairness in tax procedures, the perceived level of transparency and the rate of EFD use had no impact on the level of tax compliance; second, business and EFD use experience, audit effectiveness, and the use of EFDs in tax audits have impacted tax compliance. The study recommends other government departments to consider adopting relevant technology in operational areas where transparency, fairness and compliance are required. The inclusion of other sectors not currently captured by EFD use will be a step in the right direction.

Missed opportunity for family planning counselling along the continuum of care in Arusha region, Tanzania.

Adequate sexual and reproductive health information is vital to women of reproductive age (WRA) 15 to 49 years, for making informed choices on their reproductive health including family planning (FP). However, many women who interact with the health system continue to miss out this vital service. The study aimed to identify the extent of provision of FP counselling at service delivery points and associated behavioral factors among women of reproductive age in two districts of Arusha region. It also determined the association between receipt of FP counselling and contraceptive usage. Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 5,208 WRA residing in two districts of Arusha region in Tanzania; conducted between January and May 2018. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select the WRA for the face-to-face interviews. FP counseling was defined as receipt of FP information by a woman during any visit at the health facility for antenatal care (ANC), or for post-natal care (PNC). Analyses on receipt of FP counseling were done on 3,116 WRA, aged 16-44 years who were in contact with health facilities in the past two years. A modified Poisson regression model was used to determine the Prevalence Ratio (PR) as a measure of association between receipt of any FP counseling and current use of modern contraception, controlling for potential confounders. Among the women that visited the health facility for any health-related visit in the past two years, 1,256 (40%) reported that they received FP counselling. Among the women who had had births in the last 30 months; 1,389 and 1,409 women had contact with the service delivery points for ANC and PNC visits respectively. Of these 31% and 26% had a missed FP counseling at ANC and PNC visit respectively. Women who were not formally employed were more likely to receive FP counselling during facility visit than others. WRA who received any FP counseling at PNC were significantly more likely to report current use of modern contraception than those who did not (adjusted PR [adj. PR] = 1.28; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.09, 1.49). Overall, only 40% women reported that they received any form of FP counseling when they interfaced with the healthcare system in the past two years. Informally employed women were more likely to receive FP counselling, and women who received FP counselling during PNC visits were significantly more likely to use contraceptive in comparison to the women who did not receive FP counselling. This presents a missed opportunity for prevention of unintended pregnancies and suggests a need for further integration of FP counseling into the ANC and PNC visits.

Association between dietary diversity with overweight and obesity: A cross-sectional study conducted among pastoralists in Monduli District in Tanzania.

BackgroundThe prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising at a rapid pace and is associated with negative health consequences like cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Obesity is a multifactorial problem that develops mainly from lifestyle factors including physical inactivity and poor dietary intake. Dietary diversity is a simplified method for assessing the adequacy and quality of diet and is associated with nutritional need and overall health status. Therefore, we conducted this study to synthesize the associations between consumption of a diversified diet and overweight/ obesity among adults living in pastoral communities in Monduli district in Tanzania.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted among 510 adults aged ≥ 18 years old in the Monduli district, Arusha region in Tanzania. We conducted face-to-face interviews to collect information about socio-demographic characteristics, 24-hours dietary recall, and anthropometric measurements. The dietary diversity score (DDS) was constructed and used to determine the diversity of the diet consumed. We performed the multivariate Poisson regressions to determine the prevalence ratio (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The dependent variables were overweight and general obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI), abdominal obesity measured by waist-hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC).ResultsThe prevalence of general obesity based on BMI was 20.2% (95%CI; 16.9–23.9), abdominal obesity based on WHR was 37.8% (95%CI; 33.7–42.1), and WC was 29.1% (95%CI; 25.2–33.1). More than half (54.3%) of the participants consumed an adequate dietary diversity (DDS ≥4). After adjustment for potential confounders, the prevalence of abdominal obesity by WHR decreased with higher DDS among male (APR = 0.42; 95% CI, 0.22–0.77) and female participants (APR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.41–0.94). There were inconsistent positive associations between DDS and prevalence of overweight and general obesity among male and female. There was no association between DDS and abdominal obesity by WC.ConclusionMore than half of the pastoralists have consumed an adequate diversified diet. Given the inconsistent findings on associations between dietary diversity and obesity measures, this study suggests that targeting dietary diversity as an overweight/obesity prevention strategy requires careful consideration.

Endophytic fungi for biological control of whitefly and tomato leaf miner in Tanzania

Tomato whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) and leaf miners (Tuta absoluta) are devastating pests of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Pest management using broad spectrum synthetic pesticides is discouraged due to harmful effects on human health and the environment. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of endophytic fungi as bioextracts against tomato whiteflies and leaf miners, as an alternative to synthetic insecticides in Tanzania. The study was done using morphological and molecular techniques, during January 2019 to February 2020 in Arusha region in Tanzania. Three endophyte isolates from pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium) and lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) were identified with resemblance to members of Fusarium sp and Altenaria sp, by 90 and 82 % similarity, respectively; based on phylogenetic clustering patterns and macro- and micro-morphological characteristics. Bioextracts from endophytes of lemon grass leaves (Elg1); and pyrethrum flowers (Epf1) and leaves (Epl1), showed significant repellency properties (F0.05 (df, 15) = 27.052, P = 0.0001) on whiteflies by 54, 76 and 36%, respectively. They also caused significant lethality (F0.05 (df, 11) = 59.559, P = 0.0001) of tomato leaf miner larvae and whiteflies (F0.05 (df, 11) = 53.600, P = 0.0001). The underlying effect was attributed to possession of flavonoid and total phenolics as active ingredients in the bioextracts. This was commensurate to the levels flavonoid and total phenolic contents, which were considerably more in bioextracts of lemon grass and pyrethrum flower (F0.05 (df, 8) = 10.35, P = 0.0114) and (F0.05 (df, 8) = 40.84, P = 0.0003, respectively), than in pyrethrum leaves.

Prevalence and determinants of hypertension among pastoralists in Monduli District, Arusha region in Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundHypertension is among the growing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in developing countries and the leading cause of death worldwide. Pastoral areas have been identified to be at a higher risk of diseases due to challenges in their daily food production, livelihoods or mobility. Unfortunately, the prevalence of hypertension and the risk factors particularly affecting rural and pastoral populations are not fully understood, making intervention efforts challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and identify the risk factors among adults living in Monduli district in Tanzania. The findings will be useful for the provision of tailored interventions focused on community-specific nutritional and behavioral practices.MethodsWe conducted a community based cross-sectional study involving a sample of 510 adults aged above 18 years selected using a multistage cluster sampling in the Monduli district of Arusha region, Tanzania. Data were collected by using interviewer-administered questionnaires containing socio-demographic, physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption. Anthropometry, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels were measured. A one-day 24 h diet recall was conducted to evaluate the dietary habits of all participants. Both linear and logistic regression analysis were used to identify the independent predictors for hypertension and blood pressure levels.ResultsThe prevalence of hypertension in this study was 25.7% (n = 131, 95% CI; 22.1–29.7). The odds of hypertension increased with being male (AOR = 1.75, 95%CI, 1.06–2.88), belonging to the older age group of 30–39 year olds (AOR = 3.3, 95%CI, 1.76–6.38), 40–59 year olds (AOR = 3.34, 95%CI, 1.75–6.37) and ≥ 60 year olds (AOR = 4.2, 95%CI, 2.02–8.87), being overweight or obese (AOR = 3.37, 95%CI, 1.18–9.62), have more hours spent sedentary (AOR = 3.19, 95%CI, 1.61–6.32), and consumption of fatty foods (AOR = 2.23, 95%CI, 1.27–3.93). The odds for hypertension was significantly reduced among participants who reported higher income (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI, 0.25–0.91), high level of physical activity (AOR = 0.55, 95%CI, 0.31–0.96) and those reported to consume fruit (AOR = 0.37, 95% CI, 0.18–0.77). Consumption of cereals was negatively associated with levels of SBP (β = − 17.4, 95% CI, − 23.8; − 11.0) and DBP (β = − 6.6, 95% CI, − 11.5,-1.79).ConclusionAbout one in every four adults living in pastoral communities have been found to have hypertension in this study. Our findings suggest that older age, obesity or overweight, low physical activity, low income, and consumption of fatty foods increase the risk of hypertension among study population. Their diet was dominated by cereals with moderate intake of meat and milk and low fruits. There is a need to promote physical activities and consumption of fruits in the study population in order to fight against hypertension. Further research should be done to confirm the associations.

Visual exploration and hazard search strategies in a simulated road crossing task among primary and secondary school students in Tanzania

Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and other vulnerable road users represent more than half of all road fatalities globally. In Tanzania, pedestrians account for a significant proportion of the death toll, accounting for 30% of all traffic fatalities (WHO, 2018) and a 2016 study conducted in Dar Es Salaam found that 87% of school-aged children walk to school (Draisin, 2016), highlighting that school-aged children are exposed to a high level of risk.The present work reports the results of a study conducted in primary and secondary schools in the Arusha Region of Tanzania which investigates the students’ road crossing mental representation, as well as their level of hazard perception awareness, through their declared gaze behaviour. The students were asked to identify and tell the areas where hazards could come from within three road crossing scenarios, thus exploring the mental representation of the visual exploration strategies applied by children and teenagers when crossing the road. Results showed the tendency to apply the “compliant gaze behaviour” pattern in a flexible manner and to integrate it with the exploration of other areas in the visual field, particularly by the senior students. Practical implications for planning effective pedestrian road safety training programs are discussed.

Characterization and detection of maize-associated pteridovirus (MaPV), infecting maize (Zea mays) in the Arusha region of Tanzania

Maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND) is currently threatening maize production in a large area of East Africa. Synergistic infections of Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and members of the Potyviridae family are known to elicit MLND. Metaviromics studies of plant viruses have allowed for the discovery of novel viral diversity, with a number of these viruses having recently been shown to co-occur with MCMV and Potyviruses. However, their contribution to the expression of disease symptoms still requires extensive research. In a survey for viruses associated with maize in Tanzania, 35 samples were sequenced using an RNA-tag-seq metaviromics approach. Bioinformatic analysis of assembled reads yielded two contigs (5.8 and 2.7 kbp) that shared sequence homology with RNA1 and RNA2 of the dsRNA Japanese holly fern mottle virus (JHFMoV) (genus: Pteridovirus) from a single sample collected in the Arusha region. RNA1 encodes for a polyprotein product containing putative viral methyltransferase, helicase and polymerase domains. RNA2 contains three open reading frames (ORFs), one of which encodes for a putative movement protein, while the remaining two encode for putative products with no known function. The tentative name Maize-associated pteridovirus (MaPV) has been proposed for the virus in this study.

Critical analysis of factors impacting trust and opportunism in agri-food supply chains: the case of tomato in the Northern Tanzania

The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse factors impacting trust (and opportunism) in tomato supply chain in Arusha region of Tanzania. The study had two-fold objectives which lead to the proposition that willingness or existence of collaborative relationships in the supply chain, coupled with willingness/existence of sharing physical or information resources among the partners, influence trust and subsequently determine the extent of opportunism. The study adopted a multiple case research design involving several actors in the chain. The data were collected using a questionnaire. The study found that collaboration with inputs retailers, collaboration with tomato farmers, risk sharing with other partners and sharing of physical resources with other partners has the highest impact on trust. Thus, opportunism would increase if good business practices to foster trust as recommended are not adopted as stipulated in the listed factors and vice versa. Other factors such as culture and regional specific variables may have impact on trust and opportunism, thus constituting an area for further research.

Critical analysis of factors impacting trust and opportunism in agri-food supply chains: the case of tomatoes in the Northern Tanzania

The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse factors impacting trust (and opportunism) in tomato supply chain in Arusha region of Tanzania. The study had two-fold objectives which lead to the proposition that willingness or existence of collaborative relationships in the supply chain, coupled with willingness/existence of sharing physical or information resources among the partners, influence trust and subsequently determine the extent of opportunism. The study adopted a multiple case research design involving several actors in the chain. The data were collected using a questionnaire. The study found that collaboration with inputs retailers, collaboration with tomato farmers, risk sharing with other partners and sharing of physical resources with other partners has the highest impact on trust. Thus, opportunism would increase if good business practices to foster trust as recommended are not adopted as stipulated in the listed factors and vice versa. Other factors such as culture and regional specific variables may have impact on trust and opportunism, thus constituting an area for further research.

Detection of peste des petits ruminants and concurrent secondary diseases in sheep and goats in Ngorongoro district, Tanzania

Small ruminants play an important role in the livelihoods of resource-constrained communities. This study was initiated because of a massive outbreak of a respiratory disease in sheep and goats in Loliondo area in Ngorongoro district of Arusha region in Tanzania in 2016. During flock examination, a total of 240 serum samples and 61 nasal swabs were collected. Antibodies to small ruminant morbillivirus, causative agent of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), were detected from sera using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A multiplex reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was used to detect four pathogens: small ruminant morbillivirus, Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, and Capripoxvirus from the nasal swabs. Overall seroprevalence of PPR was 74.6%, with all four pathogens detected from nasal swabs. Co-infections of small ruminant morbillivirus and Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae, small ruminant morbillivirus and Capripoxvirus, small ruminant morbillivirus and Pasteurella multocida, and Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae and Capripoxvirus were also detected. Presence of PPR and the other diseases in this study provided insight into the severity of the outbreak in sheep and goats in Ngorongoro district. Thus, laboratory confirmation is critical for prompt and appropriate interventions to be made for control of diseases in sheep and goats with similar clinical signs. The findings also call for research into development of combined vaccines targeting common diseases of small ruminants in Tanzania.

Rating consumption of traditional vegetables in Tanzania using the awareness, interest, desire and action (AIDA) model

Traditional African vegetables are important for their nutraceutical benefits and contributions to farm household incomes. Consequently, their consumption, particularly among rural and urban households in developing countries, has been promoted and emphasized in recent years. Despite their multiple benefits, consumer awareness, and preference for traditional vegetables is low. This study uses the awareness, interest, desire and action (AIDA) marketing communication model to evaluate consumer awareness and perceptions and assess factors that influence consumption of traditional vegetables among 258 respondents in the Arusha region of Tanzania. Most of the respondents were aware of the nutritional importance of traditional vegetables, willing to purchase them for home consumption, and had a positive perception of their benefits. Consumers who had participated in the promotional activities were more willing to purchase and grow traditional vegetables than non-participants. The major sources of information about human nutrition and traditional vegetables included health centers, schools, friends, relatives, and radio programmes. African nightshade, African eggplant, amaranth and okra were the most widely consumed traditional vegetables. They were mainly purchased from the market. Regression estimates indicate that the consumption of traditional vegetables increases with positive health perceptions, better training, domestic production of vegetables, and increased promotional activities. Scaling up consumers awareness and home gardening would help to increase availability and consumption of traditional vegetables.

T161. HEARING VOICES AMONG INDIGENOUS MAASAI WOMEN IN TANZANIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH

BackgroundStudies of the health of indigenous and tribal people can shed light on health inequalities with implications for global mental health. Almost no previous studies of mental health among the Maasai in Kenya or Tanzania or even pastoralist groups in general are available, with the exception of one mentioning the stress of rural-to-urban migration. While engaged in ethnographic research in 2013, Myers interviewed 13 Maasai women in northern Tanzania about their everyday lives. Interested in the phenomenology of voice-hearing, she also asked them if they heard voices. Eleven of the women (85%) reported regularly hearing voices that they found to be distressing. Myers returned in 2015 to collect data from a larger sample, which has resulted in this report.MethodsFor this study, we used a convenience sample (n=73) of females taken from a broader study whose eligibility criteria included being a Maasai person living in the Arusha Region of Tanzania and over the age of 18. We excluded people who reported being psychiatric patients or family members of patients being seen by the local mental health coordinator to create a nonclinical community sample. This project conducted an initial survey to: 1) estimate the community prevalence of voice-hearing, or auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) in this specific population; and, 2) examine any demographic correlates and two specific hypothesized correlates based on previous literature about voice-hearing (e.g., psychological stress and potentially traumatic events).ResultsThe prevalence of AVHs in this community sample was quite high compared to other studies in sub-Saharan Africa, at 34.3%. There were no differences between participants who did and did not experience AVHs in terms of demographics, but those experiencing AVHs had a statistically significantly higher level of psychological distress (30.1, SD=6.0, compared to 25.1, SD=6.0), with a Cohen’s d effect size of .87. Even though a numerical difference was observed in terms of potentially traumatic events (4.6, SD=2.1, compared to 3.8, SD=2.3), this difference was not statistically significant (d=.38).DiscussionHearing distressing voices may be an indicator of mental ill health that is easily recognizable to community health workers and brings much-needed attention to communities in need. Maasai women face tremendous social adversity in this time of rapid social, economic, and climate change in the region. Evidence for a link between stressful life events, social disadvantage, and the development of psychotic symptoms is strong in Europe, but not as well-developed in this region. The high level of psychosocial stress and AVHs in our sample may also be indicative of extreme social adversity. Maasai women have been historically disenfranchised since the advent of colonial and postcolonial policies favoring men. Women in this region also experiences extreme states of deprivation, including a 21.5 year gap in life expectancy at birth compared to the local population (for all Maasai), 81% severe food insecurity, and a rate of 59% for the stunted growth of children (as compared to their neighbors, the Meru, with 21% of children with stunted growth). Due to local livelihood insecurity, the age of first marriage has been decreasing, resulting in increased pressure on women. This analysis contextualizes these findings and calls for further research on the epidemiology of voice-hearing in this region, as well as further work on the phenomenology of these AVHs so that we can best understand how to address them and improve mental health outcomes for this marginalized group.

Anthropometry and Nutritional Status of Primary School Children in a Sub-urban Region in Tanzania

Background: Although undernutrition in children is widely recognized as a major health problem in Tanzania, region-specific prevalence data remain scarce. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of stunting and thinness among primary-school-aged children in a village in the Arusha region in Tanzania, with the aim of developing a targeted nutritional support program. Methods: In the present school-based cross-sectional study, anthropometric measurements were obtained for all children (n = 1,379) who attended Baraa primary school in the Baraa village located at the transition between a rural and urban area in the Arusha region. The data were compared with the world health organization (WHO) 2007 growth reference data for individuals between the ages of 5 to 19. Continuous variables were compared using the t-test, while categorical variables were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test. Spearman’s correlation and χ 2for trend were used to compare the trend of continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Results: Basic anthropometric values of the study participants were significantly lower than those of the reference population. The mean values of z-scores significantly differed from zero. No gender differences in the prevalence of stunting and thinness were found. Three hundred and twenty-six children (23.7%) suffered from at least one form of undernutrition: 225 (16.3%) were stunted while 156 (11.3%) were thin. The prevalence of both stunting and thinness was at its lowest in the youngest children (5 - 9 years) and highest in the oldest children (14 - 19 years). Furthermore, 54 (16.5%) of the undernourished children suffered from multiple forms of undernutrition. Conclusions: Undernutrition remains prevalent among primary-school-aged children in the Arusha region, Tanzania. Moreover, a high proportion of children suffer from a combination of different forms of undernutrition, with an increase in the prevalence of undernutrition with age.

Challenges Facing Small Scale Entrepreneuresin Accessing Loan from Banks at Ngongongare, Meru District, Arusha Region in Tanzania

Challenges Facing Small Scale Entrepreneuresin Accessing Loan from Banks at Ngongongare, Meru District, Arusha Region in Tanzania

Comparative Study on the Usage of Information Technology (It) On Internal Control Systems (Ics) In Private and Public Secondary Schools in Arumeru District

The main aim of this study was to compare the Usage of Information Technology (IT) on Internal Controls System (ICS) in Private and Public Secondary Schools in Arumeru District of Arusha Region in Tanzania. This research adopted causal research design approach. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents disagreed with application of information technology on internal control systems in their schools. The results from private schools showed that the application of information technology on Internal Control Systems was higher while those of public schools showed that the application of information technology on Internal Control System was lower. The results further revealed that Internal Control System take place among Public and Private Secondary Schools in Arumeru District. The findings revealed that, the independent sample t –test indicates that the Sig. of .000 is less than the critical value (.005) which implies that the difference of mean scores between public and private schools was significant. This implies that private schools are doing better in the application of information technology on internal control system than their public school counterparts. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected and maintained that there is a significant difference in the application of Information Technology on Internal Control System (ICS) in Arumeru District by school stakeholders categorized according to type of schools. The researchers recommend that schools should increase their budget to support information technology in public secondary schools to enhance their IT facilities, qualified personnel in the usage of information technology, and up to date software for internal control system. Further the researchers recommend that future researchers should research on the usage of IT in teaching.

How promoting consumption of traditional African vegetables affects household nutrition security in Tanzania

AbstractTraditional African vegetables have recently received considerable attention for their contribution to food and nutrition security and opportunities for enhancing smallholder livelihoods. Promoting the production and consumption of traditional vegetables is expected to enhance household nutrition among urban and rural households. The Good Seed Initiative (GSI) program promoted production and consumption of nutrient-dense traditional African vegetables in Arusha region in Tanzania to reduce malnutrition through diet diversification. We estimated the impact of promotion activities on households, women, and children's dietary diversity. The study used cross-sectional data from 258 and 242 households in intervention and control regions, respectively, and applied matching techniques and inverse probability weighting to control for unobserved heterogeneity and selection bias, which could otherwise bias the outcome estimates. We found that households benefiting from traditional vegetable promotion and demand creation activities had significantly higher dietary diversity of children under 5 yr and women in reproductive age. We found no significant impact of promotion activities on households’ dietary diversity. The policy implication is that scaling up promotional and demand creation activities to encourage consumers to grow and eat traditional African vegetables would be an important element in initiatives to increase dietary diversity, particularly for children under 5 and women in Tanzania.