Bindura District Research Articles

Midwife gender proclivity: Differential effects of expectant mothers’ demographic factors in Zimbabwe

A survey of 300 expectant mothers, in their third trimester, was conducted in Bindura district of Zimbabwe. The causal study was done over a period of 6 months with the intention of determining the differential effects of various demographic factors of expectant mothers on midwife gender preferences. Data was collected using a short questionnaire on demographic factors and expectant mothers’ preferences of male or female midwives. A binary logistics regression and odds ratios were used to analyse data. Our results revealed that specific demographics show preferences regarding the gender of midwives. Older women (aged 40 and above), who are married, having their first child, members of the African religion, and with less formal education, tend to prefer midwives of the same gender. Younger women (aged 18-39), those with prior pregnancy experience, Christians, and urban residents, generally were indifferent to midwife gender. Implications of the study were proffered.

Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and Screening Practices among Women in Bindura District, Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe

Cervical cancer (CaCx) is the most common cancer among women and is also the major cause of death worldwide. It is the most common cancer among black Zimbabwean women accounting for 29.4% of the cases. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge of cervical cancer and screening practices among women in Bindura District, Zimbabwe. A descriptive cross–sectional research study was conducted. The study sample consisted of 100 consenting women who were selected from Bindura Hospital, Chipadze and Chiwaridzo Council Clinics using simple random sampling method. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire as a guide. Data were processed using Statistical Package Social Sciences (SSPS) software version 20 and analyzed descriptively. Data revealed that knowledge of risks factors and preventive measures for cervical cancer was poor as only (31%) had high knowledge levels. Although the majority of the respondents (77%) had heard about cervical cancer screening only (22%) were screened, the major reason cited being lack of knowledge. Perception of risk for cervical cancer was poor as (58%) of the respondents did not perceive to be at risk of cervical cancer. The study revealed that cervical cancer knowledge level was very low and screening practices were very poor. Therefore, health care providers need to intensify awareness on cervical cancer through health education across women of all age groups. The government should also make cervical cancer screening available and accessible at most health care facilities.

The Impact of Economic Growth and Development on Poverty Level in Zimbabwe.A Case Study of Bindura District

The Impact of Economic Growth and Development on Poverty Level in Zimbabwe.A Case Study of Bindura District

Barriers to PIH management and possible solutions: Patient’s perspective

Pregnancy Induced Hypertension is a pattern of high blood pressure during pregnancy. It is one of the major causes of maternal mortality and neonatal morbidity in the world, contributing about 5-14% of pregnant women globally (Arshad et al., 2014). In Zimbabwe, despite the availability of guidelines for PIH management, PIH still contribute about 19.4% (Muti et al., 2015) more than global statistics. For this reason, this study sought to assess barriers to PIH management and possible solutions or strategies. The strategies will help to curb both maternal and neonatal mortality. The study employed descriptive qualitative design. Focus group discussions (FGDs), each with 8 participants, were held in Bindura District and Bindura provincial Hospital. Women diagnosed with PIH, in age group 18 to 49 years were included in the study and these were able to speak Shona or English. Approval was obtained from respective ethical review boards. FGDs followed a semi-structured questionnaire. Comprehensive notes were taken during the interviews which were also being audiotaped. Data were analyzed thematically and manually. Themes identified were barriers and possible solutions to PIH management. Barriers were poor cultural practices, religious practices, employment and use of herbs. Possible solutions were to develop culture-specific health education and interventions to improve health seeking behavior of PIH patients and to reduce adverse perinatal outcomes. Husbands as family heads to be actively involved in the management of PIH and accompanying their wives to the hospital. This is critical in improving ANC visits and general management of PIH among pregnant women.

Strategic Decision-Making Context and Organizational Performance in Bindura Nickel Mine

This study examines the effect of strategic decision-making context on organizational performance in culturally diverse occupational settings of Bindura Nickel Mine (BNC). The research also highlight some literature by previous authors on strategic decision-making and organizational performance. A case study was used as the main research methodology with a questionnaire containing structured questions as the research instrument. This study used a descriptive research design. The study sampled 162 employees of BNC from sampling frame of 277 and the response rate was 152 (93.8%). Stratified random sampling procedure was used to group employees in terms of their work positions and convenient sampling for the selection of individual respondents in the sample for this study. Data collection procedure was done through use of drop-and-pick strategy. Data was processed using SPSS version 20. The study was limited to BNC, Bindura district, Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe. The results of this study established that Leader psychological path and Follower psychological pathhad a significant direct effect on organizational performance, while Legislative context, Economic Context and Firm resources and had some weak association. The relationship is significant and theoretically justified. In brief, the results indicate that strategic decision-makingcontext is the predictor of organizational performance. The study, therefore, recommends the adoption of the need for training, mentoring, coaching to empower employees on strategic decision issues. Finally, recommends further research on the impact of strategic influence and strategic talent developmenton organizational performance.

Factors worsening tick borne diseases occurrence in rural communities. A case of Bindura district, Zimbabwe

Factors worsening tick borne diseases occurrence in rural communities. A case of Bindura district, Zimbabwe

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Ethnomathematics and Traditional Lecture Approaches in Teaching Consumer Arithmetic: Learners’ Achievement and Teachers’ Views

Past studies revealed that the integration of ethnomathematics approaches is of great importance in the teaching and learning of mathematics as it is believed to improve learners’ understanding and achievement in mathematics. Cognisant of the benefits of using ethnomathematics approaches in teaching and learning mathematics, the Zimbabwean school syllabus recommends the adoption and integration of ethnomathematics approaches to improve the learners’ performance. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to determine the comparative effectiveness of ethnomathematics approaches and the traditional lecture approaches as well as teachers’ views on the use of ethnomathematics approaches. The study sample comprised 90 learners and two teachers from one secondary school in Bindura district in Zimbabwe. Two instruments, a test and interviews were used for data collection. The participating teachers taught the concepts of consumer arithmetic for four weeks. Findings of the study showed that learners taught using an ethnomathematics approach achieved significantly higher in the test than those taught consumer arithmetic using the traditional approach. The study revealed that teachers appreciated the use of ethnomathematics approaches in the teaching of consumer arithmetic as their learners were motivated, actively involved and interested in learning the concepts. It was also reported that ethnomathematics approaches improve learners’ understanding and retention of arithmetic concepts. The study, therefore, recommended training of the teachers on the use of the ethnomathematics approach in the teaching and learning of consumer arithmetic.

Land Use and Land Cover Changes at Hova Farm in Bindura District, Zimbabwe

Land use and land cover (LULC) change analyses are critical for the sustainable planning and management of natural resources in the face of rapid population growth across the globe. It is believed that LULC changes cause severe environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, alteration to the physical and chemical properties of the soil as well as the destruction of the ozone layer. The main objective of the study was to assess the LULC changes at Hova Farm from 1992 to 2011 using geospatial technologies. Three Landsat images for 1992, 2001, and EMT+ for 2011 were used. The Landsat images had a resolution of 30m by 30m. Five LULC classes of woodland, wooded grassland, cultivated land, bushland and water body were created using the supervised classification maximum likelihood in ENVI 5.0. Field observation and measurements were also used to validate remotely sensed data. The accuracy assessment for the classified maps for 1992, 2001 and 2011 was 88.74%, 86, 67% and 87% respectively. The results indicated that the greatest LULC changes occurred between 1992 and 2001 and was attributed to the fast-track land reform programme and illegal mining activities on the farm. The study recommends the creation of a LULC database for the periodic monitoring and sustainable management of natural resources at both local and national levels in Zimbabwean.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of pregnant women aged 18-49 years towards pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) in Bindura district: Zimbabwe: A case control study

Background: Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) control among pregnant women emerge to be complicated to accomplish. Part of the main reason for poor control of hypertension is inadequate knowledge, practices and attitude towards PIH. It is one of the main causes of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality globally, especially in the developing nations. This was an assessment done towards understanding the management of PIH in Mashonaland Central. Objective: To assess knowledge, attitude and practices of pregnant women towards PIH. Methodology: Mixed methods approach which includes both quantitative and qualitative research fundamentals was used. Mothers with PIH, who visit health facility at 3 and 7 days and at 6 weeks were selected as the case group and mothers without PIH who visit health facility were the control group. A minimum sample of 217 cases and 217 controls was used. Interviews were conducted after ethical approval by the research bodies and after the women consented. Women within the age group of 18-49 years who were diagnosed with PIH during pregnancy and may still have PIH after delivery (March 2020 to December 2020) and women without PIH (n=217) from the same period were the research participants. Four focus group discussions (FGDs), each with 8 participants, were also held. The women were interviewed after ethical approval by the research bodies and after the women consented. Detailed notes were taken during the interviews which were also audiotaped. The results were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to determine the odds ratios and significant difference among the cases and the control groups. Results: Themes identified were demographic data of participants in relation to the development of PIH, and knowledge on PIH among pregnant women. Being in the age group 18-20 years had a statistically significant negative and defensive effect against development of PIH. The likelihood of being a PIH case increased with age. Participants in the age group of 41 and above are 4.503 times likely to develop PIH in comparison to other age groups (O.R=4.503; 95% C.L=1.780-11392). Having only primary education increased the odd of being a PIH case by 78%. Participants who were in the apostolic sect were 52.130 times likely to developed PIH and this was significantly higher than other religions and statistically significant at p

Micro-finance as a Tool for Financial Access, Poverty Alleviation and Women Empowerment in Bindura District, Zimbabwe

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of micro-finance as a tool for women empowerment in Bindura Rural District of Zimbabwe. Qualitative methodology was used. Data collection methods used included semi-structured interviews, documentary search. The respondents for the study were drawn from rural women who had accessed loans from MFI, managers of MFI and the Zimbabwe Association of Micro Finance Institutions. The study found out that access to credit has positive outcomes on production, income, and consumption at household and macro-economic levels. Rural women in Zimbabwe lack adequate access to formal credit. The study found that that lack of adequate access to credit have significant negative effect on technology adoption, agricultural productivity, food security, nutrition, health, and overall welfare. The study concludes that the lack of collateral of the poor, their demand for smaller loans, and high transaction cost associated with small loans are the main factors that the poor are excluded from formal credit services.

Birth Registration and Perceived Social Exclusion: Insights from Participants' Narratives

Birth registration is becoming an important arena of political mobilisation for human rights. Discourses about civil registration advanced in the civil society and academic circles tend to frame birth registration in citizenship terms, arguing that (a) a birth certificate is indispensable in realising the child’s right to a name, nationality and citizenship, and (b) both the delay in registering and failure to register a child’s birth compound the social exclusion of that child. However, narratives that connect birth registration and social exclusion in a causal relationship are seldom premised on empirical evidence. Drawing on qualitative key informant interviews, this article examines how non-birth registration relates to social exclusion of children. Participants’ narratives generated in Zimbabwe’s Bindura District revealed that non-birth registration is entangled with multiple dimensions of social exclusion, potentially giving rise to marginalisation of children in various spheres of society.

Challenges and Prospects of Zimbabwe’s Command Farming in Unlocking the Country’s Smallholder Agricultural Economy

The study sought to establish and analyze the challenges and prospects of Zimbabwe’s command farming in unlocking the country’s smallholder agricultural economy with particular reference to smallholder rural and A1 resettlement farmers in Bindura district of Zimbabwe. The main objective central to the study was; to examine challenges and prospects of the command farming initiative as a way of advancing the country’s agricultural sector, in an endeavor to curb poverty and food insecurity among the marginalized farming communities. To achieve this, a descriptive study design was used to select a sample of one hundred (100) participants who included ordinary grain producers, village heads, agricultural extension officers, and heads of government departments. A purposive or judgmental sampling technique was employed to select respondents for the study. To solicit for the relevant information unstructured interviews, key informant interviews and secondary sources of data were used. The generated data was finally subjected to descriptive statistics where frequency counts, means and percentages were employed, to make conclusive deductions from the findings. It was established that instead of being a panacea to food security quagmires bedeviling communities, Zimbabwe’s command agriculture is faced with numerous challenges due to disparity in the perceived outcomes of the new program by the farming community and the authoritarian implementers. This has resulted in a stalemate, which can only be solved by considering the initiative as a collective issue where communities and other stakeholders play a pivotal role for the attainment of the desired outcomes. It is critical that the government can only get the agricultural economy fixed through robust integration of all stakeholders and resource poor farmers at grassroots in important decision making structures.

Underlying Dynamics of Child Birth Registration in Zimbabwe

By accentuating the potential adverse impacts of the absence of a birth certificate on a child’s well-being across their life cycle, human rights organisations have made a strong case for universal child birth registration. Consequently, in most developing countries, people’s awareness of the importance of birth registration has dramatically increased. Yet in Zimbabwe, universal birth registration remains a pipe dream. Drawing on a mixed-method study of birth registration in Zimbabwe’s Bindura district, the article addresses this paradox by closely examining the underlying dynamics of birth registration success. It finds that birth registration outcomes emerge from a dynamic interplay of economic, non-economic, personal and structural factors. Moreover, whereas existing research tends to accentuate economic determinants of birth registration, social and cultural factors are equally important influences of birth registration success.

Prevalence, perceptions and factors influencing the use of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) in Zimbabwe’s adult population: The case of Bindura District

IntroductionThe attainment of political independence in Zimbabwe saw increased recognition of traditional medicine after close to a century of its repression under colonial rule. Over the last decade, the use of traditional and complementary medicines (T&CM) has been linked to; population beliefs on the use of T&CM, economic hardship and an increase in the chronic disease burden in Zimbabwe. MethodsSelf-reporting questionnaires were handed to a randomly selected sample of adults (245) residing in Bindura, Zimbabwe between June and July of 2015. Completed questionnaires were either given to the researchers (153 questionnaires, 98.7%), posted (1 questionnaire, 0.64%) to the researchers, or dropped by the respondents into a pigeon hole (1 questionnaire, 0.64%). ResultsThe survey had a 63.3% response rate (n=155). The prevalence of T&CM use among respondents was 60.0% (95% confidence interval 51.9% to 69.5%). Most Christians (98%) reported the use of one form of T&CM or another. However certain religious denominations, namely the Apostolic Churches (2%), forbade the use of T&CM excluding nutritional supplements. The study also showed that the use of T&CM in Bindura was influenced, to a great extent, by traditional knowledge and societal values. Additionally, the respondents largely perceived T&CM providers as offering better services than the allopathic practitioners. However, the respondents viewed T&CM products as safe, but not better alternatives to allopathic products. ConclusionThe use of T&CM in Zimbabwe is similar to that in other developing, but not developed, countries. Religion was shown to be a dominant factor in the use of T&CM.

Level of awareness and uptake of the female condom in women aged 18 to 49 years in Bindura district, Mashonaland Central province, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe introduced the female condom in 1997, but acceptance was slow. A study was conducted to determine its level of awareness and uptake in women aged 18 to 49 years at Bindura Provincial Hospital, and at Chipadze and Chiwaridzo council clinics. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 242 eligible consenting respondents were selected using simple random sampling. Data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16. Data revealed that 81.4% of the respondents had heard about the method. Most respondents 88 (36.4%) had heard about female condoms from nurses. However, 53.3% had not received health education on the method from healthcare providers. Knowledge of the female condom was low at 36.3% and most respondents (83.5%) had not used it. The major reasons cited for failure to use the method were unavailability (19.8%) and partner refusal (17.8%). Of the 16.5% who used the female condom only 4.1% used it consistently. Female condom uptake was very low at 16.1%. Knowledge of the method was associated with its uptake (χ2 = 86, p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation was used to examine the relationship between awareness and uptake of the method. It indicated a weak positive linear relationship (r = 0.309, p < 0.01). A regression coefficient (R2 = 0.095, p < 0.05) showed that female condom awareness accounts for 9.5% of the variance in uptake. This study revealed that women with increased level of awareness on the method are likely to use it. Therefore, healthcare providers need to strengthen health education on female condoms and make them readily available.

Practices and Perceptions of Biosand Filter Users in Treating Drinking Water in a Rural District of Zimbabwe

A field survey was conducted in Bindura district of Zimbabwe in January 2012 to evaluate the perceptions and practices of rural households on biosand filters after two years of use. A questionnaire was administered to 33 sampled households during an unannounced visit to solicit information on demography, use of biosand filters and safe water storage. A field kit (Oxfam delAgua) was used to estimate faecal coliforms in 83 water samples drawn from the household source (17), filter-spout (33) and storage vessel (33). Results indicate that biosand filters were structurally intact and operational with a mean treatment efficiency of 95.9±1.4% (n=33) suggesting a high sustained use. Households (n=33) expressed great satisfaction with the use of biosand filters as they got adequate drinking water (90.9%). Households cited improved health (100%), clean water (100%); good taste (100%) and ease of use (90.9%) as perceived benefits of using the biosand filter. The mean faecal coliform level of biosand filter-treated water (3.2±1.4cfu/100ml) was significantly lower than that of source water (37.1±8.9cfu/100ml) (p<0.05). Biosand filters (78.8%) provided safe drinking water (0cfu/100ml) but were recontaminated (26.9%, n=26) during storage. Poor household hygiene, unrecommended storage methods and withdrawal practices were attributed to recontamination of stored treated water.

Evaluation of haemoglobin levels in pregnant women in Zimbabwe

A cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the haemoglobin (Hb) levels during pregnancy in Bindura District of Zimbabwe. The main objective was to establish the effect of varying age and parity on Hb levels in pregnant women. Blood samples were taken from 60 pregnant women visiting Shashi Private Hospital for antenatal care for 2 weeks. The ages, parity and physical addresses of the participants were recorded. The highest mean Hb level recorded was 11.350 g/dL in the 35–39 years category and 11.337g/dL for the para 0 gravida 4. There were no significant differences in the mean Hb levels across the different age groups and the parity groups. However, the mean Hb levels were generally low. Hb levels need to be checked and rectified at the early stages of pregnancy to attain the required Hb level throughout pregnancy through improved diet and iron supplementation.

Hybrid classification of Landsat data and GIS for land use/cover change analysis of the Bindura district, Zimbabwe

Rapid land use/cover changes have taken place in many parts of Zimbabwe, including the Bindura district, mainly due to unequal land distribution during the colonial period, demographic pressure, agricultural expansion, government policies and environmental factors such as drought. This study monitored and analysed land use/cover changes in the Bindura district using Landsat data for 1973, 1989 and 2000 and discussed socioeconomic backgrounds for changes. A hybrid supervised/unsupervised classification approach coupled with geographical information systems (GIS) analyses was employed to generate land use/cover maps with six classes; agriculture, woodland, mixed rangeland, settlement, bare land and water. A post‐classification comparison change detection technique revealed different trends in land use/cover changes over the two periods (1973–1989 and 1989–2000). During the colonial and pre‐economic structural adjustment program (ESAP) independent period (1973–1989), the rates of agriculture and bare land changes were greater in the communal areas (CAs) than in the large‐scale commercial farms (LSCF), with ‘woodland to agriculture’ and ‘mixed rangeland to agriculture’ conversions dominating. In contrast, land use/cover changes in the LSCF increased more than the CAs during the post‐ESAP independent period (1989–2000), as ‘woodland to agriculture’, ‘mixed rangeland to agriculture’ and ‘woodland to mixed rangeland’ conversions dominated. The major land use/cover changes in the study area as derived from Landsat data are mainly due to the dynamic nature of agriculture practice such as extension of crop fields on one hand and the abandonment of croplands on the other hand, with additional factors such as wildfires and droughts. Observed trends in land use/cover changes indicate that deforestation and the encroachment of cultivation in woodland areas is a continuous trend in all the land tenure systems. Our results, therefore, suggest that an efficient and sustainable land use plan is required to reduce the rapid land use/cover changes, particularly the loss of woodland areas.

Rural sustainability under threat in Zimbabwe – Simulation of future land use/cover changes in the Bindura district based on the Markov-cellular automata model

Spatially explicit land use/cover models are indispensable for sustainable rural land use planning, particularly in southern African countries that are experiencing rapid land use/cover changes. Using Zimbabwe as an example, we simulated future land use/cover changes up to 2030 based on a Markov-cellular automata model that integrates Markovian transition probabilities computed from satellite-derived land use/cover maps and a cellular automata spatial filter. A multicriteria evaluation (MCE) procedure was used to generate transition potential maps from biophysical and socioeconomic data. Dynamic adjustments of transition probabilities and transition potential map thresholds were implemented in the Markov-cellular automata model through a multi-objective land allocation (MOLA) procedure. Using the normalised transition probabilities, the Markov-cellular automata model simulated future land use/cover changes (up to 2030) under the 2000 calibration scenario, predicting a continuing downward trend in woodland areas and an upward trend in bareland areas. Future land use/cover simulations indicated that if the current land use/cover trends continue in the study area without holistic sustainable development measures, severe land degradation will ensue.

An assessment of quality of water from boreholes in Bindura District, Zimbabwe

This study assessed the water quality of 144 boreholes in Bindura District in Mashonaland Province of Zimbabwe as part of a borehole rehabilitation project implemented by a local NGO. In previous studies it has been observed that some boreholes are not used for domestic purposes because of consumer perceived poor water quality. Consequently, communities have resorted to unsafe alternative water sources thus creating health risks. The study was carried out in June 2005. The objectives of the study were to assess the levels of parameters associated with the aesthetics of the water and to compare them with guideline values for drinking water. The study also investigated the relationship between some of the measured water quality and the consumer perceived water quality. Measured water quality parameters included pH, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe). All parameters were measured in the field except Ca, Mg and Fe, which were measured in a laboratory using a spectrophotometer. Consumer perceptions on water quality were investigated through interviews with the consumer community. Turbidity was found to be 0.75–428(20.8 ± 59.2; n = 144) NTU, pH 5.7–9.3 (6.88 ± 0.46; n = 144), temperature 18–26.8 (22.6 ± 2.1; n = 144) °C. EC 26–546 (199 ± 116; n = 144) μS/cm, Ca 6–71.6 (26.9 ± 14.1; n = 81) mg/l, Mg 1.2–49.6 (12.3 ± 10.0; n = 81) mg/l and Fe 0.08–9.60 (0.56 ± 1.15; n = 81) mg/l. Some 23% of the samples had pH outside the recommended range of 6.5–8.5, whilst 59% of the samples had turbidity values exceeding the 5NTU WHO limit. For EC, all samples had values less than the WHO derived limit of 1380 μS/cm. All Ca and magnesium values were within the common and recommended levels of 100 mg/l and 70 mg/l respectively. Iron had values greater than the WHO and SAZ limit of 0.3 mg/l in 36% of the samples. Water quality was deemed satisfactory for taste and soap consumption by 95% and 72% of the respondents respectively. Satisfaction was higher for drinking compared to soap consumption meaning that generally hard waters may still be acceptable for drinking purposes. The water quality met the stipulated standard or guideline value from a minimum of 41% (turbidity) to a maximum of 100% (EC, Ca and Mg). There was no correlation between taste and conductivity as some 5% of the respondents suggested the water was unsatisfactory although all EC values were far below the maximum limit. Again there was no correlation between iron and taste as iron had 36% of the samples above the threshold of 0.3 mg/l whilst objectionable taste perception was only in 5% of the cases. It is recommended that priority in future projects should be given to repairs of boreholes whose water quality is acceptable according to consumer perceptions obtained at project planning stage. Low cost household treatment aimed at improving quality should be investigated.