Kenyan Sample Research Articles

Hantavirus Strains in East Africa Related to Western African Hantaviruses.

Hantaviruses are RNA viruses primarily carried by rodents, soricomorphs, and bats. The data about the distribution and genetic diversity of these viruses are often limited, especially in most regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, the majority of representatives were identified in western African localities, while only three hantaviruses have been reported in East Africa to date. In this study, a total of 1866 small mammals captured between 2009 and 2014 in various countries of Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania) were molecularly screened for the presence of hantaviruses. Hantavirus RNA was detected in dried blood samples of the Cape pipistrelle bat (Neoromicia capensis) captured in Ethiopia and the African wood mouse (Hylomyscus endorobae) from Kenya. Phylogenetic analysis of partial genomic segments revealed that the Ethiopian sample represents a sister lineage of the Mouyassué virus (reported previously from the congeneric bat in Côte d'Ivoire), and the Kenyan sample is a sister lineage of the Sangassou virus (described from the same mouse genus in Guinea).

Evaluation of psychometric properties and factorial structure of the pre-school child behaviour checklist at the Kenyan Coast.

BackgroundBehavioural/emotional problems may be common in preschool children living in resource-poor settings, but assessment of these problems in preschool children from poor areas is challenging owing to lack of appropriate behavioural screening tools. The child behaviour checklist (CBCL) is widely known for its reliability in identifying behavioural/emotional problems in preschool children, but it has not been validated for use in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWith permission from developers of CBCL, we translated this tool into Ki-Swahili and adapted the items to make them culturally appropriate and contextually relevant and examined the psychometric properties of the CBCL, particularly reliability, validity and factorial structure in a Kenyan community preschool sample of 301 children. It was also re-administered after 2 weeks to 38 randomly selected respondents, for the purpose of evaluating retest reliability. To evaluate inter-informant reliability, the CBCL was administered to 46 respondents (17 alternative caretakers and 29 fathers) alongside the child’s mother. Generalised linear model was used to measure associations with behavioural/emotional scores. We used structural equation modelling to perform a confirmatory factor analysis to examine the seven-syndrome CBCL structure.ResultsDuring the first phase we found that most of the items could be adequately translated and easily understood by the participants. The inter-informant agreement for CBCL scores was excellent between the mothers and other caretakers [Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) = 0.89, p < 0.001] and fathers (r = 0.81; p < 0.001). The test–retest reliability was acceptable (r = 0.76; p < 0.001). The scale internal consistency coefficients were excellent for total problems [Cronbach’s alpha (α) = 0.95] and between good and excellent for most CBCL sub-scales (α = 0.65–0.86). Behavioural/emotional scores were associated with pregnancy complications [adjusted beta coefficient (β) = 0.44 (95 % CI, 0.07–0.81)] and adverse perinatal events [β = 0.61 (95 % CI, 0.09–1.13)] suggesting discriminant validity of the CBCL. Most fit indices for the seven-syndrome CBCL structure were within acceptable range, being <0.09 for root mean squared error of approximation and >0.90 for Tucker–Lewis Index and Comparative Fit Index.ConclusionThe CBCL has good psychometric properties and the seven-syndrome structure fits well with the Kenyan preschool children suggesting it can be used to assess behavioural/emotional problems in this rural area.

Technical Efficiency Evaluation of Kenyan Sample Banking Sector

The Kenyan financial institutions structure has changed for the last two decades. The commercial banks have undergone incredible development. The study attempts to investigate technical efficiency of Kenyan commercial banks during 2004-2013 by using a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The results suggests that the degree of technical efficiency was found to be lower which indicates that the inefficiency is due to producing at an inefficient scale level rather than producing below the production frontier.

The beliefs of African university men and women on HIV/AIDS being Gods indignation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the tenet that HIV/AIDS is God’s indignation for those who engage in sexual intercourse outside the institution of marriage. Moreover, this study aimed at identifying gender differences that HIV/AIDS is God’s indignation against sexual immorality. Descriptive statistics comprising frequency, percentage, chi-square and probability was used for data analysis. The sample comprised a diverse sample of 366 men and women university students drawn from Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania. Statistically, majority of the participants did not subscribe to the tenet that HIV/AIDS is God’s indignation directed at those who engage in sexual behaviour outside of holy matrimony. In the Kenyan sample, more women than men respondents rejected the notion that HIV/AIDS was God’s indignation against sin. As for both the South African and Tanzanian samples, there were more men than women rejecting that God uses HIV/AIDS to inflict punishment on sinners. It was concluded that such tenet must be rejected and combated through public education. Key words: HIV/AIDS, transmission, God’s indignation, gender difference, impact of belief, university students, misconception.

Organizational justice and mental health: a multi-level test of justice interactions.

We examine main and interaction effects of organizational justice at the individual and the organizational levels on general health in a Kenyan sample. We theoretically differentiate between two different interaction patterns of justice effects: buffering mechanisms based on trust versus intensifying explanations of justice interactions that involve psychological contract violations. Using a two-level hierarchical linear model with responses from 427 employees in 29 organizations, only interpersonal justice at level 1 demonstrated a significant main effect. Interactions between distributive and interpersonal justice at both the individual and the collective levels were found. The intensifying hypothesis was supported: the relationship between distributive justice and mental health problems was strongest when interpersonal justice was high. This contrasts with buffering patterns described in Western samples. We argue that justice interaction patterns shift depending on the economic conditions and sociocultural characteristics of employees studied.

Comparing Disability Prototypes in the United States and Kenya

The purpose of this cross-cultural research was to examine prototypical perspectives about disability groups in the United States and Kenya. Open-ended questions permitted participants to describe what they thought were prototypical characteristics of people in four disability groups (AIDS, hearing impairment, mental illness, and spinal cord injury). A global chi-square analysis indicated that significant differences existed in the prototypical responses of the two samples. While both samples had the highest percentage in the category of disability-focused responses, there were greater ability-focused and lesser disability-focused responses in the U.S. sample in comparison to the Kenyan sample. Further, individual chi-square analyses of each superordinate category, when examining the two samples across four disability categories, demonstrated that only one superordinate category, stigma, was significantly different between the two samples, whereas the other five superordinate categories (i.e., ability focus, disaoility focus, negative emotions, positive emotions, and random response) exhibited no significant differences. Implications of the findings are briefly discussed.

Psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) amongst Nairobi public secondary school children, Kenya

Background: There are few psychometric instruments whose properties have been studied in a developing country's context. Aim: To determine the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) in Nairobi public secondary school children, Kenya. Method: Concurrent self-administration of the MASC and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) to students in Nairobi public secondary schools. Results: The MASC had a high overall internal consistency alpha co-efficient (0.85) in the Kenyan sample, which is similar to Western findings, and is hence a reliable tool for measuring anxiety in the study population. It was also similar to the findings from two Western studies in the anxiety domains of physical symptoms, social anxiety, separation anxiety and harm avoidance. The correlation co-efficient with CDI was similar to Scandinavian findings. Conclusion: The MASC can be used in Kenyan children and, by extension, other Africa children.

Violence Level in African Cities Prompts PTSD Concerns

Violence Level in African Cities Prompts PTSD Concerns

Psychological morbidity, social circumstances, sexual behaviour and HIV in Kenyan community sample

Psychological morbidity, social circumstances, sexual behaviour and HIV in Kenyan community sample

AB023, novel polyene antibiotics. I. Taxonomy of the producing organism, fermentation and antifungal activity.

AB023 is a complex of polyene antibiotics produced by an actinomycete, SD581, which was isolated from a Kenyan soil sample. The two main components, pentaene antibiotics AB023a and AB023b, have antifungal activity against some phytopathogenic fungi, particularly against Botrytis cinerea (MIC of 5 micrograms/ml).

Monitoring secondary outbreaks of the African armyworm in Kenya using pheromone traps for timing of Bacillus thuringiensis application

The arrival of male moths of the African armyworm, Spodoptera exempta Walker, was monitored in Kenya using pheromone traps. Peak trap counts were obtained during March 1989, and were concentrated in three out of nine traps distributed in small farms in an area of 625 km 2 in Lambwe valley, South Nyanza. Large numbers of egg masses were located on dry stalks of last year's cereals in wild cynodon grass situated around the crop fields. Smaller numbers were found on the underside of the first emerged leaves of maize seedlings. Few egg masses were found on millet crops. Application of a Bacillus thuringiensis preparation at a concentration of only 0.2% (w/v, which is 1 10 of the ordinary concentration used) based on a new isolate obtained from a Kenyan soil sample, directed against neonate S. exempta larvae, reduced larval population by 95%.

Blood pressure in four remote populations in the INTERSALT Study.

Four remote population samples (Yanomamo and Xingu Indians of Brazil and rural populations in Kenya and Papua New Guinea) had the lowest average blood pressures among all 52 populations studied in INTERSALT, an international cooperative investigation of electrolytes and blood pressure. Average systolic blood pressure was 103 versus 120 mm Hg in the remaining INTERSALT centers; diastolic blood pressure in these four population samples averaged 63 versus 74 mm Hg in the 48 other centers. There was little or no upward slope of blood pressure with age; hypertension was present in only 5% of the rural Kenyan sample and virtually absent in the other three centers. Also in marked contrast with the rest of the centers was level of daily salt intake, as estimated by 24-hour urinary sodium excretion. Median salt intake ranged from under 1 g to 3 g daily versus more than 9 g in the rest of INTERSALT populations. Average body weight was also low in these four centers, with no or low average alcohol intake, again unlike the other centers. The association within these four centers between the above variables and blood pressure was low, possibly reflecting their limited variability. While several other INTERSALT centers also had low average body weight or low prevalence of alcohol drinking, when this was accompanied by much higher salt intake (7-12 g salt or 120-210 mmol sodium daily), hypertension prevalence ranged from 8% to 19%. These findings confirm previous reports that in populations with a low salt intake, there is little or no hypertension or rise of blood pressure with age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)