Siaya County Research Articles

Production, processing and storage techniques of african nightshade (Solanum spp.) seeds and their correlations with farmers’ characteristics in western Kenya

Nightshade (Solanum species) is a priority African indigenous vegetable of great importance that plays a significant role in nutrition, food security and income generation. Much research attention on nightshade has focused on leaf yields, nutritional value, agronomic practices and post-harvest handling. However, African nightshade production is mainly constrained by lack of quality seeds occasioned by methods of seed harvesting, processing and storage. This study sought to find out existing knowledge on methods of seed harvesting, processing and storage techniques and their associations with farmers’ characteristics. A household survey was done in Siaya, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu, Busia and Kisii counties in Kenya between June 2014 and June 2015. The survey targeted farmers who produced and processed nightshade seeds in a bid to document existing methods of nightshade seed harvesting, processing and storage techniques. Purposive sampling was conducted on the targeted counties so as to survey only households that grow and process nightshade seeds. Scheduled interviews together with structured questionnaires were used to collect data. A total of 60 farmers were interviewed. Data were collected on nightshade production, cultural practices, harvesting processing and storage techniques, seed accessibility and availability, seed quality, quantity, cost and the challenges facing the nightshade seed production. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Significantly more women were involved in nightshade seed production than men (X 2 = 4.81, P = 0.028). While, the level of education of farmers significantly influenced seed sourcing (X 2 = 17.99, P = 0.021), the age and sex of farmers did not affect seed sourcing. The choice of methods used for nightshade seed extraction was not significantly associated with age, sex and the level of education. Similarly, nightshade seed packaging and storage techniques are not influenced by age, sex and level of education. Nightshade seed processing techniques were predominantly traditional and the seed systems informal. Farmers produced their own seeds and stored them for periods of less than one year. Therefore, farmers should be trained on production, storage and use of quality African nightshade seeds and more studies that focus on improvement, standardising and formalizing nightshade seed systems should be done. Keywords: Indigenous vegetables, Nightshade seeds, Production, Harvesting, Processing, Storage techniques, Seed systems

Mapping Rural Road Networks from Global Positioning System (GPS) Trajectories of Motorcycle Taxis in Sigomre Area, Siaya County, Kenya

Effective transport infrastructure is an essential component of economic integration, accessibility to vital social services and a means of mitigation in times of emergency. Rural areas in Africa are largely characterized by poor transport infrastructure. This poor state of rural road networks contributes to the vulnerability of communities in developing countries by hampering access to vital social services and opportunities. In addition, maps of road networks are incomplete, and not up-to-date. Lack of accurate maps of village-level road networks hinders determination of access to social services and timely response to emergencies in remote locations. In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, communities in rural areas and some in urban areas have devised an alternative mode of public transport system that is reliant on motorcycle taxis. This new mode of transport has improved local mobility and has created a vibrant economy that depends on the motorcycle taxi business. The taxi system also offers an opportunity for understanding local-level mobility and the characterization of the underlying transport infrastructure. By capturing the spatial and temporal characteristics of the taxis, we could design detailed maps of rural infrastructure and reveal the human mobility patterns that are associated with the motorcycle taxi system. In this study, we tracked motorcycle taxis in a rural area in Kenya by tagging volunteer riders with Global Positioning System (GPS) data loggers. A semi-automatic method was applied on the resulting trajectories to map rural-level road networks. The results showed that GPS trajectories from motorcycle taxis could potentially improve the maps of rural roads and augment other mapping initiatives like OpenStreetMap.

Head Teachers’ Characteristics and Instructional Leadership in Curriculum Implementation in Secondary Schools, Siaya County, Kenya

Personal or background characteristics can influence head teachers instructional leadership in schools. This study investigated the relationship, if any, between the head teacher’s instructional leadership and the head teacher’s background variables such as education/ professional qualification, gender, age,p and teaching experience in the implementation of curriculum (Environmental Education) in secondary schools. Thirty headteachers and 183 teachers randomly sampled participated. Questionnaire was used to collect data in the survey. Findings: The Instructional Leadership Mean Score for mostvariables was moderate,Instructional Leadership Mean Score was independent of head teacher characteristics such as sex, age, and teaching experience but dependent on head teacher qualification. Recommendation: Quality Assurance and Standards officers need to monitor instructions in schools regularly to assist heads,Training of headteacherson instructional leadership should be ongoing and be ensured byboth Teachers Service Commission and Kenya Education Management Institute.

The impact of school support on depression among adolescent orphans: a cluster-randomized trial in Kenya.

The objective of this study was to determine if a school support intervention for adolescent orphans in Kenya had effects on mental health, a secondary outcome. In this paper, we analyzed data from a 4-year cluster-randomized trial of a school support intervention (school uniforms, school fees, and nurse visits) conducted with orphaned adolescents in Siaya County, western Kenya, who were about to transition to secondary school. 26 primary schools were randomized (1:1) to intervention (410 students) or control (425 students) arms. The study was longitudinal with annual repeated measures collected over 4years from 2011 to 2014. We administered five items from the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised, a self-reported depression screening instrument. The intervention prevented depression severity scores from increasing over timeamong adolescents recruited from intervention schools. There was no evidence of treatment heterogeneity bygender or baseline depression status. The intervention effect on depression was partially mediated by higher levelsof continuous school enrollment among the intervention group, but this mediated effect was small. School support for orphans may help to buffer against the onset or worsening of depression symptoms over time, promoting resilience among an important at-risk population.

Influence of Resources on Students’ Academic Performance in Physics at Secondary Schools in Ugenya Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya

Influence of Resources on Students’ Academic Performance in Physics at Secondary Schools in Ugenya Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya

An adapted instrument to assess informed consent comprehension among youth and parents in rural western Kenya: a validation study

ObjectiveTo adapt and validate a questionnaire originally developed in a research setting for assessment of comprehension of consent information in a different cultural and linguistic research setting.DesignThe adaptation process involved...

Policy Implementation and Determinant of Access to Education for Disable Learners in Siaya and Kisumu Counties- Kenya: A Phenomenological Study

Access to education denotes approaches which policies and institutions offering education ensures student have equal chances to acquire knowledge and skills to the maximum without compromising one’s status socially, economically or physically. Well thought policy implementation strategies can assist this, as such the study borrowed heavily from policy implementation theories. Also, the study was based on interpretative epistemic paradigm and focused on policy context and its influence on access to education by engaging experiences of principals, teachers, parents, education officers and learners living with disability in Kenya, The following objectives directed the research; to explore policy context of students living with disability; to analyze factors influencing policy implementation for access to education among student living with disability; and to recommend strategies for improving access to education for learners living with disability. Data was collected in 3 schools within 2 countries. 3 Principals, 2 parents, 2 education officers, 3 disable learners and 18 teachers formed 3 different focus groups with 6 teachers per school that were selected through convenience and purposive sampling technique. The study adopted individual as the unit of analysis, It applied context analysis, daily dairy recording, semi structured interview, and focus group interviews to collect the data. The findings from data analysis shows decision making, awareness, cultural beliefs, Curriculum, Environmental Physical Infrastructural facilities, Teachers Role, Stakeholders/ Government Levels of Authority and Parental support as major factors influencing policy implementation for learners living with disability. The study came up with following policy recommendations.; policy on strategy for decision making in a special school be setup, and policy on research on disability befitting curriculum, facilities, and environmental infrastructural need to be considered among others.

Transformational Leadership Practices in Curriculum Implementation (Environmental Education) in Secondary Schools in Siaya County, Kenya

Leadership practices promote accomplishment of goals in organizations. This paper focuses on the application of transformational leadership practices: Idealized influence, Inspirational motivation, Intellectual stimulation and Individualized consideration in curriculum implementation, Environmental Education (EE). The sample consisted of 183 teachers randomly selected from 30 secondary schools in Siaya County. A questionnaire was used in a descriptive survey research. The findings using the selected indicators were that head teachers: strived towards the collective goal of fulfilling a vision and were positive role models; had trust of teachers’ ability; made decisions all the time; encouraged students to work hard; and organized meetings with other schools to achieve subject objectives.

Socioeconomic health inequality in malaria indicators in rural western Kenya: evidence from a household malaria survey on burden and care-seeking behaviour

BackgroundHealth inequality is a recognized barrier to achieving health-related development goals. Health-equality data are essential for evidence-based planning and assessing the effectiveness of initiatives to promote equity. Such data have been captured but have not always been analysed or used to manage programming. Health data were examined for microeconomic differences in malaria indices and associated malaria control initiatives in western Kenya.MethodsData was analysed from a malaria cross-sectional survey conducted in July 2012 among 2719 people in 1063 households in Siaya County, Kenya. Demographic factors, history of fever, malaria parasitaemia, malaria medication usage, insecticide-treated net (ITN) use and expenditure on malaria medications were collected. A composite socioeconomic status score was created using multiple correspondence analyses (MCA) of household assets; households were classified into wealth quintiles and dichotomized into poorest (lowest 3 quintiles; 60%) or less-poor (highest 2 quintiles; 40%). Prevalence rates were calculated using generalized linear modelling.ResultsOverall prevalence of malaria infection was 34.1%, with significantly higher prevalence in the poorest compared to less-poor households (37.5% versus 29.2%, adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.23; 95% CI = 1.08–1.41, p = 0.002). Care seeking (aPR = 0.95; 95% CI 0.87–1.04, p = 0.229), medication use (aPR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.87–1.00, p = 0.087) and ITN use (aPR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.87–1.05, p = 0.397) were similar between households. Among all persons surveyed, 36.4% reported taking malaria medicines in the prior 2 weeks; 92% took artemether-lumefantrine, the recommended first-line malaria medication. In the poorest households, 4.9% used non-recommended medicines compared to 3.5% in less-poor (p = 0.332). Mean and standard deviation [SD] for expenditure on all malaria medications per person was US$0.38 [US$0.50]; the mean was US$0.35 [US$0.52] amongst the poorest households and US$0.40 [US$0.55] in less-poor households (p = 0.076). Expenditure on non-recommended malaria medicine was significantly higher in the poorest (mean US$1.36 [US$0.91]) compared to less-poor households (mean US$0.98 [US$0.80]; p = 0.039).ConclusionsInequalities in malaria infection and expenditures on potentially ineffective malaria medication between the poorest and less-poor households were evident in rural western Kenya. Findings highlight the benefits of using MCA to assess and monitor the health-equity impact of malaria prevention and control efforts at the microeconomic level.

HIV incidence in western Kenya during scale-up of antiretroviral therapy and voluntary medical male circumcision: a population-based cohort analysis

In Kenya, coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people with HIV infection has increased from 7% in 2006, to 57% in 2016; and, in western Kenya, coverage of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) increased from 45% in 2008, to 72% in 2014. We investigated trends in HIV prevalence and incidence in a high burden area in western Kenya in 2011-16. In 2011, 2012, and 2016, population-based surveys were done via a health and demographic surveillance system and home-based counselling and testing in Gem, Siaya County, Kenya, including 28 688, 17 021, and 16 772 individuals aged 15-64 years. Data on demographic variables, self-reported HIV status, and risk factors were collected. Rapid HIV testing was offered to survey participants. Participants were tracked between surveys by use of health and demographic surveillance system identification numbers. HIV prevalence was calculated as a proportion, and HIV incidence was expressed as number of new infections per 1000 person-years of follow-up. HIV prevalence was stable in participants aged 15-64 years: 15% (4300/28 532) in 2011, 12% (2051/16 875) in 2012, and 15% (2312/15 626) in 2016. Crude prevalences in participants aged 15-34 years were 11% (1893/17 197) in 2011, 10% (1015/10 118) in 2012, and 9% (848/9125) in 2016; adjusted for age and sex these prevalences were 11%, 9%, and 8%. 12 606 (41%) of the 30 520 non-HIV-infected individuals enrolled were seen again in at least one more survey round, and were included in the analysis of HIV incidence. HIV incidence was 11·1 (95% CI 9·1-13·1) per 1000 person-years from 2011 to 2012, and 5·7 (4·6-6·9) per 1000 person-years from 2012 to 2016. With increasing coverage of ART and VMMC, HIV incidence declined substantially in Siaya County between 2011 and 2016. VMMC, but not ART, was suggested to have a direct protective effect, presumably because ART tended to be given to individuals with advanced HIV infection. HIV incidence is still high and not close to the elimination target of one per 1000 person-years. The effect of further scale-up of ART and VMMC needs to be monitored. Data were collected under Cooperative Agreements with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with funding from the President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief.

Land as culture: Discourse and narratives of land claims in postcolonial Kenya

ABSTRACTThe most recent legal and human rights histories of postcolonial Africa straddle visions that promote United Nations-centred human rights as the basis of the new nation, and another that promotes an amalgam between culture and these UN-centred human rights. In a number of African countries, these multiple visions of rights have been most manifest in matters related to land relations and governance in the context of states that have largely retained the colonial units that attempted to align administrative boundaries with imagined cultural borders to create ethnic homelands. In Kenya, where the contested history of land reforms remains divisive, Yala Swamp in Siaya County, western Kenya provides a useful case of a tussle between the local Luo residents and Dominion Farms Limited, a US-based company that was granted user rights in 1990 to a 3,200-hectare section of the Swamp. The Constitution of Kenya 2010 (CoK, katiba in Kiswahili), that is positioned as the moment of ‘change’, has described land in three categories: private (20 per cent), public (13 per cent), and community (67 per cent). This article discusses the category of community land, drawing on fieldwork in which I sought to find out how Yala residents planned to use the CoK to press for their cultural rights. This and related cases will be used to illustrate the ways in which the local community in Yala has moved beyond framing the issue or controversy of multiple postcolonial visions of rights in terms of law, ethnicity and gender, to making the connection between land and culture – something the CoK made visible. It concludes that ‘culture’ has become a way of objectifying claims, and widening the terms of legal conflict, thus shaping and directing these into specific claims about cultural rights, and their attendant land rights processes in postcolonial Kenya.

Effects of Finance Availability on the Performance of Post Retirement Business Enterprises in Ugunja sub County, Siaya County.

Effects of Finance Availability on the Performance of Post Retirement Business Enterprises in Ugunja sub County, Siaya County.

Infant and child mortality in relation to malaria transmission in KEMRI/CDC HDSS, Western Kenya: validation of verbal autopsy

BackgroundMalaria transmission reduction is a goal of many malaria control programmes. Little is known of how much mortality can be reduced by specific reductions in transmission. Verbal autopsy (VA) is widely used for estimating malaria specific mortality rates, but does not reliably distinguish malaria from other febrile illnesses. Overall malaria attributable mortality includes both direct and indirect deaths. It is unclear what proportion of the deaths averted by reducing malaria transmission are classified as malaria in VA.MethodsBoth all-cause, and cause-specific mortality reported by VA for children under 5 years of age, were assembled from the KEMRI/CDC health and demographic surveillance system in Siaya county, rural Western Kenya for the years 2002–2004. These were linked to household-specific estimates of the Plasmodium falciparum entomological inoculation rate (EIR) based on high resolution spatio-temporal geostatistical modelling of entomological data. All-cause and malaria specific mortality (by VA), were analysed in relation to EIR, insecticide-treated net use (ITN), socioeconomic status (SES) and parameters describing space–time correlation. Time at risk for each child was analysed using Bayesian geostatistical Cox proportional hazard models, with time-dependent covariates. The outputs were used to estimate the diagnostic performance of VA in measuring mortality that can be attributed to malaria exposure.ResultsThe overall under-five mortality rate was 80 per 1000 person-years during the study period. Eighty-one percent of the total deaths were assigned causes of death by VA, with malaria assigned as the main cause of death except in the neonatal period. Although no trend was observed in malaria-specific mortality assessed by VA, ITN use was associated with reduced all-cause mortality in infants (hazard ratio 0.15, 95% CI 0.02, 0.63) and the EIR was strongly associated with both all-cause and malaria-specific mortality. 48.2% of the deaths could be attributed to malaria by analysing the exposure–response relationship, though only 20.5% of VAs assigned malaria as the cause and the sensitivity of VAs was estimated to be only 26%. Although VAs assigned some deaths to malaria even in areas where there was estimated to be no exposure, the specificity of the VAs was estimated to be 85%.ConclusionInterventions that reduce P. falciparum transmission intensity will not only significantly reduce malaria-diagnosed mortality, but also mortality assigned to other causes in under-5 year old children in endemic areas. In this setting, the VA tool based on clinician review substantially underestimates the number of deaths that could be averted by reducing malaria exposure in childhood, but has a reasonably high specificity. This suggests that malaria transmission-reducing interventions such as ITNs can potentially reduce overall child mortality by as much as twice the total direct malaria burden estimated from VAs.

Reducing spatial variability of soybean response to rhizobia inoculants in farms of variable soil fertility in Siaya County of western Kenya

Soybean grain yields in sub-Saharan Africa have remained at approximately 50% below those attained in South America despite numerous efforts. A study was conducted in Siaya County (western Kenya) involving 107 farms with soils of different fertility status. The main objective was to test combinations of two inoculants (Legumefix and Biofix) and nutrient sources (Minjingu and Sympal) to raise soybean grain yields. Inoculation used Legumefix or Biofix with and without Minjingu or Sympal in a factorial design. There was soil acidity and a widespread deficiency of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Inoculation and nutrient source led to increases in nodulation and nodule occupancy. For grain yields the response varied from nil in some sites to high increases in others. Highest grain yields (3000–4000 kg ha−1) were obtained with Legumefix + Sympal (12% of the farmers testing it). The formulation of the nutrient source was important to meet other nutrient deficiencies in most of the soils. Farmers using Legumefix + Sympal require yield increases of 35% for profitability (Value cost ratio of 3) while farmers using Minjingu + inoculant require a yield increase of at least 68%. Inoculants used alone were most profitable but this is advisable only when farmers are too resource constrained to afford fertilizer. For sustainable yields Legumefix + Sympal or Biofix + Sympal were recommended.

Learning environmental effects on reading and writing English Braille grade ii for the visually impaired child

Learners with visual impairment (VI) depend on Braille as a medium of instruction and communication. According to a report by the Ministry of Education, only 45 (30.6%) out of 147(100%) of learners with VI enrolled in upper primary classes in Kisumu and Siaya counties could read and write English Braille grade II competently. Despite this discrepancy, there was no documented explanation for this low percentage of learners with English Braille grade II competencies, particularly in Kisumu and Siaya Counties. The purpose of this study was to establish environmental challenges faced by learners with visual impairment in reading and writing of English Braille grade II, in selected Special Primary Schools in Kisumu and Siaya counties Kenya. The purpose of this study was to establish environmental challenges faced by learners with visual impairment in reading and writing of English Braille grade II, in selected Special Primary Schools in Kisumu and Siaya counties Kenya. Objective of the study was to; Establish Learner based challenges in acquiring and using English Braille grade II. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. The target population was 162 visually impaired learners and 54 teachers. Saturated sampling technique was used to select 147 visually impaired learners and 49 teachers. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and interview schedules. Test re-test method was used to determine the reliability coefficient of instruments at a score of 0.75. Face and content validity of the research instruments was ascertained by experts from the department of Special Needs Education. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data was transcribed, categorized into themes and sub-themes as they emerged. The findings revealed that these learners had negative attitude towards communication in English Braille Grade II. Only 26 (19.2%) out of 147 of the learners were able to read and write English Braille Grade II. This study recommended early stimulation and introduction to Braille code for learners with VI; enforcement of functional educational inclusion to accommodate learners with VI and adoption of Individualized Educational Program (IEP). These findings will be of use to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Kenya National Examination Council, and Teacher Training Colleges for adapting the curriculum, on setting Examinations, and on how to train Teachers for Learners with visual impairment.

Incidence of Active Tuberculosis and Cohort Retention Among Adolescents in Western Kenya.

Siaya County, with the highest tuberculosis notification rates in Kenya. To determine the incidence of active tuberculosis and 1-year cohort retention in 12-18-year-old adolescents, in preparation for phase III tuberculosis vaccine trials. Adolescents were enrolled and followed up for 1-2 years to determine tuberculosis incidence. Adolescents with a positive tuberculin skin test, history of cohabitation with a tuberculosis case or at least 1 tuberculosis symptom received clinical and sputum examination and a chest radiograph. Definite tuberculosis cases were bacteriologically confirmed and clinical cases diagnosed by a clinician based on a suggestive chest radiograph and having clinical symptoms. Risk factors were explored using Poisson regression. Among 4934 adolescents without tuberculosis at baseline, 26 tuberculosis cases were identified during follow-up with a corresponding incidence density of 4.4 [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.0-6.4] events per 1000 person-years of observation, 12 definite tuberculosis cases; incidence density of 2.0 (95% CI: 0.9-3.1). Having previous tuberculosis (rate ratio: 12.5; CI: 1.8-100) and presence of tuberculin skin test conversion (rate ratio: 3.4; CI: 1.5-7.7) were significantly associated with higher risk of tuberculosis. Overall (4086/4925), 83.0% of adolescents were retained in the study after 1 year of follow-up. Being female, older, out of school and being orphaned were significant risk factors for loss to follow-up. The tuberculosis incidence in adolescents will help inform future tuberculosis vaccine trial sample size calculations for this setting. The predictive factors for tuberculosis and retention can be further explored in future trials.

Victims and Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence Among Sexually Active Youth in a Community With a High HIV Prevalence in Western Kenya

Background:Physical intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important risk factor for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. We set out to determine the prevalence and correlates of IPV among youth aged 15 to 24 years – in a community with a high HIV prevalence – with a view to recommending strategies to address IPV.Methods:We analysed data from an HIV seroprevalence survey, which included participants aged 13 years and above and was conducted between November 2012 and December 2014 in Gem Subcounty, Siaya County, Western Kenya. Participants between 15 and 24 years old (youth) were described as “perpetrators of IPV” if they had done anything to physically hurt their sexual partners in the previous year and as “victims of IPV” if they had been physically hurt by a sexual partner in the same timeframe. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with being either a victim or perpetrator of IPV.Results:Of 1,957 participants included in the analysis, 142 (7%) were victims of IPV, and 77 (4%) were perpetrators of IPV. Victims were likely to be women (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 7.9; 95% CI, 3.6 to 17.5), in a relationship or married (AOR 3.1; 95% CI, 1.8 to 5.4), and to have had multiple lifetime sexual partners. Victims of IPV were also more likely than not to have been subjected to sexual violence in the past (AOR 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0 to 3.4) or recently (AOR 3.9; 95% CI, 2.2 to 6.8). Perpetrators were likely to be men (AOR 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.7), with 5 or more lifetime sexual partners (AOR 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 6.3), and to have committed sexual violence recently (AOR 2.9; 95% CI, 1.1 to 7.7).Conclusion:There was a high prevalence of IPV among sexually active youth in this rural community. Study participants were recurrent victims or perpetrators and reported behaviours that put them at risk of HIV acquisition. Health programmes should screen for IPV victims and perpetrators using identified characteristics. Existing policies regarding gender-based violence should be enforced, and future research should focus on the impact of IPV prevention programmes.

Lake Fishing Factors on Pupils School Attendance Pattern in Developing Countries. A Case of Madiany Division, Siaya County Kenya

Developing countries education system includes both academic and technical training at primary, secondary and tertiary levels (Ward et al. 2006). Formal primary schooling lasts for eight years and seven years respectively. The paper presents the lake fishing factors on primary school pupils attendance patterns in developing countries with focus to Madiany Division, Siaya County located on the shores of Lake Victoria. The introduction of free primary education in Kenya in 2003 was introduce to map out all children who parents could not afford to pay the school fee and enable them access and completion basic education but this has not actually been achieved KNEC report 2010. The paper identify school attendance pattern by pupils and determined probable reasons influencing the attendance patterns. The findings presented in this paper shows that pupils attendance patterns to school is not steady and fluctuates based on the gender, age, and class category and lake activities. The attendance rate per year was found to be at 67.35%, girls attended school more (39.8%) compared to boys (27.51%). It was also established that pupils school attendance patterns was most directly influenced by fishing activities that the community living around the lake practice. The paper highlights policy implications on the topic under study.

National burden of hospitalized and non-hospitalized influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness in Kenya, 2012-2014.

BackgroundInfluenza‐associated respiratory illness was substantial during the emergence of the 2009 influenza pandemic. Estimates of influenza burden in the post‐pandemic period are unavailable to guide Kenyan vaccine policy.ObjectivesTo update estimates of hospitalized and non‐hospitalized influenza‐associated severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) during a post‐pandemic period (2012‐2014) and describe the incidence of disease by narrow age categories.MethodsWe used data from Siaya County Referral Hospital to estimate age‐specific base rates of SARI. We extrapolated these base rates to other regions within the country by adjusting for regional risk factors for acute respiratory illness (ARI), regional healthcare utilization for acute respiratory illness, and the proportion of influenza‐positive SARI cases in each region, so as to obtain region‐specific rates.ResultsThe mean annual rate of hospitalized influenza‐associated SARI among all ages was 21 (95% CI 19‐23) per 100 000 persons. Rates of non‐hospitalized influenza‐associated SARI were approximately 4 times higher at 82 (95% CI 74‐90) per 100 000 persons. Mean annual rates of influenza‐associated SARI were highest in children <2 years of age with annual hospitalization rates of 147 (95% CI of 134‐160) per 100 000 persons and non‐hospitalization rates of 469 (95% CI 426‐517) per 100 000 persons. For the period 2012‐2014, there were between 8153 and 9751 cases of hospitalized influenza‐associated SARI and 31 785‐38 546 cases of non‐hospitalized influenza‐associated SARI per year.ConclusionsThe highest burden of disease was observed among children <2 years of age. This highlights the need for strategies to prevent influenza infections in this age group.

Factors associated with physical violence by a sexual partner among girls and women in rural Kenya.

BackgroundIntimate partner physical violence increases women’s risk for negative health outcomes and is an important public health concern. The purpose of the present study was to determine 1) the proportion of girls (≤18 years) and women (>18 years) who experienced physical violence by a sexual partner, and 2) factors (including self–reported HIV infection) associated with girls and women who experienced physical violence by a sexual partner.MethodsCross–sectional surveys conducted in the Gem Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) area in Siaya County, western Kenya in 2011–2012 (Round 1) and 2013–2014 (Round 2).FindingsAmong 8003 unique participants (582 girls and 7421 women), 11.6% reported physical violence by a sexual partner in the last 12 months (girls: 8.4%, women: 11.8%). Three factors were associated with physical violence by a sexual partner among girls: being married or cohabiting (nearly 5–fold higher risk), low education, and reporting forced sex in the last 12 months (both with an approximate 2–fold higher risk). Predictive factors were similar for women, with the addition of partner alcohol/drug use and deliberately terminating a pregnancy. Self–reported HIV status was not associated with recent physical violence by a sexual partner among girls or women.ConclusionsGender–based physical violence is prevalent in this rural setting and has a strong relationship with marital status, low education level, and forced sex among girls and women. Concerted efforts to prevent child marriage and retain girls in school as well as implementation of school and community–based anti–violence programs may help mitigate this risk.