Factors Influencing Iron Levels Among Women of Reproductive Age and Children 6-48 Months in Livestock-Keeping Communities in Narok County, Kenya.

Proper nutrition is vital for maintaining good health for all people across their lifespan, especially children and mothers, who are especially vulnerable due to their specific nutrient needs. Despite the necessity of improved nutrition for these groups, some members do not fully meet their recommended daily micronutrient needs, a challenge exacerbated by different socioeconomic, cultural, and communal constraints resulting in malnutrition. Iron deficiency anaemia is a major concern among children and mothers, especially in pastoralist communities, due to poor nutrition and other related factors.

Pairwise fitting of piecewise mixed models for the joint modeling of multivariate longitudinal outcomes, in a randomized crossover trial.

Many statistical models have been proposed in the literature for the analysis of longitudinal data. One may propose to model two or more correlated longitudinal processes simultaneously, with a goal of understanding their association over time. Joint modeling is then required to carefully study the association structure among the outcomes as well as drawing joint inferences about the different outcomes.

The Livestock for Health Study: A Field Trial on Livestock Interventions to Prevent Acute Malnutrition Among Women and Children in Pastoralist Communities in Northern Kenya.

Background: Livestock-dependent communities in Africa's drylands disproportionately experience acute malnutrition, especially during drought seasons. We detail the design and implementation of the Livestock for Health (L4H) study aimed at determining the effect of providing livestock feed and nutritional counselling to prevent seasonal spikes of acute malnutrition.

Methods: The L4H study employed a 3-arm cluster randomized controlled trial to compare households in pastoralist settings in northern Kenya receiving livestock feeds during critical dry periods, with or without nutritional counseling, with control households.

Diabetes health care specific services readiness and availability in Kenya: Implications for Universal Health Coverage.

Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide yet preventable. Complications of undetected and untreated diabetes result in serious human suffering and disability. It negatively impacts on individual's social economic status threatening economic prosperity.

The impact of livestock interventions on nutritional outcomes of children younger than 5 years old and women in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Nutrition-sensitive livestock interventions have the potential to improve the nutrition of communities that are dependent on livestock for their livelihoods by increasing the availability and access to animal-source foods. These interventions can also boost household income, improving purchasing power for other foods, as well as enhance determinants of health. However, there is a lack of synthesized empirical evidence of the impact and effect of livestock interventions on diets and human nutritional status in Africa.

Analysis of user interactions with a digital health wallet for enabling care continuity in the context of an ongoing pandemic.

Background: The onset of COVID-19 and related policy responses made it difficult to study interactive health informatics solutions in clinical study settings. Instrumented log and event data from interactive systems capture temporal details that can be used to generate insights about care continuity during ongoing pandemics.

Objective: To investigate user interactions with a digital health wallet (DHW) system for addressing care continuity challenges in chronic disease management in the context of an ongoing pandemic.

Sero - epidemiology of brucellosis in people and their livestock: A linked human - animal cross-sectional study in a pastoralist community in Kenya.

Background: Brucellosis is associated with massive livestock production losses and human morbidity worldwide. Efforts to control brucellosis among pastoralist communities are limited by scarce data on the prevalence and risk factors for exposure despite the high human-animal interactions in these communities. This study simultaneously assessed the seroprevalence of brucellosis and associated factors of exposure among pastoralists and their livestock in same households.

Mid-term evaluation of Maternal and Child Nutrition Programme (MCNP II) in Kenya.

Background: Kenya is faced with a triple burden of malnutrition which is multi-faceted with health and socio-economic implications. Huge geographical disparities exist, especially, in the arid and semi-arid lands exacerbated by inadequate resource allocation to the nutrition sector and challenges in multi-sectoral coordination and nutrition governance. UNICEF's Maternal and Child Nutrition Programme is a four-year (2018-2022) resilience-building, multi-sectoral program focused on pregnant and lactating women, mothers of children under five years and children under five years.

Endemicity of infection among people and their livestock in pastoral communities in northern Kenya.

Background: can be transmitted to humans primarily through inhaling contaminated droplets released from infected animals or consumption of contaminated dairy products. Despite its zoonotic nature and the close association pastoralist communities have with their livestock, studies reporting simultaneous assessment of exposure and risk-factors among people and their livestock are scarce.

Objective: This study therefore estimated the seroprevalence of Q-fever and associated risk factors of exposure in people and their livestock.

Impact of livestock interventions on maternal and child nutrition outcomes in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

The challenge of undernutrition (stunting and wasting) still remains a major health concern in children below 5 years of age in Africa, with the continent accounting for more than one third of all stunted children and more than one quarter of all wasted children globally. Despite the growing evidence on the role of agriculture interventions in improving nutrition, empirical evidence on the impact of livestock intervention on nutrition in Africa is scant. This review is aimed at determining whether livestock interventions are effective in reducing undernutrition in children below five years of age and in pregnant and lactating women in Africa.

Perceptions on Adherence to Dietary Prescriptions for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease on Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study.

Diet is one of the modifiable lifestyle factors in management of kidney disease. We explored perceptions on adherence to dietary prescriptions for adults with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. This was a qualitative descriptive study.

Patient costs of diabetes mellitus care in public health care facilities in Kenya.

Objective: To estimate the direct and indirect costs of diabetes mellitus care at five public health facilities in Kenya.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in two counties where diabetes patients aged 18 years and above were interviewed. Data on care-seeking costs were obtained from 163 patients seeking diabetes care at five public facilities using the cost-of-illness approach.

Factors associated with adherence to dietary prescription among adult patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis in national referral hospitals in Kenya: a mixed-methods survey.

Introduction: Adherence to dietary prescriptions among patients with chronic kidney disease is known to prevent deterioration of kidney functions and slow down the risk for morbidity and mortality. This study determined factors associated with adherence to dietary prescription among adult patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis.

Methods: A mixed-methods study, using parallel mixed design, was conducted at the renal clinics and dialysis units at the national teaching and referral hospitals in Kenya from September 2018 to January 2019.

Patient costs of hypertension care in public health care facilities in Kenya.

Background: Hypertension in low- and middle-income countries, including Kenya, is of economic importance due to its increasing prevalence and its potential to present an economic burden to households. In this study, we examined the patient costs associated with obtaining care for hypertension in public health care facilities in Kenya.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among adult respondents above 18 years of age, with at least 6 months of treatment in two counties.

New Statistical Approach to Apportion Dietary Sources of Iodine Intake: Findings from Kenya, Senegal and India.

Progress of national Universal Salt Iodization (USI) strategies is typically assessed by household coverage of adequately iodized salt and median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in spot urine collections. However, household coverage does not inform on the iodized salt used in preparation of processed foods outside homes, nor does the total UIC reflect the portion of population iodine intake attributable to the USI strategy. This study used data from three population-representative surveys of women of reproductive age (WRA) in Kenya, Senegal and India to develop and illustrate a new approach to apportion the population UIC levels by the principal dietary sources of iodine intake, namely native iodine, iodine in processed food salt and iodine in household salt.

Malnutrition and cachexia among cancer out-patients in Nairobi, Kenya.

Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Kenya. However, there is scarce information on the nutritional status of cancer patients to guide in decision making. The present study sought to assess the risk of malnutrition, and factors associated with malnutrition and cachexia, among cancer out-patients, with the aim of informing nutrition programmes for cancer management in Kenya and beyond.

Nutritional status of cancer outpatients using scored patient generated subjective global assessment in two cancer treatment centers, Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Malnutrition is a universal problem in cancer patients renowned as an important factor for increased morbidity, decreased quality of life and high mortality. Early diagnosis of malnutrition risk through nutrition screening followed by comprehensive and timely interventions reduces mortality associated with malnutrition. The Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PGSGA) method has been proved efficient in identifying cancer patients with nutrition challenges and guiding appropriate interventions.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Kenyan Leafy Green Vegetables, Wild Fruits, and Medicinal Plants with Potential Relevance for Kwashiorkor.

Background. Inflammation, together with related oxidative stress, is linked with the etiology of kwashiorkor, a form of severe acute malnutrition in children. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phytochemicals may offer potential for the prevention and treatment of kwashiorkor.