MUST Institutional Research Ethics Review Committee System - MIRERC

Exploring Childbirth Experiences Among Adolescents in Imenti South Sub-County

Jacqueline Gatabi Manene — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of this study is to explore childbirth experiences among the adolescents who will have sought services,
Coming for some other services such as child immunization at Imenti South Sub County.
The sexual and reproductive health services of adolescents is a global concern with adolescent pregnancy
national average at 16% (KDHs, 2023) and Meru County average is at 24% above the national average.This
has contributed to a rise in maternal and neonatal obstetric complications (United Nations, 2013).
The research questions to be examined are:-
 What are the experiences of adolescents with different stakeholders across the care continuum?
 To what extent are healthcare services responsive to the needs of the adolescents?
 What are the met and unmet childbirth needs of adolescents across the care continuum?

Determinants of Health Outcomes of Traumatic Brain Injury Among Patients Attending Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital

Faith Kinya Mukindu — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury is the disruption of the brain structure with its function caused by the application of an external force, characterized by confusion, loss of consciousness, coma, or seizure. TBI is a public health concern globally and among the leading causes of admissions in hospitals, increased morbidity, mortality, and disability. The objective of this study is to assess the determinants of health outcomes of patients with traumatic brain injuries seeking treatment at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study design will be used to conduct this study at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital. The study population will be medical files of adult patients who had a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury, who were admitted and discharged home, post-discharge patients attending the outpatient neurosurgical clinic on follow-up after discharge, and healthcare practitioners managing these patients at the Accident and Emergency department, adult surgical wards, and critical care unit. A sample size of 84 patient files, 20 patients attending neurological clinics, and 40 healthcare workers will be included in this study. Data will be collected using a checklist to collect data from patients’ medical record files, interview-guided questionnaires for patients attending Neuro Clinic and self-administered questionnaires will be administered to healthcare workers managing patients in selected surgical departments. Data collected will be entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. Descriptive statistics will be used d to draw research conclusions- Inferential statistics such as chi-square, ANOVA, correlation, and t-test will be used to identify factors that influence the health outcome of patients with TBI. The correlation will be established using Pearson regression to check the effect of the factors on the health outcomes of TBI patients. Binary logistic regression analysis will help predict the strength of association between dependent and independent variables. The final analysis of variance ( ANOVA) will determine the significance of the results at 95% confidence. Research findings will be presented in figures and tables. All ethical considerations will be observed by seeking ethical clearance from Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) Institutional Research Ethics Review Committee MIRERC and approval will be obtained from the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital Research and Ethics Committee. Informed consent will be obtained from all the study participants.

Urine stabilization and treatment using lactic acid from fruit and vegetable peels: A potential source of nitrogen fertilizer

Tabitha Nekesa Khamala — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study proposes stabilising urine for use as nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture through lactic acid fermentation (LAF) from fruit and vegetable peel waste. Focused on onsite sanitation, it aims to utilize source-separated urine to enhance food production sustainably. Previous research shows LAF can suppress pathogens in fecal sludge and organic material preservation. The goal is to maximize lactic acid production, retain nitrogen, eradicate odor, and kill bacteria in human urine. Conducted at Meru University of Science and Technology, the research employs a quasi-experimental design. Urine samples from four volunteers will be analyzed for E. coli and nitrogen content before and after treatment. Peels from Gakoromone Market will be washed, air-dried, and stored. LAF will be performed on 300g of peels, fermented anaerobically for 72 hours at 34°C, 37°C, and 40°C, and analyzed with a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The lactic acid produced will be added to urine samples and stored for seven days. Additionally, a direct fermentation setup will compare direct LAF with lactic acid addition to urine. Physicochemical properties, including temperature, pH, E. coli, and nitrogen content, will be measured using standard methods, such as the Kjeldahl method and MacConkey agar. Statistical analysis will use a Turkey test in one-way ANOVA to identify significant differences. Expected outcomes include higher nitrogen content, lower pH, minimal odor, and reduced E. coli levels in treated urine compared to untreated samples.

Identifying Breast Cancer Genetic Risk Factors in Kenya (BreCXome)

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Per GLOBOCAN 2020, breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most diagnosed cancer worldwide. In most parts of Africa, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Although cancers present with racial disparities that are largely influenced by genetic factors, there is a significant dearth of genetic studies in Sub-Saharan Africa in general. Globally, patients of African descent suffer the shortest survival rates and poorest outcomes. Due to considerable difference in linkage
disequilibrium structure between African and Caucasian populations, largely Eurocentric research data are not representative of African people. African genomes are the most diverse and therefore the most likely to reveal the genetic basis of complex human traits. Despite this immense potential, there is a profound paucity of African cancer genomic data. Due to the dearth of genetic studies conducted among people of African descent, the proposed study presents an opportunity to identify novel variants. The
pathogenesis of breast cancer remains largely unexplained; therefore, the objective of the proposed study is to identify genes and pathways underpinning breast cancer pathogenesis in a Kenyan cohort. The long-term goal is to provide a comprehensive genetic landscape of breast cancer in Black Africans and develop resources for novel molecular diagnostics and therapeutics. Study samples will be obtained from The Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital and Pathologists Lancet, both in Kenya. The proposed study will have both retrospective and prospective arms. In the retrospective arm, we will retrieve data for all breast cancer cases from the medical records and utilize available archived breast cancer FFPE samples whereas in the prospective arm, we will collect blood and breast cancer tumor samples (i.e., FFPE). Genomic or cell-free DNA isolated from the FFPEand blood will be subjected to whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analyses to identify novel loci and elucidate pathways associated with breast cancer pathogenesis among Black Africans. This study also aims to create a comprehensive breast cancer database by integrating data from breast cancer cases into a cloud-based clinical data management application (Uvosyo). This streamlined approach will allow efficient organization and retrieval of information, offering valuable insights into breast cancer trends, treatment outcomes, and patient profiles. Ultimately, this will lead to more informed decision-making and improved patient care.

Association of eHealth Literacy with Knowledge of Social Health Authority (SHA) And Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) Among Undergraduate Health Students in Kenya

Dennis Kithinji — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid expansion of digital health resources has made eHealth literacy a crucial skill for accessing and understanding health-related information. In Kenya, the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) were introduced in October 2024 to replace the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). Despite 19.3 million registrations, only 3.5 million formally employed individuals actively contribute to SHIF, suggesting hesitancy in the voluntary uptake of the program, perhaps due to knowledge inadequacies about SHA and SHIF. Yet, considering the high internet penetration in Kenya, eHealth literacy among Kenyans is presumably high. This study assesses the association between eHealth literacy and SHA/SHIF knowledge among undergraduate students in health-related courses in Kenya, who are among the Kenyans likely to have high eHealth literacy given their youthfulness and exposure to health information. An analytical cross-sectional study will be conducted with 450 students recruited via convenience sampling using an online survey. eHealth literacy will be measured using the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), while SHA/SHIF knowledge will be assessed through an adapted Kaiser Family Foundation quiz. Descriptive statistics will summarize the data on eHealth literacy levels and SHA/SHIF knowledge levels. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis will examine the relationship between eHealth literacy and SHA/SHIF knowledge, controlling for age, gender, year of study, and socio-economic status. Findings from this study will provide empirical insights into the role of digital literacy
in health policy awareness, thus setting the ground for designing evidence-based digital literacy interventions. Furthermore, institutions of higher elearning can leverage the findings to advocacte for institutionalization of eHealth literacy to enhance SHA/SHIF public engagement strategies toward universal health coverage.

Assessment of Water Quality and Its Effects on Human Health in Ruiri/Rwarera Ward, Meru County, Kenya

Joseph Kathurima Muite — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Water quality includes Physical, chemical and biological characteristics based on the standards of its usage. It is one of the main indicators of the quality of life provided to consumers. Water quality impacts both the public health and aesthetic value of a consumable product. Inadequate management of industrial and agricultural wastewater means the drinking water of hundreds of
millions of people is dangerously contaminated or chemically polluted. The natural presence of chemicals, particularly in groundwater, can also be of health significance, including arsenic and fluoride. In contrast, other chemicals, such as lead, may be elevated in drinking water as a result of leaching from water supply components in contact with drinking water. The main objective of study is to access the water quality and its effects on health in Ruiri/Rwarera ward in Buuri - sub county Meru County in Kenya. The study will involve onsite and laboratory tests which will all be aimed to get the water content from different water sources. The study area is the Ruiri/Rwarera ward, which is situated in the Buuri sub-county in Meru County, Kenya. It has an
area of approximately 131.50 square kilometers and a population of 18,754 people. The main source of drinking water from the study area includes; the boreholes, springs, aquifers, rain water among other sources. Many of these sources get polluted so fast.. Research on the assessment of water quality and its effects on health in the Ruiri/Rwarera ward has not been done before.
Hence, the study will be useful for policy-making by the county government of Meru in Kenya. The objectives of this research is to establish biological pollutants, chemical pollutants and methods of water treatment used by the residents in domestic water sources and to access the water treatment methods used by the ward authorities and residents to treat domestic water in the
area of study. This research study will address these gaps by discovering the extent of water pollution for domestic water in the Ruiri/Rwarera ward. Water samples collected from the field of study will be analyzed in Laboratory by use of equipment’s like spectrophotometers, chromatographs and mass spectrometers in order to identify and quantify different pollutants.
Quantitative data will be collected using a structured research questionnaire. The collected data from the laboratory will be entered into the computer and analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft excel. The results will be presented in percentages, tables and chats. The expected results will be a detailed analytical analysis of water content and
retrospective data on water related diseases from the area of study. The study will help the county government and other stakeholders to intervene on matters of water hygiene.