Introduction: Globally, social capital is considered a signi cant resource in improving quality o... more Introduction: Globally, social capital is considered a signi cant resource in improving quality of life among human beings. In this study, we aimed at assessing the proportions of forms of social capital and their association with the quality of life among the refugees living in Mbarara City southwestern Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study used consecutive sampling method to select 344 refugees that were living in Mbarara city at the time of data collection. Refugees were assessed on their social capital using the World bank Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire. Quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization questionnaire of quality of life. Data were analyzed using STATA. Descriptive statistics determined the occurrence of social capital while linear regression model determined the association between social capital and quality of life. Results Almost all participants endorsed one form of social capital, with majority of the participants [251(73%)] endorsing sociability, followed by trust and solidarity 186(54%), groups and networks were the least endorsed [170(49%)] within our sample. Our ndings further showed that having high levels of trust and solidarity, positively correlated with quality of life (b = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.09 to 1.51; p = 0.027). Conclusions High social capital is likely to be associated with quality of life among refugees. Interventions aimed at building strong social capital are encouraged.
International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research, Dec 15, 2023
Background While the government of Uganda and other stakeholders have put in place many child pro... more Background While the government of Uganda and other stakeholders have put in place many child protection services, the community members need to understand and appreciate the existence of such services, and their consequent utilization. Therefore, the current study set out to explore community members' knowledge of child protection services available in Sheema District and Mbarara City in South Western Uganda. Methods We conducted 22 key informant interviews with government and civil society officials. Also, six FGDs were conducted with community members. All participants were purposively selected and data were collected using an interview guide. Participants views were audio recorded with their consent, data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results We found that community members had limited knowledge about child protection services which related to five broad themes, namely; awareness about children's risks and protection concerns, laws on child protection, places and institutions where to seek redress, child birth registration, and existing child welfare programs. Conclusions The study findings revealed that community members had little knowledge of child protection services available in the communities where they lived. We recommend designing and implanting interventions purposed to create community members' awareness of the existing child protection services.
Background: Child maltreatment poses a great danger to the lives of children. This is because its... more Background: Child maltreatment poses a great danger to the lives of children. This is because its impacts do not only stop in their childhood but also later into adulthood. Child maltreatment has been generally known to refer to physical, emotional, child neglect, and sexual abuse. In many contexts, children are taken to be minors and considered not to be aware of the various maltreatments they may be exposed to by their caregivers and strangers. This study therefore sought to explore the lived experiences of maltreated children in Sheema District and Mbarara City in South Western Uganda. Methods: We conducted 8 key informant interviews with government civil servants and 6 with officials of civil society organizations carrying out child protection work. Again, 6 Focus group discussions were conducted with children. The study participants were purposively selected because of the knowledge they had about the study topic. They were interviewed through audio recordings and their views were transcribed verbatim where thematic analysis was used. Results: The results hinged on four themes namely child neglect (expressed in terms of absentee parents/fathers), emotional abuse (reflected in terms of abusive language and words that shame or harm children) and physical abuse (expressed through corporal punishments and sexual abuse). Conclusions: Maltreated children go through a lot of emotional torture, physical harm, sexual abuse and neglect. We recommend interventions geared towards mitigating child maltreatment and its effects be propagated for wholistic and
Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distribut... more Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distributed globally. However, little information was available on the factors that affect the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Uganda. The aim of this study therefore, is to find out the Factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among the Students of Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara City. Methodology : A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Data was collected between 11 th July and 3 th October 2022. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during analysis. Chi square and logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Factors with p-values <0.2 at bivariate analysis were entered into multivariate analysis. Factors with p<0.05 were considered significant. Results : Respondents that reported to always be busy with domestic work indicated a lower likelihood for the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.40-0.99, p = 0.045). Respondents who perceived that the costs in the hospital were too high to manage Covid-19 illness indicated a higher likelihood for uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 1.93-6.12, p <0.001). Conclusion : Domestic work has been found out to hinder the majority of the respondents from vaccinating against Covid-19. High rates of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines were registered among those who feared the high costs of Covid-19 illness management in hospitals. The cultural norms associated with being a male or female, therefore, had impacted on the decision to take Covid-19 vaccines. Recommendation: Community outreaches should be organized to sensitize communities about the dangers of domestic work and how to strike a balance when it comes to daily activities. This will in return lead to high return rates for Covid-19 vaccination.
Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingne... more Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingness to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and factors associated with the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines but very few studies have been carried out to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines, especially among university students. The aim of this study, therefore, is to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among the students of Bishop Stuart University. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents between 11 th July and 3rd October 2022 from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during the analysis. Results: The prevalence of uptake of Covid-19 Vaccines among the students of BSU was 57.0% where the majority of the respondents were females, 52.2% (n=193), students aged ≤30 years, 59.2% (n=215), those from middle-income, 57.3% (n=212), Christians, 60.8% (n = 225) and undergraduates, 89.2% (n = 330). Conclusion: More than half of the students of Bishop Stuart University were vaccinated with at least one of the vaccines against COVID-19 vaccine; the general uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among these students with a full dose was low as shown by the results of those who took a full dose of AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson or any other Covid-19 vaccine. Recommendation: The study recommended that effective sensitization and psycho-education should be carried out to educate the general public about the effectiveness of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines.
In the context of sustained growth and diversification of Higher Education Systems, civil society... more In the context of sustained growth and diversification of Higher Education Systems, civil society is increasingly concerned about the quality of programmers offered to students. As a result, there is an increase in public assessments and international comparisons of Higher Education Institutions, not only within the higher education sector but in the general media (OECD, 2008). However, evaluation methods tend to overemphasize research and the use of research performance as a yardstick of an institution's value. Although this is very paramount in academia, it has got insignificant contribution to the quality of graduates who precede from such breeding grounds. There is need to appreciate the fact that the quality of graduates is largely determined by the way they are taught thus calling for a rationalized intended approach to the evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in higher education institutions (Kaneko, 2008). The current study investigated the quality of teaching in Bishop Stuart University in Uganda with the aim of encouraging practices that could enhance the quality of teaching and thereby checking the quality of graduates. The study adopted a cross sectional comparative study design using both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. This study was conducted at Bishop Stuart University (BSU), Mbarara in the Faculty of Education where a comparison of the teaching and learning process of students in two programme sessions of study (recess or distance learning and regular sessions) was carried out. Randomized samples of 362 out of a population of 1501 and 78 out of a population of 201 students were obtained from both the regular and recess sessions respectively for the quantitative data. An evaluation was done of the teaching and learning process in the two programme sessions in the classes taught by the same lecturers using the same instrument which had 9 items related to lecturers' punctuality, attendance, mastery of subject content, teaching methods, enthusiasm and commitment, lecturers' being dependable and approachable, respect and meaningful feedback. The findings thereof were mutually exclusive; it was found that the lecturers from students of the regular programme had very good scores whereas from students of recess or distance learning programme, the same lecturers had low scores. This finding compelled the researchers to find out why this was so. They thus conducted a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and three Key Informants' Interviews (KIIs) which revealed that the programme session conditions and terms of work affected the teaching and learning processes. It was concluded that under a given outlay of conditions, the same lecturers performed differently. It was thus recommended that using both qualitative and quantitative data approaches, there should be continuous student evaluations in ensuring effective teaching and learning, particularly for students in higher institutions of learning.
HIV/AIDS : Research and Palliative Care, Aug 1, 2022
Background: Globally, about 1.8 million adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 were living wit... more Background: Globally, about 1.8 million adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 were living with HIV by close of 2021, of these, about 1.5 million were living in sub-Saharan Africa. This study explored the influence of mass media campaigns in promoting adherence to antiretroviral therapies among adolescents living with HIV in southwestern Uganda. Methods: We conducted a phenomenological qualitative study design that was adopted to explore the role of mass media campaigns on adherence to antiretroviral therapy among adolescents at the adolescents' HIV clinic Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. The FGDs were conducted in Runyankole-Rukiga, and they were transcribed verbatim and later translated to English. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: We conducted 7 Focus Group Discussions with adolescents living with HIV aged 10-19 years and 5 key informants' interviews with the health care providers. Results from the analysis were grouped into three broad themes: awareness of mass media HIV campaigns promoting adherence to ART, influence of mass media campaigns on adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and preferred mass media mode of delivery by adolescents' living with HIV. Participants preferred broadcast media channels and messages that featured success stories of people living with HIV. Conclusion: HIV mass media campaigns influence adherence to antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV. It is recommended that HIV-related media campaign designers consider the unique needs of adolescents while designing and airing out various media campaigns. This will influence their positive living and thus lead to their increased health life expectancy.
Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingne... more Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingness to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and factors associated with the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines but very few studies have been carried out to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines, especially among university students. The aim of this study, therefore, is to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among the students of Bishop Stuart University. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents between 11 th July and 3rd October 2022 from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during the analysis. Results: The prevalence of uptake of Covid-19 Vaccines among the students of BSU was 57.0% where the majority of the respondents were females, 52.2% (n=193), students aged ≤30 years, 59.2% (n=215), those from middle-income, 57.3% (n=212), Christians, 60.8% (n = 225) and undergraduates, 89.2% (n = 330). Conclusion: More than half of the students of Bishop Stuart University were vaccinated with at least one of the vaccines against COVID-19 vaccine; the general uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among these students with a full dose was low as shown by the results of those who took a full dose of AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson or any other Covid-19 vaccine. Recommendation: The study recommended that effective sensitization and psycho-education should be carried out to educate the general public about the effectiveness of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines.
Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distribut... more Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distributed globally. However, little information was available on the factors that affect the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Uganda. The aim of this study therefore, is to find out the Factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among the Students of Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara City. Methodology : A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Data was collected between 11 th July and 3 th October 2022. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during analysis. Chi square and logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Factors with p-values <0.2 at bivariate analysis were entered into multivariate analysis. Factors with p<0.05 were considered significant. Results : Respondents that reported to always be busy with domestic work indicated a lower likelihood for the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.40-0.99, p = 0.045). Respondents who perceived that the costs in the hospital were too high to manage Covid-19 illness indicated a higher likelihood for uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 1.93-6.12, p <0.001). Conclusion : Domestic work has been found out to hinder the majority of the respondents from vaccinating against Covid-19. High rates of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines were registered among those who feared the high costs of Covid-19 illness management in hospitals. The cultural norms associated with being a male or female, therefore, had impacted on the decision to take Covid-19 vaccines. Recommendation: Community outreaches should be organized to sensitize communities about the dangers of domestic work and how to strike a balance when it comes to daily activities. This will in return lead to high return rates for Covid-19 vaccination.
Introduction: Refugees in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, and stereotype... more Introduction: Refugees in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, and stereotypes that impact their mental well-being. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of stigma and its association with depressive symptoms among urban refugees living in Mbarara city, southwestern Uganda. Methods: This cross-sectional study used snowball sampling and interviewed 343 refugees residing in Mbarara city, southwestern Uganda. The Discrimination and Stigma Scale was used to assess stigma, whereas the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for depression symptoms severity. Linear regression models determined the associations between stigma and depression symptoms severity. Data were collected between June 2019 and March 2020. Findings: Of the 343 participants, 198 were males and 145 were females; their mean age was 28.8 years (SD = 11.0). Most of the participants (95.3%) had attained formal education. Our findings show that 84% (n = 288) of the participants had symptoms of stigma. Stigma had a statistically significant positive association with depressive symptoms severity (b = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.15). Age had statistically significant positive association with depression symptoms severity (b = 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.14). Education level had a statistically significant negative association with depressive symptoms severity
Background: There is an increasing number of refugees choosing to live in urban centers even whe... more Background: There is an increasing number of refugees choosing to live in urban centers even when this makes them forego humanitarian assistance such as shelter and food from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and host governments. Refugees in urban centers have to fend for themselves. This situation sometimes makes them ‘lock horns’ with the local communities. We examined the perception of the local community towards urban refugees in Mbarara city southwestern Uganda. Methods: We conducted 6 Focus Group Discussions composed of local leaders of the villages where refugees live. We also conducted 4 Key Informants Interviews with the Refugee Desk Officer (Office of The Prime Minister), the Officer in Charge of Mbarara Police Station, the Mayor Mbarara city, and the Resident City Commissioner. All participants were purposively selected due to their knowledge about the study topic. They were interviewed about their perceptions towards refugees in Mbarara city. A...
The paper examines the perceived factors influencing drug abuse among university students in west... more The paper examines the perceived factors influencing drug abuse among university students in western Uganda. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. The results reveal that the perceived factors are categorical that to say demographic related factors (age, gender and religion), social factors (family influence, peer influence, social environment influence, mixed messages about drug abuse, lack of appropriate laws, poor enforcement of laws, Cultural factors, Weight management, poverty and Influence of celebrities), behavioural (rebelliousness, preconscious sexual activities, one drug leading to using others, antisocial behaviour e.g. theft, fighting, tendency to seek excitement, curiosityandnight clubbing), individual characteristics factors(stress, student employment, rejection effects, poverty, poor self-esteem and poor performance in class) and campus factors which include stressful clearance pro...
Background: More than half of the world’s refugees reside in non-camp settings, including urban a... more Background: More than half of the world’s refugees reside in non-camp settings, including urban areas. Refugees in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, overcoming stereotypes, and living in fear of being repatriated. Depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders experienced by refugee populations as a result of such challenges. In Uganda, the prevalence of mental disorders among urban refugees in general remains unknown and there is little epidemiological data to inform practice and policy in relation to the refugees’ mental health needs in urban areas. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between stigma and depression among urban refugees.Methods: Using snowball sampling method, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among 343 refugees residing in Mbarara Municipality, Southwestern Uganda. The Discrimination and Stigma Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire were used to assess stigma and depression respectively. Usi...
Introduction: Globally, social capital is considered a signi cant resource in improving quality o... more Introduction: Globally, social capital is considered a signi cant resource in improving quality of life among human beings. In this study, we aimed at assessing the proportions of forms of social capital and their association with the quality of life among the refugees living in Mbarara City southwestern Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study used consecutive sampling method to select 344 refugees that were living in Mbarara city at the time of data collection. Refugees were assessed on their social capital using the World bank Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire. Quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization questionnaire of quality of life. Data were analyzed using STATA. Descriptive statistics determined the occurrence of social capital while linear regression model determined the association between social capital and quality of life. Results Almost all participants endorsed one form of social capital, with majority of the participants [251(73%)] endorsing sociability, followed by trust and solidarity 186(54%), groups and networks were the least endorsed [170(49%)] within our sample. Our ndings further showed that having high levels of trust and solidarity, positively correlated with quality of life (b = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.09 to 1.51; p = 0.027). Conclusions High social capital is likely to be associated with quality of life among refugees. Interventions aimed at building strong social capital are encouraged.
International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research, Dec 15, 2023
Background While the government of Uganda and other stakeholders have put in place many child pro... more Background While the government of Uganda and other stakeholders have put in place many child protection services, the community members need to understand and appreciate the existence of such services, and their consequent utilization. Therefore, the current study set out to explore community members' knowledge of child protection services available in Sheema District and Mbarara City in South Western Uganda. Methods We conducted 22 key informant interviews with government and civil society officials. Also, six FGDs were conducted with community members. All participants were purposively selected and data were collected using an interview guide. Participants views were audio recorded with their consent, data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results We found that community members had limited knowledge about child protection services which related to five broad themes, namely; awareness about children's risks and protection concerns, laws on child protection, places and institutions where to seek redress, child birth registration, and existing child welfare programs. Conclusions The study findings revealed that community members had little knowledge of child protection services available in the communities where they lived. We recommend designing and implanting interventions purposed to create community members' awareness of the existing child protection services.
Background: Child maltreatment poses a great danger to the lives of children. This is because its... more Background: Child maltreatment poses a great danger to the lives of children. This is because its impacts do not only stop in their childhood but also later into adulthood. Child maltreatment has been generally known to refer to physical, emotional, child neglect, and sexual abuse. In many contexts, children are taken to be minors and considered not to be aware of the various maltreatments they may be exposed to by their caregivers and strangers. This study therefore sought to explore the lived experiences of maltreated children in Sheema District and Mbarara City in South Western Uganda. Methods: We conducted 8 key informant interviews with government civil servants and 6 with officials of civil society organizations carrying out child protection work. Again, 6 Focus group discussions were conducted with children. The study participants were purposively selected because of the knowledge they had about the study topic. They were interviewed through audio recordings and their views were transcribed verbatim where thematic analysis was used. Results: The results hinged on four themes namely child neglect (expressed in terms of absentee parents/fathers), emotional abuse (reflected in terms of abusive language and words that shame or harm children) and physical abuse (expressed through corporal punishments and sexual abuse). Conclusions: Maltreated children go through a lot of emotional torture, physical harm, sexual abuse and neglect. We recommend interventions geared towards mitigating child maltreatment and its effects be propagated for wholistic and
Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distribut... more Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distributed globally. However, little information was available on the factors that affect the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Uganda. The aim of this study therefore, is to find out the Factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among the Students of Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara City. Methodology : A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Data was collected between 11 th July and 3 th October 2022. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during analysis. Chi square and logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Factors with p-values <0.2 at bivariate analysis were entered into multivariate analysis. Factors with p<0.05 were considered significant. Results : Respondents that reported to always be busy with domestic work indicated a lower likelihood for the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.40-0.99, p = 0.045). Respondents who perceived that the costs in the hospital were too high to manage Covid-19 illness indicated a higher likelihood for uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 1.93-6.12, p <0.001). Conclusion : Domestic work has been found out to hinder the majority of the respondents from vaccinating against Covid-19. High rates of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines were registered among those who feared the high costs of Covid-19 illness management in hospitals. The cultural norms associated with being a male or female, therefore, had impacted on the decision to take Covid-19 vaccines. Recommendation: Community outreaches should be organized to sensitize communities about the dangers of domestic work and how to strike a balance when it comes to daily activities. This will in return lead to high return rates for Covid-19 vaccination.
Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingne... more Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingness to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and factors associated with the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines but very few studies have been carried out to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines, especially among university students. The aim of this study, therefore, is to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among the students of Bishop Stuart University. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents between 11 th July and 3rd October 2022 from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during the analysis. Results: The prevalence of uptake of Covid-19 Vaccines among the students of BSU was 57.0% where the majority of the respondents were females, 52.2% (n=193), students aged ≤30 years, 59.2% (n=215), those from middle-income, 57.3% (n=212), Christians, 60.8% (n = 225) and undergraduates, 89.2% (n = 330). Conclusion: More than half of the students of Bishop Stuart University were vaccinated with at least one of the vaccines against COVID-19 vaccine; the general uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among these students with a full dose was low as shown by the results of those who took a full dose of AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson or any other Covid-19 vaccine. Recommendation: The study recommended that effective sensitization and psycho-education should be carried out to educate the general public about the effectiveness of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines.
In the context of sustained growth and diversification of Higher Education Systems, civil society... more In the context of sustained growth and diversification of Higher Education Systems, civil society is increasingly concerned about the quality of programmers offered to students. As a result, there is an increase in public assessments and international comparisons of Higher Education Institutions, not only within the higher education sector but in the general media (OECD, 2008). However, evaluation methods tend to overemphasize research and the use of research performance as a yardstick of an institution's value. Although this is very paramount in academia, it has got insignificant contribution to the quality of graduates who precede from such breeding grounds. There is need to appreciate the fact that the quality of graduates is largely determined by the way they are taught thus calling for a rationalized intended approach to the evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning in higher education institutions (Kaneko, 2008). The current study investigated the quality of teaching in Bishop Stuart University in Uganda with the aim of encouraging practices that could enhance the quality of teaching and thereby checking the quality of graduates. The study adopted a cross sectional comparative study design using both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. This study was conducted at Bishop Stuart University (BSU), Mbarara in the Faculty of Education where a comparison of the teaching and learning process of students in two programme sessions of study (recess or distance learning and regular sessions) was carried out. Randomized samples of 362 out of a population of 1501 and 78 out of a population of 201 students were obtained from both the regular and recess sessions respectively for the quantitative data. An evaluation was done of the teaching and learning process in the two programme sessions in the classes taught by the same lecturers using the same instrument which had 9 items related to lecturers' punctuality, attendance, mastery of subject content, teaching methods, enthusiasm and commitment, lecturers' being dependable and approachable, respect and meaningful feedback. The findings thereof were mutually exclusive; it was found that the lecturers from students of the regular programme had very good scores whereas from students of recess or distance learning programme, the same lecturers had low scores. This finding compelled the researchers to find out why this was so. They thus conducted a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and three Key Informants' Interviews (KIIs) which revealed that the programme session conditions and terms of work affected the teaching and learning processes. It was concluded that under a given outlay of conditions, the same lecturers performed differently. It was thus recommended that using both qualitative and quantitative data approaches, there should be continuous student evaluations in ensuring effective teaching and learning, particularly for students in higher institutions of learning.
HIV/AIDS : Research and Palliative Care, Aug 1, 2022
Background: Globally, about 1.8 million adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 were living wit... more Background: Globally, about 1.8 million adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 were living with HIV by close of 2021, of these, about 1.5 million were living in sub-Saharan Africa. This study explored the influence of mass media campaigns in promoting adherence to antiretroviral therapies among adolescents living with HIV in southwestern Uganda. Methods: We conducted a phenomenological qualitative study design that was adopted to explore the role of mass media campaigns on adherence to antiretroviral therapy among adolescents at the adolescents' HIV clinic Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. The FGDs were conducted in Runyankole-Rukiga, and they were transcribed verbatim and later translated to English. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: We conducted 7 Focus Group Discussions with adolescents living with HIV aged 10-19 years and 5 key informants' interviews with the health care providers. Results from the analysis were grouped into three broad themes: awareness of mass media HIV campaigns promoting adherence to ART, influence of mass media campaigns on adherence to antiretroviral therapy, and preferred mass media mode of delivery by adolescents' living with HIV. Participants preferred broadcast media channels and messages that featured success stories of people living with HIV. Conclusion: HIV mass media campaigns influence adherence to antiretroviral therapy among people living with HIV. It is recommended that HIV-related media campaign designers consider the unique needs of adolescents while designing and airing out various media campaigns. This will influence their positive living and thus lead to their increased health life expectancy.
Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingne... more Background: Different studies have been carried out on acceptance of Covid-19 vaccines, willingness to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and factors associated with the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines but very few studies have been carried out to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines, especially among university students. The aim of this study, therefore, is to find out the prevalence of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among the students of Bishop Stuart University. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents between 11 th July and 3rd October 2022 from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during the analysis. Results: The prevalence of uptake of Covid-19 Vaccines among the students of BSU was 57.0% where the majority of the respondents were females, 52.2% (n=193), students aged ≤30 years, 59.2% (n=215), those from middle-income, 57.3% (n=212), Christians, 60.8% (n = 225) and undergraduates, 89.2% (n = 330). Conclusion: More than half of the students of Bishop Stuart University were vaccinated with at least one of the vaccines against COVID-19 vaccine; the general uptake of Covid-19 vaccines among these students with a full dose was low as shown by the results of those who took a full dose of AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson or any other Covid-19 vaccine. Recommendation: The study recommended that effective sensitization and psycho-education should be carried out to educate the general public about the effectiveness of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines.
Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distribut... more Background : Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distributed globally. However, little information was available on the factors that affect the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Uganda. The aim of this study therefore, is to find out the Factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among the Students of Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara City. Methodology : A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Data was collected between 11 th July and 3 th October 2022. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during analysis. Chi square and logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Factors with p-values <0.2 at bivariate analysis were entered into multivariate analysis. Factors with p<0.05 were considered significant. Results : Respondents that reported to always be busy with domestic work indicated a lower likelihood for the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.40-0.99, p = 0.045). Respondents who perceived that the costs in the hospital were too high to manage Covid-19 illness indicated a higher likelihood for uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 1.93-6.12, p <0.001). Conclusion : Domestic work has been found out to hinder the majority of the respondents from vaccinating against Covid-19. High rates of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines were registered among those who feared the high costs of Covid-19 illness management in hospitals. The cultural norms associated with being a male or female, therefore, had impacted on the decision to take Covid-19 vaccines. Recommendation: Community outreaches should be organized to sensitize communities about the dangers of domestic work and how to strike a balance when it comes to daily activities. This will in return lead to high return rates for Covid-19 vaccination.
Introduction: Refugees in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, and stereotype... more Introduction: Refugees in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, and stereotypes that impact their mental well-being. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of stigma and its association with depressive symptoms among urban refugees living in Mbarara city, southwestern Uganda. Methods: This cross-sectional study used snowball sampling and interviewed 343 refugees residing in Mbarara city, southwestern Uganda. The Discrimination and Stigma Scale was used to assess stigma, whereas the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for depression symptoms severity. Linear regression models determined the associations between stigma and depression symptoms severity. Data were collected between June 2019 and March 2020. Findings: Of the 343 participants, 198 were males and 145 were females; their mean age was 28.8 years (SD = 11.0). Most of the participants (95.3%) had attained formal education. Our findings show that 84% (n = 288) of the participants had symptoms of stigma. Stigma had a statistically significant positive association with depressive symptoms severity (b = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.15). Age had statistically significant positive association with depression symptoms severity (b = 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.14). Education level had a statistically significant negative association with depressive symptoms severity
Background: There is an increasing number of refugees choosing to live in urban centers even whe... more Background: There is an increasing number of refugees choosing to live in urban centers even when this makes them forego humanitarian assistance such as shelter and food from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and host governments. Refugees in urban centers have to fend for themselves. This situation sometimes makes them ‘lock horns’ with the local communities. We examined the perception of the local community towards urban refugees in Mbarara city southwestern Uganda. Methods: We conducted 6 Focus Group Discussions composed of local leaders of the villages where refugees live. We also conducted 4 Key Informants Interviews with the Refugee Desk Officer (Office of The Prime Minister), the Officer in Charge of Mbarara Police Station, the Mayor Mbarara city, and the Resident City Commissioner. All participants were purposively selected due to their knowledge about the study topic. They were interviewed about their perceptions towards refugees in Mbarara city. A...
The paper examines the perceived factors influencing drug abuse among university students in west... more The paper examines the perceived factors influencing drug abuse among university students in western Uganda. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. The results reveal that the perceived factors are categorical that to say demographic related factors (age, gender and religion), social factors (family influence, peer influence, social environment influence, mixed messages about drug abuse, lack of appropriate laws, poor enforcement of laws, Cultural factors, Weight management, poverty and Influence of celebrities), behavioural (rebelliousness, preconscious sexual activities, one drug leading to using others, antisocial behaviour e.g. theft, fighting, tendency to seek excitement, curiosityandnight clubbing), individual characteristics factors(stress, student employment, rejection effects, poverty, poor self-esteem and poor performance in class) and campus factors which include stressful clearance pro...
Background: More than half of the world’s refugees reside in non-camp settings, including urban a... more Background: More than half of the world’s refugees reside in non-camp settings, including urban areas. Refugees in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, overcoming stereotypes, and living in fear of being repatriated. Depression is one of the most frequent mental disorders experienced by refugee populations as a result of such challenges. In Uganda, the prevalence of mental disorders among urban refugees in general remains unknown and there is little epidemiological data to inform practice and policy in relation to the refugees’ mental health needs in urban areas. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between stigma and depression among urban refugees.Methods: Using snowball sampling method, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among 343 refugees residing in Mbarara Municipality, Southwestern Uganda. The Discrimination and Stigma Scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire were used to assess stigma and depression respectively. Usi...
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Papers by Ronald Bahati