Background: Obesity, especially central obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes, known for their significant morbidity and mortality. University students are at increased risk o...Background: Obesity, especially central obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes, known for their significant morbidity and mortality. University students are at increased risk of obesity due to adoption of unhealthy lifestyles and school-related stress. However, there is scant information regarding the prevalence and risk factors of obesity among university students in Kenya. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with general and abdominal obesity among undergraduate students of The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed among undergraduate students (n = 245) of The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi. A systematic random sampling method was used to select the study participants. Lifestyle risk factors associated with obesity were collected using a structured questionnaire adopted from the WHO STEP-wise approach to non-communicable disease risk factor surveillance. Anthropometric measures of weight, height, and waist circumference were appropriately measured. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (ver: 22). The chi-square test of independence and binary logistic regression was used to establish an association between dependent and independent variables. Results: The prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was 19.6% and 27.8%, respectively. Risk factors of general obesity were age ≥ 20 years (OR, 9.95;95% CI, 3.09 - 32.08, p < 0.001), sedentary lifestyle (OR, 11.36;95% CI, 2.08 - 61.96, p = 0.005), staying with parents (OR, 3.22;95% CI, 1.09 - 9.58, p = 0.035), consumption of fast/processed foods (OR, 7.83;95% CI, 1.90 - 32.21, p = 0.004). Risk factors for abdominal obesity were being female (OR, 38.76;95% CI, 5.07 - 296.54, p < 0.001), staying with parents (OR, 3.02;95% CI, 1.14 - 7.99, p = 0.026) and sedentary lifestyle (OR, 6.55;95% CI, 1.80 - 23.81, p = 0.004). Conclusion: Being female, sedentary lifestyle, and consumption of fast/processed foods were found as predictors of obesity. Behavioural intervention is required to mitigate the burden of obesity among university students in Kenya. This can be achieved through promoting intervention programmes that lead to changing the built environment, counseling, and behavioral-lifestyle modification of students.展开更多
Background: Preterm birth is a primary cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality especially in low-income countries. Although understanding the preventable factors of neonatal deaths in preterm infants is required for...Background: Preterm birth is a primary cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality especially in low-income countries. Although understanding the preventable factors of neonatal deaths in preterm infants is required for timely interventions, data on those factors is lacking in Kenya. We attempted to determine mortality and its associated factors in preterm babies in Kenya. Methods and Materials: A hospital-based, prospective study was implemented from July 2019 to October 2019 involving 163 preterm neonates and their mothers admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital. A systematic random sampling method was used to recruit the study participants. Data on mortality and the associated factors in preterm neonates were collected using a pretested questionnaire for mothers and neonatal medical records. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mortality rate was 18.4%. Of the neonates who died, respiratory distress syndrome (63.3%) and neonatal sepsis (20.0%) were documented as the primary causes. Neonates born of single mother (AOR = 8.006, 95% CI 2.267 to 28.272, p = 0.001), unemployed (6.960, 1.059 - 45.757, p = 0.043), self-employed (4.040, 1.067 - 15.302, p = 0.040), anemic (7.465, 2.530 - 22.023, p < 0.001) and with history of bleeding during pregnancy were more likely to have died. The neonates born before 28 weeks of gestation (126.188, 14.554 - 1094.060, p < 0.001), those who did not cry immediately at birth (54.271, 5.970 - 493.395, p < 0.001) and the resuscitated at birth (54.406, 6.807 - 434.851, p < 0.001) were likely to die. Conclusion: High mortality rates of preterm neonates are attributed to both maternal and neonatal factors. Focused antenatal care should aim at early identification of high-risk mothers for early management of bleeding during pregnancy, close monitoring of nutritional status for mothers and health education.展开更多
文摘Background: Obesity, especially central obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes, known for their significant morbidity and mortality. University students are at increased risk of obesity due to adoption of unhealthy lifestyles and school-related stress. However, there is scant information regarding the prevalence and risk factors of obesity among university students in Kenya. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with general and abdominal obesity among undergraduate students of The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed among undergraduate students (n = 245) of The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi. A systematic random sampling method was used to select the study participants. Lifestyle risk factors associated with obesity were collected using a structured questionnaire adopted from the WHO STEP-wise approach to non-communicable disease risk factor surveillance. Anthropometric measures of weight, height, and waist circumference were appropriately measured. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (ver: 22). The chi-square test of independence and binary logistic regression was used to establish an association between dependent and independent variables. Results: The prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was 19.6% and 27.8%, respectively. Risk factors of general obesity were age ≥ 20 years (OR, 9.95;95% CI, 3.09 - 32.08, p < 0.001), sedentary lifestyle (OR, 11.36;95% CI, 2.08 - 61.96, p = 0.005), staying with parents (OR, 3.22;95% CI, 1.09 - 9.58, p = 0.035), consumption of fast/processed foods (OR, 7.83;95% CI, 1.90 - 32.21, p = 0.004). Risk factors for abdominal obesity were being female (OR, 38.76;95% CI, 5.07 - 296.54, p < 0.001), staying with parents (OR, 3.02;95% CI, 1.14 - 7.99, p = 0.026) and sedentary lifestyle (OR, 6.55;95% CI, 1.80 - 23.81, p = 0.004). Conclusion: Being female, sedentary lifestyle, and consumption of fast/processed foods were found as predictors of obesity. Behavioural intervention is required to mitigate the burden of obesity among university students in Kenya. This can be achieved through promoting intervention programmes that lead to changing the built environment, counseling, and behavioral-lifestyle modification of students.
文摘Background: Preterm birth is a primary cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality especially in low-income countries. Although understanding the preventable factors of neonatal deaths in preterm infants is required for timely interventions, data on those factors is lacking in Kenya. We attempted to determine mortality and its associated factors in preterm babies in Kenya. Methods and Materials: A hospital-based, prospective study was implemented from July 2019 to October 2019 involving 163 preterm neonates and their mothers admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital. A systematic random sampling method was used to recruit the study participants. Data on mortality and the associated factors in preterm neonates were collected using a pretested questionnaire for mothers and neonatal medical records. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mortality rate was 18.4%. Of the neonates who died, respiratory distress syndrome (63.3%) and neonatal sepsis (20.0%) were documented as the primary causes. Neonates born of single mother (AOR = 8.006, 95% CI 2.267 to 28.272, p = 0.001), unemployed (6.960, 1.059 - 45.757, p = 0.043), self-employed (4.040, 1.067 - 15.302, p = 0.040), anemic (7.465, 2.530 - 22.023, p < 0.001) and with history of bleeding during pregnancy were more likely to have died. The neonates born before 28 weeks of gestation (126.188, 14.554 - 1094.060, p < 0.001), those who did not cry immediately at birth (54.271, 5.970 - 493.395, p < 0.001) and the resuscitated at birth (54.406, 6.807 - 434.851, p < 0.001) were likely to die. Conclusion: High mortality rates of preterm neonates are attributed to both maternal and neonatal factors. Focused antenatal care should aim at early identification of high-risk mothers for early management of bleeding during pregnancy, close monitoring of nutritional status for mothers and health education.
