College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)

Permanent URI for this community

https://dissertations.mak.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12281/20

Browse

Browsing College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) by Title

  • Item
    Acceptability and microbiological safety of mint-flavored dairy products.
    (Makerere University, 2023-04-12) Muwaza, David
    Milk contains a number of essential nutrients that contribute toward a health. A number of milk products exist but most are flavored using the usual food flavorants such as strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. Mint has been applied in a number of foods but with limited application in milk products. This study evaluated a commercial mint emulsion as a flavourant in different dairy products. The microbiological quality of these dairy products was determined using conventional agar plating techniques. Their consumer acceptability was also evaluated using a 5 point hedonic scale. Three mint-flavored dairy products; pasteurized milk, yogurt and ice cream were developed. They met the East African standard for microbiological safety and were all acceptable to the consumers.
  • Item
    Acceptance of Biodegradable Stoverpack among Retailers, Wholesalers, Processors and Consumers of Agricultural Products in Kampala and Wakiso Districts
    (Makerere University, 2022-05-11) Nakato, Caroline Bikirwa
    The biodegradable stover packs caters for reduced post harvest losses, improved shelf life for food products and prevent food spoilage as well as increased incomes for consumers, processors and traders. The study focused on how much more consumers, processors and traders of agricultural products are willing to pay for the new biodegradable packaging materials for the agricultural products in Kampala and Wakiso district in Uganda. The objectives of the study were to contribute to the promotion of the biodegradable stover packs among processors, consumers and traders, to assess the different types of packaging materials used, to find out the willingness of consumers, processors and traders in purchase of the new stover packs and to determine how much more traders, processors and consumers are willing to pay for the stover packs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 84 consumers, 42 processors and 90 traders. Well-designed questionnaires were used to collect mainly quantitative data from the respondents. The data was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Scientists) version 16.0 statistical package. The study revealed that consumers, processors and traders mostly used polythene bags however they are willing to purchase the new stover bags. The study also revealed that most of the respondents were willing to pay more for the biodegradable packaging materials as they were more eco-friendly compared to the non-biodegradable packaging materials such as the polythene bags, plastic bags, polypropylene bags, sisal bags among others. The results of the study further revealed that factors such as age of the respodent, sex of the respondent, education based on years spent in school, estimated annual income (shs.), most preferred packaging materials to use, most accessible packaging materials, quantity of produce (kgs) traded in a week, amount of produce (kgs) being transported to the market that gets damaged during transportation and the most environmentally friendly packaging materials significantly influenced the willingness of consumers, traders and processors for agricultural produce to pay more for the new biodegradable stover packs Therefore creating more awareness about the presence of the biodegradable packaging materials so as to reduce on environmental pollution and provision of cheap raw materials that are needed in the processing and manufacturing of the biodegradable packaging materials so as to make them easily accessible are necessary in promotion of the new biodegradable stover packs among processors, traders and consumers.
  • Item
    The access of credit by rice farmers in Doho Rice Scheme, Butaleja district
    (Makerere University, 2019) Ankwatsa, Irene Erinah
    Generally, in Uganda lack of finances is one of the critical problems hindering growth, production, productivity and generation of farm income. The extent to which agricultural credit has been of benefit to rice farmers as well as influences its access, have been of interest though not much study has been carried out on them. The study examined the access of agricultural credit. The study was conducted in Doho Rice Scheme, Butaleja district using a survey design. A systematic sampling technique was adopted in selecting 60 rice farmers who were examined. Structured questionnaires and document analysis were used to collect quantitative data from the sampled households. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. The study examined 52 rice farmers who have ever received agricultural credit and 8 who did not access credit. Results imply that agricultural credit access by the female farmers is still very limited. Generally, farmers’ association, collateral security especially land and land ownership were highly important in influencing access to agricultural credit. There is need for stakeholders to promote flexible credit facilities and increase awareness among farmers with less experience in agriculture so as to increase their access. In case of collateral security, farmers should be encouraged to form cooperative groups or farmer investment groups to enable them access credit from financial institutions.
  • Item
    Access to and use of meteorological information by smallholder farmers in Rwanyamahembe subcounty
    (Makerere University, 2022-04-30) Keinembabazi, Daisy
    Weather and climate variability are the major production risks and uncertainties impacting agricultural systems performance and management. This study investigated the access and factors that influence the utility of meteorological information by smallholder farmers in Rwanyamahembe subcounty, Mbarara District. A random sampling procedure was carried out in three villages in Rwanyamahembe sub county and a sample size of 77 farmers was used. Structured questionnaires were used to elicit responses from farmers and data was analysed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Results indicated that more than 93% of the farmers could not access agro meteorological information from a weather station. Lack of awareness about the existence of a weather station (90%) cited as a major factor affecting farmers access to weather forecasts. Most of the farmers revealed they owned radios (56%) which makes it the best to deliver weather information. Other farmers revealed that they use their traditional knowledge and experience to predict weather changes. More than (58%) respondents do not use weather information to make decisions. The factors affecting farmers' utility of agro_meteorological information were related to the inaccuracy of forecasts, inadequate weather forecasts information for meaningful decisions and less understanding of weather information especially bulletins that are always broadcasted in English which is hard to be understood. It was concluded that socio_economic factors affect the level of adoption of agro meteorological information. The study emphasizes the need for meteorological station to broadcast weather forecasts at an appropriate and convenient time for farmers and translated into the local language,Runyankole which people can easily read and understand to increase the usability of the information and the use of feasible demonstrations to enhance the adoption of agro_meteorological products
  • Item
    Access to and use of metrological information by farmers in Mbarara district
    (Makerere University, 2021-02) Turinawe, Gift
    This study aimed at assessing the access and use of meteorological information by farmers in Mbarara district. The study was carried out in four randomly selected villages in Mbarara district Rugando sub-county and a sample size of 110 respondents was used. The study employed a survey research approach which used a combination of methods to collect quantitative data. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and interview guide and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Most of the farmers interviewed had accessed weather information. Most of the farmers revealed that they usually get information from the radio (90%) and a few of them from televisions, newspapers, extension workers and fellow farmers. Other farmers also revealed that they use their traditional knowledge and experience to predict weather changes. However, the results from the study revealed that most of the local farmers do not use weather information in their decision making. This was attributed to two major constraints which included poor timing of weather forecasts and less understanding of weather information especially bulletins that are always broadcasted in English which is hard to be understood by local people. It is therefore recommended that management of the meteorological station should make sure that forecasts are broadcast at an appropriate and convenient time for farmers and translated into the local language, Runyankore, which people can easily read and understand to increase the usability of the information.
  • Item
    Access to improved social services by vanilla farmers in Ntenjeru subcounty, Mukono district.
    (Makerere University, 2023-08) Namujju, Josephine
    Vanilla is one of the recently adopted nontraditional cash crops in Uganda however, it faces a poverty of research and extension so as to address the pros and cons associated with it. Vanilla has exhibited a spontaneous trend in earning juicy incomes to vanilla farmers of late, never the less, there are still few participants in vanilla growing across Uganda. The specific objectives of the study included; to determine socio-economic characteristics of vanilla farmers, to assess vanilla farmers’ access to better health services, to assess vanilla farmers’ access to improved education services for their children, to assess vanilla farmers’ access to other social amenities such as transport means, type of housing, meals observed a day and access to financial institutions and lastly to assess the status of vanilla farmers in vanilla farming line. A total of 30 vanilla farmers were obtained usingtheSlovin’s formula, who were studied from four parishes of Ntenjeru Sub County Mukono district.Respondents were purposively selected and systematic sampling method was used. A questionnaire was used as a primary data capturing tool implemented through oral interviews and observation. The data was cleaned and entered into SPSS 21.0 and then analyzed using descriptive statistics.Majorityof the vanilla farmers had completed primary level of education with average of eight years in school and most of the respondents were farmers by main occupation.About 70% of vanilla farmers access private hospitals most. The results also showed that most of the vanilla farmers educate their children from Private sponsored schools which are proven to deliver better quality education services as compared to Government Funded schools.Majority of the vanilla farmers reported high access to better other social services such as safe water, type of housing, sources of energy for lighting and cooking, transport means, communication means and financial institutions’ access. Majority of the farmers were willing to continue in vanilla farming given the juicy vanilla incomes realized from vanilla. However, the major challenge reported in vanilla farming was the rampant vanilla theft when vanilla beans are still in the field.Thus, more research and extension is needed to be incorporated in vanilla production to attract more participants in vanilla growing from an informed point of view.
  • Item
    Accessibility to drinkable water and its implications on the rural community health and wellbeing
    (Makerere University, 2022) Ndungo, Benjamin
    In majority of Uganda’s villages, people are faced with drinkable water related problems which have left most communities in fear of acquiring water related infections and hindering sustainable development. The world health organization (WHO) estimates that 411 million people lack access to drinkable water worldwide. The water accessibility in rural areas according to the ministry of water and environment is estimated at 67%. This study will examine the accessibility to drinkable water and its implications to rural community health and wellbeing in Kitholhu subcounty, Kasese district, western Uganda. The objectives were to identify the different sources of water in the community, find out the mechanisms and methods used by rural people to treat water and also understand the practices used by rural communities to protect and preserve water sources. The study employed a researcher administered questionnaire and observation and the results of the study were analyzed using SPSS. The research found out that drinkable water accessibility in the study area is still a great concern with majority of the population using water from wells and streams as the main source of water. Wells and streams were the most dominant sources of water, also a few taps were observed although the community complained of the unreliability of the taps. The safety of water from wells and streams is not a guarantee yet the majority of the community did not employ any treatment methods before using the water. The community linked the water problems to limited funds, illiteracy and ignorance among others. To solve the problems, the research recommended massive sensitization and community involvement, planning at both district and subcounty level to allocate funds to construct taps, boreholes, and underground tanks to improve accessibility to safe water.
  • Item
    Acidification of fig wine
    (Makerere University, 2024-12-11) Ayebazibwe, Isaac
    The acidification of fig wine refers to the process of adjusting the acidity levels in the wine to improve its quality, flavor, and stability. In this study the acidification of fig wine was done by, addition of different acids which include; tartaric, acetic and citric acid and the main objective was to determine the required acid adjustment fractions for fig wine to meet quality standards. Fig wine was produced by fermentation process using saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. The initial physiochemical properties of fig wine were determined which include, alcohol content, total sugars, titratable acidity, pH and total soluble solids. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to determine the optimum combination of the added acids for acidification of fig wine. The responses which include pH and sensory acceptance values of the fig wine were obtained and analyzed. The analyses show that varying acid combinations have a pH of 3.08 to 3.46 and sensory acceptance values of 5.2 to 6.7 at constant temperature and time during the optimization process. From the analysis of variance, the R2 of the response variables is more than 0.77 that indicates that a high proportion of variability was explained the model. The best acid combination for acidification of fig wine was selected by the response surface methodology because it had the highest sensory acceptance value and the required pH within the UNBS standards which is tartaric acid (9.08g/L), citric acid (10g/L) and acetic acid (2g/L) and hence the fig wine was acidified and improved to the required standards.  
  • Item
  • Item
    Adaptability assessment of cactus species (Opuntia Ficus Indica and Opuntia Stricta) to local environmental conditions in Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2020-11-27) Namuddu, Rhona
    Cactus plants are gaining increasing interest globally, in particular cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica), because of its resilience to harsh climatic conditions while at the same time provide nutrients to man and animals. In some other countries e.g. Brazil, Mozambique and Italy, some elite varieties have been evaluated for their potential to produce fodder. Despite the importance of cactus, little has been done to compare the adaptability of different cactus species to the local growing conditions in Uganda hence limiting evaluation of their production and utilization potential. This study evaluated the adaptability and production potential of cactus under Ugandan conditions. The objectives of this study were a) to determine the growth rates of two cactus species Opuntia stricta and Ficus indica under screen house conditions, and b) to assess the growth rates of Opuntia stricta and Ficus indica and their biomass accumulation under the field conditions. The experiment was set up at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) to assess the growth rate of two cactus species under screen house and field conditions. In the screen house experiment, three sizes (small, medium and large) of the varieties were used. In the screen house data was collected on growth rate and biomass accumulation in terms of fresh weight. Plants from each variety were selected and planted in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Each variety was represented by three rows (ridges) consisting of the sizes small, medium and large, respectively, with each row having double lines of 19 plants. In the screen house, significant variation (p<0.001) was observed for different sizes (small, medium and large), species and weeks of data collection. In O. stricta, highest increase in growth rate was observed with small sized plantlets whereas highest growth rate in F. indica occurred where large plantlets were used. Biomass accumulation in terms of fresh weight was highest in F. indica as compared to O. stricta. Growth rates for the two species under field conditions varied significantly (p<0.001). F. indica had the highest (53.67 cm) growth rate compared to O. stricta (46.56 cm). The fresh weight of the two cactus species differed significantly (p = 0.035) whereas dry weight did not differ significantly (p = 0.274). O. stricta had the highest biomass accumulation for both fresh and dry weight showing more adaptability to natural environment. A few pests (caterpillars) where observed to attack the two cactus species on station. More studies need to be carried out in semi-arid areas on adaptability of cactus species.
  • Item
    Adaptation of climate smart technologies and impact on vanilla productivity among farmers in Wakiso district.
    (Makerere University, 2020-03) Nandera, Esther Theresa
    The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of adopting selected climate smart technologies on vanilla farmers’ productivity and income in Wakiso district and the specific objectives were ; 1) to assess the level and intensity of climate smart technology adoption among vanilla farmers in Wakiso district, 2) to assess the effect of climate smart technology adoption on productivity of vanilla farmers in Wakiso district, 3) to identify the constraints and opportunities faced by vanilla farmers with regards to widening the adoption of climate smart technologies. The study collected data from a sample size of 50 vanilla farmers. Probit, Tobit model and Ordinary least squares regression (OLS) were used to analyze the data. Results from the Probit analysis indicated that gender, education level (primary and graduate), land size (more than 10 acres) and the monthly earnings of farmers were significantly associated with the level of climate smart technology adoption among vanilla farmers in Wakiso district whereas age and household size were not significant. The results from the Tobit analysis also indicated that; gender, education level, land size and monthly earnings of farmers were significantly associated with the intensity of climate smart technology adoption among vanilla farmers in Wakiso district. The incomes of vanilla famers are higher than those of non-vanilla farmers. The Effect of climate smart technology adoption on productivity of vanilla farmers in Wakiso district results indicated that the adoption of climate smart technologies has affected vanilla productivity to a larger extent 60%. The results continued and indicated that climate smart technologies have significantly increased household income, improved farmers welfare, changed farmers lifestyle and have created employment for farm laborers. At the ANOVA level, the P=0.028 meaning that climate smart technologies have significantly impacted on the productivity of and income of vanilla farmers in Wakiso district. The Constraints and opportunities faced by vanilla farmers are; constraints include, Limited investment capital, Limited skills for adoption, Tools for implementation not available, Climate variability, Poor markets, Pests and diseases, Lack of access to credit and Low seed quality and access; opportunities were; availability of climate smart mechanization using robotics , availability of Drones for climate smart vanilla farming system. The study recommended that; the government through the ministry of agriculture should advise farmers for not only vanilla to adopt climate smart technologies as the technologies have been found to have a significant impact on farmers productivity
  • Item
    Adaptations to climate change and variability by subsistence farmers in Mukoto Subcounty, Namisindwa district, Eastern Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2022-02-22) Masongole, Ronald
    The agricultural sector is the major source of livelihood to rural communities in Uganda but it is currently faced by climate change as a major challenge. The study investigated the adaptations to climate change and variability by subsistence farmers in Mukoto Sub County and its main aim was to generate information that will promote climate change adaptation strategies that will enhance resilient, productive and sustainable agricultural systems. The study had three specific objectives’ which were; (i) To identify the effects of drought and flooding on the farmers of Mukoto Sub county, (ii) To assess the present agricultural practices being used by local farmers to adapt against drought and flooding and hailstorms. (iii)To establish the factors that influence small holder farmers’ adaptation decisions. Data will be collected through focus group discussions and a household survey using structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed from 56 respondents from randomly selected households in purposefully selected parishes of Mukoto Sub County. The data was analyzed using multiple regression models because of its multiple response nature. The results indicated reduced yields (87.3%) and outbreak of pests (81.8%) as the most felt effect of flooding and drought in the Sub County respectively, application of foliar fertilizers (81%) and agroforestry (78%) as the most agricultural practice used by farmers to adapt against drought and flooding in the Sub County exchange of information between farmers as the most factor which influences farmers adaptation choices. According to the information from focus group interviews, prolonged and periodic Elinino rains cause flooding in people’s gardens, roads and even homes. This brings destruction to crops and peoples properties leaving them poor and food insecure. Droughts cause crop failures especially vegetables which are very sensitive to temperature changes like onions. In Mukoto Sub County Namisindwa district, climate change is a pressing problem, which is beyond the capacity of smallholders to respond to autonomously. Farmers’ capacity to choose effective adaptation options is influenced by household demography, as well access to information from local leaders, use of indigenous knowledge, information from fellow farmers ,training by extension workers, education programs on radios and information from research institutions. This implies the need to support the indigenous adaptation strategies of the smallholder farmers with a wide range of institutional, policy, and technology support; some of it targeted on smaller, poorer or female-headed households. Moreover, creating opportunities for non-farm income sources is important as this helps farmers to engage in those activities that are less sensitive to climate change.
  • Item
    Adaptations to climate change and variability of smallholder farmers in Kisaikye village -Namasagali Subcounty, Kamuli district.
    (Makerere University, 2021-01) MASABA, EMMA
    The agricultural sector is the major source of livelihood to rural communities in Uganda but is currently faced by climate change as a major challenge. This study investigated; (i) the effects of drought and flooding on the farmers, (ii) present agricultural practices being used by local farmers to adapt against drought and flooding, (iii) factors that influence small holder farmers’ adaptation decisions in Kisaikye village Namasagali sub county, Kamuli district. Data was collected through focus group discussions and a household survey using structured questionnaire. In order to achieve this, data was analyzed from 44 randomly selected households in Kisaikye Village. Regression model was used to find out factors affecting farmers’ adaptation decisions. The results show that 72% of farmers experienced crop reductions due to drought and 82% of the farmers experienced crop reductions by too much rain. Planting fast maturing crops is done by most farmers to adapt to flooding and soil water conservation technologies are being used to adapt to drought. The regression model indicated that age, gender, marital status, and support programs such as access to information from local leaders, indigenous knowledge, training by extension workers and local institutions the key factors determining farmers’ choice of adaptation practice. In Kisaikye village-Kamuli district, climate change is a pressing problem, which is beyond the capacity of smallholders to respond to autonomously. Farmers’ capacity to choose effective adaptation options is influenced by household demography, as well access to information from local leaders, use of indigenous knowledge, access to markets, training by extension workers, education programs on radios and information from local institutions. This implies the need to support the indigenous adaptation strategies of the smallholder farmers with a wide range of institutional, policy, and technology support; some of it targeted on smaller, poorer or female-headed households. Moreover, creating opportunities for non-farm income sources is important as this helps farmers to engage in those activities that are less sensitive to climate change.
  • Item
    Addressing Multiple Challenges of Low Soil Moisture Content,yields and High Labour requirement Using Conservation Agriculture
    (Makerere University, 2019-05-21) MUNGUJAKISA, Philip
    As a requirement leading to an award of Bachelor of Agricultural and Rural Innovation, Supervised Experiential learning Projects were conducted between June and August, 2012. The main educational programme was guided by one main objectives: Action Research to address a specific Farming Need/ challenge(s) identified during problem identification and ranking. Supervised Experiential Learning Projects were aimed at offering me opportunities to “learn-by-doing” so as to;- I. Acquire practical field experiences in Agriculture and agro-related programmes, II. Develop personal characteristics such as self-confidence, creativity, adaptability and good interpersonal relations among others, III. Apply knowledge and skills acquired at the university through practicing field activities,and IV. Identify and appreciate factors that influence the effectiveness of agricultural programs. I was hosted during my second field attachment by Caritas, Nebbi. The organization was implementing the School garden project–a component of the Community Empowerment Programme as a Local Capacity Builder of the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV). The experience gained has shaped my perception and implementation of agriculture and agriculture related projects and programmes. Agriculture is a dynamic industry and must undergo a significant transformation to meet multiple challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition, poverty, climate change/ variability and environmental degradation . It is therefore prudent that there should be deliberate actions to undertaken regular training needs assessment and field-based research to address these challenges.
  • Item
    Adherence and knowledge on feeding guidelines among HIV-positive mothers with infants aged 0-6 months in Iganga hospital
    (Makerere University, 2021) Lutti, Ntende
    Background: Globally, 14.8 million children were HIV exposed in 2018, 50% of whom were living in sub-Saharan African countries (Slogrove et al., 2020). HIV-Exposed children have higher morbidity and mortality rates than their counterparts who are HIV non-exposed. The most affected are infants aged 0-6 months. However, WHO and MOH have formulated IYCF recommendations within the context of HIV to address this problem but the challenge of adherence still remains. Thus, the mothers’ failure to adhere to these recommendations is attributed to either lack of awareness and understanding of the importance of IYCF guidelines in trying to combat the high morbidity and mortality rates among infants aged 0-6 months. Objective: The purpose of the study, was to assess for adherence and knowledge about IYCFGs within the context of HIV among HIV-positive mothers with infants aged 0-6 months in Iganga general hospital. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 48 HIV-positive mothers with infants aged 0-6 months attending Iganga hospital. A simple random sampling was used in the selection of mothers. A semi-structured questionnaire was used in the collection of data from the respondents. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. Results: The level of adherence was (12.5%) whereas non-adherence was (87.5%) to IYCFGs among HIV-positive mothers. The reasons for non-adherence were; not having enough breastmilk (30.7%), HIV condition changed (29.17%), fear of stigma (4.17%), busy working schedule (8.33%), and fear of partner/relatives (4.17%). In addition, majority of the mothers (66.3%) initiated breastfeeding within one hour after birth while as (33.7%) did not. Reasons for not initiating breastfeeding early were; being HIV positive (22.9%), delivery by caesarean section (6.2%) and baby in incubator (4.2%). As regards to knowledge, (93.8%) of the mothers did not know the importance of early initiation of breast feeding, only (4.2%) new that ERF can only be used if AFASS whereas only (64.6%) knew that mixed feeding increases the risk of HIV MTCT. Conclusion: There was low knowledge on IYCFGs among HIV-positive mothers which led to the low level of adherence.
  • Item
    Adherence to DASH diet by patients attending hypertension clinic at Kiruddu General Hospital
    (Makerere University, 2024) Basemera, Sauda
    This study explores the level of adherence to the DASH diet among hypertensive patients attending hypertension clinic at Kiruddu hospital. The study was conducted at the Kiruddu hypertensive outpatient clinic, involving adults over 18 with hypertension. Participants were recruited purposively, excluding first-time visitors, undiagnosed hypertension patients, inpatients, language barriers, or non-consenting individuals. Data collection involved gathering socio-demographic information, DASH diet knowledge, and physical measurements of weight, height, and blood pressure. The majority of respondents were female (96.1%), aged 31-60 (61%), married (39.9%), with a post-graduate or graduate education (25.3%), and employed in informal occupations (57.2%), earning between 500,001 – 1,000,000 Ushs monthly (30.9%). Most respondents did not have other medical conditions (71.0%), but among those who did, diabetes was the most common (58.3%). A significant portion was HIV negative (76.4%), and of the HIV-positive respondents (21.5%), many were not on antiretroviral therapy (53.2%). Knowledge of the DASH diet was present in 50.6% of respondents, though 63.1% did not believe it could lower blood pressure. Adherence to the diet was low, with 78.1% scoring below 50. The main barriers were the perceived high cost of the diet, lack of knowledge, and limited availability of recommended foods. Key predictors of adherence included family income, with higher income significantly associated with better adherence (p<0.05), while education level and knowledge of the diet did not significantly influence adherence (p>0.05). The study suggests that improving adherence requires making DASH-compliant foods more affordable, enhancing educational initiatives, establishing community support programs, and providing personalized diet plans. Addressing these areas can improve dietary adherence and health outcomes in hypertensive patients.
  • Item
    Adherence to dietary recommendations among hypertensive patients aged 45 to 60 years at Jinja regional referral hospital
    (Makerere University, 2022-11-02) Mukooli, Isa Wambala
    Hypertension (HTN) is widely acknowledged as the most common cardiovascularaffecting over 31.1% of the adults aged 20 years and older across the globe, and 26.4% of adults aged 18-64 years in Uganda. Diet is one of the most important modifiable risk factors in the development of hypertension that also accounts for approximately 3.2 million deaths annually across the globe. However, much dietary recommendations has been well demonstrated as an effective non-pharmacological intervention to reduce high blood pressure, motivating the general public to follow these dietary recommendations in it is challenging and even harder among the hypertensive. Data regarding patients’ diets is essential as a basis in developing interventions to increase their adherence to beneficial diets. Such data, however, isscanty in Uganda and thus the current study was an attempt to address the data gap. The main objective of this study was to assess the adherence of hypertensive patients aged 45 to 60 years to dietary recommendations at Jinja regional referral hospital A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on a sample of 60 hypertensivepatients (aged 45-60 years) attending care at the hypertensive outpatient clinic of Jinja hospital. Participants’ data were obtained using a well-designed questionnaire and dietary practice and food consumption patterns were assessed using 24hour dietary recall and an FFQ. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS 22. Majority (98.7%) of the participants had their meals from home, 65% never drunk alcohol, 83.3% never smoked while 53.3% did something to reduce on their sat consumption. and 36.6% had a normal BMI whereas 11.7% and 48.3% were overweight and obese respectively. The mean BMI of the respondents was 29.7%, mean systolic BP 149.9mmHg while diastolic BP was 84.9mmHg. The most reported food group consumed was fats and oils while fruits and vegetables were 83.3% consumed daily by the respondent.Collectively, the findings of this study highlight high adherence to dietary recommendations among hypertensive patients especially 45-60years. However, high levels of discrepancies in dietary knowledge were identified that warrant the need to establish approaches and interventions so as to reduce them and also raise the low levels of dietary knowledge so as to increase the adherence to dietary recommendations
  • Item
    Adoption and effect of tractor hire service on cassava productivity among e-voucher beneficiaries in West Nile
    (Makerere University, 2023) Shimo, Mpelwa Henry
    Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. (Afedraru, 2019). Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. (FAO, 2015) It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils. Nigeria is the world's largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter of cassava starch. Although cassava is an established commercial crop in many tropical countries and hundreds of varieties are in existence, little is generally known of the nomenclature and identification of varieties. Various varieties are usually differentiated from one another by their morphological characteristics such as color of stems, petioles, leaves and tubers. Moreover, in many instances the same variety is known in various places by a number of names. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 61.1% of the world’s cassava production (FAOCAST, 2020). Although it is a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates.(GRIN, 2014). Cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are used to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. Cassava is an important rural food for communities in Uganda. It has tolerance to poor soils and resistance to drought, a cheap and reliable source of food that fits well into the food security strategy of smallholders (Nweke, Spencer, and Lynam 2004; FAO 2003). Cassava has, therefore, served many times as food of last resort to ameliorate the effect of food deficits which occur from erratic weather conditions and reduce the yields of cereals. Tractors can be hired for primary tillage and subsequent planting, and weeding can also be done with a combination of power sources and technologies. Application of these alternative power sources can relieve pressure on human labour at critical times of heavy demand (Sims, B. G., & Kienzle, J.,2006).
  • Item
    Adoption and effectiveness of open distance E-Learning in tourism and hospitality training case study Makerere University
    (Makerere university, 2022-11) Kawerere, Wambi Brian
    Since the integration of technology in teaching and learning, it has been observed that there is improvement in the acquisition and retention of knowledge. There is also existing body of research on adoption of e-learning platforms by students in institutions of Higher Education across the world. However, few of the existing studies has involved students in public education institutions in Uganda. Therefore, this study has set out to explore student adoption and effectiveness of elearning platforms, their attitudes, and the hurdles that they face in their daily usage of e-learning platforms in Makerere University. The target population for the study was students of Makerere university School of forestry environmental and geographical sciences. Stratified random sampling was used to select participants with data collected from a total of 80 students (36 males and 44 females) across all programs and years of study at the school. The research tools used were questionnaire, focus group interviews, and interviews to collect data. The study revealed a significant usage of e-learning platforms as the majority of learners belonged to the category of basic users of e-learning platforms. This was shown by their positive ratings of the e-learning platforms (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and actual system usage). The study further collected learner’s views about the challenges/hindrances that they face in their daily usage of e-learning platforms. The learners appreciated the learning technology and shared that the features available in e-learning platforms allow them to extend their learning outside the traditional form of learning, thus accommodating their learning needs. However, they noted challenges that normally hinder their learning such as files not opening or not downloading when needed, limited interaction and unreliable internet connection. Most of these barriers showed the technical problems that are common in e-Learning. Participants shared their suggestions to address the challenges identified. The study concluded that E-learning has been highly adopted by many students at campus on platforms like MUELE, Zoom cloud meetings, social media platforms like WhatsApp. The study also revealed that there have been significant hindrances faced by students in accessing the Elearning platforms like the unstable internet connectivity
  • Item
    Adoption and effects of improved tomato varieties on tomato profitability among youth farmers in Rukungiri district
    (Makerere University, 2019-11-06) Bainomugisha, Mike
    Due to the fact that Uganda’s population is dominated by the youth in the average age group of 18-35 years and are highly faced by the challenge of unemployment, the study was conducted in Kebison and Buyanja sub counties of Rukungiri District, South Western Uganda to assess the adoption and effects of improved tomato varieties on tomato profitability among youth farmers. Data was collected using a questionnaire survey method. The method involved the use of a SelfAdministered Questionnaire (SAQ). The adoption status of improved tomato variety was found very low. Considering all the improved varieties that are cultivated in the study area, money maker was the most adopted, followed by marglobe, and boney best. Among the factors that highly influence the adoption are type of tomato variety grown, number of years spent in school, and sex of the youth farmers. Youth farmers’ consciousness about improved tomato cultivation was found increasing. Major reasons in favor of improved tomato cultivation were higher yields, thick fruit skin, large size, long durability and high price due to attractive color and size. The farmers of improved tomato adopters facing several problems like non-availability of quality seed, unfavorable weather, good quality fertilizer and insecticide for tomato cultivation. High price of inputs was recorded as one of the major problem to the tomato farmers