Browsing by Author "Mjomba, Leonard Majalia"

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    Implications of High-/Low-Context Communication for Target Audience Member Interpretation of Messages in the Nimechill Abstinence Campaign in Nairobi, Kenya
    (Health Communication, 2011-04) Muraya, Julie Gathoni; Miller, Ann Neville; Mjomba, Leonard Majalia
    Although it ran on multiple mass media for the better part of a year, end line evaluation of the Nimechill youth abstinence campaign in Kenya indicated that exposure to the campaign had no relationship to youth decisions to defer sexual debut. One possible explanation of this lack of association could be that target audience members derived inconsistent and confusing meanings from visuals as opposed to text in the campaign. Employing Hall’s concept of high- and low-context communication, we assessed target population interpretation of four campaign posters via twelve focus groups discussions and four individual in-depth interviews with Nairobi youth. We found that although participants endorsed and recognized campaign objectives, contextual cues in some campaign visuals were interpreted by participants as being contradictory to the abstinence message in the poster texts. In addition noticeable differences arose between the lowincome and middle-/high-income groups in interpretation of one of the posters. We conclude with recommendations regarding use of visuals in high-context cultures and involvement of youth from various socio-economic strata in campaign planning.
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    The Importance of Formative Research in Mass Media Campaigns Addressing Health Disparities: Two Kenyan case studies
    (2013-01) Miller, Ann Neville; Muraya, Julie Gathoni; Thuo, Ann Muthoni; Mjomba, Leonard Majalia
    As compared to their urban middle-income counterparts, women and children living in rural areas and urban informal settlements in Kenya face special challenges in accessing health information and services. Television and print health information is often confined to towns and cities and shortages of health workers and supplies hamper most rural health care systems (CBS, 2004). At the same time, rapid urbanization has put unprecedented strain on the existing resources in the cities and has resulted in high rates of unemployment, poverty, and poor health outcomes especially among women and children living in informal settlements (Africa Population and Health Research Center, 2002; Mutua-Kombo, 2001; Ngimwa, Ocholla, & Ojiambo, 1997Only middle- and upper-class Kenyans who live in the largest urban centers have As compared to their urban middle-income counterparts, women and children living in rural areas and urban informal settlements in Kenya face special challenges in accessing health information and services. Television and print health information is often confined to towns and cities and shortages of health workers and supplies hamper most rural health care systems (CBS, 2004). At the same time, rapid urbanization has put unprecedented strain on the existing resources in the cities and has resulted in high rates of unemployment, poverty, and poor health outcomes especially among women and children living in informal settlements (Africa Population and Health Research Center, 2002; Mutua-Kombo, 2001; Ngimwa, Ocholla, & Ojiambo, 1997Only middle- and upper-class Kenyans who live in the largest urban centers have ready access to information about prevention and care, and can take advantage of a range of early detection technologies and treatment options at private hospitals.