School of Communication

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Browsing School of Communication by Subject "Africa"

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    Health Belief Model Review: Suggestions to Consider in Extending the Model for Application in the African Context
    (Howard Journal of Communications, 2023-10) Nganda, Jeremiah M.; Mwithia, Kinya Jesica
    While scholars use many theories and models in health communication, only a handful of them are commonly used in studies focusing on behavior change and prediction. One of these is the Health Belief Model. Even though the model has been applied widely, not much has been done to contextualize the model for contemporary application in Africa. In the absence of a theory by and for Africans that addresses behavior prediction from a health communication viewpoint, there is a need to contextualize the available theories for application in the African context. This study aims to expose additional constructs that have been proposed to contextualize HBM for studies in the continent. Such suggestions for extensions and additional constructs could provide insights into gaps that scholars see as not addressed by the original version of HBM. This essay reviews 9 articles that either proposed or recommended additional constructs. The findings of the review show that to contextualize the model for application in Africa, some of the key additional constructs to consider are community influence, cultural background, subjective norms, social support, and environmental factors.
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    Kenyan pastors’ perspectives on communicating about sexual behaviour and HIV
    (African Journal of AIDS Research, 2011-09) Miller, Ann Neville; Mwithia, Kinya Jesica; Kizito, Mary N.; Njoroge, Lucy
    The article presents an analysis of in-depth interviews with 18 leaders of Christian churches in Nairobi, Kenya, regarding the content and context of messages they disseminate to their congregations about sexual behaviour and HIV. The content of messages was nearly consistent across the different denominations. However, three sorts of tensions were identified within pastoral communication about these topics: the need to discuss sex and HIV versus societal taboos against speaking about those issues from the pulpit; traditional cultural norms versus current lifestyles; and the ideals of abstinence and fidelity versus the reality of congregants’ sexual behaviour. Although some of the religious leaders accepted the idea of condom use, no denominational patterns were noted on that subject, except with respect to Catholic priests. Pentecostal leaders were notable for describing proactive strategies to address both the ideal/real dilemma and the tension between church norms and current media content about sexuality and HIV.
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    Kenyan patients’ attitudes regarding doctor ethnicity and doctor–patient ethnic discordance
    (Patient Education and Counseling, 2010) Miller, Ann Neville; Mwithia, Kinya Jesica ; Booker, Nancy Achieng’ ; Kizito, Mary N.; wa Ngula, Kyalo
    Objective: This study explored Kenyan patients’ perspectives on the role of ethnicity in the doctor– patient relationship. Methods: 221 participants completed questionnaires on ethnicity in doctor–patient relationships; eight focus groups were held with low- and middle-income urban and rural women. Results: About half of participants expressed no preference for doctor ethnicity. Participants rated demographic factors as less important than factors related to the doctor’s qualifications, communication skills, and cost of service. Those who did indicate a preference were more likely to prefer Indian doctors for eye problems and Europeans for major surgery, cancer, and heart problems. With less severe medical issues participants were more likely to prefer a doctor who was ethnically concordant with them. Reasons for this centered around communication issues. In contrast, several focus group participants did not want to be treated by doctors from their own ethnic group because of concerns about confidentiality. Conclusion: Additional research is needed on negative implications of patient–provider concordance. Practice implications: Medical service providers must be aware of concerns about ethnic concordance. Alternatively medical centers that deal with sensitive medical information need to consider hiring staff who are not of the majority ethnic group in their region.
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    Popular Participation in the Integration of the East African Community
    (Lexington Books, 2024) Lando, Agnes Lucy; Korwa, Gombe Adar; Kasaija, Phillip Apuuli; Plo-Lumumba; Masabo, Juliana
    The post-independence integration endeavor of the East African Community has been punctuated with challenges, culminating into the collapse of the 1967-1977 regional organization. The renaissance of the integration agenda since the re-establishment of the regional organization in 1999 has rekindled epistemological debate among scholars and practitioners on the East African Community raison d'etre and integration process. This volume is the first of its kind in this ongoing debate that puts into proper context the nexus between the East African citizens and the integration agenda. Focusing on the Partner States case studies, the authors of the chapters operationalize the concepts of popular participation, eastafricanness, eastafricanization, democratization, and integration. Using political, national constitutions and EAC treaty, communication and awareness dimensions the authors of the chapters have analyzed the nexus between the EACcitizens and the integration process. The study generally proceeds from the premise that the exclusion of the EAC citizens from exercising their sovereign rights through popular participation undermines the prospects for the institutionalization and consolidation of the EAC identity, eastafricanness, eastafricanization, democratization and integration.