School of Agriculture and Biotechnology
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Item Examining the balanced scorecard approach to measuring performance of Five Star Hotels in Nairobi, Kenya.(2014-12) Gesage, , M. B.; Kuira, J.Traditional models for determining the performance and effectiveness of employees rely heavily on financial accounting indicators. This study sought to measure the performance of five star hotels in Nairobi County using the balanced scorecard approach. The findings of the study revealed that 36% of the respondents used a balanced scorecard as a method of measuring performance. The use of a balanced scorecard for measuring performance resulted in improved quality of guest profiles for 73% of the managers in five star hotels in Nairobi County whereas 67% of the managers experienced an increase in training hours per employee.Item A Literature Review of Role of Obesity in Adult Health with Reference to Africa(African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2013) Lokuruka, MichaelAlthough obesity is a global epidemic that affects every socio-economic class, little is available in the literature on the status of the syndrome in Africa. This literature review was therefore written in order to highlight the causes, effects and potential mitigation measures of the syndrome with particular interest on the status of the condition in Africa. Obesity results from an incorrect energy balance leading to an increased store of energy, mainly as fat. The major factors that contribute to obesity include over-nutrition, physical inactivity, change of dietary habits, modernization, consumption of high fat, high carbohydrate foods, urbanization and in a minority of patients a physical condition or metabolic disturbance. Body mass index (BMI) is currently being used by competent authorities as an index of obesity. BMI differentiates classes of obesity, with class I, II and III being identified with BMI of ≥30 but <35, ≥35 but <40, and ≥40, respectively. A BMI of 18.5-25 is regarded as normal. However, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate obesity due to excess fat deposition and that due to muscle atrophy. Also, current procedures for estimating body fat percentage are not as accurate as they should and often give different results. Despite women tending to be more obese than men, they are less prone to hypertension, heart disease and type 2 diabetes than men before they reach menopause due to their fat deposition being predominantly sub-cutaneous rather than abdominal. In 2010, the WHO estimated that about 1.4 billion adults were overweight and obese, but 300-400 million were obese. The defining metabolic changes in obesity are decreased glucose tolerance, decreased sensitivity to insulin, hyperinsulinemia and reduced life expectancy. Obesity can be treated by restricting food intake and engaging in regular physical exercises. Other measures include the use of anorectic drugs and various forms of jejunoileostomy. Obesity is a controllable behavioural disorder, with regular exercise and sensible eating being the best ways to regulate body fat percentage and maintain a healthy body weight. As it is difficult to treat obesity, efforts should be directed towards prevention in order to keep it in check.Item Role of Zinc in Human Health with Reference to African Elderly: A Review(African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2012-10) Lokuruka, MichaelThis review of the literature was conducted to assess dietary zinc intake among the African elderly, discuss the potential impact of current levels of zinc intake on their health, and to recommend strategies for improving their dietary zinc intake. As zinc plays an ubiquitous role in human metabolism, determination of its dietary intake among African elderly is important from a health standpoint, if the consequences of widely reported deficiency are to be mitigated. Animal meats and seafood are rich sources of zinc, with nuts and legumes being relatively good plant sources. Zinc bioavailability is relatively higher in animal foods due to absence of inhibitors of zinc absorption and the presence of cysteine and methionine, which improve its absorption. Zinc in plant-based foods is less bioavailable for human metabolism due to presence of chelators, phytates and dietary fibre, which inhibit absorption. Individuals at the greatest risk of zinc deficiency include infants and children, pregnant and lactating women, patients being fed intravenously, malnourished individuals including those with protein-energy malnutrition and anorexia nervosa; others are individuals with chronic or persistent diarrhoea, malabsorption syndromes, those with alcoholic liver disease, sickle cell anemia, strict vegetarians, and the elderly aged 60 years and over. A reduced capacity to absorb zinc, increases the likelihood of disease states that may adversely alter zinc utilization, and increased use of drugs that increase zinc excretion, may all contribute to increased risk of mild to moderate zinc deficiency in the elderly. Also, in situations of diminished access to adequate and balanced diets, health care and good sanitation, the likelihood of developing mild to moderate zinc deficiency is high among poor African elderly. Due to the consequences of impaired immune system function in zinc deficiency in the elderly, it is critical to maintain an adequate zinc intake by this group. Despite mild zinc deficiency being unlikely to lead to severe zinc deficiency in individuals without a genetic disorder, zinc malabsorption or conditions of increased zinc loss such as severe burns can also result in mild to severe zinc deficiency. Diets for poor African children, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly, are deficient in zinc. This is mainly due to low food intake, relatively lower intake of animal foods and high phytate and fibre content of the staple plant-based foods. Fortification of staples and inclusion of inexpensive and available animal protein sources, in plant-based diets for the elderly can increase their dietary zinc intake.