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Kitui County Baringo County Bomet County Bungoma County Busia County Elgeyo Marakwet County Embu County Garissa County Homa Bay County Isiolo County Kajiado County Kakamega County Kericho County Kiambu County Kilifi County Kirinyaga County Kisii County Kisumu County Kitui County Kwale County Laikipia County Lamu County Machakos County Makueni County Mandera County Meru County Migori County Marsabit County Mombasa County Muranga County Nairobi County Nakuru County Nandi County Narok County Nyamira County Nyandarua County Nyeri County Samburu County Siaya County Taita Taveta County Tana River County Tharaka Nithi County Trans Nzoia County Turkana County Uasin Gishu County Vihiga County Wajir County West Pokot County National Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Taita-River Counties Kwale, Siaya Counties Kisumu, Machakos, Nyeri, Isiolo Kisumu, Homabay, Siaya, Migori Counties Kisumu, Kilifi, Uasin Gishu Counties Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Taita-Taveta, Mombasa Counties Kisumu, Siaya Counties Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga Counties Mombasa, Taita Taveta Counties Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kericho, Homabay, Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Siaya, Kisumu Counties Bumgoma, Busia Counties Kisumu, Kwale, Busia Counties Kisumu, Busia Counties Mombasa, Kilifi Counties Kiambu, Muranga, Nyandarua Counties Siaya, Bungoma Counties Narok, Samburu Counties Siaya, Nairobi Counties Taita Taveta, Nairobi Counties Kisumu, Kilifi, Kericho, Kisii, Baringo Counties Kilifi, Nairobi Counties

Vaccine Development Diagnostics Genetic Engineering Bioinformatics Biostatistics dental population and health systems and policy epidemiology behavioural and social sciences nutrition environmental/ occupational health oral health Health care financing governance and leadership and service delivery Maternal health child health adolescent health STIs Gender Based Violence (GBV) infertility sexual dysfunction family planning harmful traditional practices aging and sexual and reproductive health gender and human rights Virology Bacteriology Mycology Helminthology Neglected Tropical Diseases and Zoonotic diseases Traditional medicine conventional medicine and alternative medicine Lifestyle diseases obesity diabetes hypertension drug and substance abuse cardiovascular cancer (Breast, cervix, prostrate, throat, stomach, ovaries and skin) Road traffic accidents domestic/occupational injuries mental health

Observation / Participant Observation Surveys Interviews Focus Groups Experiments Secondary Data Analysis / Archival Study Mixed Methods (combination of some of the above)

  Qualitative Research Design Quantitative Research Design

  Descriptive Research Design Experimental Research Design Correlational Research Design Diagnostic Research Design Explanatory Research Design

 

The following objectives guided the study to examine the effectsrnof traditional medical practices on antenatal and postnatal care and to investigate the influence of traditional beliefsrnon food and nutrition on antenatal and postnatal care in Mwingi Central Sub-County.

The study used descriptivernsurvey research design. The target population comprised of expectant lactating mothers and those with children belowrnfive years of age fathers caring for their children below five years of age traditional and conventional health carerngivers. Mixed method was used for data collection where questionnaires and interview guides were used as the researchrninstruments. From the five wards the researcher used 30 of these wards and randomly selected two wards to carry outrnthe study Mwingi Central and Kivou wards. Through Census method all the public health care institutions in therntwo wards were selected for the study due to their uniqueness. Conveniently twenty conventional health care workersrn258 traditional medical practitioners and 78 members of the general public. They responded to questionnaires throughrnface to face techniques done by the trained researchers. Interviews were also done with the traditional health care giversrnand the parents until saturated information was collected

The study found out that 14239.4 of the respondentsrnagreed that there are antenatal clinic visit barriers in their community. Further 239 66.4 agreed that expectantrnwomen visit conventional health centers for their general treatment while 129 35.8 of the respondents agreed thatrnexpectant women visit traditional medical practitioners for their general health treatment. Majority of the respondentsrn298 82.8 agreed that there are prohibited foods for pregnant women in their community

The study concluded that there are antenatal clinic visit barriers in their community. Expectant women visit both conventionalrnhealth centers and traditional medical practitioners for their general treatment. There are also prohibited foods for pregnantrnand lactating women in their community

The study recommends that the governments health policy should clearly stipulate the roles played by the various healthrnpractitioners in the Sub-County. It also recommended that the government should organize for continuous trainings forrnthe health care practitioners both traditional and conventional especially in the rural areas. The study recommends furtherrnthat traditional birth attendants be provided with delivery kits to help women who deliver in the rural areas.

Traditional maternal health care practices antenatal care and postnatal care