European Scientific Journal, ESJ

Nutrition Quality of the Child Feeds Used Among Children Aged 6 to 24 Months in Marsabit County

Rose Chepkorir — 2024-11-30

Child feeding practices is considered one of the determinants of malnutrition in under-fives. Inadequate feeding practice is often a greater factor of malnutrition than lack of food. Globally, 1 in 3 children under the age of five are not obtaining adequate nutrition thus are not growing well. In ASAL regions of Kenya, the main driver of acute malnutrition is poor dietary intake coupled with inappropriate feeding practices. In Marsabit County, undernutrition prevalence varies in different sub-counties. There are areas where malnutrition is very high whereas other areas are relatively low. In the same setting however, there are children with good health and nutritional status. Therefore, this study aimed to determine nutrition quality of the child feeds used among children aged 6 to 24 months in Marsabit County. This study adopted an experimental design for laboratory analysis of the food samples. Snowballing technique was used to select 9 women groups with children aged 6-24 months for participatory assessment of child feeding practices. Focus Group Discussion and key Informant Interview guides for qualitative data. A child food sample collection guide was used during collection of child feeds for laboratory analysis. Univariate analysis was used to obtain frequency distribution of nutrition quality of the child feeds. The study concludes that nutrition quality of feeds has a significant effect on child feeding practices in Marsabit County, Kenya. Based on the findings this study recommends that the Marsabit County government should promote the use of traditional food processing methods, such as fermentation, germination, roasting, drying, and frying, through community nutrition programs to enhance the nutrient content of child foods. These programs should focus on educating mothers and caregivers on how to effectively apply these methods to local foods to improve their nutritional value.

ESJ November Cover

Dr. Jovan Shopovski — 2024-11-30

The Impact of SPAC Mergers on Financial Performance and Growth: Evidence from the Italian Market

Domenico Piatti — 2024-11-30

This study examines the impact of SPAC mergers on the financial performance of Italian firms, focusing on profitability (ROE, ROI), sales growth, and workforce expansion. A sample of business combinations completed between 2015 and 2019 is analyzed using firm-level data from 2013 to 2022. A Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Difference-in-Differences (DiD) methodology is applied to control for selection bias and assess the causal effects of SPAC mergers. Additionally, non-linear quantile regression is used to capture the heterogeneous effects across firms. The results show a significant decline in profitability post-merger, particularly in ROE and ROI, likely due to integration challenges. While sales growth improves overall, the non-linear analysis reveals that only a subset of firms experiences significant revenue growth. The findings highlight the importance of strategic planning and regulatory oversight in optimizing SPAC mergers, addressing a critical gap in the Italian market where research is limited. This analysis provides valuable insights for managers and policymakers navigating the evolving SPAC landscape in Italy.