The KEN ya- FI Nland EDU cation and R esearch A lliance (KENFIN-EDURA)

1. The KENya-FINland EDUcation and Research Alliance (KENFIN-EDURA) BUILDING HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CAPACITY TO ADDRESS THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION TRANSITION IN KENYA: THE KENYA-FINLAND EDUCATION AND RESEARCH ALLIANCE (KENFIN-EDURA) Mikael Fogelholm, Professor in Public Health Nutrition University of Helsinki

2. Deaths per 100 000 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/index1.html

3. In low-income countries, NCD´s are”privilege” of the rich. However, as a country´s economic status improves, NCD´s start to affect more uneducated and the poor especially among women - thus creating health inequalities. Combined with the still existing burden of communicable diseases, LMICs do not have buffer to deal with increased health costs. Therefore the economic consequences of NCD’s in these countries may be detrimental for individuals, healthcare systems and nation. The main NCD risk factors, unhealthy diet and low physical activity seem to be more important issues than smoking and high alcohol intake. In order to plan better health policies and health promotion actions, a step also in science should be taken from describing the situation to better understanding of determinants of current health behaviour and how it could be changed.

4. Kenya • Gross national income per capita 2881 $ • Human Development Index (HDI) 146, the second lowest in the class “medium human development”. • During the past 40 years, the proportion of urban dwellers in Kenya has increased from 10 to 32%, with about 60% of them living in informal settlements referred to as slums. •  Overweight and obesity among women was 33% in total and positively related to both education and wealth. • Inadequate physical activity was more frequent among women than among men, it was high also in those with no education, but low among poor people. • In Nairobi City County, 21% of children were overweight or obese, with higher rates among girls and those of higher socioeconomic status. KNBS, et al. Kenya demographic and health survey 2014. Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; 2015. https://www.knbs.or.ke/publications/ Ministry of Health, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, WHO. Kenya Stepwise Survey for non-communicable diseases risk factors 2015 report. Nairobi, Kenya: Ministry of Health; 2015. Muthuri SK, et al. Direct and self-reported measures of physical activity and sedentary behaviours by weight status in school-aged children: results from ISCOLE-Kenya. Ann Hum Biol 2015;42(3):237–45. Kyallo F, et al. Overweight and obesity among public and private primary school children in Nairobi, Kenya. Health (NY). 2013;5(8A3):85–90

5. ISCOLE Helsinki, Finland Ottawa, Canada Tianjin, China Bath, United Kingdom Baton Rouge, USA Porto, Portugal Nairobi, Kenya Bangalore, India São Caetano do Sul, Brazil Bogotá, Colombia Cape Town, South Africa Adelaide, Australia

6. Prevalence of obesity in ISCOLE sites %

7. Objectives of KENFIN EDURA • To enhance research capacity in the field of healthy lifestyles and obesity in Kenya, within the context of a rapid nutrition and physical activity transition; • To improve/create a multi-disciplinary, higher education curriculum in the area of obesity, lifestyle (particular emphasis on diet and physical activity) and health promotion. • To develop an international, multi-disciplinary team of researchers with the combined expertise required to address the complex nature of NCDs in Kenya within the context of a country undergoing a nutrition and physical activity transition. • As a part of “learning research by doing”, to conduct a baseline study on the prevalence and lifestyle determinants of NCDs in Kenya.

8. Partnerdepartments at KenyattaUniversity • Sports Sciences and Recreational Management • PhysicalEducation • Food, humannutrition and dietetics • Finnishpartnerinstitutions • University of Helsinki (Human Nutrition, SocialPsychology) • Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (PhysicalEducation) • Decidedkeyfocusareas • PhDtraining • Master’straining and curriculum • Building capacity in research (applied to MSc and PhDleveltraining) • Societalinteraction

10. Achievements during the first 8 months of KENFIN EDURA • Building the core operational and management groups/persons: • Project group (active staff at UH, KU and HH) • Project coordinator to UH • Project board • Initial visit UH  KU in June (2 pers.) • Team KU  UH in September (5 pers.) • Coming: Team UH & HH  KU in November (9 pers.) • Getting to know each other and each other’s institutions, curriculum, etc. • Decisions on focus areas • Working on the Academy of Finland Development research plan (completed and submitted in October 2018)

11. Initial study plan/proposal Explaining non-communicable disease related behavior in Kenya in the context of urbanization, family and poverty WP1: Diet, physical activity and weight status in adolescents and their parents in the context of SES and place of residence (urban slum, urban non-slum, and rural) WP2: The role of family interactions and stress in health behavior WP3: Built environmental influences on physical activity and diet in the context of urban slum, urban non-slum, and rural residence WP4: Norms and beliefs related to obesity in the context of gender, socio-economic background and place of residence