Public Health Research
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Condom Use among Secondary School Students in Kisumu District, Kenya
Ochieng, M. A., Kakai, R., & Abok, K. (2011). Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 3(1), 32–36.
Professor Mary Aswan Ochieng is a sociologist and public health researcher whose academic background spans sociology, anthropology, epidemiology, population health, education and interdisciplinary development research. Her work combines social-science inquiry with population-health perspectives and is particularly suited to assignments that require careful analysis of communities, institutions, behaviour, vulnerability, health, gender, social networks and programme implementation contexts.
Her doctoral training at the University of Vienna examined HIV-risk implications among male prisoners in Kenya. Her Master of Public Health research at Maseno University examined adolescent reproductive and sexual-health behaviour in Kisumu District in relation to HIV/AIDS. These research themes are complemented by published work on adolescent sexuality and condom use, as well as social capital and climate-change perceptions in Kenya's Mara River Basin.
Lecturer at Maseno University's Department of Sociology. It also documents advanced professional training in impact evaluation, multi-method and policy-oriented research, applied quantitative methods, qualitative research design, social network analysis, comparative case analysis, ethnographic methods and critical policy-engaged research.
Areas of Expertise
Academic Qualifications
| Qualification | Institution | Research focus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctorate in Sociology | Institute of Sociology, University of Vienna, Austria | Doctoral dissertation on sex among men and implications for HIV risk among prisoners in Kenya. | |
| Master of Public Health, Epidemiology and Population Health | Maseno University, Kenya | Adolescent reproductive and sexual-health behaviour in Kisumu District in relation to HIV/AIDS. | |
| Bachelor of Education, Home Economics | Kenyatta University, Kenya | Undergraduate professional training in education and home economics. |
Research & Methodological Expertise
Professor Ochieng's professional-development record shows sustained advanced training in research design and evaluation. Relevant methods and analytical areas include:
Evaluation & Quantitative Research
- Impact evaluation
- Experimental and quasi-experimental approaches
- Applied quantitative methods
- Social network analysis
- Comparative case analysis
Qualitative & Policy-Oriented Research
- Qualitative research design
- Multi-method research
- Designing social inquiry
- Ethnographic research methods
- Critical policy-engaged research
Academic & Research Experience
Professor Ochiengs has experience at Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Maseno University. Her academic and professional-development activities also include facilitation, research-capacity building and conference participation across Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Austria.
In 2019 she served as a resource person and facilitator within the Pedagogical Leadership in Africa (PedaL) programme, including work on engendering curriculum and leadership in pedagogical practice. In 2018 she presented on qualitative research design at a DAAD workshop focused on research supervision and proposal writing.
Selected Advanced Training, Workshops & Conferences
| Year | Programme / activity | Relevant focus |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | NIERA and USIU Impact Evaluation Methods Training | Experimental and quasi-experimental methods for policy and research. |
| 2019 | PASGR Advanced Training for Multi-Method and Policy-Oriented Research | Impact evaluation; applied quantitative methods. |
| 2019 | Research and Innovation Capacity Building Conference | Presented on the role of research in socio-economic development. |
| 2019 | Pedagogical Leadership in Africa (PedaL) | Resource person and facilitator on engendering curriculum and pedagogical leadership. |
| 2018 | DAAD Research Supervision and Proposal-Writing Workshop | Presenter on qualitative research design and evaluation of research quality. |
| 2017 | PASGR Advanced Training for Multi-Method and Policy-Oriented Research | Social network analysis and comparative case analysis. |
| 2016 | PASGR Advanced Research Design | Social inquiry, multi-method research, critical policy-engaged research and ethnographic methods. |
| 2016 | PASGR Gender Sensitization Workshop | Gender-sensitive research and professional practice. |
Research Themes Relevant to Development Programmes
Based on her academic training, research record and professional-development activities, Professor Ochieng's expertise is particularly relevant to development research requiring social and behavioural analysis, public-health perspectives, programme evaluation and community-level evidence. Relevant themes include:
- Social development and community research: social behaviour, community dynamics, gender, vulnerability and institutional context.
- Public health and population research: epidemiology, population health, HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and adolescent health.
- Programme and impact evaluation: experimental, quasi-experimental and mixed-method approaches to policy and programme questions.
- Research design and evidence quality: qualitative, quantitative, comparative, ethnographic and policy-oriented research approaches.
- Climate and social resilience: social capital and climate-change perception, including community-level interpretation of environmental change.
- Research capacity building: facilitation, research supervision, proposal development and pedagogical leadership.
Grants & Awards
- University of Vienna Short-term Grant Abroad (KWA) — 2009.
- North-South Dialogue Scholarship — 2007.
Selected Publications
Adolescent & Sexual Health
The Influence of Peers and Other Significant Persons on Sexuality among Secondary School Students in Kisumu District, Kenya
Ochieng, M. A., Kakai, R., & Abok, K. (2011). Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 3(1), 26–31.
Climate & Social Capital
Social Capital and Climate Change Perception in the Mara River Basin, Kenya
Omondi, L., Ochieng, M. A., & Polk, M. (2015). Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 5(12).
Additional manuscripts listed in the supplied CV as forthcoming: Determinants of sex among male prisoners in Kenya's maximum security prisons and Prison wardens' perceptions of sex among male prisoners in Kenya's maximum security prisons.
Relevance to Raven Africa's Development Research
Professor Ochieng's interdisciplinary background is especially relevant to assignments involving NGO and development-project feasibility, monitoring and evaluation, social-development research, public-health and population studies, stakeholder research, mixed-method inquiry and evidence-led programme design. Her combination of sociological analysis, population-health training and evaluation methodology strengthens work that must interpret both quantitative evidence and the social context in which development programmes operate.
Contact
Professional enquiries relating to Professor Mary Aswan Ochieng may be directed to:
Email: maryaswan@yahoo.co.uk
Academic affiliation recorded in CV: Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Maseno University, Kenya.