Ghala Repository

Ghala- PAC University Repository

Ghala is the institutional repository of the PAC University, managed by the University Library Team. The Repository is committed to store and preserve the University's research outputs. Research outputs can include, but are not limited to, publications, conference proceedings, book chapters, monographs, theses, various forms of research data (video recordings, spreadsheets, computational scripts, code, images etc.), archives, presentations and others.

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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Impact of Parenting Styles on Emotional Well-Being Among Undergraduate Students in Selected Public Universities in Nairobi County, Kenya
(PAC University, 2026-11-03)
Miriam Gathoni Mwangi
Parents can have an impact on their children's emotional health through established patterns of parental control known as parenting styles. Parents' actions shape their children's personalities in this emotional environment, which in turn affects how well they succeed academically in school. The study's overall goal was to determine the impact of parenting styles on emotional well-being among undergraduate students in selected Universities in Nairobi, Kenya. The specific objectives were; to identify the parenting styles among parents of undergraduate students in selected universities in Kenya, to determine the level of emotional well-being among undergraduate students in selected universities in Kenya, to establish the relationship between parenting styles and emotional well-being among undergraduate students in selected universities in Kenya, and to determine the intervention. The Attachment Theory and Baumrind's Pillar Theory served as guides for the investigation. This study employed a correlation research design. The target population was 100,060 undergraduate students of three selected public universities in Nairobi County. These are: University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The sample size was 156 respondents. The Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) was used to gather main data on parenting styles, while the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale was used to obtain data on emotional wellbeing. SPSS version 29 was used to analyze the quantitative data and determine the mean, standard deviation, and percentages of the dataset. The results were presented as tables, frequencies, and percentages. Regression analysis was applied to determine the relationship between parenting styles and emotional wellbeing. Results showed that authoritative parenting was the most dominant parenting style M=4.21), followed by permissive parenting style (M=4.16), while authoritarian parenting (M=1.91) and neglectful parenting (M=1.89) were the least practiced. Majority (77%) of respondents reported high levels of mental wellbeing, while 23% fell within the moderate mental wellbeing range. The overall regression model was statistically significant, F (4, 129) = 2.919, p = .024. Neglectful parenting style emerged as a statistically significant predictor of emotional wellbeing (b=-1.616, t = -2.743, p <.05). Only neglectful parenting style adversely affected the mental wellbeing of the students, while the other parental styles had no significant effect. Interventions to enhance the emotional wellbeing of university students should focus on promoting sustained parental engagement characterized by warmth, guidance, and emotional availability, even as students transition into adulthood. Programs that encourage parents to maintain supportive communication without being intrusive can help reinforce students' sense of security and self-worth. Family therapists working with university students should integrate parenting style assessments into their sessions, especially for clients struggling with emotional issues. From a policy perspective, education stakeholders should implement structured mental health initiatives at the university level that recognize the shifting parental roles in young adulthood. Another study should be conducted among students of private universities in order to confirm or refute the findings.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Role of the Church in Mitigating Substance Use Among Youth From Selected Full Gospel Churches in Embakasi East, Nairobi, Kenya
(PAC University, 2026-11-03)
Miriam Watetu Mugweru
Substance use among the youth is a significant public health concern in Kenya, with recent statistics from the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) indicating alarming rates of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among individuals aged 18-35 years. Despite the potential of religious institutions to influence behaviour and provide support, there is limited research on the specific role of Full Gospel Churches of Kenya (FGCK) in addressing this issue. Thus, this study examined the role of FGCK in mitigating substance use among the youth in Embakasi East Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. Specifically, it examined the prevalence and patterns of substance use among youth within FGCK, evaluated the effectiveness of existing mitigation programs, and explored potential collaborations between FGCK and other stakeholders like rehabilitation centres in addressing substance use. The study was guided by the Social Learning Theory and the Cognitive Behavioural Theory and employed a descriptive research design. A sample size of 331 participants were selected from the 1,912-target population, which included 624 parents who are FGCK members in Embakasi East Sub-County, 41 church leaders, and 1,247 youth between the ages of 18 and 35. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 30. In order to guarantee adherence to legal and ethical standards, the required permissions and approvals were granted by Pan Africa Christian University Institutional Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (ISERC), the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI), and the church administration. The study found that 38.81% of youth required brief intervention for alcohol use, 35.32% for tobacco use, with 80.60% having limited awareness of church-led mentorship programs and 83.50% reporting minimal participation in prevention programs. Program effectiveness was perceived as limited, with 83.10% disagreeing that programs achieved noticeable community impact. Collaboration assessment revealed 84.10% perceiving minimal church partnerships with rehabilitation centres. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between mitigating substance use and church role (r = 0.686, p = 0.000), program effectiveness (r = 0.579, p = 0.000), and collaborations (r = 0.619, p = 0.000). Regression analysis confirmed church role (B = 0.321, p = 0.000), program effectiveness (B = 0.200, p = 0.000), and collaborations (B = 0.235, p = 0.000) as significant predictors, with the combined model explaining 60.0% of variance in substance use mitigation. The study concludes that Full Gospel Churches face significant challenges in their substance use mitigation role, with limited program effectiveness and minimal external collaborations hindering their potential impact. The study recommends that Full Gospel Churches implement comprehensive substance use mitigation programs, establish strategic partnerships with rehabilitation centres and professional service providers, and develop targeted interventions that enhance youth engagement, improve program accessibility, and create evidence-based approaches for addressing substance use among youth in urban church settings.
Access status: Open Access ,
Influence of Digital Technologies on Marital Communication Among Married Individuals in Selected House of Power Churches in Embakasi Central Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya
(PAC University, 2026-11-03)
Margaret Wanjiku Kamau
While existing research has extensively documented the direct influence of digital technologies, especially on bringing about a paradigm shift in the way people relate, a critical gap remains in understanding how the adoption of digital technology influences marital communication within faith-based communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of digital technologies on marital communication among married individuals in selected House of Power Churches in Embakasi Central SubCounty, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was informed by the Rational Choice Theory and the Communication Theory of Relational Dialects. The study adopted a onvergent–parallel mixed-methods design. The target population was 800 married individuals from House of Power Churches in Embakasi Central Sub-County. The stratified sampling method was used to collect data from a sample size of 260 married individuals. Another purposive sample of 5 pastors participated in key informant interviews, and 18 married individuals were selected to participate in focus group discussions. The study used Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 31 to undertake cross tabulation analysis, chi-square tests, percentage distributions, and mean and standard deviation scores. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis with aid of Atlas’s software. Results showed a statistically significant association between access to digital technologies and marital communication, χ² (2) = 13.905, p<.05. The results also revealed a statistically significant association between frequency and duration of digital technology use and marital communication, χ² (2) = 6.93, p<.05. However, there was no statistically significant association between motives of digital technology use and marital communication, χ² (1) = 3.02, p>.05. In terms of strategies for enhancing marital communication, the highest-rated strategies were boundary management (M = 4.09), safety, privacy, and risk awareness (M = 4.09), and healthy information consumption (M = 4.00). Thematic analysis revealed the themes of digital technology dependence, irresponsible use, information and entertainment and social connection motives, conflict and loneliness, and the need for self-regulation. A conclusion was drawn that high access as well as high frequency and duration of digital technology use is linked to elevated communication problems among married individuals. The study recommended that people in marital relationships should intentionally regulate their access, frequency, and motives for digital technology use to safeguard marital communication. Marriage and family therapists should integrate digital technology assessment into their routine couple therapy. Future research should adopt a more integrative conceptual framework to better fathom the mechanisms through which digital technology use affects marital communication.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Role of Servant Leadership on Employee Retention at South Nyanza Sugar Company in Migori County, Kenya
(PAC University, 2026-11-03)
Achola Mak'owuor
This research sought to highlight the experiences of employees at Sony Sugar Company in Kenya with servant leadership, with the aim to enhance understanding of its role on employee retention. Servant leadership contributes to employee empowerment, motivation, performance, and job satisfaction with a likelihood of contributing to employee retention. The study was based on the Theory of Servant Leadership, Job Embeddedness Theory and Leadership-Membership Exchange (LMX) Theory. This study adopted an interpretivist research philosophy and qualitative design, selecting a manageable sample size of 30 employees, representing 10% of South Nyanza Sugar Company (Sony Sugar) total workforce of 300. Purposive sampling was applied to select respondents and data was gathered using interviews. Data was analyzed through content and thematic analysis with results presented in tables and figures. The study revealed that servant leadership at South Nyanza Sugar Company (Sony Sugar) is a key factor contributing to employee retention, with all 30 participants expressing no intentions of leaving the organization. This was attributed to the inspiration and satisfaction derived from servant leadership practices. Among junior employees, all 25 participants confirmed that their leaders empowered them to perform efficiently, while the five managers agreed that servant leadership facilitated opportunities for professional growth. Additionally, servant leaders instilled positive motivation among employees, fostering a supportive environment that encouraged commitment. Employees felt a strong sense of belonging and loyalty to the organization, further underscoring the connection between servant leadership, employee commitment, and retention. To strengthen retention, the study recommends adopting servant leadership policies, prioritizing participative leadership, and providing manager training. Regular training sessions should be formalized to enhance employee skills, while policymakers should implement regulations promoting training, empowerment, and rewards. Future research should examine the feasibility of servant leadership in other manufacturing companies not in the agriculture sector to compere findings.
Access status: Open Access ,
Effects of Alcohol Use Disorders on the Family Psycho-Social Well-Being in Imenti North Sub-County, Meru County, Kenya
(PAC University, 2026-11-03)
Benrogers Murithi Maitima
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among youths aged 15–24 is a growing public health concern that disrupts not only individuals but also the psycho-social well-being of their families. In Imenti North Sub-County, Meru County, families experience emotional distress, social disruptions, and limited coping resources; however, interventions have primarily targeted the affected youths, often overlooking the family context. This study examined the effects of AUD on family emotional and social wellbeing and identified the coping strategies employed by family members. Guided by the Stress Strain Coping Support model (Jim Orford) and Family Systems Theory (Murray Bowen), the study adopted a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Data were collected from 30 family members using a researcher developed Family Member Questionnaire (FMQ), as well as from 15 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions. The FMQ demonstrated strong reliability (Cronbach’s α > 0.80). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed high levels of emotional distress, including anxiety (86.7%), persistent worry (90%), depression (70%), difficulty concentrating (60%), and sleep disturbances (53%). Socially, families reported frequent quarrels (76.6%), financial strain (76.7%), social isolation (70%), and disrupted family events (67%). Coping strategies included prayer (63.3%), open communication, engagement in personal interests, and self-care, which collectively accounted for 65% of coping engagement. In contrast, avoidance and conflict were found to be fewer effective strategies. The study concludes that AUD profoundly undermines family psycho-social well-being and recommends culturally responsive, family centered, and community-based interventions to reduce stigma, strengthen support systems, and improve access to professional care.