This study examined gendered financial governance with a specific focus on salary handover practices as compensatory strategies within household economics and their implications for financial planning. Situated within the broader discourse of intra-household resource allocation and gender power dynamics, the study employed a mixedmethods research design with a cross-sectional survey administered to 300 purposively selected respondents from urban and peri-urban households in Uganda, complemented by 20 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions. Quantitatively, univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted to characterise the sociodemographic profile of respondents and examine gender-disaggregated salary handover behaviour. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was constructed to assess the latent and manifest relationships between gender norms, power dynamics, salary handover obligation, financial planning quality, and household conflict. Qualitatively, thematic content analysis was employed to explore lived experiences and subjective meanings attached to salary handover. Findings revealed statistically significant gender disparities in salary handover behaviour (χ² = 34.72, p < 0.001; Cramér's V = 0.34), with 42.0% of women reporting full salary surrender compared to 15.9% of men. SEM results confirmed that gender norms exerted the strongest direct effect on salary handover obligation (β = 0.512, p < 0.001), which in turn significantly predicted both financial planning quality (β = 0.438) and financial autonomy loss (β = 0.461). Qualitative themes corroborated these findings, revealing obligation, power asymmetry, compensatory strategies such as rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) and hidden income, and intra-household financial conflict as dominant experiential patterns. The study concluded that salary handover in gendered household economies is not merely a financial act but a politically charged practice shaped by patriarchal norms that suppress women's financial agency while undermining household planning quality. Targeted interventions in financial literacy, gender-transformative programming, and policy reform in household financial governance are recommended.

Uganda's rapid digital economy expansion has unfolded against a backdrop of persistent structural inequalities, creating bifurcated digital landscapes in which some segments of the population leverage converging technologies for financial empowerment while others remain excluded from fundamental connectivity. This study examined the intersecting roles of internet accessibility and digital credit adoption as compensatory systems within Uganda's digital economy, using a mixed-methods cross-sectional design administered to 500 purposively and randomly selected respondents across urban, peri-urban, and rural settings in Central, Eastern, Northern, and Western Uganda.
Quantitative data were analysed through univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate chi-square tests, binary logistic regression, and a full Structural Equation Model (SEM) estimated in Stata 19 using the gsem command. Qualitative data from 24 key informant interviews were analysed thematically using an interpretive framework. Findings revealed that 62.8% of respondents used digital credit services, with strong geographic and socioeconomic gradients; high internet access was associated with a 4.66-fold increase in the odds of digital credit adoption (OR = 4.66; 95% CI: 3.27–6.64; p < 0.001). The SEM demonstrated good model fit (CFI = 0.951; RMSEA = 0.042) and confirmed that internet accessibility exerted the strongest direct structural influence on digital credit adoption (β = 0.481, p < 0.001), which in turn significantly predicted financial inclusion (β = 0.413, p < 0.001) and economic resilience (β = 0.368, p < 0.001) while reducing credit access barriers (β = −0.291, p < 0.01). Qualitative findings corroborated these patterns, with informants characterising digital credit platforms as compensatory lifelines bridging the void left by formal financial institutions in underserved communities. The study concluded that internet infrastructure and digital credit ecosystems operate as interdependent compensatory systems capable of producing meaningful financial inclusion when co-developed. Recommendations include prioritising last-mile internet infrastructure investment, integrating digital literacy into national curricula and financial education programmes, and instituting transparent regulatory frameworks governing digital lending to protect vulnerable borrowers.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into higher education curricula has gained considerable momentum globally, yet empirical evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa—particularly Uganda—remains sparse. This mixedmethods study investigated learner perceptions and appreciation of AI education delivery in selected Ugandan higher education institutions. Guided by a pragmatist epistemological framework, the study employed a concurrent triangulation design, collecting quantitative data from 312 undergraduate and postgraduate students across four universities using a structured 28-item Likert-scale questionnaire, and qualitative insights from 24 purposively selected participants through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analysis encompassed univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate Pearson correlation, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and principal component analysis (PCA). Findings revealed that learners held moderately positive perceptions of AI education delivery (M = 3.76, SD = 0.58), with AI content relevance (M = 3.87) and tool usability (M = 3.72) emerging as the strongest appreciation drivers. Technology accessibility recorded the lowest mean score (M = 2.93), underscoring persistent infrastructural constraints. Bivariate analysis revealed statistically significant positive correlations between prior AI exposure and overall appreciation (r = 0.613, p < .001). Factor analysis extracted three latent constructs—AI
Engagement, Infrastructure Readiness, and Pedagogical Quality—collectively explaining 65.3% of total variance. PCA confirmed that AI engagement indicators were the primary contributors to composite learner appreciation scores. Qualitative themes corroborated quantitative patterns, highlighting enthusiasm tempered by infrastructural deficits, inconsistent instructor AI competence, and limited institutional support. The study concludes that while Ugandan learners are broadly receptive to AI education, sustainable appreciation requires targeted investment in digital infrastructure, systematic instructor capacity-building, and context-sensitive AI curriculum design. Recommendations are provided for policymakers, university administrators, and curriculum developers.

This study examined the theoretical and empirical intersections between present-moment temporal focus and psychological liberation, with particular emphasis on guilt as a past-oriented cognitive-affective construct and anxiety as a future-oriented psychological phenomenon. Drawing upon an integrated theoretical framework that synthesized Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and temporal selfappraisal theory, the study investigated how habitual temporal orientation influences subjective psychological wellbeing, rumination severity, emotional regulation capacity, and overall life satisfaction among adults aged 18 to 65. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative survey instruments with qualitative thematic analysis of in-depth participant narratives. A purposively selected sample of 240 participants was recruited across clinical and non-clinical settings. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency distributions,Pearson correlation coefficients, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and independent samples t-tests.
Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase framework. Results revealed that present-moment temporal orientation was significantly and negatively correlated with both guiltm scores (r = −0.61, p < 0.001) and anxiety scores (r = −0.58, p < 0.001), while demonstrating a strong positive association with psychological well-being (r = 0.67, p < 0.001). ANOVA results indicated statistically significantdifferences in well-being scores across temporal orientation groups (F(2, 237) = 42.17, p < 0.001). Qualitative themesm consistently affirmed the liberatory function of present-moment awareness, including themes of cognitive defusion, self-compassion, and experiential openness. These findings collectively support the proposition that present-moment living constitutes a meaningful pathway to psychological liberation from the temporal burdens of guilt and anxiety.
The study recommends the integration of mindfulness-based temporal reorientation strategies into psychotherapeutic
practice, educational curricula, and community mental health programming.

This study investigated the strategic pathways available to African scholars seeking to publish in peer-reviewed international journals, with a view to developing a comprehensive framework that addresses the structural, linguistic, and institutional barriers unique to the African academic context. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining a quantitative survey administered to 320 scholars drawn from 12 sub-Saharan African universities with qualitative in-depth interviews conducted with 18 purposively selected academics and journal editors. The study found that a significant proportion of African scholars approximately 67.8% — reported experiencing at least three major barriers to publication, including limited access to high-impact journals, inadequate institutional support, and manuscript rejection rates disproportionately attributed to language and methodological deficiencies rather than conceptual weakness. Univariate statistical analyses revealed that institutional affiliation type (public versus private), seniority level, and access to peer mentorship were statistically significant predictors of successful journal submission outcomes (p < 0.05). Qualitative thematic analysis further illuminated systemic challenges related to editorial gatekeeping, the underrepresentation of African epistemologies in mainstream academic discourse, and the resource constraints that impede rigorous research design. The findings culminate in a five-pillar strategic framework — encompassing capacity building, institutional policy reform, mentorship networks, language support, and journal selection strategy — intended to serve as a practical guide for African scholars navigating the complex landscape of academic publishing. The study recommends urgent investment in structured writing support programmes, the establishment of continental peer review training networks, and the integration of publication mentorship into postgraduate curricula across African institutions.

This study examined the architecture of marital struggle through a gendered lens, focusing on patterns of disrespect,
emotional withdrawal, and power dynamics in contemporary marriages in urban and peri-urban settings. Grounded in
feminist theory, gender role theory, and conflict theory, the research employed a concurrent mixed-methods design
involving 252 married individuals (127 husbands, 125 wives) drawn through purposive and snowball sampling.
Quantitative data were collected via a structured Likert-scale questionnaire and subjected to univariate statistical
analysis including means, standard deviations, frequency distributions, independent samples t-tests, chi-square tests,
and Pearson correlation coefficients. Qualitative data were gathered through 20 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group
discussions, and were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed statistically significant gender differences
across all three dimensions of marital struggle. Wives reported significantly higher experiences of disrespect, with a
composite mean of 3.33 compared to 3.05 for husbands (t = -6.17, p < 0.001). Husbands demonstrated notably higher
rates of emotional withdrawal, with 62.2% frequently refusing to discuss problems compared to 38.4% of wives (chisquare = 15.87, p < 0.001). Power imbalances were pronounced, with husbands dominant across financial decisionmaking (61.5%), sexual autonomy (58.7%), and household resource control (56.3%), yielding an overall power composite correlation of r = -0.47 (p < 0.001). Qualitative themes corroborated these findings, revealing deeply entrenched patriarchal norms, gendered socialisation, and structural inequalities as the root causes of marital dysfunction. The study recommended targeted gender-transformative couples counselling, policy integration of marital equality frameworks into national family law, and community-level sensitisation programmes. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature on gender and intimate partner relations and provide an empirically grounded basis for marital intervention policies.

Background: Uganda faces a compounding health workforce crisis characterised by a dual scarcity of both human capital and material resources within its nursing and midwifery sector. The country's nurse-to-population ratio remains critically below the World Health Organization recommended threshold of 10 per 10,000, with disparities most acute in rural and peri-urban health facilities across the Northern, Eastern, and South-Western regions. Objective: This study sought to assess the magnitude of human and material resource scarcity among nursing and midwifery professionals in Uganda, identify multilevel determinants driving workforce attrition, and examine how equipment deficits compound service delivery failures at the frontline of care. Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods crosssectional design was employed involving 847 nurses and midwives recruited from 94 health facilities across five regions of Uganda. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and facility-level registers, and were analysed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate chi-square and t-tests, and three-level random intercept multilevel logistic regression modelling. Qualitative data were gathered through 32 in-depth interviews and 8 focus group discussions and analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's framework. Results: The national nurse-topopulation ratio was found to be 3.8 per 10,000, well below the WHO standard. Northern Uganda recorded the most critical staffing gap at 1.9 per 10,000, while vacancy rates at Health Centre III reached 72.6%. Over 63% of Health Centres III and IV reported more than half of essential equipment as non-functional. The annual attrition rate for nurses escalated from 12.4% in 2018 to 21.3% in 2023. Multilevel modelling identified inadequate equipment (AOR: 3.42; 95% CI: 2.18-5.37), salary dissatisfaction (AOR: 2.89; 95% CI: 1.97-4.24), high burnout (AOR: 4.21; 95% CI: 2.78-6.38), and rural location (AOR: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.44-3.21) as independently significant predictors of intent to leave. Qualitative findings echoed themes of moral distress, professional devaluation, and systemic neglect.
Conclusion: The dual burden of inadequate staffing and depleted material resources creates a self-reinforcing cycle of
poor health outcomes and continued workforce exodus. Urgent, equity-focused policy action is required to reverse these trends.

Globally, Generation Z (born 1997–2012) constitutes a cohort that has matured in an unprecedented digital milieu, yet empirical inquiry into how digital immersion shapes their cognitive architecture for adversity resilience remains fragmented. This study examined the mental genesis of resilience by analysing the cognitive preparedness of Gen Z individuals for adversity within a digital age context. Employing a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 412 Gen Z participants drawn from three universities in Uganda, the study measured five latent constructs: cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, digital coping strategies, problem-solving orientation, and adversity appraisal.
Univariate statistics revealed moderate to above-average resilience scores across all sub-scales, with digital coping recording the highest mean (M = 3.91, SD = 0.27). Bivariate analysis demonstrated statistically significant negative correlations between excessive screen time and cognitive preparedness (r = −0.31, p < 0.001), and significant positive associations between structured digital engagement and resilience. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using AMOS confirmed a latent cognitive resilience factor that strongly predicted adversity preparedness (β = 0.68, p < 0.001), with model fit indices within acceptable thresholds (CFI = 0.947, RMSEA = 0.051, SRMR = 0.062). The findings underscore that digital engagement quality, rather than quantity, is the critical moderator of cognitive resilience among Gen Z. Recommendations are made for digitally integrated psychosocial intervention programmes in educational institutions, mental health literacy campaigns, and policy frameworks for screen-time guidance targeting youth mental health.

Age-discrepant marriage a union in which spouses are separated by ten or more years — remains prevalent across
sub-Saharan Africa, yet its economic architecture and inheritance implications are insufficiently theorised in demographic literature. This study, framed within compensatory exchange theory and the political economy of marriage, examined the structural conditions that drive age-discrepant unions in Uganda, the mechanisms by which bride price functions as a wealth-transfer instrument, and the inheritance outcomes accruing to women embedded in such arrangements. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 600 ever-married women aged 18–49 in three purposively selected districts (Mbale, Mbarara, and Gulu), while 32 in-depth narrative interviews and four focus group discussions were conducted with purposively sampled participants. Univariate and bivariate descriptive analyses characterised the sociodemographic profile of respondents, binary logistic regression identified the socioeconomic predictors of bride-price magnitude, and multilevel modelling (MLM) decomposed individual- and community-level variance in inheritance outcomes. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic narrative analysis. Results revealed that younger wives (mean age at marriage 17.3 years) experienced age gaps of 18.4 years on average, substantially larger than the 2.1-year gap among age-matched controls. Logistic regression confirmed that each additional year of age gap increased the odds of a larger bride price by 34% (OR=1.34, 95% CI:1.21–1.49), while wife's educational deprivation and rural residence further elevated these odds. Multilevel models demonstrated that age gap was a significant positive predictor of land inheritance probability (coeff.=0.18, p

This study critically examined the role of marriage as a socially mandated institution through the analytical lens of the
procreative imperative — the pervasive cultural and religious expectation that procreation constitutes the central justification for entering matrimony. Drawing on a mixed-methods research design involving 400 purposively and randomly selected respondents across urban and peri-urban communities in Uganda, the study investigated the extent to which marriage is perceived as a coping mechanism for social stigma, loneliness, and procreative pressure rather than as a freely chosen, autonomy-affirming partnership. Quantitative data were collected via structured questionnaires and analysed using univariate descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of independence, whilen qualitative data from 25 in-depth interviews and 3 focus group discussions were subjected to thematic analysis. Key findings revealed that the majority of respondents (60.3%) perceived marriage primarily as a social obligation rather than a personal fulfilment choice; that procreative pressure scores increased significantly with age (mean PPS = 4.68 for the 55+ cohort); and that marital status was significantly associated with both satisfaction levels (χ² = 44.13, p < 0.001, Cramér's V = 0.347) and perceived social coercion (χ² = 38.74, p < 0.001, Cramér's V = 0.321). Qualitatively, three dominant themes emerged: (1) marriage as socially enforced performance of normalcy, (2) procreation as identity-validating but autonomy-eroding mandate, and (3) gendered asymmetries in perceived marital benefits. The study concluded that institutional marriage, as currently constructed and practiced in many African contexts, disproportionately functions as a coping response to societal stigma and procreative pressure rather than as an intrinsically valuable life choice. The study recommended reformulation of public discourse around marriage, policy recognition of diverse family structures, and gender-responsive counselling frameworks.