Dr. Tabither Muthoni Gitau is a Lecturer and Coordinator for Research, Consultancy and Community service activities in the school of Public Health. She is a public health specialist with nine years of experience in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting of projects in: Maternal and Newborn and Child Health, Adolescent Sexual and reproductive health and rights, and health referral systems situational analysis programs. Tabither has a PhD in Public Health (Child-Adolescent Health) and a Master’s degree in Science (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) both from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and a Bachelor’s degree in Medical laboratory sciences from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton Eldoret, Kenya.
Teaching experience
As a lecturer in the School of Public Health, Tabither lectures and supervises several postgraduate students, teaches the following course units; Applied Epidemiology, basic biostatistics, Sexual and reproductive health related courses and research methodology among others.
Areas of research interest
Tabither’s research interests focus on a number of topical areas, including but not limited to ;prevention of HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and enhancing health service delivery through integration of services, particularly HIV/AIDs and SRH. Tabither has vast experience with mixed methods research. She has worked with county government and various NGOs in different capacities, with experience of working in the following countries: Somalia, Zimbabwe (Mutoko District), South Africa (Mpumalanga Province and Gauteng Province (Soweto. In Kenya she has worked in the following counties; Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Siaya, Wajir, Kajiado and Thika.
List of Publications
- Eunice Muthengi, Tabither Gitau and Karen Austrian (2016). Is Working Risky or Protective for Married Adolescent Girls in Urban Slums in Kenya? Understanding the Association between Working Status, Savings and Intimate-Partner Violence http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0155988.
- Elizabeth W Kimani-Murage, Nyovani J Madise, Jean-Christophe Fotso, Catherine Kyobutungi, Martin K Mutua, Tabither M Gitau and Nelly Yatich (2011). Patterns and determinants of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in urban informal settlements, Nairobi Kenya. BMC Public Health Journal.
- Gitau TM, Micklesfield LK, Pettifor JM, Norris SA (2013). Ethnic differences in eating attitudes, body image and self-esteem among adolescent females living in urban South Africa. (Journal of Psychiatry)
- Tabither M. Gitau, Lisa K. Micklesfield, John M. Pettifor, Shane A. Norris (2014). Eating attitudes, body satisfaction and self-esteem of South African black and white male adolescents and their perception of female body silhouettes. (Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health)
- Gitau TM, Micklesfield LK, Pettifor JM, Norris SA (2014) Changes in Eating Attitudes, Body Esteem and Weight Control Behaviors during Adolescence in a South African Cohort. PLoS ONE 9(10): e109709. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109709
- Heather M Sedibe, Kathleen Kahn, Kerstin Edin, Tabither Gitau, Anneli Ivarsson and Shane A Norris (2014). Qualitative study exploring healthy eating practices and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa. BMC Pediatrics
Research and Consultancies conducted
- Consultancy for UNFPA HIV youth behavioral survey, Somalia.
- Consultancy for Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH) on the impact of the Global Gag Rule in Kenya
- Consultancy for Options Consultancy, Kenya. Qualitative analysis of MANI project on the impact of green energy installation in maternity facilities in Bungoma county, Kenya.
- Consultancy for Options Consultancy, Kenya. Qualitative analysis of MANI project on Performance based financing on maternity services.
- National researcher for the Royal Tropical Institute. Yes I Do Midline study investigating the interrelatedness of FGM/C, teenage pregnancies and child marriages in Kajiado, Kenya.
- Consultancy for Save the Children, Kenya. Children disabilities mainstreaming end term evaluation in Turkana County.
- National researcher for the Royal Tropical Institute. Yes I Do Operational study in Kajiado, Kenya. Decision-making processes and leadership styles and how it influences FGM/C and child marriage in Kajiado county.
- National researcher for the Royal Tropical Institute. Get-Up-Speak-Out baseline survey in Siaya County, Kenya. Sexual and reproductive health and rights among adolescents.
- National researcher for the Royal Tropical Institute. Yes I Do Baseline survey in Kajiado, Kenya. The interrelatedness of FGM/C, teenage pregnancy and child marriages in the Maasai community
- Consulting for World Health Organization through Nested Consulting group, Hospital referral systems in Kenya. Situational analysis health referral systems
- Consulting for CTDT Zimbabwe on the evaluation of the effectiveness of Maternity waiting homes in Mutoko District, Zimbabwe.
Scholarships won
- Post graduate merit award from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa to study Masters in Science (Epidemiology and Biostatistics)
- Agincourt Demographic Surveillance Site (ADSS) Pre-doctoral scholarship at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa
- DPHRU doctoral scholarship at the University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa.
Awards/honors received
Golden Member Award at the University of Witwatersrand for Academic achievement
Experience in supervision of postgraduate students
Currently supervising 13 postgraduate students in the School of Public Health with some at final stages of their thesis.
Membership to Technical Committees in the university
Member of School Research Committee