Dr Nyangi Gityamwi
Academic and research departments
Long-term Conditions and Ageing Research Cluster, School of Health Sciences.About
I completed first degree (2008) and masters degree (2011) in Human nutrition in Tanzania. In 2015 I was awarded the Commonwealth scholarship and joined University of Surrey for PhD studies in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. My PhD research focused on understanding the role of nutrition, body composition and inflammation in responses to anaemia management therapy among haemodialysis patients. In 2018 i was awarded the Schlumberger Foundation fellowship and continued researching on the feasibility of low impact exercise intervention - facilitated with activity tracking devices on haemodialysis patients.
I joined the School of Health Sciences from January 2020 for a seven months post funded by HEIF to assist with the research activities of Digital health research group. In November 2020, I was appointed as the Post-doctoral Research Fellow in Digital Innovation for NIHR ARC Kent Surrey and Sussex.
My qualifications
ResearchResearch interests
Development and evaluation of Digital health interventions to improve delivery and access to health care services to the deprived/hard to reach communities, Black and ethnic minority communities.
Digital health offers for dietetic services and management of long-term conditions such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease and Chronic kidney diseases.
Digital divide and inclusivity
Research projects
Dietary intake, nutritional status, body composition and underlying factors for low Haemoglobin levels in Tanzania haemodialysis (HD) patients on ESA treatment: Cross-sectional studyAnaemia is high prevalent among haemodialysis patients in Tanzania despite them being on Erythropoietin therapy. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between nutritional indices, dietary intake, body composition and anaemia status of haemodialysis patients receiving erythropoietin therapy in Tanzania.
Longitudinal observation of nutritional status, body composition and inflammatory markers and their association with erythropoietin response among UK haemodialysis patients with sub-optimal haemoglobin statusThe previous study conducted in Tanzania suggested the association between body composition (the amount of body fat and muscle mass) and iron status among haemodialysis patients on erythropoietin therapy. We conducted a longitudinal study to investigate further on this relationship in the UK cohort.
A combined aerobic (walking) and resistance intradialytic exercise intervention: Feasibility, acceptability and impact on nutritional status, body composition, inflammatory markers and quality of life among UK haemodialysis patients on erythropoietin tHaemodialysis patients has high levels of physical inactivity. This eventually reduce their muscle mass, physical functioning and total quality of life. Physical Exercise has found to be beneficial in improving muscle mass, physical functioning, dialysis clearance and inflammation. This study was conducted to test the feasibility of low impact - flexible form of exercise combining both aerobic and resistance training for optimal impact. In this study, video was created and used to demonstrate the exercises - giving flexibility to individuals to exercise at their chosen time. Activity tracker was used to monitor participants' step counts.
Scoping review on the “Methodologies for evaluation of digital health interventions employed to improve management of long term conditions”There is growing adoption of technology-led health solutions. Technology has great potential to improve the delivery and access to health care services but they need to be led by research evidence. The fast paced evolving nature of technology presents methodological challenges to the evaluation studies. We are conducting a scoping review of the literature to document the research methodologies used and their limitations in evaluating digital health interventions. The aim is to identify the robust methodologies for evaluation of digital health interventions
Research interests
Development and evaluation of Digital health interventions to improve delivery and access to health care services to the deprived/hard to reach communities, Black and ethnic minority communities.
Digital health offers for dietetic services and management of long-term conditions such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease and Chronic kidney diseases.
Digital divide and inclusivity
Research projects
Anaemia is high prevalent among haemodialysis patients in Tanzania despite them being on Erythropoietin therapy. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between nutritional indices, dietary intake, body composition and anaemia status of haemodialysis patients receiving erythropoietin therapy in Tanzania.
The previous study conducted in Tanzania suggested the association between body composition (the amount of body fat and muscle mass) and iron status among haemodialysis patients on erythropoietin therapy. We conducted a longitudinal study to investigate further on this relationship in the UK cohort.
Haemodialysis patients has high levels of physical inactivity. This eventually reduce their muscle mass, physical functioning and total quality of life. Physical Exercise has found to be beneficial in improving muscle mass, physical functioning, dialysis clearance and inflammation. This study was conducted to test the feasibility of low impact - flexible form of exercise combining both aerobic and resistance training for optimal impact. In this study, video was created and used to demonstrate the exercises - giving flexibility to individuals to exercise at their chosen time. Activity tracker was used to monitor participants' step counts.
There is growing adoption of technology-led health solutions. Technology has great potential to improve the delivery and access to health care services but they need to be led by research evidence. The fast paced evolving nature of technology presents methodological challenges to the evaluation studies. We are conducting a scoping review of the literature to document the research methodologies used and their limitations in evaluating digital health interventions. The aim is to identify the robust methodologies for evaluation of digital health interventions
Publications
Highlights
Nyangi A. Gityamwi, Kathryn H. Hart, Barbara Engel, "A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status of Patients on Haemodialysis Maintenance Therapy in a Country of Sub-Saharan Africa", International Journal of Nephrology, vol. 2021, Article ID 1826075, 12 pages, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/1826075
Malnutrition is common among dialysis patients, but there is insufficient literature on the problem from resource-poor settings of the sub-Saharan region. We conducted a cross-sectional investigation of dietary intake and nutritional status of haemodialysis (HD) patients to inform the current status of this population group in the region. HD patients aged >= 18 years, with dialysis vintage of >= 3 months, at one nephrology unit in Tanzania were assessed for their habitual diet and nutrient intake. Anthropometric measures and biochemistry tests were also performed. The diet was predominantly starchy food based, accompanied by a limited selection of vegetables. Fruits and animal protein were also minimally consumed (1 portion/day each). Fruit consumption was higher in females than males (median (25(th), 75(th)) = 2 (1, 2.3) versus 0.5 (0, 1.7) portions, p = 0.008). More than 70% of participants had suboptimal measures for protein and energy intake, dietary iron, serum albumin, muscle mass, and hand grip strength (HGS). Inadequacies in protein and energy intake and dialysis clearance (URR) increased with the increase in body weight/BMI and other specific components (MAMC and FMI). Consumption of red meats correlated significantly and positively with serum creatinine (r = 0.46, p = 0.01), potassium (r = 0.39, p = 0.03), and HGS (r = 0.43, p = 0.02) and was approaching significance for a correlation with serum iron (r = 0.32, p = 0.07). C-RP correlated negatively with albumin concentration (r = -0.32, p = 0.02), and participants with C-RP within acceptable ranges had significantly higher levels of haemoglobin (p = 0.03, effect size = -0.28). URR correlated negatively with haemoglobin concentration (r = -0.36, p = 0.02). Patients will benefit from improved nutritional services that deliver individually tailored and culturally practical dietary advice to enable them to make informed food choices whilst optimizing disease management.
Additional publications
“High BMI among adult haemodialysis patients at a UK hospital: an indicator of poor or adequate nutritional status?” which was subsequently published in Proceedings of the Nutritional Society. Volume 75/Issue OCE1/January 2016. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0029665115004425