Original ResearchOpen AccessPeer Reviewed

Demographic Moderation of the Association between Trauma Exposure and Job Performance among Police Officers in Njoro Sub-County, Kenya

Jones Orina Omwenga; Daniel A. Otwori

Published August 2026Pages 453-454

Abstract

Background: Occupational trauma is common in policing, but its association with job performance may vary across officer characteristics. Objective: To examine whether demographic and service characteristics modify the association between trauma exposure and self-reported job performance in Njoro Sub-County, Kenya. Methods: This analysis draws on a cross-sectional mixed-methods thesis involving 128 responding officers from a sample of 147 (87.1%) and interviews with five station commanders. Questionnaire data were summarized descriptively and examined using interaction terms in regression. Results: More than 70% of officers reported at least one traumatic exposure in the preceding six months. The reported direct trauma-performance coefficient was B = -0.214 (SE = 0.073, p = .004). Significant reported interactions were age (B = 0.165, p = .013), rank or years of service (B = 0.182, p = .005), education (B = 0.138, p = .041), marital status or family support (B = 0.149, p = .016), and deployment history (B = 0.196, p = .003, as stated in the thesis narrative). Gender was not significant (B = -0.092, p = .192). Conclusion: The reported results suggest variation in the trauma-performance association across officer groups. Coding, reference categories, analytic sample sizes and model diagnostics are needed before the directions of individual interactions can be interpreted definitively.

Demographic factorsJob performanceKenyaModerationPolice officersTrauma exposure

Authors and affiliations

  • Jones Orina Omwenga; Daniel A. Otwori · Corresponding author

    Department of Psychology, Kisii University, Kenya

    Kenya

Institution: Department of Psychology, Kisii University, Kenya

Corresponding author: Jones Orina Omwenga | monginajj@gmail.com

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Citation

Jones Orina Omwenga; Daniel A. Otwori. Demographic Moderation of the Association between Trauma Exposure and Job Performance among Police Officers in Njoro Sub-County, Kenya. Nexus International Journal of Applied Science, Medicine and Social Sciences, Vol. 1, Issue 2, August 2026.

Cite this article

Demographic Moderation of the Association between Trauma Exposure and Job Performance among Police Officers in Njoro Sub-County, Kenya