ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
A factor model to explain the hydrochemistry and causes of fluoride enrichment in groundwater from the middle voltaian sedimentary aquifers in the Northern Region, Ghana

Groundwater plays a pivotal role in the domestic water delivery system in Northern Ghana. The resource has sometimes been rendered unsuitable for use due to contamination from various sources. In this study, a factor model was developed to determine the major hydrochemical processes that control the variations in the concentrations of fluoride and other ions in the groundwater delivered by the Middle Voltaian aquifers in Savelugu and surrounding areas in the Northern Region of Ghana. This study finds that four major processes control the hydrochemistry of groundwater resources in the area: dissolution of soluble salts in the aquifers, the oxidation of organic carbon by nitrate, silicate mineral weathering and the dissolution of sulfate minerals in the aquifers. The present study finds that fluoride enrichment is related to the weathering of silicate minerals. A linear interpolation map, showing the distribution of fluoride concentrations in the groundwater system has been produced. Two major groundwater types have been distinguished in this study: fresh Na-KHCO 3 groundwater types, and Na-Cl groundwater types. The Na-Cl water types are associated with areas of high influence of chloride rich sedimentary beds, where groundwater has extremely high salinity and is therefore not suitable for domestic and several other uses. Mineral stability diagrams suggest that the most stable silicate mineral phase is montmorillonite which indicates restricted groundwater flow owing to the limited interconnectivity of the fracture systems that control the hydrogeological properties of the aquifers in the area. © 2006-2012 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN).

Source: UG
Factor Structure Of The Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire Among Adolescents In Rural Ghana

Introduction: Children’s early experiences with alcohol inform the development of of alcohol-related beliefs which are known to predict alcohol consumption during the critical stage of adolescence. Yet, there has been considerably less research into these alcohol-related cognitions in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and existing measures of these beliefs are highly reflective of Western contexts, which may not be fully appropriate for use in LMICs. The aim is to ascertain the construct validity of the Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire (AEQ) in a non-Western sample. Methods: A cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study involving 500 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years, randomly selected from the database of the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Participants were administered the locally back translated version of the 34-item AEQ. Confirmatory factor analysis using the lavaan package in R was conducted to generate indices for the factor structure of the AEQ. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that while groupings of positive and negative expectancies were similar to those observed when expectancies have been assessed previously in Western studies, these formed a single ‘alcohol experience’ factor. Questions relating to positive tension reduction and negative physical expectations showed inconsistent responses in this study. Discussion and Conclusions: Commonly used tools for the assessment of alcohol Expectancies may not be suitable for use in Ghana, possibly owing to their development and validation in Western contexts. These findings have implications for the assessment of alcohol-related beliefs in LMIC settings and begin to map out a research agenda to develop more contextually and culturally attuned alcohol assessments.

Source: UG
Factors Affecting Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among Residents Of Adenta, Abokobi And Frafraha

Background: Vaccination is an important part of public health, and an important way of preventing the spread of contagious, dangerous, and deadly diseases thus saving lives. The introduction of COVID-19 vaccines has been a game changer in reducing hospitalization, death, and risk of severe complications from COVID-19. Success of vaccination programs is not only dependent on efficacy and safety of vaccines, but critically dependent on public perception and acceptability of the vaccines. Therefore, vaccine acceptance among the public and healthcare workers appears to be critical determinant on successful deployment and control of pandemics. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that determine acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine among the public. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among residents in the Adenta, Frafraha and Abokobi communities. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study using structured questionnaire was conducted to collect data on factors or determinants of COVID- 19 vaccine acceptance among residents of Adenta, Frafraha and Abokobi. Result: Most of the study participants agreed that there is currently no effective treatment for COVID-19 disease (n=252 (58.3%)) and are awaremany people are taking the COVID-19 vaccine (n=263 (60.9%)). Generally, 19.4% of community members had high knowledge on COVID-19 vaccine. An estimated 38.7% and 41.9% had moderate / low Knowledge and awareness on COVID-19 disease and COVID-19 vaccine respectively. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine was high (63.4%) in the Adenta community as compared to Frafraha (29%) and Abokobi (6.5%). There was a significant association between marital status and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine (2=12.140: p=0.002). There was also a significant association between religion (2=6.971: p=0.031), ethnicity (2=10.533: p=0.005) and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: About 6 in 10 community members accepted the COVID-19 vaccine. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine was highest among residents of Adenta, an urban community compared to Frafraha and Abokobi. There is inadequate knowledge on COVID-19 vaccine in the communities studied. Recommendation: Public education should be conducted by the relevant stake holders in the three communities to improve vaccine information awareness and knowledge. Health practitioners, media personnel, government officials, community representatives, political groups, and the local assembly must all take the COVID-19 vaccine publicly. Communities aware of the acceptance of the vaccine by role models were more likely to accept the vaccine as compared to those who were unaware of acceptance.

Source: UG
Factors affecting dental diseases presenting at the University of Ghana Hospital

Dental diseases are common in man and range from a toothache to cancers of the head and neck. Dental conditions can affect our capacity to function effectively in areas such as smiling, chewing and speaking. The objective of this study was to describe the main types of dental conditions presenting at the University Hospital between January 2006 and December 2011 and to determine factors associated with the top five diagnosed conditions as well as the acute and chronic conditions. A retrospective review of all 5012 clinical records of dental patients visiting the dental unit within the period stated was carried out. A total of 4196 records which passed the inclusion/exclusion criteria were analysed. Most of the patients who presented were adults. The top 5 dental conditions were apical periodontitis (50.4 %), reversible pulpitis (23.3 %), Gingivitis (11.4 %), Periodontitis (6.2 %) and Halitosis/bad breadth (8.8 %). The top 5 conditions constituted over 75 % of the cases seen. About 84 % of the presentation was acute whilst 16 % was chronic. For the entire dataset and also the top five conditions, approximately 53.0 % were males and 47.0 %. Males outnumbered females on all occasions except for halitosis and most patients presented within 1 month of experiencing symptoms of dental disease. Some significant association was found between the presence of multiple chronic conditions and reversible/irreversible pulpitis. The main dental conditions presenting at the University Hospital during the stated period (i.e. between January 2006 and December 2011) were: apical periodontitis (50.4 %), reversible pulpitis (23.3 %), gingivitis (11.4 %), periodontitis (6.2 %) and halitosis/bad breadth (8.8 %). © 2016, The Author(s).

Source: UG
Factors affecting low achievement rates of women in literacy programmes in Ghana

The study highlights the national imbalances of literacy level between men and women as well as rural and urban communities. It bring to focus, the situational, dispositional constraints that discourage and exclude majority of women from participating, retaining and achieving results in literacy programme in Ghana. It draws attention specifically to gender-based constraints faced by rural women in their bid to participate in adult literacy programmes. It therefore calls for the commitment of stakeholder and practitioners to the awareness of such barriers and the need to mainstream such factors in the planning and implementation of adult literacy programmes to promote gender equality. To address such gender barriers the paper shifts focus from targeting literate individuals tor a holistic view of producing literate communities.

Source: UG
Factors affecting macrobenthic fauna in a tropical hypersaline Coastal Lagoon in Ghana, West Africa

The macrobenthic fauna in the large, hypersaline, shallow Keta Lagoon in Ghana was sampled at 20 stations in the set (September, 2002) and dry seasons (March, 2003) to elucidate the effects of abiotic factors on community patterns. The macrobenthic fauna was low in density and species diversity and numerically dominated by bivalves and capitellid polychaetes. These organisms appear able to withstand physical disturbance (when legoon water levels become extremely low) and osmotic stress (when slinities are extremely high) and tend to redistribute along environmental gradients. Parallel seasonal difference in several environmental variables and the macrobenthic fauna indicate a highly dynamic system. Species richness and diversity were higher in the wet season than the dry season. Salinity, percent clay, pH, and turbidity in that order were the major significant variable structuring the macrobenthic faunal assemblage in Keta Lagoon. The strong effect of seasonal salinity charges on macrobenthic faunal assemblage may have tropic consequences for higher organisms of commercial importance, such as fishes and shorebirds, in the Keta Lagoon.

Source: UG
Factors Affecting Quality Nursing Care Delivery at Ridge Hospital: Perspectives of Nurses

The factors affecting quality nursing care delivery from the perspective of nurses were explored at the Ridge Hospital. Ten nurses with two to fifteen years of working experiences were purposively sampled from the medical and surgical wards and interviewed using a semi structured interview guide after informed consent had been obtained from them. The interviews were audio tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Additionally, data collected from participants were analysed using thematic content analysis approach adopting Donabedian's model of quality care as a framework. Quality nursing care was perceived by the nurses to mean care which is holistic, individualized and tailored to meet specific needs of patients. Findings of the study revealed that nurses in the hospital perform various activities; some of which include admission of patients, assessment of patients, educating patients on health matters, assisting patients with activities of daily living and communicating with colleagues and patients about patients' care. Nevertheless, it was observed that these nurses could not do much for patients because of several factors such as inadequate human resources, material resources and lack of motivational packages. It was therefore recommended that management should ensure that material and human resources are adequately available to facilitate quality nursing care delivery in the hospital. Also, clinical supervision in the hospital must be strengthened to ensure all round provision of quality nursing care.

Source: UG
Factors affecting the survival of the &quot;at risk&quot; newborn at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

High risk pregnancies continue to be associated with high perinatal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is no exception with a perinatal mortality rate of 98.7/1000 births. Multiple factors resulting in this include the high risk nature of the pregnancies resulting in increased incidence of premature deliveries and asphyxiated babies, the delay in transfer of the sick neonate as well as the inadequate mode of transfer. The type of delivery other than the spontaneous vaginal route also affects the outcome, though the relationship was not statistically significant. Logistic regression analysis showed that maturity, birthweight and time from birth to admission to NICU were the most significant factors associated with the survival of the neonate. Proper foetal surveillance both in the antenatal period and during labour cannot be over emphasized and the mere presence of a paediatrician at these high risk deliveries may make a difference. Also, increased vigilance in the special care offered will help reduce mortality.

Source: UG
Factors Associated with Adolescent Pregnancy in Sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of Socioeconomic Influences and Essential Interventions

Objective: A literature review was conducted to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on documented preexisting determinants of adolescent pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa, such as poverty, inequitable gender norms, low access to education, and reproductive health services. Methods: The terms “sub-Saharan Africa,” “Gender Norms,” “Poverty,” and “Adolescent Pregnancy” were used to search the literature for preexisting determinants of adolescence pregnancy in academic and grey literature. “COVID-19” was added to investigate the potential consequences of the pandemic. The literature revealed similar experiences in adolescents girls during the Ebola outbreak, which led to the analysis of government and healthcare official responses to previous epidemics. Results: The literature review revealed that the relationship between identified micro (inequitable gender norms, transactional sex, sexual and gender-based violence, early marriage, and menstruation) and macro (poverty, education, and healthcare factors contributing to adolescent pregnancy were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Three realistic targets, including expanding and communicating available reproductive health resources, prioritizing the role of women in the economy, and ensuring return to school, should be included as part of current COVID-19 mitigation programs. Additionally, these interventions should be incorporated in future public health preparedness plans to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy during public health emergencies.

Source: UG
Factors Associated with Antenatal Steroid Uptake in Mothers at Risk of Preterm Birth at a Teaching Hospital in Ghana

Background: This study was performed to determine the factors associated with antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) use in pregnant women at risk of preterm birth at the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital (KBTH) in Accra. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Subjects and outcome measures – Mothers who should have received antenatal steroids were identified by the admission of their preterm infants to the neonatal unit at KBTH. Maternal ACS status was determined, and the characteristics of women who received ACS were compared with those who did not. Results: There were 284 eligible admissions during the study period of 6 months, of which 43% (121 mothers) were studied due to administrative and logistical constraints. Out of these 121 mothers, 92 (76%) had received antenatal corticosteroids. Mothers with primary and secondary education were less likely to receive antenatal corticosteroid (OR 0.240, 95% CI 0.058-0.984), (OR 0.211, 95% CI 0.050-0.897) respectively, compared to those with tertiary level education. Mothers who delivered at other hospitals outside KBTH were also less likely to receive ACS (OR 0.195, 95% CI 0.070-0.545). Women who had caesarean delivery were more likely to receive antenatal corticosteroid compared to those with vaginal delivery (OR 4.378 95% CI 1.690-11.346). In this cohort, there was no association between antenatal corticosteroid use and maternal age, maternal medical condition, fetal gender or previous preterm delivery Conclusion: TACS use in KBTH is low but similar to other low-income countries. Low educational attainment and delivery outside the tertiary facility are factors associated with low use of ACS.

Source: UG
Factors Associated With Cargivers’ Knowledge of Physical Developmental Delay in Children Under Two Years in the Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti Region, Ghana

Background: Early childhood development forms the cornerstone of human development. There are four fields of childhood development. The gross motor, vision and fine motor form the physical component of development. Parental knowledge of childhood development has been associated with more effective parenting strategies and better child outcomes. Maternal knowledge of gross motor development also affects the patience of the mother with normal development; helps them provide appropriate stimulation and playing environments, and affects the recognition of developmental disabilities in young children. Little is known about the level of knowledge of developmental milestones among Caregivers in Ghana. This study assessed the factors associated with Caregivers’ knowledge on developmental milestones and developmental delay in children under two years. Method: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 395 Caregivers with children under the age of 2 were interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire at the Child Health clinic of the St. Michael’s Hospital in Bosomtwe District in the Ashanti region of Ghana. Data collected were entered using EpiData software version 3.1 and then exported to Stata 15 for analysis. Pearson’s Chi square test was used to test association between factors and the level of knowledge demonstrated and logistic regression models were used to assess significant predictors of high level of knowledge on developmental milestones in children under two years. Results: The general prevalence of knowledge on gross motor milestone in children under 2 years in the study population was 58.5%. The least level of knowledge on developmental milestones for children under two was demonstrated in early, less obvious milestones such as attaining neck control (49.5%) and sitting without support (54.75%). The major source of information on developmental milestones among respondents was from family (25.8%), closely followed by previous experience (23.9%), p-value<0.05. Only 40.8% of the respondents had received any formal health education on developmental milestones. Significant predictors of good knowledge of developmental milestones in this study were occupation (AOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.230-5.415), marital status (AOR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.100- 6.073), parity (AOR: 1.780; 95% CI: 1.121-4.253) and ease of access of health education (AOR: 2.310; 95% CI: 1.587-3.112). No significant association was found with age of respondents, sex, educational status, household income or religion. Conclusion: There was a fair level of awareness (58.5%) of developmental milestones among caregivers in this study. Significant predictors of developmental milestones in this study included the marital status of the respondents, respondents with fewer number of children (1 to 2 children), occupation (health profession) and ease of access to health centers. No significant association was found with caregiver’s age, sex, educational status or wealth index

Source: UG
Factors associated with cutaneous ulcers among children in two yaws-endemic districts in Ghana

Background: Yaws is a chronic relapsing disease caused by Treponema pallidum subspecies pertunue, which can result in severe disability and deformities. Children below the age of 15 years in resource-poor communities are the most affected. Several non-specific factors facilitate the continuous transmission and resurgence of the disease. Endemic communities in rural Ghana continue to report cases despite the roll out of several intervention strategies in the past years. The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with cutaneous ulcers among children in two yaws-endemic districts in Ghana. Methods: A community-based unmatched 1:2 case-control study was conducted among children between 1 and 15 years. Data on socio-demographic, environmental and behavioral factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Active case search and confirmation was done using the Dual Path Platform (DPP) Syphilis Screen and Confirm test kit. Data were analyzed using STATA 15. Logistic regression was done to determine the exposures that were associated with yaws infection at 0.05 significant level. Results: Sixty-two cases and 124 controls were recruited for the study. The adjusted multivariable logistic regression model showed that yaws infection was more likely among individuals who reside in overcrowded compound houses (aOR = 25.42, 95% CI: 6.15–105.09) and with poor handwashing habits (aOR = 6.46, 95% CI: 1.89–22.04). Male (aOR = 4.15, 95% CI: 1.29– 13.36) and increasing age (aOR = 5.90, 95% CI: 1.97–17.67) were also associated with yaws infection. Conclusions: Poor personal hygiene, overcrowding and lack of access to improved sanitary facilities are the factors that facilitate the transmission of yaws in the Awutu Senya West and Upper West Akyem districts. Yaws was also more common among males and school-aged children. Improving living conditions, access to good sanitary facilities and encouraging good personal hygiene practices should be core features of eradication programs in endemic communities.

Source: UG
Factors associated with DELAY in diagnosis among tuberculosis patients in Hohoe Municipality, Ghana

Background: Any delay in diagnosis and consequently treatment of TB patients not only increases the infectivity of the disease in the community, but may also lead to more advance disease state, which may result in more complications and expose patients to higher risk of death. The aim of this study was to assess delays in diagnosing new TB patients and the factors associated with these delays in Hohoe Municipality of Ghana. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 73 new TB Patients, 15 years or older, registered between 1st June, 2013 and 31st May, 2014 in Hohoe Municipality. Questionnaires were administered to patients to evaluate factors related to delay by patients in seeking care, delays at healthcare facilities, and total diagnostic delay. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with patient delay (>30 days), healthcare services delay (>15 days), and total delay (>45 days). Results: The median total delay was 104 days (inter-quartile range (IQR):17-191). The median patient delay was 59 days (IQR: 5-123), and the median healthcare services delay was 45 days (IQR: 38-128). Not medically insured (AOR = 6.12; 95 % CI: 1.26-29.88; P < 0.025) and perceived stigma (AOR = 5.30; 95 % CI: 1.33-21.18; P < 0.018) were risk factors associated with prolonged patient delay. Multiple healthcare contact following signs and symptoms (AOR = 10.26; 95 %CI: 2.95-35.72; P < 0.0001) was the only risk factor associated with prolonged healthcare services delay. Conclusion: There is a considerable delay in TB case detection mainly due to patients delay in seeking healthcare. The factors associated with patients' delay include lack of medical insurance, perceived stigma, and making multiple healthcare encounters. Health system strengthening towards decentralizing TB diagnosis and management, raising public awareness about the disease, training of healthcare providers, and collaborating with non-formal healthcare providers may reduce long delays in the management of TB.

Source: UG