ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Parent-child communication about sexual and reproductive health: Evidence from the Brong Ahafo region, Ghana

Background: Young people aged 10-24 years represent one-third of the Ghanaian population. Many are sexually active and are at considerable risk of negative health outcomes due to inadequate sexual and reproductive health knowledge. Although growing international evidence suggests that parent-child sexual communication has positive influence on young people's sexual behaviours, this subject has been poorly studied among Ghanaian families. This study explored the extent and patterns of parent-child sexual communication, and the topics commonly discussed by parents. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to sample 790 parent-child dyads through a two-stage cluster sampling technique with probability proportional to size. Interviewer-administered questionnaire method was used to gather quantitative data on parent-child communication about sex. Twenty sexual topics were investigated to describe the patterns and frequency of communication. The Pearson's chi-square and z-test for two-sample proportions were used to assess sexual communication differences between parents and young people. Qualitative data were used to flesh-out relevant issues which standard questionnaire could not cover satisfactorily. Results: About 82.3% of parents had at some point in time discussed sexual and reproductive health issues with their children; nonetheless, the discussions centered on a few topics. Whereas child-report indicated that 78.8% of mothers had discussed sexual communication with their children, 53.5% of fathers had done so. Parental discussions on the 20 sexual topics ranged from 5.2%-73.6%. Conversely, young people's report indicates that mother-discussed topics ranged between 1.9%-69.5%, while father-discussed topics ranged from 0.4% to 46.0%. Sexual abstinence was the most frequently discussed topic (73.6%), followed by menstruation 63.3% and HIV/AIDS 61.5%; while condom (5.2%) and other contraceptive use (9.3%) were hardly discussed. The most common trigger of communication cited by parent-child dyads was parent's own initiation (59.1% vs. 62.6% p = 0.22). Conclusions: Parents in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana do talk to children about sex, but their conversations cover limited topics. While abstinence is the most widely discussed sexual topic, condoms and contraception were rarely discussed. Sex educational programmes ought to encourage parents to expand sexual communication to cover more topics. Â© 2015 Manu et al.

Source: UG
Parent-offspring regression analysis for total carotenoids and some agronomic traits in cassava.

Six cassava cultivars, three yellow and three white-fleshed roots were crossed in a 3 × 3 topcross mating design to generate nine F1 populations. One thousand, one hundred and ten botanical seeds from the 9 populations were sown in pots and maintained for 42 days in a screenhouse. The emerged seedlings were transplanted to the field in April, 2010 alongside their parents (from stem cuttings), family by family. Four hundred and sixty-four progenies survived and were harvested. Both field and laboratory data were used to evaluate total carotene content (TCC), dry matter content (DMC), storage fresh root yield (SFRY) and other root quality traits. Seed germination for different populations ranged between 15.5 and 80.9 % with a mean of 43.19 %. Phenotypic variation in DMC, TCC, SFRY, biomass, root number, harvest index and cassava mosaic disease (CMD) were recorded in all the families. Average values for the populations were TCC: 4.59 μg g−1, DMC, 33.58 % and SFRY, 18.42 t ha−1. Narrow sense heritability by midparent-offspring regression analysis and genetic gains were estimated for TCC, DMC, SFRY and reaction to CMD. TCC, DMC and CMD gave high heritability estimates of 0.73, 0.83 and 0.84, respectively. SFRY, on the other hand, had a low heritability estimate (0.15). TCC was negatively correlated with DMC across all evaluation stages and locations. There were very high levels of variation in the segregating F1 progenies for all the traits. Also, narrow sense heritability estimate showed that genetic factors played a more important role than environmental factors for TCC, DMC and CMD, suggesting that reliable selection with simple recurrent phenotypic selection would be rewarding.

Source: UG
Parental Attitude towards sex education at the lower primary in Ghana

This study investigates parental attitude towards sex education at the lower primary level of education in Ghana. In all 100 parents ranging from 20 to 60 years, with diverse socio-economic backgrounds consisting of 64 males and 36 females where sampled for the study. Out of this number, 63% reside in urban areas, whereas 37% reside in rural areas. The results indicate that about 58% of parents have an unfavourable attitude towards sex education in lower primary schools. Unsurprisingly, all the parents who held unfavourable attitude towards sex education said that children are too young for sex education at the lower primary school level. However, of the parents who held favourable attitude; 81% indicated that children are exposed a lot these days. 17% admitted that sex education will be helpful to the children and 2% said children ask questions about sex anyway and needed to be provided with answers. Finally, the results showed that there is no gender difference in parental attitude towards sex education, as well as no residency difference about sex education. However, there was a difference in parental attitude in connection to their educational level. The implications of the findings from this research are discussed.

Source: UG
Parental costs for in-patient neonatal services for perinatal asphyxia and low birth weight in Ghana

The major causes of newborn deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are well-known and countries are gradually implementing evidence-based interventions and strategies to reduce these deaths. Facility-based care provides the best outcome for sick and or small babies; however, little is known about the cost and burden of hospital-based neonatal services on parents in West Africa, the sub-region with the highest global neonatal death burden. To estimate the actual costs borne by parents of newborns hospitalised with birth-associated brain injury (perinatal asphyxia) and preterm/low birth weight, this study examined economic costs using micro-costing bottom-up approach in two referral hospitals operating under the nationwide social health insurance scheme in an urban setting in Ghana. We prospectively assessed the process of care and parental economic costs for 25 out of 159 cases of perinatal asphyxia and 33 out of 337 cases of preterm/low birth weight admitted to hospital on the day of birth over a 3 month period. Results showed that medical-related costs accounted for 66.1% (IQR 49% - 81%) of out-of-pocket payments irrespective of health insurance status. On average, families spent 8.1% and 9.1% of their annual income on acute care for preterm/LBW and perinatal asphyxia respectively. The mean out-of-pocket expenditure for preterm/LBW was $147.6 (median $101.8) and for perinatal asphyxia was $132.3 (median $124). The study revealed important gaps in the financing and organization of health service delivery that may impact the quality of care for hospitalised newborns. It also provides information for reviewing complementary health financing options for newborn services and further economic evaluations.

Source: UG
Parental home involvement: the missing link in adolescents’ academic achievement

This study was conducte in Ghana to examine the relationship between parental home involvement and the academic achievement of adolescent students. 239 students from diverse socio-economic background between the ages of 15 and 20 took part in the study. As expected, the results indicated a positive and significant correlation between mothers and fathers home involvement and the academic achievement of the student. The significant of the result is discussed.

Source: UG
Parental involvement could mitigate the effects of physical activity and dietary habits on mental distress in Ghanaian youth

Introduction Parental involvement in physical activity and dietary habits have been found to play a substantial role in the mental health of young people. However, there is little evidence about the associations between parental involvement, health behaviours and mental health among Ghanaian youth. This study sought to examine the role of parental involvement in the association between physical activity, dietary habits and mental health among Ghanaian youth. Methods Data were obtained from the 2012 Ghana Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). The study population consisted of 1,984 school going youth in high schools with a median age of 15 years old, (53.7%) males. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression statistical models using complex samples method were performed. Results The prevalence of mental distress was 18.1%, 16.6% and 23% for loneliness, feeling worried and suicidal ideation respectively. Younger students were more likely to feel lonely, worried and have suicidal ideation than older students. Students from low socio-economic backgrounds were significantly more likely to report loneliness, worry and suicidal ideation. After adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics, some physical activity and eating habits were associated with experiencing loneliness, worry and suicidal ideation but after introducing parental involvement, there was a decrease in the likelihood of some health behaviour factors in both physical activity and dietary habits to be associated with loneliness, worry and suicidal ideation. Conclusion Physical inactivity and poor dietary habits could have a negative effect on mental distress, however, parental involvement could mitigate the impact of these lifestyle habits on mental distress and should therefore be taken into consideration in efforts aimed at encouraging positive lifestyle habits for good mental health among Ghanaian youth. © 2018 Glozah et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Source: UG
Parental Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Sexuality and Sex-Education of Their Children with Developmental Disabilities

This study examined parents’ knowledge and attitudes about sexuality and sex education of their children with developmental disabilities (DD) in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, 46 conveniently sampled parents of children with DD responded to an online survey on knowledge of their children’s sexuality and their attitudes towards sex education. Findings from univariate analysis revealed that about 67% of parents have not given any form of sexual education to their children. However, 65% of parents in this study had good general knowledge about the sexuality of their children except for experiential topics (i.e., sexual feelings and experiences, including their sexual orientation (heterosexual/ gays and lesbians), and masturbation, but were generally positive about views of sex education for their children. Majority of the parents (82.6%) had not received any training on how to educate their children on sexuality matters to support and empower themselves and their children. These findings indicate that Ghanaian families rarely provide sex education for their children with DD, however, they perceive sex education as a positive and protective strategy for the reproductive and sexual health of their children with DD. Implications for the development of training programs that provides appropriate knowledge and skills related to sexual health are discussed.

Source: UG
Parental School Involvement: The Case of Ghana

This study was carried out to analyze the link between parental school involvement and the academic achievement of young students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds between the ages of 15 and 20. As expected, the results indicate a positive and significant correlation between mothers’ school involvement and the academic achievement of the students. Surprisingly, fathers’ school involvement was found to be nonsignificant to the academic achievement of the students. The significance of the results is examined.

Source: UG
Parental Wellbeing, Parenting and Child Development in Ghanaian Families with Young Children

Approximately one-third of early childhood pupils in Ghana are struggling with meeting basic behavioral and developmental milestones, but little is known about mechanisms or factors that contribute to poor early childhood development. With a lack of developmental research to guide intervention or education program and policy planning, this study aimed to address these research gaps by examining a developmental mechanism for early childhood development. We tested a mediational mechanism model that examined the influence of parental wellbeing on parenting and children's development. Two hundred and sixty-two Ghanaian parents whose children attended early childhood classes (nursery to 3rd grade) were recruited. Data were gathered through parent interviews and Structural Equation Modeling was utilized to examine pathways of the model. Results support the mediational model that Ghanaian parents' depression was associated with less optimal parenting, and in turn greater child externalizing behavioral problems. This study adds new evidence of cross cultural consistency in early childhood development.

Source: UG
Parenting practices and family relationships during the COVID-19 lockdown in Ghana

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far reaching across almost every sphere of life. Families, which are the basic units of society, have not been spared the ravages of the pandemic. Changes in family daily routines as a result of COVID-19 can affect spousal relationships, parenting and childcare practices. However, the extent to which the pandemic has affected parenting practices and family relationships in Ghana is not known. The goal of this study was to assess how parenting practices and family relationships have been influenced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. Data for this paper was drawn from an online questionnaire response from 463 participants in Ghana as a subset analysis from a multi-country study on personal and family coping system with COVID-19 pandemic in the global south. The mean score for pre-COVID-19 relationship with partner (36.86) was higher (p<0.0001) than the mean score for during COVID-19 relationship with partner (35.32) indicating that COVID-19 has had negative influence on relationships. The mean score for pre-COVID-19 parenting (32.78) was higher (p<0.0001) compared to the mean score for during COVID-19 parenting (31.40) indicating negative influence on parenting. We have predicted that participants whose coping levels were “Well” on the average, are likely to be doing well in relationship with partners and parenting practices during the COVID-19 period. The challenging public health containment measures of the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively influenced the relationship between partners and parenting practices in Ghana.

Source: UG
Parenting Styles and Children’s Academic Performance

This study examines the effect of parenting styles on the academic performance of children. It looks at parenting styles and children’s outcome, ethnic groups and parenting styles, family structure and parenting styles, and parenting styles and academic performance. However, the findings suggest inconsistencies regarding the effects of parenting styles on children’s academic performance. Whereas some studies show a positive and significant effect between authoritative parenting and children’s school achievement, others show that there is no effect of parenting styles on the academic achievement of children. Again, it further indicates that single mothers use the permissive parenting style, which might be the reason for the poor academic performance of their children as compared with those from families with both parents. The study therefore underscores the significance of analyzing parenting styles within one’s cultural milieu. While this chapter focuses on Ghana, it can be generalized to other cultures as well.

Source: UG
Parents’ perception of family centred care for children hospitalized through road traffic accident: A qualitative study at two tertiary settings in Ghana

Background: Conceptually, Family Centred Care promotes better medical outcomes by ensuring that families play key supporting roles in children’s adaptation to unfamiliar clinical environments. This care approach is crucial to minimising traumatic experiences resulting from Road Traffic Accidents and subsequent hospitalisations. Objectives: This study sought to understand Family Centred Care from a sub-Saharan context by exploring perceptions among parents and families whose children were hospitalised as a result of Road Traffic Accidents. Method: The study was conducted at two government-funded institutions located in Ghana’s capital city - Accra. Pediatric surgical units which admit RTA injured children were purposively selected sites for data collection. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory approaches, 19 participants were interviewed. A semi-structured interview guide aided in-depth individual interviews with probing questions to elicit detailed information from participants. Data collection and analysis occurred iteratively. Here, we employed constant comparative methods. Broad categories and sub-categories emerged from the analysis. Findings: Significantly, all 19 participants embraced family centred care in principle. However, our observations revealed that both institutions practiced family centred care informally to a lesser degree. Three major categories emerged, namely: managing emotions, parental care roles and negotiating the system. Conclusion: Culturally, Ghanaians perceive parents’ devotion to hospitalised children as synonymous with good parenting. Equally, emotional support and parents’ negotiation powers are important prerequisites for greater participation in the care process. Hence, we recommend that a coherent national policy, robust clinical guidelines, and a culturally-sensitive Family Centred Care model are integral to parents’ participation in hospitals in Ghana.

Source: UG
Parents’ Perspectives On The Quality Of Life Of Adolescents Living With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Study In The Accra Metropolis.

Autism Spectrum Disorder remains one of the growing public health conditions that have devastating effects on the wellbeing and quality of life of adolescents. Using the quality of life model by Betty Ferrel propounded in 1996 as an organizing framework, this study investigates the parents‘ perspectives on the quality of life of adolescents living with autism .The objectives which are based on the constructs of the model were investigated including the physical wellbeing, social wellbeing, psychological wellbeing and spiritual wellbeing. The study was an exploratory descriptive study involving 13 participants in the Accra metropolis. With the consent of the participants, data was collected using a semi structured interview guide. The responses were recorded, transcribed, coded and subsequently into subthemes and themes. A thematic content analysis revealed (5) themes and (17) subthemes. According to this study findings, adolescents with autism were found to have low quality of physical wellbeing. They were not physically independent, suffered other conditions as result of autism and could not perform basic life functions without assistance. They had a good social wellbeing evident by their cordial relationship with their peers and relatives at the same time they had poor oral communication. Adolescents with autism were found to have reduced psychological wellbeing. They are moody, irritated, isolated at times, interactive and sometimes aggressive. Furthermore, adolescents with autism had improved spiritual wellbeing and could engage in religious activities. Also, there were no support systems thus recreational centers, job opportunities and educational support. Muslim respondents were not available for this study due to their cultural beliefs, children with Autism in the Muslim community were taken to the villages and left there. This gab should be researched in the future. In conclusion, the public should be sensitized and educated on Autism spectrum disorder and government as well as non- governmental organizations should provide training and educational support for autistic adolescents.

Source: UG
Parents’ reflections on child trafficking mitigation mechanisms in trafficking hotspot communities

Evidence shows that the majority of the world’s trafficking in persons for sexual and labour purposes occurs over short distances. In Ghana, children are largely trafficked from rural communities into resource-prone areas to engage in intensive labour activities. This study explores the views of parents in communities where children are largely trafficked, on the best ways to intervene in child traffick ing cases. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 adults (who are parents) from communities in Ghana. Data were managed with HyperRESEARCH software and analysed thematically. Findings reveal that providing vocational and technical training to improve means of livelihood, promoting knowledge on trafficking, and strictly enforcing laws will contribute to combating child trafficking in Ghana. The study recommends the need for inter-organisational collaboration and calls for the government to create rural opportunities for financially struggling families to prevent them from falling prey to traffickers due to their hardships.

Source: UG
Parliament And Representation In Ghana

As a political principle, representation is a relationship through which an individual or group stands for, or acts on behalf of a larger body of people. Representation sometimes generates political controversy. Even absolute monarchs of the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe to a very large extent were expected to rule by seeking the advice of the major landed interest, the clergy and others (Heywood 2002:224). The attempt to undermine this principle of representation resulted in the 17th century Civil War in England. The controversy surrounding representation has somehow been resolved through the widespread acceptance of the principle of political equality which emphasises one person, one vote plus real choices

Source: UG
Parliamentary Primaries After Democratic Transitions: Explaining Reforms To Candidate Selection In Ghana

Candidate selection procedures play a crucial role in shaping parliaments and influencing the quality of democracy. Yet, our understanding of what motivates parties to reform candidate selection mechanisms at specific points in time is limited. To address this gap, we examine the experience of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress (NDC), which reformed its selection procedures in 2015, allowing all party members to vote in primary elections for parliamentary candidates. We ask what triggered these reforms and identify four motivations—the confluence of which explains why the reforms were adopted in 2015. These motivations were: making the party more democratic by expanding participation and reducing the cost of the primary process, building the party’s organizational capacity, and keeping up with the party’s main competitor. Together, these led NDC leaders to believe that reforms would benefit the party. However, a divergence between actual and intended effects meant some of these benefits were not realized, so the NDC reversed its reforms. This case suggests that the current shift towards more inclusive candidate selection mechanisms across parts of Africa will not be linear. party leaders will adopt such reforms when they believe it is in their party’s interest.

Source: UG