ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Acceptability and stakeholders perspectives on feasibility of using trained psychologists and health workers to deliver school-based sexual and reproductive health services to adolescents in urban Accra, Ghana

Background Adolescent sexual and reproductive health is recognized as a key developmental issue of international concern. However, adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services is largely inadequate in sub-Saharan Africa. With increasing enrollment in schools, this could be an avenue to reach adolescents with SRH information and services. This study was therefore conducted to assess the acceptability and stakeholders’ perspectives on the feasibility of using health workers and trained psychologists to provide school-based SRH services in Ghana. Methods Fourteen (14) focus group discussions (N = 136) were conducted; 8 among adolescents aged 12–17 years (4 boys, 4 girls groups), 4 among parents (2 males, 2 females groups) and two among mixed teacher groups. We also conducted 18 in-depth interviews with teachers, managers of schools, health workers, clinical psychologists, as well as adolescent SRH program managers in the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, UNICEF, UNESCO and National Population Council, Ghana. We audio-recorded all interviews and took field notes. Interviews were transcribed and transcripts imported into NVivo 11 for analysis using grounded theory approach to qualitative data analysis. Results Many respondents reported that it was challenging for parents and/or teachers to provide adolescents with SRH information. For this reason, they agreed that it was a good idea to have health workers and psychologists provide SRH information and services to adolescents in school. Although, there was general agreement about providing SRH services in school, many of the respondents disagreed with distribution of condoms in schools as they believed that availing condoms would encourage adolescents to experiment with sex. While majority of respondents thought it was acceptable to use psychologists and health workers to provide school-based sexual and reproductive health to adolescents, some teachers and education managers thought the implementation of such a program would oppose practical challenges. Key among the challenges were how to pay for the services that health workers and trained psychologists will render, and the availability of psychologists to cater for all schools. Conclusion Stakeholders believe it is feasible and acceptable to use trained psychologists and health workers to deliver school-based SRH information and services in the Ghanaian school context. However, provisions must be made to cater for financial and other logistical considerations in the implementation of school-based SRH programs.

Source: UG
Acceptability and use of insecticide impregnated bednets in northern Ghana

A district-wide study was undertaken in a rural population of northern Ghana to identify factors influencing the acceptance and use of insecticide- impregnated bednets (IIBNs). A series of focus group discussions were conducted during 2 years of implementation of IIBNs to gauge community reactions to the introduction of the nets and a structured questionnaire was administered to approximately 2000 randomly selected individuals. Although the IIBNs were accepted and used because they provided protection from mosquito bites, seasonal factors, patterns of use, and questions of cost were key factors likely to influence the dissemination and effectiveness of bednets. Use of the bednets was highly seasonal. Almost all recipients used their IIBNs in the rainy season (99%), corresponding to the period of high mosquito density and 20% used them in the dry seasons, the period of low mosquito density. Mothers with young children were more likely to wash the bednets frequently (because the children soiled the bednets with faeces and urine), resulting in no protection from the insecticide. Provision of wider bednets, or the provision of plastic sheets with the bednets or possible incorporation of the insecticide in washing soaps could improve protection for young children. The success of the promotion of IIBNs in malaria control programmes will depend on the cost of the package and the time of year that it is delivered. Financing mechanisms for individual and village groups are discussed. Social research effectively monitored the intervention in this study, and it should be included as an important component of national malaria control programmes.

Source: UG
Acceptability of an online peer support group as a strategy to improve antiretroviral therapy adherence among young people in Kampala district, Uganda: qualitative findings

Introduction Peer support groups may contribute to adherence and play a role in decreasing the stigma of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence among young people living with HIV (YPLHIV). However, peer support activities usually occur face-to-face in Uganda and elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa and thus have structural limitations and may not be readily available when young people need them. Online peer support has the potential to help YPLHIV access regular psychosocial support without significant effort or cost. We assessed the acceptability of a WhatsApp peer support group as a strategy to improve ART adherence among Ugandan YPLHIV. Methods We conducted a formative qualitative study in three health facilities in Kampala, Uganda, between July and August 2022. We held four focus group discussions with twenty-six YPLHIV seeking services at the study facilities. We also conducted six key informant interviews with health providers attached to adolescent HIV care clinics. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis guided by Sekhon’s theoretical framework of acceptability (2017), which conceptualizes acceptability through multiple constructs, including affective attitudes, burden, intervention coherence, and perceived effectiveness. Our analysis examined these dimensions in the context of WhatsApp-based peer support groups for HIV care. Results Overall, WhatsApp peer support groups were acceptable for use among YPLHIV. The young people regarded it as convenient because it would save time and would be more cost-effective compared to the transport costs of in-person meetings. Health providers revealed that the WhatsApp peer support group could reduce the stigma associated with community follow-up and empower YPLHIV to overcome stigma. Both young people and health providers suggested that online peer support could enhance emotional support, psychosocial well-being, and ART adherence. However, participants raised concerns about privacy and the cost of internet bundles and smartphones, especially for younger adolescents. Conclusion Online peer support groups are acceptable to Ugandan YPLHIV and hold promise in enhancing psychosocial support and improving treatment adherence in this sub-population. In implementing online support groups, due consideration should be given to software tools with high privacy standards and zero-rated data use for new apps. Research is needed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of this peer support model in Uganda.

Source: UG
Acceptability of Complementary Foods That Incorporate Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder Among Infants and Their Caregivers

Background: Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) is a nutrient-rich and readily available food resource that has the potential to improve the micronutrient quality of complementary foods in developing countries. Objective: To investigate the acceptability of complementary foods fortified with MLP. Methods: Moringa oleifera leaf powder was fed to infants either as part of a cereal–legume complementary food blend (MCL-35 g) or by sprinkling as a food supplement (MS-5 g) on infant’s usual foods. Mother–infant pairs (n = 18 for the MCL-35 g group and n = 16 for the MS-5 g group) attending regular weight monitoring sessions were recruited to participate in the acceptability trial. The study consisted of an initial tasting session after which mothers were to feed the assigned foods to their infants for 14 days. Mothers rated color, odor, taste, and overall liking of the complementary foods using a 5-point hedonic scale. Primary outcome was the proportion of test porridge consumed. Results: On the tasting day, MCL-35 g group infants consumed an average of 64.27% ± 25.02 of the test porridge offered, whereas MS-5 g group infants consumed an average of 66.43% ± 29.09. During the 14-day period, median percent daily consumption for MCL-35 g was 71.5% of the daily recommended intake, whereas median percent daily consumption for MS-5 g was 86.2%. Conclusion: We conclude that complementary foods incorporating Moringaoleifera leaf powder either as part of a cereal–legume complementary food blend (MCL-35 g) or when sprinkled as a food supplement (MS-5 g) on infant’s usual foods were well accepted.

Source: UG
Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccination among Health Care Workers in Ghana

Because health care workers are a reliable source of health information, their acceptance or rejection of COVID-19 vaccines can influence the general population’s uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. In this study, we sought to determine the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among health care workers in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional design, we collected data from 234 health care workers through a self-administered online survey from 16 January to 15 February 2021. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed using STATA version 15. ,The findings revealed that 39.3% (n = 92) of health care workers intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. Factors such as sex (AOR = 0.451; CI 95% 0.240–0.845; p = 0.013), category of health care workers (AOR = 2.851; 95 CI%: 1.097–7.405; p =0.031), relative being diagnosed with COVID-19 (AOR = 0.369; CI 95% 0.145–0.941; p =0.037), and trust in the accuracy of the measures taken by the government in the fight against COVID-19 (AOR = 2.768; CI 95%: 1.365–5.616; p = 0.005) proved to be significant predictors of the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine. Concerns about the safety of vaccines (n =93, 65.5%) and the adverse side effects of the vaccines (n = 23, 14.8%) were identified as the main reasons why health care workers would decline uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Ghana. ,e self-reported low intention of health care workers in Ghana to accept COVID-19 vaccines necessitates an urgent call from the Government of Ghana and other stakeholders to address health care workers’ concerns about the safety and adverse side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, as this would increase vaccine uptake. Interventions must also take into consideration sex and the category of health care workers to achieve the desired results.

Source: UG
Acceptability of Multiple Micronutrient-Fortified Bouillon Cubes among Women and Their Households in 2 Districts in The Northern Region of Ghana

Background: Bouillon is a promising large-scale food fortification vehicle, but there is uncertainty regarding the types and concentrations of micronutrients that are feasible to add without compromising consumer acceptability. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of 2 different multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cube for mulations, compared with a bouillon cube fortified with iodine only. Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, controlled acceptability study in 2 districts in northern Ghana. Two nonproprietary, noncommercialized formulations of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cubes containing iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamins A and B12, and iodine at “upper-level” (45-125% CODEX NRV/2.5g) or “lower-level” (15-50% CODEX NRV/2.5g) concentrations, and a control cube that contained iodine only (50% CODEX NRV/2.5g) were evaluated. Eligible women (n ¼ 84) were invited to participate in 1) center-based sensory evaluations designed to permit within-individual comparisons among the different study products; and 2) in-home evaluation of bouillon acceptability and use, in which participants were randomized to receive 1 of the 3 study products to use in household cooking for a 2-wk period. Acceptance test ratings were based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 ¼ dislike very much, 5 ¼ like very much). Results: In the center-based evaluations, overall liking of the 3 bouillon cube formulations both dry and in prepared dishes ranged from 4.3 to 4.6 on the 5-point Likert scale and did not differ among formulations (P > 0.05). After the 2-wk in-home trial, 93.8% of index participants (n ¼ 75/80) rated their overall liking of the bouillon product formulation to which they were randomly assigned as “like” or “like very much” (4–5 on the 5-point Likert scale) and median apparent intake of study-provided bouillon over 2 wk was 3.6 g/capita/d; neither value differed by study group (P ¼ 0.91 for both). Conclusions: All 3 formulations of bouillon cubes assessed were acceptable to women and their households in 2 districts in northern Ghana. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05177614.

Source: UG
Acceptability of PrEP for HIV prevention among women at high risk for HIV

Objective: To assess the acceptability of a daily pill for prevention of HIV acquisition among 400 Ghanaian women in the oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) clinical trial. Methods: Structured questionnaires were conducted with women enrolled in the trial at enrollment and at each of the 12 monthly follow-up visits. Growth curve analysis was used to examine adherence patterns over time. Qualitative interviews were carried out with a subsample of the clinical trial population, and thematic analysis was applied to these data. Results: Overall, acceptability of the pill was good. Adherence remained >82% throughout the 12-month trial. Consistent access to the pill and study assignment were both associated with adherence. Most reported problems diminished over time as women became accustomed to the pill and developed strategies to incorporate pill taking into their daily routines. Conclusions: If daily preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV is found to be efficacious and has as few physical side effects as TDF, acceptability of this method among women in the study population may not be problematic. However, future studies must develop better acceptability measures, in order to more fully address the relationship among adherence, safety, and effectiveness. © 2010 Copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Source: UG
Acceptability of rapid diagnostic test-based management of malaria among caregivers of under-five children in rural Ghana

Introduction WHO now recommends test-based management of malaria (TBMM) across all age-groups. This implies artemisinin-based combination treatment (ACT) should be restricted to rapid diagnostic test (RDT)-positive cases. This is a departure from what caregivers in rural communities have been used to for many years. Methods We conducted a survey among caregivers living close to 32 health centres in six districts in rural Ghana and used logistic regression to explore factors likely to influence caregiver acceptability of RDT based case management and concern about the denial of ACT on account of negative RDT results. Focus group discussions were conducted to explain the quantitative findings and to elicit further factors. Results A total of 3047 caregivers were interviewed. Nearly all (98%) reported a preference for TBMM over presumptive treatment. Caregivers who preferred TBMM were less likely to be concerned about the denial of ACT to their test-negative children (O.R. 0.57, 95%C.I. 0.33–0.98). Compared with caregivers who had never secured national health insurance cover, caregivers who had valid (adjusted O.R. 1.30, 95% CI 1.07–1.61) or expired (adjusted O.R. 1.38, 95% CI 1.12–1.73) insurance cover were more likely to be concerned about the denial of ACT to their RDT-negative children. Major factors that promote TBMM acceptability include the perception that a blood test at health centre level represents improvement in the quality of care, leads to improvement in treatment outcomes, and offers opportunity for better communication between health workers and caregivers. Acceptability is also enhanced by engaging caregivers in the procedures of the test. Apprehensions about negative health worker attitude could however undermine acceptance. Conclusion Test (RDT)-based management of malaria in under-five children is likely to be acceptable to caregivers in rural Ghana. The quality of caregiver-health worker interaction needs to be improved if acceptability is to be sustained.

Source: UG
Acceptability of Routine Offer of HIV Testing (Opt-Out Approach) among Pregnant Women in the Wa Municipality

Background: With the introduction of the opt out HIV testing policy in Ghana, the HIV test is offered routinely to all pregnant women unless they decline testing. Objective: To assess acceptability of the routine offer of HIV testing antenatal clinic (ANC) clients in the Wa municipality, Ghana. Design: Cross-sectional study of 270 randomly selected ANC attendees. Results: More than 90% of respondents were in favour of the opt-out policy. The most commonly cited reasons were that it would help pregnant women know their status and facilitate prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). About 60% of respondents had tested for HIV in the current pregnancy with more than 90% reporting that the test was offered them in a manner in which they could have refused the test. HIV testing in the current pregnancy was associated with having heard of the opt-out policy (p <0.001) and awareness that the test was offered at the facility (p < 0.001), but there was no relationship with educational level. Out of the 112 clients who had not had HIV test in the current pregnancy, 61.8% claimed the test had not been offered to them while 82.4% expressed willingness to have the test done if offered. Conclusion: The opt-out HIV testing policy is acceptable to the pregnant women surveyed in the Wa municipality. A well laid out process to ensure that all pregnant women are routinely offered HIV testing at the ANC may help minimize missed opportunities for utilizing PMTCT services.

Source: UG
Acceptability of Test and Treat with Doxycycline against Onchocerciasis in an Area of Persistent Transmission in Massangam Health District, Cameroon

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Acceptance and perceived value of non‑invasive malaria diagnostic tests in malaria‑endemic countries

Background: The diagnosis of malaria, using microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), requires the collection of capillary blood. This procedure is relatively simple to perform but invasive and poses potential risks to patients and health workers, arising from the manipulation of potentially infectious bodily fluids. Less or non-invasive diagnostic tests, based on urine, saliva or requiring no sampling, have the potential to generate less discomfort for the patient and to offer simpler and less risky testing procedures that could be safely performed by untrained staff or even selfperformed. To explore the potential acceptance and perceived value of such non-invasive tests, an online, international survey was conducted to gather feedback from National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) representatives. Methods: An online survey comprising nineteen questions, available in English, French or Spanish, was emailed to 300 individuals who work with NMCPs in malaria-endemic countries. Answers were collected between November and December 2017; responses were qualitatively analysed to identify key themes and trends and quantitatively analysed to determine average values stratified by region. Results: Responses were received from 70 individuals, from 33 countries. Approximately half of the respondents (52 %) considered current blood-based tests for malaria to be minimally invasive and non-problematic in their setting. For these participants, non-invasive tests would only be of interest if they brought additional performance improvements, as compared with the performance of microscopy and RDTs. Most respondents were of the view that salivabased (80 %) and urine-based (66 %) tests would be more readily acceptable among children than blood-based tests. Potential use-case scenarios of interest for both saliva- and urine-based tests were ease-of-testing by community health workers, additional surveillance, self-testing, and outbreak investigation. Many respondents (41 %) thought that if saliva-based tests retailed at <$0.50 per unit they could largely replace conventional RDTs, whereas only 25 % of respondents thought a similarly priced urine-based test would do so. Conclusions: Although limited to NMCP stakeholders, this survey indicated that current tests for malaria, based on capillary blood, are generally perceived to be minimally invasive and non-problematic. Non-invasive tests, especially if saliva-based, would be welcome if they could match or out-perform the price and performance of current bloodbased tests.

Source: UG
Acceptance of biotechnology and social-cultural implications in Ghana

Despite major scientific progress in the application of biotechnology in agriculture, public attitudes towards biotechnology in general and genetically modified food (GM food) products in particular remain mixed in Africa. Examining responses on acceptance of GM food through a stakeholder survey in Ghana, it was established that half of the 100 people sample interviewed were not in favor of GM foods. To this group acceptance of GM foods would make farmers loose focus on the traditional ways of cultivation, putting the whole nation at the mercy of profit driven foreign companies who produce GM foods. In order to have clear and unbiased attitudes towards agricultural biotechnology in Africa, there is the need to substitute dominant ideologies in the way biotechnology research and dissemination are conducted in developed countries with tailor-made methodologies in developing countries. This paper emphasizes the social dynamic force of food focusing on the need for social shaping of biotechnologies to reflect local and regional needs. Respondents' perceptions of GM foods suggest that food is seen as not just a commodity to be consumed but food has both cultural and national identities. Generally, people are identified by their consumption and nutrition lifestyles and therefore take pride in what they eat. A proposal is made to set biotechnology research agenda in the context of social choices; social scientific coalition of biotechnology with endogenous development pathways' as opposed to 'exogenous biotechnology research'. Also there is the need for adequate capacity building of the existing regulatory institutions to handle ethical and moral issues associated with biotechnology research since survey findings showed lacked of public confidence in them. © 2009 Academic Journals.

Source: UG