ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Continuing professional development (CPD) at a distance: Teachers’ reflections on enhancing distance education (DE) provision

In Ghana, continuing professional development (CPD) initiatives for teachers are fragmented, with limited participation opportunities for all subject teachers, resulting in a high reliance on distance education (DE) programs. This qualitative study investigates teachers’ experiences with DE upgrading programs and their thoughts on improving. Data was gathered from 32 participants in the Ekumfi district of Ghana. The findings show that, despite the constraints, teachers in Ghana are taking an agentic stance in using DE for their profes sional development. However, while DE programs provide reliable paths to updating professional knowledge, they are insufficient as a CPD tool to assist teachers’ learning for improvements in classroom practice. Teachers’ DE experiences reveal a rigid program structure with content that is unreflective of current educational concerns and the utilization of didactic teaching and learning approaches. These are detrimental to active learning and unlikely to result in effective teacher improvement. To strengthen DE as an effective CPD tool in Ghana, the study recommends regularizing other CPD avenues, revising DE upgrading programs for teachers, and systematising mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating teachers’ competencies before and afterDE participation.

Source: UG
Continuing professional development (CPD) in state-owned university libraries in Ghana

Purpose - The importance of a plan for effective CPD was also discussed. Finally, benefits of CPD to the individual professional were looked at. The survey method was used. The instruments for data collection were the questionnaire and interviews. Findings - The study found that the library environment in the state-owned universities was supportive to a large extent of CPD. The study revealed that the professional librarian's involvement in CPD was a shared responsibility of the library and the individual. Some benefits derived from CPD by the professional librarians were job advancement and updated skills leading to competence. Originality/value - It is hoped that the study will encourage library management especially in universities to consider formulating and writing down CPD policies and also to adopt management styles that will make them "learning organisations".

Source: UG
Continuity and Change in the Life Story: A Longitudinal Study of Autobiographical Memories in Emerging Adulthood

If a person’s internalized and evolving life story (narrative identity) is to be considered an integral feature of personality itself, then aspects of that story should manifest some continuity over time while also providing evidence regarding important personality change. Accordingly, college freshmen and seniors provided detailed written accounts of 10 key scenes in their life stories, and they repeated the same procedure 3 months and then 3 years later. The accounts were content analyzed for reliable narrative indices employed in previous studies of life stories: emotional tone, motivational themes (agency, communion, personal growth), and narrative complexity. The results showed substantial continuity over time for narrative complexity and positive (vs. negative) emotional tone and moderate but still significant continuity for themes of agency and growth. In addition, emerging adults (1) constructed more emotionally positive stories and showed (2) greater levels of emotional nuance and self-differentiation and (3) greater understanding of their own personal development in the 4th year of the study compared to the 1st year. The study is the first to demonstrate both temporal continuity and developmental

Source: UG
Continuity in change: A history of radio for national development

In this article, we assert and demonstrate a particular and enduring adaptability of radio in tandem with observable temporal shifts in development communication theory and practice in Africa. Specifically, we use the historical research method to explore and explain the ideological discourses, polity contours and social forces that have overlain the role of radio as both an index and an instrument of develop ment in Ghana. The evidence reveals that radio has transitioned through three key milestones in how the technology has been appropriated and applied to national development efforts: from transplantation, through transmission, to transaction. Each of these phases coincides, incidentally, with paradigm shifts in development communication theorizing: from modernization through diffusion to participation. They also coincide, broadly, with three distinctive epochs of ideological shifts in the historical accounting on radio for development in Ghana: from British impe rial hegemony, through post-independence command-and-control, to contemporary liberal pluralism.

Source: UG
Continuity of care among diabetic patients in Accra, Ghana

Abstract Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a fast-rising non-contagious disease of global importance that remains a leading cause of indisposition and death. Evidence shows that effective management of diabetes has a close link with continuity of care which is known to be the integral pillar of quality care. This study, therefore, sought to determine the extent of continuity of care between diabetic patients and their care providers as well as factors associated with relational continuity of care. Methodology: This cross-sectional, facility-based study was conducted among diabetics in Accra, Ghana. We sampled 401 diabetic patients from three diabetic clinics in the region using a stratified and systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing information on socio-demographic characteristics, the four dimensions of continuity of care, and patients' satisfaction. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure patient's perception of relational, flexible, and team continuity, while most frequent provider continuity was used to measure longitudinal continuity of care. Scores were added for each person and divided by the highest possible score for each domain to estimate the continuity of care index. Data were collected and exported to Stata 15 for analysis. Results: The results show that team continuity was the highest (0.9), followed by relational and flexibility continuity of care (0.8), and longitudinal continuity of care was the least (0.5). Majority of patients experienced high team (97.3%), relational (68.1%), and flexible (65.3%) continuity of care. Most patients (98.3%) were satisfied with the diabetes care they received from healthcare providers. Female subjects had higher odds of experiencing relational continuity of care as compared to male subjects. Furthermore, participants with higher educational levels were five times more likely to experience relational continuity of care than those with lower educational background. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the majority of diabetics had team continuity of care being the highest experienced among the four domains, followed by flexible and longitudinal being the least experienced. Notably, team and flexible continuity of care had a positive association with relational continuity of care. Higher educational level and being female were associated with relational continuity of care. There is therefore the need for policy action on the adoption of multidisciplinary team-based care. Copyright © 2023 Awumee and Dery.

Source: UG
The continuous search for new port governance models: experiences from a developing country

This paper bridges port governance and stakeholder theory to contribute to new understandings of changed stakeholder relations due to the building of new container terminals. The case of the newly inaugurated very large high-tech container terminal commissioned to and developed and operated by Meridian Port Services (MPS), in the Port of Tema, Ghana, provides the empirical foundation for investigating the new stake holder engagement. Through focus groups, descriptive statistics, and a series of quali tative and open-ended interviews carried out in structured stakeholder events, the paper aims to deliver new knowledge relevant to the many hybrid port governance systems seen today. Moreover, it wants to inform authorities and companies about the implications of diferent strategic choices and how changes progress. The study shows that despite shared goals of efciency, all parties involved have had major difculties in fnding a new port governance model, which they all consider fair and which can contribute to a continuously economically sustainable port management practice.

Source: UG
Contraceptive Counselling in 2 Urban Cities in Ghana and the Extent of Shared Decision-Making

BACKGROUND: Increased use of contraception is associated with reduced maternal mortality worldwide; however, an unmet need remains high in many places, including Ghana. The quality of care provided by family planning practitioners influences contraceptive use; one way to improve the quality of care is to adopt a client-centered approach to counseling, including engaging in shared decision-making. In Ghana, little is currently known about the extent of shared decision-making between clients and providers in contraceptive counselling encounters. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the extent of shared decision-making during contraceptive counselling in 2 cities in Ghana. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study across 6 urban family planning clinics in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. We recorded, transcribed, and analysed 20 family planning patient-provider interactions using the “Observing Patient Involvement" (OPTION) scale. This scale has 12 domains, which are scored on a 5-pointscale, from 0 (“the behaviour is not observed”) to 4 (“the behaviour is observed and execute data high standard”); the scores of each domain are summed up for a total score ranging from 0 to 48. RESULTS: In the seen counters, the mean total scores for each interaction ranged from a low of 9.25/48 to a high of 21.5/48. Although providers were thorough in sharing medical information with clients, they did not actively involve clients in the decision-making process and did not generally elicit client preferences. Across the 12 domains, the mean total score was 34.7%, which is below the 50% that would correspond with a ”baseline skill level,” suggesting there are very low levels of shared decision-making currently occurring. CONCLUSIONS: In these 20 patient-provider encounters, counselling was mainly a sharing of medical information from the provider with the client, without the provider eliciting information from the client about her preferences for method characteristics, side effects, or method preference. Family planning counselling in these settings would benefit from increased shared decision-making to engage patients in their contraceptive choice.

Source: UG
Contraceptive Discontinuation and Switching Among Ghanaian Women: Evidence from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2008

This study identifies factors associated with contraceptive discontinuation and switching among Ghanaian women of reproductive age, using data from 1,378 female respondents of the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression models were used to determine relationships between key socio-demographic factors and user status. Discontinued use occurred among 56% of ever users and switching among 55% of current users. The IUD was most abandoned (70%) and its use was associated with almost twice the odds of discontinuation (OR=1.97; 95% CI (1.04, 3.75)). Having a history of terminated pregnancy significantly predicted both discontinuation (OR=1.36; 95% CI (1.03, 1.79) and switching (OR=1.78; 95% CI (1.16, 2.73)) and intention to limit births significantly predicted lower discontinuation (OR=0.71; 95% CI (0.52, 0.96)). Counseling services emphasizing contraceptive options and reinforcing switching are critically needed to reduce unwanted pregnancies that may result from poor method use and discontinuation, especially among post-abortion clients and IUD users.

Source: UG
Contraceptive use and mental health among women of reproductive age: insights from the Mozambique Demographic and Health Survey

Background Contraceptive use among women of reproductive age has increased significantly worldwide. However, little is known about contraceptive use and mental health among women in sub-Saharan African countries. Aims This study sought to investigate contraceptive use and self-reported measures of depression and anxiety symptoms among reproductive-age women in Mozambique using the most recent national data. Method Thestudyusedsecondarydatafromthe 2022–2023 Demographic and Health Survey of Mozambique.Atotalof6910(weighted)sexually active women aged15–49yearswereincluded in this analysis. Anxiety and depression scores were measuredusingself-reportquestionnaires.Linear regression analysis was conducted to assess the associations between depression and anxiety and contraceptive use. Results The prevalence of contraceptive use was 36.41%. About half of the hormonal contraceptive users (49.38%) were using injectables and 25.99% were using implants. In total, 9.14 and 2.83% of the women had moderate or high scores of self-reported anxiety respectively. Additionally, 5.24 and 5.42% reported moderate or high scores of depressive symptoms respectively. The use of hormonal contraceptives decreased anxiety symptoms by 0.47 units (β =−0.47; 95% CI −0.75 to −0.18; P<0.001) compared with no contraceptive use. The use of hormonal contraceptives decreased depressive symptoms by 0.75 units (β=−0.75; 95%CI−1.11to−0.39;P<0.001)comparedwith no contraceptive use. Conclusions This study has demonstrated a naturalistic association between contraceptive use, particularly hormonal contraceptives, and decreased anxiety and depression among Mozambican women of reproductive age. This likely reflects a complex, bi-directional relationship, the nature and mechanism of which should be investigated in further experimental research.

Source: UG
Contraceptive use and method mix dynamics in Sub-saharan Africa: time trends and the infuence of the HIV pandemic

Background Contraceptive use dynamics continue to be of priority in sub-Saharan Africa because of persistently high levels of fertility. This paper focuses on the use of barrier versus non-barrier contraceptive use in sub-Sahara Africa hypothesizing that the HIV pandemic in the region would be responsible for increases in the use of barrier methods over time. Methods This paper uses Demographic and Heath Survey (DHS) data from 32 countries to conduct extensive analysis of trends in contraceptive use and method mix that refers to the distribution of contraceptive methods use among the sexually active population. The paper examines how contraceptive method mix dynamics have changed over time and whether the trends differ by marital status and gender using cross-tabulations. It furthers examines the determinants of method choice using logistic regressions. Results The findings indicate that the use of barrier methods, most markedly for unmarried women and men, rose substantially between the late 1980s and late 2000s in the region in tandem with trends in HIV prevalence. The results further show marked differences in method mix by gender with men being more likely to report barrier method use than women. Conclusions The findings indicate shifting preferences in contraceptive choice. The time trend analyses highlight the importance of expanding the focus of contraceptive use studies beyond women in this context as the study finds differing trends for men.

Source: UG
Contraceptive Use And Method Mix Dynamics In Sub-Saharan Africa: Time Trends And The Infuence Of The HIV Pandemic.

Background Contraceptive use dynamics continue to be of priority in sub-Saharan Africa because of persistently high levels of fertility. This paper focuses on the use of barrier versus non-barrier contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa hypothesises that the HIV pandemic in the region would be responsible for increases in the use of barrier methods over time. Methods This paper uses Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 32 countries to conduct an extensive analysis of trends in contraceptive use and method mix that refers to the distribution of contraceptive methods used among the sexually active population. The paper examines how contraceptive method mix dynamics have changed over time and whether the trends differ by marital status and gender using cross-tabulations. It further examines the determinants of method choice using logistic regressions. Results The findings indicate that the use of barrier methods, most markedly for unmarried women and men, rose substantially between the late 1980s and late 2000s in the region in tandem with trends in HIV prevalence. The results further show marked differences in method mix by gender with men being more likely to report barrier method use than women. Conclusions The findings indicate shifting preferences in contraceptive choice. The time trend analyses highlight the importance of expanding the focus of contraceptive use studies beyond women in this context as the study finds differing trends for men.

Source: UG
Contraceptive Use and Unintended Pregnancy among Young Women and Men in Accra, Ghana

The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with modern contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy among young women and men in Accra, Ghana. From September-December 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional survey with 250 women and 100 men aged 18-24. We explored determinants of modern contraceptive use among males and females and unintended pregnancy among females. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, and multivariable logistic regression were used. Participants had an average of three lifetime sexual partners, and 91% had one current partner. Overall, 44% reported current modern contraceptive use. In multivariate modeling, modern contraceptive use was associated with higher education compared to primary (AORs 2.1-4.3); ever talking with someone about contraception (AOR 4.7); feeling unsupported by a healthcare provider for contraception (AOR 2.2); and not feeling at risk of unintended pregnancy (AOR 2.7). While ≥70% of participants recognized most contraceptive methods, awareness of some methods was lacking. Nearly all respondents (91%) felt at least one modern method was unsafe. Nearly half of all females (45%) reported their last pregnancy was unintended, and 63% of females and 58% of males felt at risk for future unintended pregnancy. Women were more likely to experience unintended pregnancy if they had ever given birth (AOR 6.7), their sexual debut was 8-14 years versus 20-24 years (AOR 3.4), or they had 3-4 lifetime sexual partners versus 1-2 (AOR 2.4). Targeted interventions are needed to improve understanding of the safety of modern contraceptive methods, increase awareness of long-acting methods, and consequently increase modern contraceptive access and use.

Source: UG
Contraceptive use intentions and unmet need for family planning among reproductive-aged women in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Background Motivations for use of contraceptives vary across populations. While some women use contraceptives for birth spacing, others adopt contraception for stopping childbearing. As part of efforts to guide the policy framework to promote contraceptive utilization among women in Ghana, this paper examines the intentions for contraceptive use among reproductive-aged women in one of the most impoverished regions of Ghana. Methods This paper utilizes data collected in 2011 from seven districts in the Upper East Region of northern Ghana to examine whether women who reported the use of contraceptives did so for the purposes of stopping or spacing childbirth. A total of 5511 women were interviewed on various health and reproductive health related issues, including fertility and family planning behavior. Women were asked if they would like to have any more children (for those who already had children or those who were pregnant at the time of the survey). Results The prevalence of contraceptive use was low at 13%, while unmet need is highly pervasive and demand for family planning is predominantly for spacing future childbearing rather than for the purpose of stopping. Overall, about 31.7%of women not using contraceptives reported a need for spacing while 17.6% expressed a need for limiting. Thus, the latent demand for family planning is dominated by preferences for space rather than limiting childbearing. Conclusion Results show that there is latent demand for family planning and therefore if family planning programs are appropriately implemented they can yield the desired impact.

Source: UG
Contraceptive use intentions and unmet need for family planning among reproductive-aged women in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Background:Motivations for use of contraceptives vary across populations. While some women use contraceptivesfor birth spacing, others adopt contraception for stopping childbearing. As part of efforts to guide the policyframework to promote contraceptive utilization among women in Ghana, this paper examines the intentions forcontraceptive use among reproductive-aged women in one of the most impoverished regions of Ghana.Methods:This paper utilizes data collected in 2011 from seven districts in the Upper East Region of northernGhana to examine whether women who reported the use of contraceptives did so for the purposes of stopping orspacing childbirth. A total of 5511 women were interviewed on various health and reproductive health relatedissues, including fertility and family planning behavior. Women were asked if they would like to have any morechildren (for those who already had children or those who were pregnant at the time of the survey).Results:The prevalence of contraceptive use was low at 13%, while unmet need is highly pervasive and demandfor family planning is predominantly for spacing future childbearing rather than for the purpose of stopping.Overall, about 31.7%of women not using contraceptives reported a need for spacing while 17.6% expressed a needfor limiting. Thus, the latent demand for family planning is dominated by preferences for space rather than limitingchildbearing.Conclusion:Results show that there is latent demand for family planning and therefore if family planningprograms are appropriately implemented they can yield the desired impact.

Source: UG