ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Adolescents’ willingness and intentions to use contraceptives in rural Ghana

Efforts made to improve the availability and access to family planning services to adolescents in Ghana have not yielded the desired results. Adolescents in the Kintampo Health and Demographic Surveillance System area are no exception. This study explored contraceptive use intentions, preferences and their determinants among adolescents in rural Ghana. This was to contribute evidence towards achieving universal access to reproductive health. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect Sexual and Reproductive Health data in the Kintampo districts in 2011. A total of 1805 female adolescents were randomly sampled from a resident female adolescent population of 16,795. This study used intention and/or willingness of adolescents to use contraceptives as the outcome variable and the explanatory variables were demographic and socio-economic factors. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were done. The findings indicated 54.3% of adolescents’ were willing to use contraceptives. Injectable was the most preferred contraceptive method among adolescents (48.6%); this was followed by the pill (29.6%) with the least being foam or jelly (0.2%). The most commonly cited reason for not intending to use contraception was adolescents’ opposition to family planning (31.5%) followed by a fear of side effects (25.8%). Age and education influenced adolescents’ willingness to use contraceptives in the future. Formal education of the young generation coupled with knowledge of contraceptive methods could yield positive outcomes for contraceptive use and ultimately reproductive health of the adolescent population in the near future

Source: UCC
Adoption And Effect Of Improved Maize Varieties On The Poverty Outcome Of Maize Farmers In The Akuapem-North Municipality

Maize constitutes more than 50 percent of Ghana's total cereal production and the basic source of staple food for a majority of households in Ghana. Despite CSIR releasing several agricultural technologies, improved maize varieties, maize production in Ghana is heavily below what is economically and technically feasible. The persistent low productivity, which may be attributed to the low adoption of agricultural technologies results in low farm yield, reduced farmers‘ income and derail their welfare. It is in this light that this study sought to assess the adoption and effect of improved maize varieties on poverty outcomes among maize farmers in the Akuapem-North Municipality, one of the leading districts in maize production in Ghana. Specifically, the study sought to highlight the factors influencing the adoption of improved maize varieties in the Akuapem-North Municipality; examine the effect of the adoption of improved maize varieties variety on the poverty outcome of farmers in Akuapem-North Municipality; and lastly, investigate the factors hindering farmers in Akuapem-North Municipality from adopting of improved maize varieties. The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design and the quantitative research approach to achieve the research objectives. Employing the multistage sampling technique, the study sampled 367 smallholder farmers from the top five maize-producing communities in the Akuapem North Municipality. These communities are Saforo, Tinkon, Mangoase, Adowso, and Konko. Data was collected with a questionnaire in the year 2021 from the sampled smallholder farmers and the binary logistic regression was used as the estimation technique. The study revealed that out of the 367 farmers sampled, 258 representing 70 percent adopted improved maize varieties whereas 109 representing 30 percent did not adopt improved maize varieties. The study further revealed that farm yields, membership in farm-based organizations, access to credit or finance, government policies, farmers‘ income, and market prices for maize products significantly increased the likelihood for farmers to adopt improved maize varieties. Contrarily, the high cost of improved seeds, unavailability of seeds, and unfavourable government policies hindered farmers from adopting improved maize varieties. Furthermore, the study revealed that farmers who adopted improved maize varieties fell in the non-poor category while the majority of the farmers who did not adopt improved maize varieties were in the poor category. To address this, government policies should prioritize increasing educational opportunities for farmers and reducing the cost of improved seeds. It also recommends that farmers join farm-based organizations to gain access to valuable insights and keep up with the latest agricultural technology trends.

Source: UCC
Adoption and Effective Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learning in Higher institutions in Ghana

This concept paper focuses on how the adoption and effective integration of ICT in higher education in Ghana is having an impact on teaching and learning. Several models that can be used to improve understanding concerning the diffusion, adoption and usage of new technologies in teaching higher institutions are discussed. Some of the models include Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Diffusion Innovation Model (DIM) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) Model. Impacts, as well as barriers to the use of ICT in teaching and learning in the universities will also be looked at. This study will help educational authorities and administrators who will seek to enhance teaching and learning in the universities as a means of improving performance and quality education. The study will also make contribution by way of providing insight into the problem of access to and usage of ICT for teaching and learning in Ghanaian universities. It is recommended that different models should be integrated for adoption and integration of ICT in universities.

Source: UCC
Adoption And Implementation Of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) By Public Universities In Ghana

The purpose of this study is to examine the readiness, status, prospects and challenges of the adoption and implementation of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) by public universities in Ghana. The study is quantitative in nature, and employed the descriptive research design. The random sampling technique is used to select 198 Audit and Finance staff from four public universities in Ghana. Descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation are used for the analysis. It is found that public universities in Ghana are highly ready to implement IPSAS. Also, the status of IPSAS adoption and implementation is found to be high. Further, IPSAS prospects of fraud and corruption reduction, reduced tasks involved in financial reporting process, improved comparability of financial information, and improved and strengthened good governance and relations are identified as some of the prospects of IPSAS adoption and implementation. Finally, challenges of high cost of adoption and implementation, low level of management commitment, user unfriendliness of IPSAS, inflexibility of existing organisational culture to accommodate IPSAS adoption and implementation, among others are also identified. It is concluded that if financial support and expert training are not provided, full adoption and implementation may not be realised. The study, thus, recommends that management of public universities in Ghana should train finance and audit staff and make funds available for IPSAS adoption and implementation.

Source: UCC
Adoption and Implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards by Technical Universities in Ghana: Readiness, Prospects and Challenges

The main purpose of this study was to examine the adoption and implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) in Technical Universities in Ghana. The study employed the quantitative approach and the descriptive research design. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select 90 participants from Directorates of Audit and Finance in 10 Technical Universities in Ghana. Statistical tools of frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation and Spearman.s rank correlation were used to analyse data. It was found that Technical Universities in Ghana were not ready to adopt and implement IPSAS. Also, IPSAS prospects of improved comparability of financial statements, facilitation of transparency and accountability, provision of comprehensive and coherent financial information, increased accountability, among others, were found. Additionally, challenges of high cost of adoption and implementation, difficulty in understanding and cumbersome nature of IPSAS, non-availability of professionals with requisite expertise and knowledge, delay in provision of information related to IPSAS implementation, and lack of clear guidance were identified. Finally, both prospects and challenges correlated positively with level of readiness to adopt and implement IPSAS. It was concluded that if financial support and professional training is not provided, full adoption and implementation of IPSAS may not be achieved. It was then recommended that management of Technical Universities in Ghana train finance and audit staff and make funds available for the processes and activities involved in IPSAS adoption and implementation.als

Source: UCC
Adoption of Computerized Accounting Information System And Financial Performance of Metropolitan, Municipal And District Assemblies in Ghana: the Role of Internal Control Systems

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to explore the factors that influence the adoption of computerized accounting information system (CAIS) among MMDAs in Ghana. It also sought to examine how the identified factors influence the financial performance of the MMDAs and the mediating role of internal control system in the identified linkage. Relying on data collected from the operators and controllers of CAIS of 227 MMDAs across the sixteen regions of Ghana using questionnaire as the main instrument, factor analysis was applied to identify four factors that determine the adoption of CAIS among MMDAs. These include; Cost of adoption; CAIS complexity, Data security and cost and then Readiness to adopt CAIS. Using these factors as exogenous constructs and applying structural equation modelling, the study observed that, whiles cost of adopting CAIS and readiness to adopt CAIS significantly influence the financial performance of MMDAs, CAIS complexities and data security cost and threat have no significant influence on financial performance. It was again observed that whiles internal control system mediates the relationship between CAIS complexities and financial performance, and then data security threat and cost, internal control system does not mediate the relationship between cost of adopting CAIS and financial performance and then readiness to adopt CAIS and financial performance. It is recommended among others that Government interventions should aim at improving technology adoption among MMDAs. Also, Government should speed up the adoption and implementation of GIFMIS to cover all MMDAs. Again, MMDAs should consider CAIS technology on the basis of Software-as-a-service (SaaS).

Source: UCC
Adoption of Hashtags in Social Media: Achieving Peace or Inciting Violence?

The advent of social media platforms, specifically twitter, and the added feature of hashtags has had a way of contributing towards the dynamics of any political space and one of these political events is xenophobia which is discussed in this study. Social media have facilitated social and political change bringing about incidence of violence which has security implications. This study sought to assess the adoption of hashtags in social media and how they are used to achieve peace or incite violence. Public sphere and agenda-setting theories served as theoretical expositions for this study. The study adopted the qualitative research approach and data was sought from secondary sources in the period September 1, 2019, through to November 30, 2019, while purposive sampling technique was used to select 633 tweets. Further, the study adopted the exploratory research design, and individuals, non-state and state actors served as sources of information, while content analysis served as the mode of analysis. The study revealed that individuals are imbued with certain ethical, moral, and social values that speak against violent acts. The study further discovered that at a certain point in time given different conditions, individuals express misgivings in a form of violent messages towards a group of people or an event on media platforms. The study also revealed that non-state actors play a key advisory and advocacy role, while state actors play advocacy, social protection, advisory, and public awareness creation roles to promote social cohesion among individuals. The study recommended intensive state monitoring and engagement in productive online discourses of national importance.

Source: UCC
Adoption Of International Public Sector Accounting Standards In Ghana: The Perception Of Controller And Accountanat General Department Staff

The study analysed the perceptions of Controller and Accountant General Department Staff on Adoption towards International Public Sector Accounting Standards in Ghana. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to 240 accountants, financial analysts and auditors of the CAGD. The collected data was analysed using both SPSS the partial least square estimation technique and the research design used was explanatory. The findings of the study revealed that the accountants, financial analysts and auditors of CAGD possess awareness of IPSAS, a solid understanding of its key principles and concepts, receive adequate training and express confidence in applying IPSAS principles in their daily work. Further, the study reveals that staff perceives challenges in integrating IPSAS into their daily functions and believe the adoption of IPSAS will enhance the accuracy and transparency of financial reporting at CAGD. Additionally, the study establishes that IPSAS acts as a promoter of financial reporting accuracy. Moreover, staff believes that additional training is necessary for CAGD staff to align with IPSAS. Hence, it was recommended that the management of CAGD should develop targeted communication strategies to continuously promote awareness of IPSAS principles and concepts among CAGD staff. Also, they should offer regular training sessions to reinforce and deepen the understanding of IPSAS principles, ensuring that accountants, financial analysts and auditors stay updated on any changes or updates. Again, the management of CAGD should endeavour to formulate specific plans to address the challenges perceived by staff in integrating IPSAS into daily functions. Besides, accountants, financial analysts and auditors at CAGD should continuously emphasise the importance of IPSAS in promoting financial reporting accuracy, highlighting the benefits and impact on the credibility of financial disclosures. Finally, the management and decision makers of CAGD should establish a structured and on-going training programme focused on IPSAS for CAGD accountants, financial analysts and auditors, ensuring that it addresses specific areas identified by respondents as needing additional training.

Source: UCC
Adoption of modern agricultural production technologies by farm households in Ghana: what factors influence their decisions?

Low adoption of modern agricultural production technologies amongst farmers in Ghana has been identified as one of the main reasons for the low agricultural productivity in the country. This paper examines the factors that influence farm households’ modern agricultural production technology adoption decisions in Ghana. Household questionnaires were administered to 300 farmers the Bawku West District of Ghana; and the logit model was estimated to ascertain the factors. The results showed that farm size, expected benefits from technology adoption, access to credit and extension services are the factors that significantly influence technology adoption decisions of farm households in the study area. It is concluded that farm households’ agricultural technology adoption decisions depends on their socio-economic circumstances and institutional effectiveness. We recommend that policies should be formulated to take advantage of the factors that positively influence farmers’ adoption of modern agricultural production technologies and to mitigate the negative onesLow adoption of modern agricultural production technologies amongst farmers in Ghana has been identified as one of the main reasons for the low agricultural productivity in the country. This paper examines the factors that influence farm households’ modern agricultural production technology adoption decisions in Ghana. Household questionnaires were administered to 300 farmers the Bawku West District of Ghana; and the logit model was estimated to ascertain the factors. The results showed that farm size, expected benefits from technology adoption, access to credit and extension services are the factors that significantly influence technology adoption decisions of farm households in the study area. It is concluded that farm households’ agricultural technology adoption decisions depends on their socio-economic circumstances and institutional effectiveness. We recommend that policies should be formulated to take advantage of the factors that positively influence farmers’ adoption of modern agricultural production technologies and to mitigate the negative ones

Source: UCC
Adoption of Online Reservation Systems Among Star Rated Hotels in the Accra Metropolis

ABSTRACT Research has shown that adoption of online reservation systems by the hospitality and tourism industry brings both economic and social benefits to the hotels and customers. The study sought to assess the adoption of online reservation systems among hotels in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana. The study was guided by the pragmatist’s paradigm to include the positivists and the interpretivist philosophy of research (quantitative and qualitative approach). Questionnaires were administered to all the 183 reservation/front office managers of the star-rated hotels through census. A purposive sampling was further used for 6 selected managers for interviews for triangulation. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of independence, Factor analysis, and Binary logistic regression were used for analysis. The study revealed that the majority of the star rated hotels (87%) in Accra Metropolis have adopted online reservation systems with Online Travel Agents and Hotel’s own website being the most forms of reservation systems used. Technological, managerial and economic, and environmental factors emerged as the factors which influenced adoption of ORS. It was also observed that hotels maximized reservations, have their business open to the public always. The study furthers observed that, slow internet access time, lack of qualified personnel, high commission rates, and lack of interaction between personnel and clients were the main barriers to the use of ORS. In as much as the adoption of ORS is beneficial, hotels are faced with several obstacles that prevents them from maximum utilization of the ORS facility

Source: UCC
Adsorption behavior of acid-leached clays in bleaching of oil

The available data have shown that acid-leached clays had sites for adsorption of impurities in oils. Data obtained on residual impurities in cotton and sunflower-seed oils bleached with the same clay materials produced linear Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The increase in constant, k with increase in both temperature of thermal activation and concentration of acid used to leach the clay, suggests that bleaching efficiency increased. The value of n decreased with increase in temperature of activation and concentration of acid used to leach the clay suggesting that bleaching capacity increased. The mineral compositions of the clays influenced their surface, structural and bleaching properties

Source: UCC
Adsorption of heavy metals contaminants in used lubricating oil using palm kernel and coconut shells activated carbons

This research work investigated the adsorption of some heavy metals contaminants in used lubricating oil using chemically activated carbon adsorbents produced from palm kernel and coconut shells. The adsorption mechanism was able to remove some heavy metals such as zinc, chromium, cadmium and magnesium contaminants from the used lubricating oil to appreciable levels. For instance, zinc from initial concentrations of 16.475±0.950 ppm before to 10.375±0.171 ppm after filtration processes for used lubricating oil sample A. Also, for coconut shell from an initial concentration of 14.575±0.272 ppm to 5.450±0.3000 ppm after filtration processes. It was observed that the coconut shell activated carbons was effective in the removal of lead metals while palm kernel cannot. However, the activated carbons produced from palm kernel and coconut shells are not suitable for the removal of both copper and iron metals. For example, after the filtration process with the palm kernel shell activated carbon, the mean concentration of copper metal increases for virgin (C) 0.001± 0.000 to 0.075±0.013 ppm and used lubricating oil samples (A&B) from 0.150±0.008 to 0.400±0.018 ppm and from 0.220±0.096 to 0.230±0.008 ppm respectively. Also, in the case of the coconut shell activated carbon, the mean concentration of copper in virgin lubricating oil remains the same 0.001±0.000 whereas for used lubricating oils samples (i.e. A&B) it increases from 0.150±0.008 to 0.780±0.014 and from 0.220±0.096 to 0.790±0.026 respectively. Also, the equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed using the Langmuir isotherm model. The fit of this isotherm model to the equilibrium adsorption data was determined, using the linear coefficient of correlation (R 2 ). The following R2 values were obtained; Copper (0.8185), Cadmium (0.8347), Lead (0.9349), Chromium (0.9378), Iron (0.9927), Zinc (0.9953), and Magnesium (0.9997) respectively. From the results obtained and statistics point of view, it can be concluded that the Langmuir model shows a better fit due to the high coefficient of correlation(R 2≈ 1). The recovered oil could be also re-used

Source: UCC
Adsorptive removal of iron and manganese from groundwater samples in Ghana by zeolite y synthesized from bauxite and kaolin

Ground water samples from residential homes in three Regions of Ghana: Central, Greater Accra and Ashanti, were analyzed for iron and manganese contamination. The samples were exposed to characterized zeolite Y y X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transformed-infrared spectroscopy and thermos gravimetric-differential thermal analysis. Zeolite Y is able to remove 98% of iron and 97% of manganese within an hour. The adsorption of oth iron and manganese followed the Freundlich model, suggesting that the ions were transported onto the zeolite Y surface and subsequently diffused into the zeolite Y framework. The kinetic studies showed that pseudo-first order and intra particle and film diffusion models provided the est fit. The adsorption at 0.2 mg L−1 Fe (Q0.2) is calculated to e 0.023 mg g−1 for the Freundlich adsorption model, whilst that of manganese at 0.05 mg L−1 Mn (Q0.05) is evaluated to e 0.015 mg g−1 .The zeolite retains its adsorption properties when retrieved from the first exposure water sample, washed copiously with distilled water and added to fresh water samples. The results suggest that zeolite Y can be used as a potential adsorbent for the removal of iron and manganese from groundwater

Source: UCC