ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Patterns of cardiovascular disease mortality in Ghana: A 5-year review of autopsy cases at Korle-Bu teaching hospital

Objectives: Our study examined age and sex patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among autopsy cases at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra, Ghana from 2006 to 2010. Design: All cardiovascular deaths diagnosed at autopsy in the 5-year period beginning January 2006 and ending December 2010 located in the autopsy logbooks of the Department of Pathology, KBTH, were analyzed for this study. A total of 20,706 autopsy cases were done at KBTH within the five year period out of which 19,289 (93.2%) were analyzed for this study. Chi-square tests were used to show the association between sex and CVD deaths. Results: The results show that CVD constituted more than one-fifth (22.2%) of all causes of deaths from autopsy cases at KBTH within the 5-year period. The proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) for CVD increased with age, rising steeply in mid-life to peak in the very old, accounting for almost 50% of deaths examined by age 85 years. Also, the findings showed that for the five year period, males had higher proportion of CVD death compared to females (χ2=27.284, P=.000). Conclusions: In the absence of population-based data, hospital records may serve as a useful tool in epidemiologic surveillance of disease. Thus, efforts should be made at health facilities to document minimal patient characteristics such as the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics to facilitate such studies in the future. In conclusion, further studies may be needed to primarily help in formulating strategies/policies for prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Source: UG
Patterns of chromosomal breakpoint locations in burkitt's lymphoma: Relevance to geography and epstein-barr virus association.

We have examined, by Southern blotting, the patterns of chromosomal breakpoint locations in 55 cases of Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) with respect to geography and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) association. We have confirmed the association between chromosome 8 breakpoint and geography: 74% of endemic (eBL) but only 9% of sporadic BL (sBL) had breakpoints outside the HindIII fragment encompassing the c-myc gene (P2 less than .00001). Conversely, not only did 91% of sBL manifest a rearranged HindIII fragment, but at least 56% of these cases, in contrast to 17% of eBL cases, had a breakpoint within the first exon or intron of c-myc (P2 less than .004). Breakpoints outside the switch mu (S mu) region (ie, the HindIII fragment encompassing S mu) on chromosome 14 were twice as common overall (73%) as those within S mu (27%), but in the 15 tumors with S mu breakpoints, 13 (87%) had a rearranged c-myc gene. Breakpoints outside the HindIII fragment encompassing c-myc on chromosome 8 were predominantly associated with non-S mu breakpoints on chromosome 14 (85%) and this was the combination most frequently associated with eBL (65%; 6% of sBL, P2 less than .00001). In sBL, the most frequent breakpoint combination was a rearranged c-myc gene with a non-S mu breakpoint (63%; 13% of eBL). Twenty-eight percent of sBL and 13% of eBL had breakpoints both within c-myc and within S mu. EBV DNA was present in 19 of 20 tumors with breakpoints outside c-myc, in none of 7 with a breakpoint in the immediate 5' region of c-myc, in 4 of 5 tumors with breakpoints in the first exon, and in 7 of 12 tumors with breakpoints in the first intron. These data suggest that the pathogeneses of eBL and sBL differ with regard to the mechanism of c-myc deregulation, and probably also with regard to the state of differentiation of the target cell for malignant transformation. We have formulated a testable hypothesis regarding the potential role of EBV in pathogenesis: that it is required to contribute to the deregulation of c-myc in the presence of some, but not all, types of c-myc damage arising from the chromosomal translocations.

Source: UG
Patterns of Cultural Consensus and Intracultural Diversity in Ghanaian Complementary Feeding Practices

Designing effective interventions to improve infant and young child (IYC) feeding requires knowledge about determinants of current practices, including cultural factors. Current approaches to obtaining and using research on culture tend to assume cultural homogeneity within a population. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of cultural consensus (homogeneity) in communities where interventions to improve IYC feeding practices are needed to address undernutrition during the period of complementary feeding. A second, related objective was to identify the nature of intracultural variation, if such variation was evident. Selected protocols from the Focused Ethnographic Study for Infant and Young Child Feeding Manual were administered to samples of key informants and caregivers in a peri-urban and a rural area in Brong-Ahafo, Ghana. Cultural domain analysis techniques (free listing, caregiver assessment of culturally significant dimensions, and food ratings on these dimensions), as well as open-ended questions with exploratory probing, were used to obtain data on beliefs and related practices. Results reveal generally high cultural consensus on the 5 dimensions that were assessed (healthiness, appeal, child acceptance, convenience, and modernity) for caregiver decisions and on their ratings of individual foods. However, thematic analysis of caregiver narratives indicates that the meanings and content of the constructs connoted by the dimensions differed widely among individual mothers. These findings suggest that research on cultural factors that affect IYC practices, particularly cultural beliefs, should consider the nature and extent of cultural consensus and intracultural diversity, rather than assuming cultural homogeneity.

Source: UG
Patterns of household insecticide use and pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae) within the Accra metropolis of Ghana

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
Patterns of root growth and water uptake of a maize-cowpea mixture grown under greenhouse conditions

This study investigated the patterns of root growth and water uptake of maize (Zea mays L.) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) grown in a mixture under greenhouse conditions. The plants were grown in root boxes for 5 weeks under 2 watering regimes; fully irrigated and water stress conditions, followed by a 5-day drying cycle imposed during the 6th week of growth. Water uptake patterns were analysed during the drying cycle. The two-dimensional distribution of the roots of both plants in the boxes was determined immediately at the end of the drying cycle. Under well-irrigated conditions, the roots of the component plants grew profusely into all sections of the root box and intermingled considerably. Water stress resulted in the decline of root growth of maize and cowpea but the root:shoot ratios of maize and cowpea were not affected, suggesting that there was no significant effect of water stress on root:shoot partitioning. However, water stress affected the biomass distribution between fine and coarse roots in cowpea. About 64% by weight of cowpea roots under water stress were coarse whereas as against 48% under well-irrigated conditions. Furthermore, water stress generally restricted the lateral extent of the roots of both maize and cowpea with a tendency of clumping together of the root systems and a reduced degree of intermingling. Thus, the extent of mixing of the root systems was apparently controlled by the availability of soil water. Water uptake from the well-irrigated soil in the root boxes was initially restricted to the sections directly below the base of each plant. Although roots of both plants were present in almost all sections of the root box, all the sections did not contribute simultaneously to water uptake by each plant. Water uptake was delayed from the middle intermingled zones. In effect, uptake patterns did not relate generally to the root distribution. The tendency was for the component plants to initially 'avoid' water uptake from zones of intense intermingling or competition.

Source: UG
Patterns of Spiritual Connectedness during Adolescence: Links to Coping and Adjustment in Low-Income Urban Youth

Religiosity and spirituality are influential experiences that buffer adverse effects of stressors. Spirituality typically declines during adolescence, although not universally. Using Latent Class Growth Analysis, we examined changes in spiritual connectedness among 188 early (52% female; M age = 10.77, SD = 0.65 years) and 167 middle (56% female; M age = 13.68, SD = 0.82 years) predominantly African American adolescents participating in a 4-year longitudinal study. Three distinct profiles of spiritual connectedness emerged: low and steady, moderate with declines over the study period, and high and steady. Profile distributions varied across developmental level: there were more early adolescents in the high and steady profile and more middle adolescents in the decliner profile. Youth in the high and steady profile evidenced more goal-directedness and life satisfaction and more effective emotion management and coping strategies than youth in other profiles. Contributions to the positive development literature are discussed. © 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Source: UG
Patterns of victimization in Ghana’s Senior Correctional Center: The experiences of juvenile offenders

Victimization is considered a serious issue which affects children across the globe and this is particularly accentuated in the prison environment Research on prison victimization and psychological health, however, has primarily focused on adult prisoners. There is little documentation on how victimization impacts the psychological health of juvenile offenders in correctional facilities. This article, therefore, explores the experiences of victimization among juvenile offenders in the Senior Correctional Center, Ghana. A total of 20 juvenile offenders were purposively sampled from Ghana’s Senior Correction Center. Using thematic analysis, three themes were generated and discussed: forms of victimization, causes of victimization and impacts of victimization. It was revealed that, besides taking the form of either direct or indirect physical assault, victimization also manifested in the form of verbal assault. Moreover, victimization was found to usually occur when young offenders direct their built-up frustrations at others or when victims possess specific attributes that make them targets. The various forms of victimization experienced by these young offenders impacts their well-being physically and psychologically and socially. It is recommended that stakeholders practice stress management exercises and establish a buddy system for juvenile offenders in the correctional facility

Source: UG
Patterns, advances, and gaps in using ChatGPT and similar technologies in nursing education: A PAGER scoping review

Background and aim: Generative AI (GenAI) can transform nursing education and modernise content delivery. However, the rapid integration of these tools has raised concerns about academic integrity and teaching quality. Previous reviews have either looked broadly at artificial intelligence or focused narrowly on single tools like ChatGPT. This scoping review uses a structured framework to identify patterns, advances, gaps, evidence, and recommendations for implementing GenAI in nursing education. Methods: This scoping review followed the JBI methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, ERIC, and grey literature (October to November 2024). Data synthesis utilised the PAGER framework as a mapping tool to organise and describe patterns, advances, gaps, evidence for practice, and recommendations. Results: Analysis of 107 studies revealed GenAI implementation across four key domains: assessment and eval uation, clinical simulation, educational content development, and faculty/student support. Three distinct implementation patterns emerged: restrictive, integrative, and hybrid approaches, with hybrid models demon strating superior adoption outcomes. Technical advances showed significant improvement from GPT-3.5 (75.3 % accuracy) to GPT-4 (88.67 % accuracy) in NCLEX-style assessments, with enhanced capabilities in multilingual assessment, clinical scenario generation, and adaptive content creation. Major gaps included limited methodo logical rigour (29.0 % of empirical studies), inconsistent quality control, verification challenges, equity concerns, and inadequate faculty training. Geographic distribution showed North American (42.1 %) and Asian (29.9 %) dominance, with ChatGPT representing 83.2 % of tool implementations. Key recommendations include devel oping institutional policies, establishing quality verification protocols, enhancing faculty training programs, and addressing digital equity concerns to optimise GenAI integration in nursing education. Conclusions: GenAI has transformative potential in nursing education. To realise its full potential and ensure responsible use, research should focus on developing standardised governance frameworks, empirically vali dating outcomes, developing faculty in AI literacy, and improving technical infrastructure for low-income contexts. Such efforts should involve international collaboration, highlighting the importance of the audi ence's role in the global healthcare community.

Source: UG
Paying for education among households in Ghana: Is there any role for household resources and contextual effects?

Purpose Using data from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, this paper aims to take a critical look at issues relating to the demand for education in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach In doing this, the paper develops a model for the determinants of household’s educational expenditure using the full sample of data and an income-quintile disaggregated model of the determinants of household’s educational expenditures. The study adopts robust empirical estimation techniques to estimate the model. Findings The paper finds that household resources importantly influence children’s educational expenditures with wealthier households spending proportionately more in educating their children than poorer households; large-sized households spend more in terms of educational expenses than small-sized households reflecting largely the quantity of education purchased, given that quality and contextual factors matters for educational investments. Strikingly, the findings show that female headship is a significant positive predictor of households’ demand for education. These findings provide valuable policy options relating to the goal of ensuring inclusive and quality education for all and promoting a lifelong learning by 2030. Originality/value While literature on the determinants of households’ educational expenditures abound, very few of this literature focuses on sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, this study makes an important contribution to the literature by providing evidence on the determinants of households’ educational expenditure in the context of sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: UG
Paying for privately installed irrigation services in Northern Ghana: The case of the smallholder Bhungroo Irrigation Technology

We assess factors influencing farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) amount for privately installed smallholder irrigation systems in Northern Ghana that conserve water for farming. Northern Ghana has a unimodal rainfall pattern that last for three months with a prolonged dry season. We provide insights into smallholder farmers’ affordability of simple irrigation systems fashioned on build-operate and transfer and how long it would take to breakeven to own the system. We add to the largely paucity in the literature in Northern Ghana on smallholder farmer access to irrigation services. Primary data and focus group discussions from farmers was collected between November 2015 and July 2016 in communities where the technology is installed as pilots and in areas noted for floods during the single rainy season and drought in the dry season. The Contingency Valuation Method was used to elicit information on farmers Willingness To Pay Amount. The Tobit regression model estimated the key factors that would influence their WTP amount whilst the simple investment appraisal technique, payback period, estimated the breakeven point. The mean WTP amount from the farmers was GHS180 ($45) per two seasons (a year) per hectare. Given this mean willingness to pay amount, at baseline, the typical group of five (5) maize farmers can afford to pay to own one BIT after 22 years of life of the technology. That notwithstanding, for sustainability of such a project, there is the need for strong farmer based groups to operate and manage the BIT and for the farmers to access farm inputs, access markets and be able to sell their produce at adequate prices to cover costs and to increase their income. Recommendations directed at NGOs, extension institutions, and local government authorities are to intensify training given to farmers on adoption of irrigation technologies as well as strengthening farmer-based organizations for sustainability and management of such technologies.

Source: UG
Peanut-specific IgE antibodies in asymptomatic Ghanaian children possibly caused by carbohydrate determinant cross-reactivity

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
The Pedagogical Value of the Lecture Method: The Case of a Non-Formal Education Programme in Ghana

Adult learning rests on the foundation of learner experience and involvement in the teaching and learning process. The methods employed in facilitating adult learning have to a large extent sought to place the learner at the centre of the entire teaching and learning encounter. The lecture method is one of the many methods used to facilitate learning in many educational programmes. This article reports on a study that posed the question: How effective is the lecture method in facilitating learning in non-formal adult education programmes? The case study design was used for the study. The National Functional Literacy Programme of Ghana was purposively selected for this investigation. Two classes in the programme comprising 10 adult learners and one facilitator each were purposively selected as sample for the study. It was found that the lecture method was ineffective in promoting learning in non-formal adult education programmes in Ghana since it failed to stimulate the comprehension of subject matter and learner involvement in class activities.

Source: UG
Peer influences on sexual activity among adolescents in Ghana

Little is known about the influences of peers on the sexual activity of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Better understanding of these issues could lead to more effective sexual and reproductive health interventions. Using two waves of survey data from 1,275 adolescents in two southeastern Ghanaian towns, we examine age, sex, and community differences in peer group characteristics. We also examine prospective associations between peer group characteristics and self-reported sexual initiation and multiple partnerships during a 20-month follow-up period. Sex differences in peer-context variables were small. Affiliation with antisocial peers and perceived peer norms favoring sex increased the odds of transition to first sex. Having more friends increased the odds among younger respondents of acquiring multiple new sexual partners. Among males, perceived peer norms favoring sex increased the odds of acquiring multiple partners. We discuss the implications of these findings for adolescent sexual and reproductive health intervention strategies in sub-Saharan Africa, and conclude that peer-based interventions may be best suited to the needs of at-risk adolescent boys. © 2015 The Population Council, Inc.

Source: UG
Peer victimization, prison climate, resilience and psychological distress of incarcerated juvenile offenders in Ghana: A serial mediation examination

A B S T R A C T Most Ghanaian research in the area of victimization among children has focused on the school setting. Little research has been done in an attempt to understand inmate-on-inmate victimization within the juvenile correctional facilities in Ghana. This study, therefore, investigated the extent to which peer victimization influences psychological distress among juvenile offenders in the Senior Correctional Center of Ghana. A crosssectional design was used to purposively sample 115 juvenile offenders for the study. Following mediation analysis performed in PROCESS, the results revealed that prison climate and resilience serially mediated the relationship between peer victimization and psychological distress. Independently, both prison climate and resilience mediated the relationship between peer victimization and psychological distress. It was recommended that anti-bullying programs ought to be institutionalized to create mental health awareness within the correctional facilities. Also, support systems such as the Listener Scheme need to be deployed within the correctional facilities.

Source: UG
Penicillin resistance and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Ghanaian children less than six years of age

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of nasopharyngeal carriage, serotype distribution, and penicillin resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children &#8804;6&#160;years of age in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on a cluster-randomized sample of children &#8804;6&#160;years of age attending nurseries and kindergartens in Accra and Tamale, Ghana. Basic data on age, sex and exposure to antimicrobials in the previous month were collected on all study subjects. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from participants and all pneumococcal isolates were characterized by serotyping and their penicillin resistance determined. Results The overall prevalence of pneumococcal carriage among the children was 34% in Accra and 31% in Tamale. The predominant serotypes were 19F, 6B, 23F, and 6A with 23% of the isolates being non-typable in Accra and 12% in Tamale. Only two isolates (serotypes 19F and 6B) from Tamale had a MIC &gt;2&#160;&#956;g/ml and were classified as fully penicillin resistant with 45% of the isolates having intermediate resistance. Conclusions These findings indicate that the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13) recently introduced in Ghana will cover 48% and 51% of the serotypes identified in Accra and Tamale, respectively. The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-23) will cover 54% of all serotypes detected. The two penicillin resistant isolates (MIC 32&#160;&#956;g/ml) were serotypes included in both PCV-13 and PPV-23. A nationwide monitoring system of penicillin susceptibility patterns and pneumococcal serotypes is recommended.

Source: UG