ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Health impacts of changes in travel patterns in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana

Background: Health impact assessments of alternative travel patterns are urgently needed to inform transport and urban planning in African cities, but none exists so far. Objective: To quantify the health impacts of changes in travel patterns in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana. Methods: We estimated changes to population exposures to physical activity, air pollution, and road traffic fatality risk and consequent health burden (deaths and years of life lost prematurely – YLL) in response to changes in transportation patterns. Five scenarios were defined in collaboration with international and local partners and stakeholders to reflect potential local policy actions. Results: Swapping bus and walking trips for car trips can lead to more than 400 extra deaths and 20,500 YLL per year than travel patterns observed in 2009. If part of the rise in motorisation is from motorcycles, we estimated an additional nearly 370 deaths and over 18,500 YLL per year. Mitigating the rise in motorisation by swapping long trips by car or taxi to bus trips is the most beneficial for health, averting more than 600 premature deaths and over 31,500 YLL per year. Without significant improvements in road safety, reduction of short motorised trips in favour of cycling and walking had no significant net health benefits as non-communicable diseases deaths and YLL benefits were offset by increases in road traffic deaths. In all scenarios, road traffic fatalities were the largest contributor to changes in deaths and YLL. Conclusions: Rising motorisation, particularly from motorcycles, can cause significant increase in health burden in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area. Mitigating rising motorisation by improving public transport would benefit population health. Tackling road injury risk to ensure safe walking and cycling is a top priority. In the short term, this will save lives from injury. Longer term it will help halt the likely fall in physical activity.

Source: UG
Health informatics and brain drain mitigation in Ghana

Migration of health workers has been a major issue of concern for most developing countries including Ghana. Extant literature has revealed that several attempts have been made from various disciplines to counter this menace in some developing countries. In this paper, the field of Information Systems (IS) tries to uncover how technology can also be used to mitigate brain drain in the health sector of developing countries, using Ghana as a case. This study adopts the theory of affordance, Maslow’s theory of motivation, and Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory to support the development of a conceptual framework. An exploratory research approach using a qualitative research method was adopted. Theoretically, this paper contributes to the IS literature on migration. Practically, the paper presents a basis for more technological adoption within the health sector of Ghana and other developing countries that experience medical brain drain as a challenge.

Source: UG
Health information behaviour of graduate students on the internet: Sources, trust and reliability of information

The study sought to investigate the health information behaviour of graduate students on the internet. A quantitative method using a cross-sectional survey was used to solicit information from 256 graduate students studying courses related to health in the Arts, Social, and applied Sciences. The results showed that most of the respondents preferred the Internet because it is timely, fast and provides information from different sources simultaneously. The type(s) of health information mostly sought for were general information on healthy lifestyle, specific disease or treatment, side effects of medications, new development in the medical field among others. Majority (90.9 %) of the respondents trusted the health information on the Internet but most (56.6 %) did not verify the information obtained online with medical practitioners although they had some forms of concern. The findings offer health practitioners knowledge about university students’ health information seeking behaviour on the Internet in relation to other sources of health information.

Source: UG
Health information from elite to popular media: are Ghanaian media creating more space for health information/education?

In countries where illiteracy levels are high, media platforms such as print have tended to be exclusive of certain segments of the population, and therefore not wholly effective in reaching the masses with information, such as that relating to health. In Ghana, this barrier between literacy, media and audiences is blurring, as radio ‘converges’ with print such that newspaper stories of the day form the basis for morning radio (local language) discussions. This article investigates the implications of this ‘converged’ platform for expanding the spaces for health communication. Further, it explores audience interest in health issues in a growing cacophony of politics-based discourse. A qualitative content analysis of selected editions of two leading Ghanaian newspapers (Daily Graphic and Daily Guide) and the most popular morning radio programme (Kokrokoo) was undertaken to examine the extent to which newspaper stories on three health conditions (malaria, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis) gain prominence or suffer neglect as they transit from print through morning radio to the listening public. The findings suggest that the ‘converged’ platform may not wholly be creating more space for health education/ communication.

Source: UG
Health Information Seeking Behaviour among Users in the College of Health Sciences Library, the University of Ghana amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The purpose of this study is to assess the information needs and information-seeking behaviour among library users in the CHS Library, the University of Ghana amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The study adopted the survey design to select 128 respondents using the convenience sampling technique with a response rate of 68.75 per cent. The study found that most respondents were competent health information literates. Moreover, most users look for health information to gain a better understanding of the causes, severity, and prognosis of a disease. Again, most respondents demonstrated that their main source of health information during the COVID-19 pandemic was the internet followed by medical databases. The findings also indicated that major challenges encountered in seeking health information by most respondents were internet connectivity followed by lack of time and inadequate library resources. Earlier studies have focused on health information and there is relatively little research on health information provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study provides insights into the information needs and information-seeking behaviour among library users during the pandemic in a developing country setting.

Source: UG
Health insurance and quality of care: Comparing perceptions of quality between insured and uninsured patients in Ghana’s hospitals

Abstract Background The introduction of health insurance in Ghana in 2003 has resulted in a tremendous increase in utilization of health services. However, concerns are being raised about the quality of patient care. Some of the concerns include long waiting times, verbal abuse of patients by health care providers, inadequate physical examination by doctors and discrimination of insured patients. The study compares perceptions of quality of care between insured and uninsured out-patients in selected hospitals in Ghana to determine whether there is any unequal treatment between insured and uninsured patients in terms of quality of care, as empirical and anecdotal evidence seem to suggest. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 818 out-patients was conducted in 17 general hospitals from three regions of Ghana. These are the Upper East, Brong Ahafo and Central Regions. Convenience sampling was employed to select the patients in exit interviews. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions, means and standard deviations, were used to describe socio-economic and demographic characteristics of respondents. Factor analysis was used to determine distinct quality of care constructs; t-test statistic was used to test for differences in quality perceptions between the insured and uninsured patients; and regression analysis was used to test the association between health insurance and quality of care. Results Overall, there was no significant difference in perceptions of quality between insured and uninsured patients. However, there was a significant difference between insured and uninsured patients in respect of financial access to care. The major quality of care concern affecting all patients was the problem of inadequate resources, especially lack of doctors, lack of drugs and other basic supplies and equipment to work with. Conclusions It was concluded that generally, insured and uninsured patients are not treated unequally, contrary to prevailing anecdotal and empirical evidence. On the contrary, quality of care is a concern of both insured and uninsured patients.

Source: UG
Health Insurance and Vulnerability to Health Shocks in Ghana

The economic impact of diseases in terms of healthcare cost and reduced productivity is enormous and affects both the household and the economy as a whole. From the perception of an adverse health situation, to the decision to seek care, up to the coping mechanisms that a household will adopt, the entire burden of illness stretches the resources of households and the economy as a whole. Over the past two or so decades, health insurance has emerged as an important mediating factor in providing succour to households hit by illness requiring substantial health expenditures. Since then, there has been considerable research on the link between illness and poverty, and the role of health insurance in mitigating the effects of healthcare expenditures on the household. The evidence however has not often informed policy much, because poverty is an ex post measure of the outcome of a health shock. It should be interesting and more policy relevant to study, ex ante, the implication of health shocks on households and the role of health insurance in mitigating or preventing the fall into poverty. Studies of this nature have received less attention especially in developing countries. This paper delves into this area by investigating the mediating role of health insurance on vulnerability to health shocks, and identifies areas that policy intervention will most likely make a significant difference.

Source: UG
Health insurance determines antenatal, delivery and postnatal care utilisation: Evidence from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveillance data

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG
Health knowledge, attitudes and practices of family planning service providers and clients in Akwapim North District of Ghana

Abstract Background Family planning services help save lives by reducing women’s exposure to risks of child birth and abortion. While family planning services provide measures to prevent unintended pregnancies and time the formation of families, the acceptability and coverage is still very low worldwide. Some of the reasons for this include poor quality of service, unavailability of range of methods, fear of opposition from partners, side effects and health concerns among others. About 40 % of the world’s 215,000 annual deaths in childbirth occur in the Sub-Saharan region. In Ghana, urban–rural fertility differences range from two to three children. The acceptability and coverage of family planning are still low and in the study area in particular. Methods We sought to examine factors that contribute to low acceptability and coverage of family planning services in a sub-urban community with a design of quantitative cross-sectional. Ethical approval was given by the Ghana Health Service. Midwives and community health nurses who provide family planning services were interviewed. Exit-interview was also conducted with women receiving a variety of outpatient services. Results Most of the women in this study (48.7 %) were in the 25–34 age range and were either married (42.8 %) or cohabiting (40.5 %). Majority of these women (67.7 %) have middle/Junior high level of formal education with a modal parity of two. Sixty eight (68) clients were identified as current family planning users. About 6.0 % and 4.5 % were dissatisfied about auditory and visual privacy during counselling respectively. This was confirmed by providers who attributed it to inappropriate facility layout. Most of the clients (79.1 %) were not given educational materials although 88.8 % were talked to about family planning and this could be due to unavailability of these hand-outs. Though clients show satisfaction of services received, providers did not follow standard protocols with as much as 73.7 % faced with challenges in provision of services which were attributed to improper facility layout and lack of furniture. About 77.2 % were willing to provide short term methods, while 91.2 % wanted to provide long term methods. As much as 93.3 % of the women said they would have liked providers give more detailed information on family planning. While most of the women (88.3 %) used injectables, only 6.1 % and 0.9 % used Implants and IUD respectively. Conclusions Finding ways to improve client privacy through good facility layout will ensure visual and auditory privacy to enhance family planning service provision and uptake. Continuous competency training will assist providers design innovative action plans and meet client satisfaction needs.

Source: UG
Health literacy assessment of faith-based organizations in Accra, Ghana

Health literacy is a major determinant of health across space. At different scales, optimal interplay between individual and organizational efforts is required to ensure a health literate population. This is essential because social and environ mental determinants of health influence both the individual and populations across the life course. Despite this knowledge, little is known about faith-based organiza tions’ health literacy assets and gaps. Drawing on the community health literacy assessment framework, health literacy assets and gaps are assessed among 50 faith-based organizations in Accra, Ghana. Specifically, the study assessed (1) how the organizations defined health literacy, (2) the strategies used in identifying health literacy concerns in their organizations, (3) health literacy assets, and (4) health literacy gaps. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from the organizations. Thematic and summative content analyses were used to appraise, interpret, and quantify the data from the interviews. Results show that while the organizations have varying definitions of health literacy, the most cited meaning of health literacy was right health information. Of the strategies used in identifying health literacy concerns, the most cited strategy was members’ medical status. While the most declared health literacy asset was the health experts of the organizations, the health literacy gap most spoken of was lack or inadequate health information, education, and communication (IEC) materials. An assessment of health literacy of faith-based organizations through a modified framework has illuminated our understanding of health literacy status of organizations and how these organizations may respond to members’ health needs

Source: UG
Health Literacy Levels And Self Rated Health In The State Of Delaware: A Cross Sectional Study.

Background Better health literacy has been found to be associated with better health outcomes across varied populations. This study aimed to (1) examine the health literacy levels of individuals with respect to the extent to which they acquire, understand, appraise, and apply health information, and (2) to assess the relationship between health literacy and self-reported health in the state of Delaware. Methods The sampling frame consisted of 60 purposively selected faith-based organizations across the state of Delaware who predominantly serve minorities. Accounting for clustering design, a sample size was determined based on a Mixed Methods test. In total, 1095 participants responded to a survey questionnaire which included a validated short version of the European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16). The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability techniques, chi-square test of independence, and ordinal logistic regression. Results The study found that about a quarter of the participants had inadequate level of health literacy and about another quarter had a problematic level of health literacy. These results are reflected across the health domains—health care, disease prevention, and health promotion. Health literacy was predictor of self-rated health. The odds of better self-rated health are 0.360 times lower for people with inadequate health literacy levels compared to those with sufficient health literacy. Conclusion Health literacy profoundly shapes health outcomes. The high proportion of people expressing difficulty concerning accessing, comprehending, appraising, and using health information in the health care, disease prevention, and health promotion domains in state of Delaware would require a concerted effort.

Source: UG
The health MDGs in Ghana: lessons and implications for the implementation of the sustainable development goals

PurposeThe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), an initiative by the United Nations, consisted of eight broad goals, which were envisaged to improve the living conditions of the world’s populations. In spite of the momentum and investments made to achieve the MDGs, significant challenges still exist at the global and national levels. In Ghana, the attainment of some MDGs was uneven across the goals and within the country. This paper critically reviews the implementation of the health MDGs in Ghana: specifically, MDG 4, MDG 5 and MDG 6. The study focuses on drawing key lessons from the national implementation strategies and institutional reforms adopted by Ghana towards achieving these health MDG targets. Methods The study uses content analysis of policy documents in selected programmatic interventions which have been deemed influential in reaching the health MDGs in Ghana. ResultsIn brief, the results indicate that 73% of the 37 MDG indicators for Ghana were either achieved or could show significant progress. Ghana did not achieve MDG 4 and MDG 5 due to the slow progress it made in improving child and maternal health. The study indicates that key investments need to be made in the health sector, especially in the areas of access to good quality care, to narrow gaps in access and financing. Conclusions Reducing maternal and child mortality in Ghana will require transforming the sectors that drive development, such as energy, agriculture and transportation. It is expected that the lessons learnt will enhance evidence-based policy-making towards achieving the SDGs in Ghana.

Source: UG
The Health of Adult Women in Accra

The seven papers in this issue of the Journal highlight a number of well- known but largely unquantified health issues facing adults in Accra, and by extension, other rapidly growing cities in West Africa. Much is written about the ‘second epidemiological transition’1 and the ‘double burden’ of communicable and noncommunicable disease2 in post-transition populations. Here we present some new population-based health assessments as well as some surprises in terms of health differentials and patterns of reproduction.

Source: UG
The Health of Adult Women in Accra, Ghana: Self-Reporting and Objective Assessments 2008-2009

Objectives: The study provides a full description of the state of women’s health in Accra, Ghana using selfreported as well as objective health measures. Using data from the Women’s Health Survey of Accra, Wave 2 (WHSA-2), the authors a) examine the consistency of the objective measures of health status (anthropometry and blood pressures) with self-report measures, including the Short Form 36 indices for 8 separate domains of health; and b) describe the main socio-economic differentials in morbidity. Methods: Cross-sectional household survey with field measurements. 2814 women aged 18 and over were interviewed and measured in their homes in late 2008 and early 2009. The physical measurements included height, weight, waist and hip measurement and 3 or more measures of resting blood pressure. Results: Using the 8 domains of self-reported health captured by the Short Form 36 instrument, we find that physical health worsens more sharply with age than mental health. Social class differentials are narrow in the younger cohorts but widen amongst the elderly. The physical measurements reveal unhealthy levels of obesity and hypertension, worsening steadily with rising age. Age and the wealth of the household influence women’s health more than their individual characteristics such as education. Conclusions: Younger women appear to be in good health with steady declines in physical and mental health with age. The major threat to women’s health appears to be the rising levels of obesity and hypertension with mean BMIs for all women over age 45 in excess of 30, producing elevated blood pressures and associated high risks of heart attacks and stroke rising sharply amongst the elderly.

Source: UG
The health of adult women in Accra, Ghana: Self-reporting and objective assessments 2008-2009

Objectives: The study provides a full description of the state of women's health in Accra, Ghana using self-reported as well as objective health measures. Using data from the Women's Health Survey of Accra, Wave 2 (WHSA-2), the authors a) examine the consistency of the objective measures of health status (anthropometry and blood pressures) with self-report measures, including the Short Form 36 indices for 8 separate domains of health; and b) describe the main socio-economic differentials in morbidity. Methods: Cross-sectional household survey with field measurements. 2814 women aged 18 and over were interviewed and measured in their homes in late 2008 and early 2009. The physical measurements included height, weight, waist and hip measurement and 3 or more measures of resting blood pressure. Results: Using the 8 domains of self-reported health captured by the Short Form 36 instrument, we find that physical health worsens more sharply with age than mental health. Social class differentials are narrow in the younger cohorts but widen amongst the elderly. The physical measurements reveal unhealthy levels of obesity and hypertension, worsening steadily with rising age. Age and the wealth of the household influence women's health more than their individual characteristics such as education. Conclusions: Younger women appear to be in good health with steady declines in physical and mental health with age. The major threat to women's health appears to be the rising levels of obesity and hypertension with mean BMIs for all women over age 45 in excess of 30, producing elevated blood pressures and associated high risks of heart attacks and stroke rising sharply amongst the elderly.

Source: UG