ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Urinary Schistosomiasis in Children—Still a Concern in Part of the Ghanaian Capital City

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease of the tropics which is estimated to affect up to 300 million people worldwide. While it is being successfully controlled in many countries, it remains a major public health problem, especially in de- veloping countries including Ghana. Extensive work on schistosomiasis has been undertaken along the Volta River ba- sin, leaving very little data and information on this infection in the urban and peri-urban areas in Ghana. This study was aimed at determining the urinary schistosomiasis burden among children of school going age within Zenu, a suburb of the capital city. Urine samples were taken from 274 school children within the Zenu community and examined with urine chemistry dipsticks for detection and confirmation of haematuria, followed by microscopy for detection of Schis- tosoma haematobium ova. Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis was 30.7% (95% CI: 25.2 - 36.2). 44 (52%) of the positive samples were collected from males whiles 40 (48%) were collected from females, but prevalence of the infec- tion was not significantly associated with gender (χ2 = 0.041, DF = 1, P-Value = 0.839). Among the S. haematobium positive children, haematuria was detected by the dipstick in 88.1% (74/84, 95% CI: 81.2 - 95.0), but it was not detected in 11.9% (10/84, 95% CI: 5.0 - 18.8). Meanwhile, the dipstick detected haematuria in 7.3% (20/274, 95% CI: 4.3 - 7.3) of the total population but microscopy could not detect the presence of Schistosoma ova in those children. An associa- tion was found between Schistosoma infection and haematuria detected by dipstick (χ2 = 84.715, DF = 1, P-Value < 0.001). It could be noted that urinary schistosomiasis in children is still a concern in parts of the Ghanaian capital city.

Source: UCC
Urine Abnormalities and Chronic Kidney Disease in Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy-naive Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective: This study investigated chronic kidney disease (CKD) and urine abnormalities in highly active antiretroviral therapy naïve (HAART-naïve) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults, presenting to two antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics in the Volta region of Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 100 newly diagnosed HIV/AIDS patients attending ART clinics of the St. Anthony’s and Ho Municipal hospitals both in the Volta region was conducted. Vital clinical history and socio-demographic data were recorded from the folder of eligible participants. Blood and urine samples were collected for serum creatinine estimation; urinalysis was performed with dipstick and light microscopy. CKD was assessed with the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO) guidelines. Results: Nine percent (9%) of the participants had CKD (eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Prevalence of CKD was higher (88.9%) in females than in males (11.1%). Median creatinine levels were significantly higher in males than in females (P=0.0103). Eighteen percent (18%), 13%, 11% of the participants had proteinuria, pyuria and haematuria respectively. On urine microscopy, we recorded 8% (8/100) crystalluria (7/8 -calcium oxalate and 1/8 -triple phosphate), 9% epithelial cells, 20% pus cells and 7% red blood cells among our participants. Participants with confirmed CKD had more pyuria and haematuria than those without CKD. Conclusion: This study revealed a 9% prevalence of CKD among our participants with the condition being more common in females. Urine abnormalities like proteinuria, haematuria, pyuria and crystalluria were common in our participants. Routine urinalysis and screening for CKD in HIV/AIDS patients should be strengthened as it will help in early detection of renal abnormalities.

Source: UCC
Usage and barriers to use of latrines in a Ghanaian Peri-Urban community

Regular usage of latrines is crucial to public health. This study was conducted in a Ghanaian peri-urban setting to understand the factors that influence the usage of household and communal latrines and to discuss potential interventions to address existing barriers to regular usage. Data was collected using household survey questionnaires orally administered to 189 and 283 respondents with access to private and communal latrines respectively, five focus group discussions with gender and age groups, as well as observations at latrines. It was found that only 15 % of households had access to latrines at home while the rest depended on communal latrines or practiced open defecation. The ventilated improved it latrine was the commonest technology used by 47 % of households with private latrines. The residents ranked safety and privacy as the most important factors that influenced their decision to use any latrine. For private latrines, desludging challenges (14 %) and intense odor (7 %) were the most significant technical barriers while the most significant non-technical barriers were lack of immediate access when the latrine is locked or busy (28 %). For communal latrines, the major technical barrier was intense odor (23 %) while the major non-technical barriers were distance to latrines (28 %), user fees (21 %) and unhygienic conditions (7 %). Regular latrine usage in the study setting may be enhanced by technical support to address desludging challenges and control odor in latrines, as well as social interventions to make communal latrines affordable and more hygienic

Source: UCC
Usage of Computers and internet for teaching and learning mathematics: A case Study of selected Senior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

The study was conducted to establish the level of ICT usage among teachers and students in the teaching and learning of mathematics in senior high school in the Greater Accra region.To carry out such a research entails a careful study of what others have done and what also pertains on the ground. To achieve this, a thorough review of literature was carried out and questionnaire was used to solicit information from 300 respondents (250 students and 50 teachers) who were selected from five (5) public senior high schools through random sampling.The study revealed that most of the respondents have access to internet and computers. However, most of the computer and the internet users do not use them for teaching mathematics (in the case of teachers) or learning mathematics (in the case of students).It is recommended that mathematics teachers in Senior High Schools should be equipped with the necessary know-how to be able to teach mathematics effectively and efficiently using ICT.

Source: UCC
Usage of improved input technologies in maize farming and rural development in the Ketu North Municipality of Ghana

The purpose of the study was to determine proportion of sampled farmers who used improved input technologies, to examine the factors that affect usage of the technologies, and to estimate the outcomes for rural development in the Ketu North Municipality of Ghana. Theories of traditional agriculture, technological determinism, and technology acceptance underpinned the study. The study used a mixed-method approach, comprising a survey of 300 farmers, and key informant interviews to arrive at the findings. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Wilcoxon sum test, logit models and Foster- Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) poverty index, while the key informant interviews were transcribed and interpreted. The study found that majority (61%) of the farmers used improved maize varieties at erratic ratios of fertilizer application, and that the municipal crop office supplied the improved input technologies, which were introduced to farmers via demonstrations by extension agents. Membership of farm-based unions, quality of extension contacts, access to phone-based extensions, years of education, and access to credit facilitated usage of improved technologies, while years of experience explained the non-usage. The outcomes were that users of improved technologies had higher maize yield, income, food security, and lower poverty incidence, lower gap and lower severity than nonusers, whereas input maize price consistently increased food insecurity. The conclusion was that improved input technologies present potentials for poverty reduction through increased yield, income and food security as a pathway for rural development. Thus, it was recommended for the farmers to deepen the usage of improved technologies in farming for increased yield and associated benefits that are necessary for rural development.

Source: UCC
The Use and Cultural Significance of ‘Low}Gya’ Cloth Among Dagara in the Nandom Traditional Area

„Lowԑgya‟ as a traditional cloth in the Nandom district of Ghana has been introduced decades ago and passed from generation to generation. Through its use on ceremonial occasions, information about the cloth is communicated to observers. Using the qualitative method of study, an interview guide was used to investigate the cultural significance of Dagara traditional cloth „Lowԑgya‟ in the Nandom district of Ghana, and the factors inhibiting its recent use during ceremonial occasions in the district. The study made involved Dagara people in the Nandom district using multi-stage methods of sampling techniques; lottery random sampling was used to select the communities for data collection, purposive and convenience sampling were used to select the participants. The study showed that „Lowԑgya‟ as a traditional cloth is an ancestral cloth produced by their ancestors and due to its history and numerous significance, the people of Nandom district of Ghana deem it necessary to use this cloth during their occasions. It was also revealed that due to technology, migration and taste in modern fashion, the traditional cloth is losing its cultural value. Modern techniques of weaving were also noticed to have affected the strips, colours used in weaving, and loss of some of the „Lowԑgya‟ cloths; Kpognali, kaakublu among others as they seem to be archaic. With regard to the above, it was recommended that 'Lowԑgya‟ as a traditional cloth should be used at all ceremonial occasions in the district. It was also recommended that as part of the educational curriculum, traditional cloth as in culture should be taught in schools so that the younger ones will get to know of their traditional cloths.

Source: UCC
Use of ICT by students and teachers in senior high schools in the Sekondi Takoradi metropolis

The purpose of the study was to find out how ICT was being used in the teaching and learning process in the senior high schools in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan area. The study was a descriptive survey. Two sets of questionnaires with Cronbach coefficient alpha values of .756 and .686, respectively, and an observation checklist were used to collect the data from 6 randomly selected schools in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan area. A total of 340 respondents in these schools, comprising 250 students and 90 teachers filled out the questionnaire. The return rates for the questionnaires were 92.2% for teachers and 98% for students. The study revealed that most of the senior high schools had only one computer laboratory and the number of computers was not sufficient, taking the population of the schools into consideration. Also, most of the computer laboratories were not connected to the Internet but most schools had the Encater programme on their computers which enabled the students to access information. ICT was being used for most of the important jobs in the schools, such as maintaining students’ records. Furthermore, application software such as Word, Excel, Power Point and Internet were taught in all the schools. Majority of teachers (68%) and students (75%) could make use of the computer and its accessories. However, most of the teachers did not use ICT in the actual teaching process. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that the senior high schools should increase the number of computers in the laboratories. They should also pool resources and pay for their laboratories to be connected to the Internet by one service provider.

Source: UCC
Use of a flow-injection system in the evaluation of the characteristic behavior of neutral carriers in lithium ion-selective electrodes

A flow-injection system based on microconduits is used to investigate electrode characteristics such as selectivity, detection limit, and response and equilibrium times of the new ionophore, N,N,N’,N’-tetraisobutyl-5,5-dimethyl-3,7-dioxanonane diamide, in lithium ion-selective electrodes. These characteristics were compared with those of the ionophore N,N’-diheptyl-N, N’,5,5-tetramethyl-3,7-dioxanone diamide. The new ionophore has superior detection limits and shorter response and equilibrium time, but the other exhibits better selectivity for lithium with respect to sodium. Values of Kz’, for the new ionophore vary from 0.0450 to 0.566, depending on the methods of measurement and solution conditions. This phenomenon is discussed. Stop-flow experiments effectively demonstrated the response and equilibrium time differences between these two ionophore membranes

Source: UCC
Use of Accounting Information System for Decision Making: Perception of SME Owners in the Tamale Metropolitan Area

The perceptions of individuals about a phenomenon influence their adoption of the same or otherwise. The study was carried out in the Tamale metropolitan area to investigate the perceptions of owners of SMEs on the use of accounting information systems for decision-making. The study used the descriptive research design and the quantitative research approach. A sample size of 100 was used for the study. Structured questionnaires were used in gathering data which were later analyzed using descriptive statistics by the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26. The key findings of the study are that there exists a positive perception regarding the use of accounting information systems on the profitability and subsequent increase in market size, growth potentials, and overall improvement in the delivery of services in their business as well as the use of novel means of doing things and new information about the conduct of business operations. The study further concludes that industry players and owners of SMEs have the perception that a significant number of SMEs use computerized systems in their operations. Although, there is the perception that the nature of their business makes it difficult to employ the use of automation. The majority of industry players share the view that after the implementation of various forms of accounting information systems, they have experienced some improvements in several factors which represents a positive perception about the use of accounting systems. The study recommends that a conscious effort is made to encourage these businesses to adopt automation into their business, the government should put in measures to ensure that conducting business in the digital space becomes less costly through the granting of tax waive subsidies and other incentives to encourage the adoption of accounting information systems.

Source: UCC
The use of actually in a non-native English parliamentary context: a corpus study

This paper explores the syntactic and pragmatic uses of actually as a discourse marker in Ghanaian parliamentary debates. Employing a corpus methodological approach, the paper uses a 1.9 million-word corpus of Ghanaian parliamentary data in order to examine the patterns of the use of actually by Ghanaian parliamentarians in their parliamentary debates. In terms of the syntactic position, actually occurs more frequently at the medial position than the initial position and rarely at the final position. Pragmatically, actually mainly functions as an emphasizer. Other functions include correction, contradiction, epistemic retreat, apology, appeal, contemplation, pragmatic softener, certainty, shifting focus and suggestion. These functions reflect the nature of parliamentary debates as a contest of opinions and stance taking, where parliamentarians takepositions and argue strongly to convince their fellow MPs to support a certain line of policy action

Source: UCC
The Use Of Biogas By Households: A Case Study In Akwatia, Eastern Region, Ghana

This study sought to examine the use of biogas among households in Akwatia. It assessed the extent of household willingness to adopt biogas as domestic fuel, identified factors influencing its adoption and evaluated the influence of the use of biogas in the home on household finances using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The mixed-methods approach was used to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data, using a sample size of 357. Stratified and convenience sampling were used for the quantitative phase while purposive sampling was used for the qualitative study. Questionnaire and interview guide were used for data collection. Quantitative information collected were analysed with SPSS version 20 and presented using descriptive statistics. Descriptive analysis was used to present the qualitative data obtained. There was some level of awareness (more than 77.6 %) on the use of biogas as a domestic fuel source among households while most households (89.5 %) in the study area were willing to use biogas as their domestic fuel source for economic reasons. The cost of installing biogas plants, lack of adequate knowledge on biogas, inadequate substrate to fuel digesters, lack of technical services, and difficulty in operating biogas plants were identified as factors negatively affecting the use of biogas as a domestic fuel source. The use of biogas as domestic fuel was seen to influence household finance. It reduced household expenditure on fuel by 65 % as well as the cost of healthcare and waste management, as well as aided income generation among households. There is the need for government to subsidise household biogas construction costs and invest in the adoption of biogas technology to address some of the challenges faced by households.

Source: UCC
The Use Of Communication Strategies In Classroom Communication Between Lecturers And Students In A Selected Ghanaian University

In situations where the language of instruction is not the first language of speakers, they may encounter difficulties in expressing their communication intentions as a result of gaps in their linguistic repertoire. This situation requires them to adopt some communication strategies to help them express their intentions and enhance the effectiveness of their communication. To find out how university students deal with communication breakdowns in the classroom, this study employed the convergent mixed method approach to collect data from 128 students and 2 lecturers in the Department of Arts Education at the University of Cape Coast. Guided by Dornyei and Scott‟s (1995) taxonomy of CS, questionnaires, observation guide and interview schedules were constructed and used to collect data from students and lecturers on their use of communication strategies and the implications that have on teaching and learning and the acquisition of the second language. It was found out that the students prefer to use non-linguistic means (indirect strategies) to convey their meaning while the lecturers prefer to used strategies that engage the students in the conversation (interactional strategies). Fillers, self-rephrasing, and self-repetition were found to be the most frequently used strategies by the students and the lecturers. It was concluded that interactional strategies are often used by the lecturers as a teaching methodology, even though excessive usage of CS sometimes disrupts instructional hours and impedes proper acquisition of the English language. The study recommends that lecturers adapt the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach in language classrooms.

Source: UCC
The use of corporation environmental management tools by manufacturing firms in Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis

Issues about the environment are no longer just the air we breathe, or the world we live in, it has become a requirement for businesses to address in an ever more critical global economy. This study assessed the corporate environmental management tools used by manufacturing firms in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to manage the environmental problems associated with their production. Structured Questionnaire was used to obtain data for this study. The lottery method of sampling was used to select the firms from a total of 24 firms. The data obtained were analyzed with Excel computer application and Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS Version 12). A five point likert scale was also used in analyzing some data. This research found out that the current state of firms’ environmental performance in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis is very bad. Firms are also not using modern trends in the area of environmental management. There is a problem of cost to deal with, as well as, bureaucracy and unwillingness on the part of management. The motivation of firms in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to pursue good environmental practices is to comply with environmental standards only. Since the majority of the firms are interested in achieving environmental standards, government must use these standards to put more pressure on the firms to manage their impact on the environment properly. Very weak and old regulations should be replaced with new and stiffer ones that meet the current environmental demands.

Source: UCC
The Use of E-learning Platforms Among Undergraduate Sandwich Students: Preference and Challenges at the University of Cape Coast

ABSTRACT The integration and application of ICT resources in the classroom offer a great chance to improve the effectiveness of instruction. Again, it would therefore be essential to analyse user preferences and challenges while attempting to use the platform to enable optimal integration of e-learning into the system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preferences and challenges associated with using e-learning platform among undergraduate sandwich students at the University of Cape Coast. The study was underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model theory and Theory of Planned Behaviour. The study employed the explanatory sequential mixed method design which was based on the pragmatist paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to select three ICT experts from the electronic learning and knowledge management section, whiles stratified sampling alongside the simple random technique was used to select 278 undergraduate sandwich students. The study revealed that more undergraduate sandwich students favoured face-to-face learning over the other learning modes. The preference for the e-learning platform among the undergraduate sandwich students was found to be influenced by the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the platform. The study also revealed that a higher percentage of undergraduate sandwich students faced technological difficulties, such as network breakages and slow internet connectivity. Finally, the study revealed that the University of Cape Coast had challenges with finance, human resource and technical challenges. The study recommended the provision of strong internet connections to help curb the challenges undergraduate sandwich students faced

Source: UCC