ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Persistent household food insecurity, HIV, and maternal stress in Peri-Urban Ghana

Abstract Background The mental health of caregivers has been shown to be important for improving HIV prevention and treatment. Household food insecurity affects hundreds of millions of individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that experiences a disproportionate burden of the HIV pandemic. Both maternal HIV diagnosis and household food insecurity may be linked with maternal stress. This in turn may lead to unhealthy coping behaviors. We examined the independent associations of HIV, persistent household food insecurity and the synergistic effect of both on maternal stress. Methods Ghanaian women recruited prenatally from hospitals offering voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) were followed for 12&#160;months after childbirth (N&#8201;=&#8201;232). A locally adapted 7-item version of the US Household Food Security Survey Module was applied at four time points postpartum. We dichotomized participant households as being persistently food insecure (i.e., food insecure at each time point) or not (i.e., food secure at any time point). We dichotomized participant women as not perceiving vs. perceiving stress at 12&#160;months postpartum in reference to the median sample score on the 4-item Cohen&#8217;s stress scale. Binary multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the independent and interactive effects of maternal HIV and persistent household food insecurity on maternal stress. Results The proportion of HIV-positive women that lived in severe food insecure households increased over time. By contrast, the HIV-negative group living in severely food insecure households experienced a steady decline across time. HIV-infection (AOR&#8201;=&#8201;2.31, 95% CI 1.29-4.12) and persistent household food insecurity (AOR&#8201;=&#8201;3.55, 95% CI 1.13-11.13) were independently associated with maternal stress in a multivariate model. Being both HIV-positive and persistently food insecure strongly and synergistically increased the risk for maternal perceived stress (AOR&#8201;=&#8201;15.35, 95% CI 1.90-124.14). Conclusion In agreement with syndemic theory there is a powerful synergism between maternal HIV diagnosis and household food insecurity on maternal stress. Comprehensive multi-dimensional intervention studies are needed to better understand how to reduce stress among HIV-positive women living in persistently food insecure households and how to reduce the likelihood of food insecurity in HIV-affected households in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: UG
Persistent issues in library and information science education in Africa

This paper discusses various issues that have plagued library and information science education in Africa since the first programmes were established. A brief historical development of library education is provided, and an analysis of the issues presented. Unresolved issues such as professionalism, standards, research degrees and recruitment of students are discussed. For the future, it is noted that attention should be given to areas such as changes in the curricula, community service, public education, and the formation of an Association of Library Educators, among others.

Source: UG
Persistent organochlorine pesticide residues in cocoa beans from Ghana, a concern for public health

Background: Residual levels of fifteen (15) organochlorine pesticides were determined in 32 cocoa bean samples collected from sixteen (16) selected cocoa farms in the Dormaa West District of Ghana to assess the levels of pesticides contamination. Results: The results show that all cocoa bean samples analysed from the study area had one or more organochlorine pesticide residues detected in them. The study revealed the presence of eight organochlorine pesticide residues in the cocoa bean samples analysed at varying concentrations. The organochlorine pesticide residues detected were aldrin (0.02–0.03 mg/kg), dieldrin (0.02–0.04 mg/kg), lindane (0.03–0.05 mg/kg), beta-HCH (0.02–0.03 mg/kg), p,p'-DDE (0.02–0.03 mg/kg), p,p'-DDD (0.02–0.04 mg/kg), p,p’-DDT (0.04–0.05 mg/kg) and methoxychlor (0.02–0.04 mg/kg). The most frequently found and abundant pesticide residue was the metabolite of DDT (p,p’-DDT) which occurred in 62.5 % of the samples, followed by lindane (56.3 %) and then beta-HCH and p,p’-DDD occurring in 50 % of the samples. None of the detected pesticide mean residues recorded from the various study sites exceeded their European Union (EU) Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for cocoa beans except beta-HCH at Krakrom (S3). Conclusion: The levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in the fermented dried cocoa beans analysed compared to the European Union (EU) commission regulations on pesticide residues showed no health risks to consumers of cocoa beans from Ghana and no threat to cocoa export to Europe. The occurrence of organochlorine pesticide residues in the samples analysed could be due to their illegal use by farmers in the study area or due to their past use, since these chemicals are prohibited from agricultural use in Ghana. There should be regular monitoring of pesticide residues especially in cocoa beans to protect consumers from health related risks. There is a need to check and enforce regulations on the use of banned/restricted and unapproved pesticides in cocoa production in Ghana.

Source: UG
Persistent Plasmodium falciparum Infection in Women With an Intent to Become Pregnant as a Risk Factor for Pregnancy-associated Malaria

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
Persistent Plasmodium falciparum infections enhance transmission‑reducing immunity development

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
Persistent Plasmodium falciparum infections enhance transmission‑reducing immunity development

The Department of Immunology conducts research in the field of immunology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. The Department has the overall goal of contributing knowledge to better diagnosis, management, control and prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases in Ghana and worldwide. This is consistent with the overall strategy of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and in line with the strategy of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana.

Source: UG
Persistent, pragmatic and prolific: Urban master planning in Accra, Dar es Salaam and Lilongwe

This paper interrogates the persistence of urban master planning in African cities. Critiques of master planning in Africa label it as a stifling product of colonial legacies, an inappropriate imposition of external ideas, or a device to achieve the goals of global actors, all seen as being at odds with the rapidly changing settlement patterns and needs of many African urban contexts. This paper instead focuses on the role of local planning actors in the demand for and the production of master plans and proposes a different analytical perspective on the role of master planning in African urban contexts. Notably, we point to the weak presence of master planning in colonial contexts, in contrast with the strong activation of master plans to shape the ambitions of newly independent governments. We observe also the nuanced interactions between local actors and transnational circuits and in fluences in devising and implementing plans. The paper presents three case studies which demonstrate the persistence of master planning practices through the post-independence period and their proliferation in contemporary moments. We document the diverse range of local actors who have chosen to retain or revise colonial planning legacies, initiate new city-wide master planning, or solicit, shape and assume responsibility for master planning promoted by transnational circuits of development and planning. We find that actors embedded in local or national institutions, and a wide variety of transnational actors, are driven by a range of, at times conflicting, interests and ideas about what planning is and is meant to do. Historical surveys and in-depth in terviews with current actors, as well as those from the recent past in Accra (Ghana), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Lilongwe (Malawi), help us to identify three aspects of urban master planning which challenge existing interpretations. We observe that master planning has been a persistent presence, although often taking a more ephemeral form in extended “silent” periods when outdated but valued plans remained operative. We note that complex political tensions and institutional landscapes shape enthusiasm for, and control over the nature, preparation, adoption and implementation of master plans, including their being side-lined or resisted – local national dynamics are crucial here. This leads to a pragmatic engagement with transnational actors to bring forward different kinds of plans. The prolific production of master plans supported by multiple transnational actors in poorly resourced contexts constitutes a dynamic, although at times counterproductive, terrain of visioning and practical planning initiatives seeking to grapple with the pace and unpredictability of urbanisation. Our analysis provides an opening for considering the politics of urban planning from an African-centric perspective and as an active part of African urbanization.

Source: UG
Person-Job Fit Matters in Parastatal Institutions: Testing the Mediating Effect of Person-Job Fit in the Relationship between Talent Management and Employee Outcomes.

This article responds to recent calls for research examining the mechanisms through which talent management affects talented employee outcomes. Drawing insights from attraction–selection–attrition and ability, motivation and opportunity theories, the article examines one such mechanism, person–job fit, through which talent management influences talented employees’ affective commitment and quit intentions in parastatal institutions in Ghana. A sample of 232 talent pool members was used to test a partial mediation model using structural equation modelling. Our findings suggest that talent management has not only a direct effect, but also an indirect effect, on talented employee outcomes of affective commitment and quit intention via person–job fit. Implications of these finding are discussed.

Source: UG
Personal factors and personal information activities behaviors of faculty in selected universities in Ghana

This study examined how demographic characteristics of faculty influence their personal information activities behaviors, namely information creation, information organization, and information storage. Data was collected from a sample of 235 faculty in six universities in Ghana using a questionnaire. Age, gender, rank and university of affiliation predicted personal information activities behaviors in different directions and with different magnitudes. Gender made a difference in information organization and information storage while age made a difference in respect of information creation and information organization only. Faculty ages 4049 years created information the most, followed by those above 50 years. Males stored information more than females. Rank made a difference in information creation, organization and storage, but university of affiliation made a difference in information creation and information storage, and not information organization. It is common among information system designers and managers to implement information management systems without considering the differential influence of personal variables on human information behaviors. This omission denies information users adequate access and maximum use of the information in their information space. Institutional leaders and PIM systems designers should consider demographic and other personal factors of faculty in information literacy programs. Profiling of users' personal characteristics when designing personal information management systems will enhance maximum access and utilisation of personal information.

Source: UG
Personal factors and the role of memory in faculty refinding of stored information

Purpose – The study examined the personal information management (PIM) challenges encountered by faculty in six universities in Ghana, their information refinding experiences and the perceived role of memory. The study tested the hypothesis that faculty PIM performance will significantly differ when the differences in the influence of personal factors (age, gender and rank) on their memory are considered. Design/methodology/approach – The study was guided by a sample survey design. A questionnaire designed based on themes extracted from earlier interviews was used to collect quantitative data from 235 faculty members from six universities in Ghana. Data analysis was undertaken with a discrete multivariate Generalized Linear Model to investigate how memory intermediates in the relationship between age, gender and rank, and, refinding of stored information. Findings – The paper identified two subfunctions of refinding (Refinding 1 and Refinding 2) associated with self-confidence in information re-finding, and, memory (Memory 1 and Memory 2), associated with the use of complimentary frames to locate previously found and stored information. There were no significant multivariate effects for gender as a stand-alone variable. Males who were aged less than 39 could refind stored information irrespective of the memory class. Older faculty aged 40–49 who possess Memory 1 and senior lecturers who possess Memory 2 performed well in refinding information. There was a statistically significant effect of age and memory; and rank and memory. Research limitations/implications – This study was limited to faculty in Ghana, whereas the study itself has implications for demographic differences in PIM. Practical implications – Identifying how memory mediates the role of personal factors in faculty refinding of stored information will be necessary for the efforts to understand and design systems and technologies for enhancing faculty capacity to find/refind stored information. Social implications – Understanding how human memory can be augmented by technology is a great PIM strategy, but understanding how human memory and personal factors interplay to affect PIM is more important. Originality/value – PIM of faculty has been extensively examined in the literature, and limitations of memory has always been identified as a constraint. Human memory has been augmented with technology, although the outcome has been very minimal. This study shows that in addition to technology augmentation, personal factors interplay with human memory to affect PIM. Discrete multivariate Generalized Linear Model applied in this study is an innovative way of addressing the challenges of assimilating statistical methodologies in psychosocial disciplines.

Source: UG
Personal Information Creation, Storage and Finding Behaviours of Faculty in Selected Universities in Ghana

The objectives of this study are to examine personal information creation and storage by faculty in selected universities in Ghana. The study also examined the factors associated with information finding/re-finding experiences of the faculty in their personal electronic and print information spaces and the influence of computer literacy in this regard. Data was collected from 235 faculty members of six universities in Ghana using a questionnaire. Faculty reported that they created personal information in an organised manner, and in comparison, with print, they created electronic information the most, and based on task at hand. Respondents strongly agreed that they found electronic information better when the information item is in a folder and has a content that relates to the folder name. They self reported their computer literacy to be mainly intermediate level skill acquired mostly through workshops and personal efforts. The result shows a significant but marginal relationship between computer literacy and re-finding personal electronic information (df=1, B=0.238, p=0.001), but not finding/re-finding personal print information. Irrespective of demographic characteristics, strengthening computer literacy targeted at faculty will improve refinding of previously stored electronic information.

Source: UG
Personal Information Management Behaviors of University Faculty – Aspects of Print versus Electronic

This study examined personal information creation and storage practices in digital and print media by faculty in selected universities in Ghana. A sample survey research design guided the research and quantitative data were collected from 235 faculty members of six universities in Ghana. Qualitative data was also collected from 18 willing faculty members and was guided by an interview schedule. Faculty reported that they created their information in an organized manner and that they created information mainly in digital formats compared with manual. The task at hand determined the information facility created and search words that are semantically related to the item are used in finding/re-finding electronic information. Faculty reported that they acquired their information literacy personally, and information literacy explained re-finding of digital information but not non-digital information. The demographic variables in the study did not explain finding/re-finding of stored information: gender (β=−0.113,p= 0.280) and age(β=0.038,p= 0.545). This study establishes clearly the pattern of information literacy activities for faculty in the universities in Ghana

Source: UG
Personal information management practices of students and its implications for library services

Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate the personal information management (PIM) practices of students and its implications for library services at the University of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – This was a survey research, and questionnaires were administered to 150 students across their various programs of study. Questionnaire design was based on the literature reviewed and research objectives. Findings – Results showed that, format, skills, size of collection, memory, and habits accounted for diverse PIM practices among students. Among the major drawbacks were inadequate skills, information fragmentation, inappropriate habits, and imperfect memory. These aspects when improved, would enhance the effectiveness of students’ PIM practices tremendously. Research limitations/implications – The study adopted the PIM framework developed by James and Teevan and focused on the core activities of PIM namely: keeping, organizing and re-finding. In order to provide a fair rounded picture of the PIM situation of students, it is expected that subsequent studies would cover the remaining variables notably- information maintenance; selection and implementation of a scheme; managing privacy and the flow of information; matters of security; measurement and evaluation; and making sense of things. Practical implications – The study concludes that, through comprehensive information literacy training programmes offered by libraries; student-oriented PIM researches; the formation of PIM clubs spearheaded by librarians and supported by university administrators, benevolent organizations and individuals, the PIM practices of students can be made better. PIM efforts should aim at shaping, improving, integrating and supporting students’ PIM habits, skills, personal information collections and memories respectively. Originality/value – PIM practices of students is among the least explored topics in the field of library and information studies in Ghana. This research would not only create awareness about PIM practices, but would also draw attention to the efforts that can be made to improve PIM practices of students in Ghana.

Source: UG
Personal Life Satisfaction as a Measure of Societal Happiness is an Individualistic Presumption: Evidence from Fifty Countries

Numerous studies document that societal happiness is correlated with individualism, but the nature of this phenomenon remains understudied. In the current paper, we address this gap and test the reasoning that individualism correlates with societal happiness because the most common measure of societal happiness (i.e., country-level aggregates of personal life satisfaction) is individualism-themed. With the data collected from 13,009 participants across ffty countries, we compare associations of four types of happiness (out of which three are more collectivism-themed than personal life satisfaction) with two diferent meas ures of individualism. We replicated previous fndings by demonstrating that societal happiness measured as country-level aggregate of personal life satisfaction is correlated with individualism. Importantly though, we also found that the country-level aggregates of the collectivism-themed measures of happiness do not tend to be signifcantly correlated with individualism. Implications for happiness studies and for policy makers are signaled

Source: UG
Personal particulate matter exposures and locations of students in four neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana.

Air pollution exposure and places where the exposures occur may differ in cities in the developing world compared with high-income countries. Our aim was to measure personal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure of students in neighborhoods of varying socioeconomic status in Accra, Ghana, and to quantify the main predictors of exposure. We measured 24-hour PM2.5 exposure of 56 students from eight schools in four neighborhoods. PM2.5 was measured both gravimetrically and continuously, with time-matched global positioning system coordinates. We collected data on determinants of exposure, such as distances of homes and schools from main roads and fuel used for cooking at their home or in the area of residence/school. The association of PM2.5 exposure with sources was estimated using linear mixed-effects models. Personal PM2.5 exposures ranged from less than 10 μg/m(3) to more than 150 μg/m(3) (mean 56 μg/m(3)). Girls had higher exposure than boys (67 vs 44 μg/m(3); P-value=0.001). Exposure was inversely associated with distance of home or school to main roads, but the associations were not statistically significant in the multivariate model. Use of biomass fuels in the area where the school was located was also associated with higher exposure, as was household's own biomass use. Paved schoolyard surface was associated with lower exposure. School locations in relation to major roads, materials of school ground surfaces, and biomass use in the area around schools may be important determinants of air pollution exposure.

Source: UG