ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Effects of peri-urban agriculture on urban poverty reduction in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis

Agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood of peri-urban dwellers in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis is seriously being threatened by rapid urbanization due to the discovery of oil in the Tano Basin. The oil industry is gradually impacting the urban development pattern of the twin city. Hence peri-urban agriculture has been limited to areas such as riverbanks, roadsides, parks and lands under high-voltage electrical towers that cannot be used for buildings. The main thrust of this research was to assess how peri-urban agriculture can be integrated into the economy of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis. A triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods was used in order to give the research statistical and conceptual significance. The research result demonstrates that peri-urban agriculture is an important feature of the urban and peri-urban land use system. Peri-urban agriculture makes important contribution to employment, income and food supply. The urban economies can greatly benefit from urban agriculture, if all the Metropolitan/Municipa /District Assemblies can develop a policy and institutional framework on the sector.It is therefore clear from the study that adoption of polices by Planners is key to the realization of peri-urban food security and sustainable city development. In order to realize the full potential of per-urban agriculture,there is the need to develop a policy and institutional framework for the sector.This would enable urban farmers unlock critical technical and financial support services.

Source: UCC
Effects of Personal Values on Ethical Decision Making and Corporate Social Responsibility Among Small and Medium Enterprise Owner-Managers in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Personal values are the core framework of the character of a human being. Every business decision reflects the presence or absence of these core values. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of personal values on the attitudes towards ethical decision making and corporate social responsibility among SME owner-managers in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. The study was guided by two (2) research questions and eight (8) hypotheses. The study used explanatory research design rooted in quantitative approach. The study used all 118 registered SMEs in the Kumasi Metropolis. Questionnaire was used to gathered primary data from the respondents. The data gathered from the field was processed using Smart PLS software and analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages, means and standard deviation) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The study found that SMEs owner-managers had positive attitude towards ethical decision making and corporate social responsibilities. The study found that openness to change, self-enhancement value and traditional values were the main determinants of attitude towards ethical decision making. The study found that traditional values significantly predict attitude towards corporate social responsibility. The study recommended that owner-managers of SMEs should maintain good, trusting relationships with key stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers and the community. SME owner-managers should design a code of ethics as a key tool for implementing business ethical decision making. They should align their personal values to those of the organisation in order to achieve organisational and personal goals.

Source: UCC
Effects of petroleum revenue on economic growth in Ghana

The use of natural resources for economic growth is one of the most important goals for many countries. Despite the fact that there are numerous factors that influence economic growth, the focus of this study is solely on petroleum revenue and its effects on economic growth. Explanatory design was employed in this study to explain the relationship between petroleum revenue and economic growth in Ghana. The approach used for this study was Quantitative using Time series ARDL model with eleven (11) years quarterly data from 2011 to 2021 was used. The results indicates that Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), Stabilisation Fund, and Petroleum Revenue had a positive and significant impact on economic growth in a long run. However, only ABFA had a positive and significant impact on economic growth in a short run. It can be concluded that, the resilience of the macro economy can promote the desirable implications of total petroleum revenues on economic growth. Hence, inflation, exchange rate, labor, and provision of capital was found to be cointegrated with petroleum revenues and economic growth. There is the need for government revenue on capital spending from the ABFA to be increased since ABFA contributed positively in the long run than the short run.

Source: UCC
Effects of Pineapple Cultivation on Rural Smallholder Farmers in the Ekumfi District of Central Region, Ghana.

The study sought to assess the effect of pineapple cultivation on rural households: the case of smallholder farmers in the Ekumfi district of Central Region, Ghana. Specifically, four research objectives were investigated; to examine access to land for pineapple cultivation, to assess the positive and the negative effects of pineapple cultivation on farming household, to assess the challenges of the farmers in the pineapple cultivation and to explore strategies for enhancing the benefits of pineapple cultivation. Employing a descriptive research design and a mixed method approach, a census was used to gather data from a total of 140 households’ respondents and 7 key informants in the Ekumfi Nanabin of the Central Region of Ghana. Data for the study were gathered through structured interview, questionnaires and observation. The data collected was processed using the IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26). Descriptive statistics purely mean and standard deviation were used to the address issues in the study. The study found that acquisition and access to land for pineapple cultivation in the Ekumfi Nanabin was mainly by inheritance and in some instances by sharecropping agreement and rent. The study also found that pineapple cultivation is a beneficial business venture but bedeviled with challenges such as post-harvest losses, poor road network and inadequate access to credit. The study recommends that Government provide farmers with subsidized fertilizers, suckers and collateral free loans to increase pineapple production. The poor road networks which mostly restrict transportation of harvested pineapple should be constructed to ease these difficulties.

Source: UCC
Effects of planned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies on the use of prenatal health services in sub-Saharan Africa: a multicountry analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data

objectives We analysed the extent of planned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies and how they predict optimal use of prenatal (timing and number of antenatal) care services in 30 African countries. methods We pooled data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 30 African countries between 2006 and 2015. We described the extent of mistimed and unwanted pregnancies and further used mixed effects logistic and Poisson regression estimation techniques to examine the impacts of planned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies on the use of prenatal health services. results In total, 73.65% of pregnancies in all countries were planned. Mistimed pregnancy ranged from 7.43% in Burkina Faso to 41.33% in Namibia. Unwanted pregnancies were most common in Swaziland (39.54%) and least common in Niger (0.74%). Timely (first trimester) initiation of ANC was 37% overall in all countries; the multicountry average number of ANC visits was optimal [4.1; 95% CI: 4.1–4.2] but with notable disparities between countries. Overall, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies were strongly associated with late ANC attendance and fewer visits women made in the pooled analysis. conclusions Unintended pregnancies are critical risks to achieving improved maternal health in respect of early and optimal ANC coverage for women in Africa. Programmes targeted at advancing coverage of ANC in Africa need to deploy contextually appropriate mechanisms to prevent unintended pregnancies.

Source: UCC
The effects of plasma chromium on lipid profile, glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus. A case - control study

Background The study was aimed at determining the effect of plasma chromium concentration on the metabolism of glucose, and lipids and their subsequent cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes in the Bolgatanga district of Ghana. Material and methods Fasting blood glucose and lipids profile were determined by enzymatic assay using the BT 5000® Random Access Chemistry Analyzer. Fasting serum insulin and High sensitive Creactive protein were determined by ELISA, a solid phase direct sandwich immunoassay method. HOMA-IR, which is based on fasting blood sample for insulin and glucose concentrations measured in a single blood sample, was used to calculate insulin resistance. Plasma chromium was measured using an atomic Absorption Spectrometer. Results Patientswith diabeteshad significantly (p<0.0001) increased LDL, TC, TG, VLDL, insulin, CRP and HOMAIR and a significantly reduced plasma chromium (p<0.0001) (0.53± 0.02μg/ l and 0.11±0.01μg/l control and case respectively). Low Cr (p 0.001) was associated with high blood pressure, obesity and lipid dysregulation. Plasma Cr significantly correlated negatively with blood pressure and LDL. Conclusion Lower plasma Cr level was associated with hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, insulin resistance and high inflammation marker HsCRP

Source: UCC
Effects of poverty on maternal and child health in the Tamale metropolis of Northern region

The study examined the effects of poverty on maternal and child health in the Tamale Metropolis with regard to access to information and quality service provision and utilization. Six research questions were formulated to guide the direction of the study. The study was a descriptive one and involved 320 health service recipients and 80 health service providers who were selected through the stratified and purposive sampling techniques respectively The study found that poverty in the Tamale Metropolis affects maternal and child health greatly. Poverty is an important or major determinant in the health-seeking pattern of families. The frequency of childbirth on the health of women was also discovered as the main challenge to quality health service delivery in the Metropolis. Education is the main challenge to maternal and child health delivery in the Tamale Metropolis, any intervention by government should focus on working with parents so that the importance of education is harnessed from parent to child level. It is also recommended that policy makers should consider health interventions which aim to improve the lives of the poor; one that is geared towards eliminating deep and persistent poverty. A policy that will redistribute income in favour of the poor in terms of health benefits from upper class being translated to catering for the health needs of poor folks will help reduce poverty.

Source: UCC
Effects of Power Outages on Household Incomes in Selected Sub-Saharan African Countries

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 600 million people facing frequent, unplanned as well as unannounced power outages. Though the investigation of the effects of power outages is growing, less attention has been paid to households. This study examined the effects of power outages on household incomes in three selected sub-Saharan African countries namely Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Niger using a weighted least square. The study found that monthly hours of a power outage is negatively associated with the two categories of non-farm income identified in this study namely non-farm industry income and non-farm services income across the three countries. Besides, the study also found a negative association between monthly hours of power outage and total household income. In view of this, it is recommended that the government of Nigeria should explore the integration of renewable energy sources as a potential solution to alleviate electricity shortages in Nigeria. Also, the Ethiopian Electric Power Company should enhance service delivery and expedite infrastructure rehabilitation for a reliable electricity supply in Ethiopia. Finally the government of Niger should promote energy independence and diversification strategies for a reliable electricity supply in Niger.

Source: UCC
The effects of pre-harvest foliar spray and post-harvest dip of ethephon on the physiology and quality of orange fleshed sweet potato apomuden during storage

The postharvest storage of sweet potato roots in the tropics is a major challenge in the crop’s value chain as it deteriorates readily in the hot climate. Although prolonged storage in the cold chain has been shown to be feasible, technical and economic constraints in the tropics makes cold storage inaccessible to growers and retailers of sweet potato. It has been demonstrated in several studies that the plant hormone ethylene greatly influences metabolic changes in many types of horticultural produce postharvest and that controlled application can improve storage. In this research, the ethylene analogue ethephon was applied at four different concentrations as foliar spray on the Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Apomuden seven days before harvest and stored in the ambient. Untreated roots were also dipped in the same ethephon concentrations postharvest. Changes in the physiological and biochemical quality (preharvest treatment only) viz. weight loss, sprouting, decay, shrinkage, dry matter content, starch, sucrose, glucose, fructose and minerals concentration were studied. Preharvest foliar application of ethephon resulted in superior storage performance than postharvest root dip as it better reduced sprouting, improved resistance to weevil damage and shrinkage. Preharvest application of 500 ppm ethephon significantly reduced the dry matter loss compared to the control. Furthermore, carbohydrates, proteins and minerals were significantly more abundant in the ethephon treated roots.

Source: UCC
Effects of pre-storage treatments (using brine and vinegar) and refrigerated storage on vitamin c, β carotene, microbial load and shelf-life of red pepper (Capsicum frutescens)

This study was carried out to determine the effects of pre-storage treatments using antimicrobial agents such as vinegar, brine and refrigeration (4 o C) on concentrations of vitamin C, β-carotene, microbial load and shelf-life of red pepper (Capsicum frutescens). The freshly harvested red pepper (C. frutescens) samples were immersed in different concentrations of brine (10% and 15%) and vinegar (0.8% and 1.5%) for about 20 minutes, air dried and kept at room temperature (28 o C). Samples without treatments were also stored at room temperature (control) and refrigerated conditions for quality and shelf life studies. The results showed that the concentrations of vitamin C and β-carotene of the fresh untreated red pepper samples decreased considerably within the storage period of 39 days. Concentrations of vitamin C and β-carotene in samples treated with 0.8% vinegar (VI), 1.5% vinegar (V2), 10% brine (B1) and 15% brine (B2) also decreased considerably within the storage period of 42 days. However, refrigerated samples (R) showed a decreased in vitamin C concentration but an increase in β-carotene concentration within the storage period of within 48 days. The various pre-storage treatments caused significant decreases (P<0.05) in the microbial load (total coliforms and total plate counts) on day 0 (immediately after treatment) but increased gradually within the storage period except refrigeration which kept the microbial load stable within the storage period. It can be concluded from the results that essential nutrients (Vitamin C and β-carotene) were favourably maintained in the refrigerated conditions as compared to the other pre-storage treatments

Source: UCC
Effects of Premarital Education and Counselling on the Knowledge and Attitudes of University of Cape Coast Students towards Marriage

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of premarital education and counselling on the knowledge and attitudes of University of Cape Coast students towards marriage. The study was based on the quantitative research approach and adopted the quasi-experimental research design. The sample comprised 150 students selected using purposive and convenience sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaire comprising the Relationship Knowledge Questionnaire and the Marital Attitudes and Expectations Scale. The intervention was carried out for the two experimental groups (Premarital counselling and premarital education) in eight weeks. Data were analysed using One-Way and Two-Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the groups involved in the study in terms of their knowledge about marriage. Specifically, participants in the premarital education and premarital counselling groups had higher scores in terms of knowledge about marriage compared to the control group. The study also found that there was a significant difference in the post-test scores of the groups in terms of the attitude towards marriage. Specifically, participants in the premarital education and counselling groups had higher scores relating to their attitudes towards marriage when compared with the control group. It was concluded therefore, that premarital education and counselling improves the knowledge of students about marriage. It was recommended that to improve the knowledge and attitude of students regarding marriage, university counsellors and other marriage counsellors should adopt premarital education and counselling approaches in dealing with students.

Source: UCC
Effects of Process and Reach Models on Forgiveness and Anger among College Students with Hurts in the Upper West Region, Ghana

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Process and REACH models on forgiveness and anger among college students with hurts in the Upper West Region, Ghana. REACH is an acronym which stands for: Recall the hurt, Empathise with the one who hurt you, Altruistic gift of forgiveness, Commitment to forgive and Hold on to forgiveness. A Quasi-experimental design was adapted for the study. This study used three groups, consisting of two experimental groups and a control group. A total of 60 second year college students in the Upper West Region of Ghana, who had low level of forgiveness and high level of anger, participated in the study. The Enright (2001) Forgiveness Inventory and Reynolds, Walkey and Green (1994) Anger Self Report Questionnaires were adapted for the study. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at significant level 0.5 was used for the data analysis. The study revealed that the Process and REACH Models had significant positive effects on forgiveness among college students with hurts. Participants reported a high tendency to forgive persons who offended them. The study also indicated that significant differences existed in the mean scores of anger of participants exposed to the experimental groups of forgiveness and the control group at post-test (among college students with hurts). In addition, the study revealed that gender and age were not significant determinants of forgiveness and anger among college students at post-test. Based on the findings and conclusions, it was recommended that counsellors in Ghana should use the Process and REACH Models in counselling because the two therapies have the potency of improving the college students’ forgiveness level as well as reducing their anger levels.

Source: UCC
Effects of protein enrichment on the microbiological, physicochemical and sensory properties of fermented tiger nut milk

This study aims to explore and improve the quality of fermented tiger nut milk by investigating effects of enrichment with tiger nut proteins or dairy proteins mixed with xanthan gum on the microbiological, physicochemical and sensory properties. Enrichment with tiger nut protein decreased pH of the base system, increased microbial lag time and reduced acidification rate. Dairy proteins marginally increased the viable counts of starter culture and significantly increased acidification rate. Tiger nut milk enriched with tiger nut protein remained liquid after fermentation, whilst dairy protein enrichment caused formation of semi-solid, yogurt like gels. Fermented gel systems containing sodium caseinate showed higher gel stiffness and lower whey drainage than gels with whey protein enrichment. However, fortification with whey proteins resulted in stirred products of higher viscosity. Frequent sensory descriptors for fermented tiger nut milk was sweet, watery, brown, almond, phase separation, woody and nutty. Fortification with dairy proteins resulted in sensory attributes that may be pivotal for improving the properties of fermented tiger nut milk

Source: UCC
Effects Of Psychological Capital On Employee Performance: The Mediating Role Of Quality Of Work Life Among Employees At The Offinso Municipal Assembly

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of psychological capital on employee performance; the mediating role of the quality of work life among employees at the Offinso Municipal Assembly. Using an explanatory research design and adopting the quantitative method of research, structured questionnaires were administered to 272 randomly sampled employees at the Offinso Municipal Assembly. The study's hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling and descriptive analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The study's results showed that each of the four components of Psychological Capital; optimism, self-efficacy, hope, and resilience had a significant and positive relationship with employee performance and the relationship was partially mediated through the Quality of work life of the employees. In view of this, it is recommended that management put in place interventions to help employees obtain and maintain positive psychological resources (e.g., self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience) which are fruitful for their Quality of work life and performance. The Quality of work life of employees should be improved by designing a work environment with safe working conditions, opportunities for growth and advancements and also a sense of belongingness. This will make employees more enthusiastic, dedicated, and focused on their work, which will further improve their performance.

Source: UCC