ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Mediation effects of individuals’ sexual quality of life on the relationship between sexual quality of life of partners and its predictors: a path analysis

Sexual function and the sexual quality of life of an individual could be influenced by several factors. Sexual dysfunction could affect the sexual quality of life of the individual and, possibly have an impact on their partners. Treatments that improve sexual function among individuals tend to improve the sexual quality of life of their partners. This study explored the mechanism by which an individual’s sexual quality of life mediates the relationship between factors, such as age, sexual dysfunction, perception of IELT, and the partner’s sexual quality of life. Path analysis was used to determine if this effect was via direct or indirect mechanisms. Outpatients attending the Maamobi and Tema General Hospitals, as well as their partners, recruited for this study. A total of 130 males and their partners, as well as 116 females and their partners, were recruited. The GRISS was used to evaluate the sexual function of participants. The sexual quality of life questionnaire was used to evaluate participants and their partners. Ageing in both sexes had a direct effect on the sexual quality of life of their partners. Ageing also indirectly compromises the sexual quality of life of male partners. Impotence indirectly affects the sexual quality of life of female partners. Vaginismus indirectly affected the sexual quality of life of their male partners. Among the male participants, avoidance of sexual activity had both direct and indirect effects on the sexual quality of life of their female partners. avoidance of sexual activity by female participants only had an indirect effect on the sexual quality of life of the male partners. Aging in both sexes directly compromises the sexual quality of life of their partners.

Source: UG
Mediation role of diversity climate on leadership and job satisfaction in the Ghanaian public sector

Purpose This study examines the mediation role of diversity climate in the relationship between transformational leadership, transactional leadership and job satisfaction from the two-factor perspectives of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfactions among local government servants in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The study uses cross-sectional data from 322 employees in local government service of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region using purposive and stratified sampling methods. Bootstrapping method of mediation estimated using structural equation modelling is employed to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The results find a differential effect of leadership behaviours on intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction, where transformation and transactional leadership relate positively to intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction respectively. Furthermore, the empirical findings reveal that diversity climate has mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and intrinsic job satisfaction, implying that diversity climate is an important process through which transformational leadership behaviours can elicit intrinsic job satisfaction among local government servants. Surprisingly, however, diversity climate does not serve as an important transmission mechanism in the relationship between transactional leadership and extrinsic job satisfaction. Practical implications This means that public sector leaders or managers can improve intrinsic job satisfaction among local government servants and by extension public sector employees by creating an ideal climate for diversity by transforming the work environment through leadership, specifically, transformational leadership behaviours. Originality/value Although studies abound on the link between leadership behaviours (transformational and transactional) and job satisfaction, the mediating effect of diversity climate as a mechanism in this relationship is very scarce and rare to find. Hence, our study has made original contributions to theory and practice by highlighting the role of diversity climate in converting leadership behaviours, specifically; transformational leadership into creating intrinsically satisfied workers in the public sector

Source: UG
The mediational role of individual and organizational factors in the work engagement and occupational stress relationship

This study investigated the mediating role of individual and organizational factors on the relationship between work engagement and occupational stress among males and females, junior, mid-level and senior staff members in the banking sector using a cross-sectional survey. Employing a quantitative study, data was gathered from 288 banking staff. Findings show a significant positive relationship between work engagement and age, educational level, one’s position in an organization and organization tenure, and a significant negative relationship between work engagement and gender and occupational stress. There were age, educational level and gender differences in work engagement. There were differences in the level of work engagement in relation to organizational tenure. One’s position, educational level and gender significantly predicted work engagement but age and organization tenure did not. However, educational level, age, one’s position and organizational tenure mediated the relationship between occupational stress and work engagement. These findings have implications for employee well-being and satisfaction and productivity in the organizational setting

Source: UG
Medical abortions among university students in Ghana: implications for reproductive health education and management

Purpose In Ghana, unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal mortality. Even though pharmaceutical drugs seem to be a key means of unsafe abortion, a paucity of evidence exists on the issue among adolescents, students, and other groups at risk. This study therefore explores the abortion experiences of Ghanaian university students with particular reference to pharmaceutical drugs to fill the knowledge gap and enrich the evidence base for reproductive health education, policies, and interventions on abortions among students. Patients and methods Undergraduate students from the University of Ghana were randomly selected and interviewed. The interviews was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically using the framework analysis. Results Students were aware of safe medical abortion services but were reluctant to use them because of cost, stigma, and proximity. Generally, medical abortions were more likely to be self-induced among students with misoprostol-based drugs administered orally or vaginally. However, students also used various over-the-counter drugs, contraceptives, and prescription drugs singly, in series, or in combinations to induce abortion. Yet students had relatively little knowledge on the inherent risks and long-term implications of unsafe medical abortions and were more likely to have repeat abortions through unsafe medical methods. Conclusion Students’ knowledge and awareness of safe medical abortion avenues have not influenced their propensity to use them because of stigma, cost, and other factors. Rather, several methods of unsafe medical abortions are used increasingly with dire long-term effects on students. Serious knowledge gaps exist among students on the methods and risks of medical abortion. Consequently, there is an urgent need to revise current abortion management approaches and redirect attention toward reducing stigma and financial and social costs of safe abortion services, and increasing the proactive engagement, counseling, and management of medical abortions among students.

Source: UG
The Medical Nemesis of Primary Health Care Implementation: Evidence From Ghana

Primary Health Care (PHC), based on the Alma Ata declaration, calls for the movement of responsibility, resources, and control away from medical systems and curative measures toward health promotion. However, PHC implementation in practice appears to be heavily influenced by medical systems with its own attendant effects on the attainment of PHC goals. This study therefore examines the extent and effects of medical systems influence on PHC implementation in Ghana. The study uses the thematic framework approach to qualitative data analysis to analyze data collected from PHC managers through interviews. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Findings suggest that PHC in practice is tied to the apron-strings of medical systems. While this has catalyzed successes in disease control programs and other medicine-based interventions, it has swayed PHC from its intended shift toward health promotion. Community ownership, participation, and empowerment in PHC is therefore lost in the maze of medical systems which reserves power over PHC decision making and implementation to medical professionals while focusing attention on treatment and curative services. Ultimately, PHC has gradually metamorphosed into mini-clinics instead of the revolutionary community-driven promotive services espoused by Alma Ata with concomitant effects on the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. Further, findings show how gradually, the primary in PHC is being used as a descriptor of the first or basic level of hospital-based care instead of a first point of addressing existing health problems using preventive, promotive, and other community driven approaches. Without a reorientation of health systems, significant efforts and resources are channeled toward empowering health workers instead of local communities with significant effects on the long term sustainability of health efforts and the attainment of UHC. The study recommends further studies toward practical means of reducing the influence of medical systems.

Source: UG
Medical pluralism, healthcare utilization and patient wellbeing: The case of Akan cancer patients in Ghana

Purpose: As cancers increase in Ghana and in many low-and middle-income countries, healthcare utilization has become critical for disease management and patients’ wellbeing. There is evidence that medical pluralism is common among cancer patients in Ghana and many other African countries, which results in lack of adherence to and absconding from hospital treatments. The objective of this study was to examine ways in which beliefs in disease causation influence medical pluralism among Akan cancer patients in Ghana. Methods: A qualitative research approach was employed in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted for thirty (30) cancer patients who were purposively recruited from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Thematic content analysis was used in analysing data. Results: Our findings revealed that cancer patients ascribed both physical and spiritual causality to their illness. As such, they combined orthodox treatment with spiritual healing and herbal medicine. Regarding the order of therapeutic search, patients reported to herbal and spiritual centres before going to the hospital, a phenomenon which contributes to the late reporting and diagnosis as well as bad prognosis of cancers in Ghana. Conclusion: The findings of this research elucidate the relationship between culture and health care choices of cancer patients in Ghana. Increased awareness creation is crucial in eradicating myths surrounding cancers in Ghana.

Source: UG
Medical provision in Africa - Past and present

The use of medicinal plants and animal-derived remedies for treating illness by Africans goes back many years. Traditionally, rural African communities have relied mainly on the invaluable spiritual and practical skills of traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) for their Healthcare. Today's society has differing views about sickness, but to the traditional African, sickness is understood as a complex interaction of physical, physiological, psychosocial and spiritual factors. Thus, in contrast to Western medicine, which is based on the biomedical model, traditional African medicine takes a holistic approach: disease, good health, success or failure, are believed to be the products of the actions of individuals and ancestral spirits according to the balance or imbalance between the individual and the social environment. TMPs seek to bring about a link of the person, with the society and the ancestors. The reasons for the continued dependence of Africans on traditional medicine range from their belief systems to the relatively high cost and limited access to Western medicine. This paper therefore provides an overview of traditional African medicine with a view to highlighting its many great benefits vis-à-vis the drawbacks of orthodox medicine. The reasons for the rise in interest in herbal medicine on the continent are explained briefly and the need for stricter regulatory controls of the herbal industry, advocated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Source: UG
Medical rehabilitation in Ghana.

Purpose. To explore the current system of medical rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in a developing country (Ghana) and to identify future needs, opportunities, and barriers. Methods. Information was obtained through a literature review and through interviews with healthcare providers, disabled people's organizations, educators, government officials, and consumers. Direct observations were made of Ghana's capital city, Accra, and of a major tertiary medical center there, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Results. Ghana has virtually no medical rehabilitation and few laws to protect the disabled. There are no occupational therapists or physiatrists in the entire country, and only a handful of physical therapists, prosthetists, orthotists, and speech therapists. There are many barriers to the establishment of such services, including lack of funding, limited government support, cultural stigma of the disabled and poor utilization of existing resources. Conclusions. A national model for sustainable medical rehabilitation is needed in Ghana and likely in other similar countries.

Source: UG
Medical Waste Management Practices in a Southern African Hospital

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to examine the medical waste management practices of a hospital in Southern Africa. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A case study methodology was utilised. FINDINGS: The results revealed that the hospital does not quantify medical waste. Segregation of medical waste into infectious waste and non-infectious waste is not conducted according to definite rules and standards. Separation of medical waste and municipal waste is however practiced to a satisfactory extent. Wheeled trolleys are used for on-site transportation of waste. Off-site transportation of waste is outsourced to a private firm. Incineration is used in the final disposal of infectious waste. Non-infectious waste is disposed using land disposal method. There is no policy and plan in place for managing medical waste. A number of problems were identified with respect to medical waste management. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper gives recommendations with the aim of improving medical waste management in hospitals.

Source: UG
Medicated-related burden and adherence in patients with co-morbid type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertensio

Background: Medication adherence is an integral component in the management of patients with co-morbid type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. However due to their combined conditions, there is likelihood of polypharmacy and medication-related burden, which could negatively impact adherence to therapy. This study aimed to assess the perceived medication related burden among patients with co-morbid T2DM and hypertension and to evaluate the as sociation between the perceived burden and adherence to medication therapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients with co-morbid T2DM and hypertension attending a primary health facility. The living with medicines questionnaire and the medication adherence report scale were used to assess extent of medication-related burden and adherence respectively. Binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the adjusted odds and their corresponding 95% confidence interval for medication-related burden and adherence outcomes. All observed categorical variables were considered for the multivariable binary logistic regression model. Results: The total number of participants was 329 with a median age of 57.5 ± 13.2 years. The median score for the overall burden was 99 (IQR: 93–113), and this significantly varied by sex (p = 0.012), monthly income (p = 0.025), monthly expenditure on medications (p = 0.012), fre quency of daily dose of medications (p = 0.020) and family history of T2DM (p < 0.001). About 30.7% and 36.8% of participants reported moderate/high burden and medication adherence respectively. Uncontrolled diastolic blood pressure (AOR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.20–5.05, p = 0.014), high glucose (AOR: 4.24, 95% CI: 2.13–8.46, p < 0.001) and no family history of T2DM (AOR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.14–4.02, p = 0.026) were associated with moderate/high medication burden. Uncontrolled diastolic blood pressure (AOR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25–0.94, p = 0.031), at least 5 years since hypertension diagnosis (AOR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.30–0.99, p = 0.045) and moderate/high medication-related burden (AOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.16–0.69, p = 0.003) were associated with lower odds of medication adherence. Conclusion: These findings suggest that to improve the preventive and optimal care of patients with T2DM and hypertension, interventions that aim to reduce medication-related burden and morbidity are recommended. The study proposes that health stakeholders such as clinicians, pharmacists, and policy makers, develop multidisciplinary clinical and pharmaceutical care interventions to include provision of counselling to patients on adherence. In addition, developing policies and sensitization activities on deprescribing and fixed-dose drug combinations aimed at reducing medication-related burden, while promoting better adherence, blood pressure and blood glucose outcomes are recommended.

Source: UG
Medicated-related burden and adherence in patients with co-morbid type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension

Background: Medication adherence is an integral component in the management of patients with co-morbid type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. However due to their combined conditions, there is likelihood of polypharmacy and medication-related burden, which could negatively impact adherence to therapy. This study aimed to assess the perceived medication related burden among patients with co-morbid T2DM and hypertension and to evaluate the as sociation between the perceived burden and adherence to medication therapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients with co-morbid T2DM and hypertension attending a primary health facility. The living with medicines questionnaire and the medication adherence report scale were used to assess extent of medication-related burden and adherence respectively. Binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the adjusted odds and their corresponding 95% confidence interval for medication-related burden and adherence outcomes. All observed categorical variables were considered for the multivariable binary logistic regression model. Results: The total number of participants was 329 with a median age of 57.5 ± 13.2 years. The median score for the overall burden was 99 (IQR: 93–113), and this significantly varied by sex (p = 0.012), monthly income (p = 0.025), monthly expenditure on medications (p = 0.012), fre quency of daily dose of medications (p = 0.020) and family history of T2DM (p < 0.001). About 30.7% and 36.8% of participants reported moderate/high burden and medication adherence respectively. Uncontrolled diastolic blood pressure (AOR: 2.46, 95% CI: 1.20–5.05, p = 0.014), high glucose (AOR: 4.24, 95% CI: 2.13–8.46, p < 0.001) and no family history of T2DM (AOR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.14–4.02, p = 0.026) were associated with moderate/high medication burden. Uncontrolled diastolic blood pressure (AOR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25–0.94, p = 0.031), at least 5 years since hypertension diagnosis (AOR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.30–0.99, p = 0.045) and moderate/high medication-related burden (AOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.16–0.69, p = 0.003) were associated with lower odds of medication adherence. Conclusion: These findings suggest that to improve the preventive and optimal care of patients with T2DM and hypertension, interventions that aim to reduce medication-related burden and morbidity are recommended. The study proposes that health stakeholders such as clinicians, pharmacists, and policy makers, develop multidisciplinary clinical and pharmaceutical care nterventions to include provision of counselling to patients on adherence. In addition, developing policies and sensitization activities on deprescribing and fixed-dose drug combinations aimed at reducing medication-related burden, while promoting better adherence, blood pressure and blood glucose outcomes are recommended.

Source: UG
Medication adherence and blood pressure control: A preliminary assessment of the role of health insurance in Nigeria and Ghana

Objectives: This study sought to assess the current impact of health insurance coverage on medication adherence and blood pressure control of patients being managed for hypertension in Ghana and Nigeria. Methods: The study was a prospective study among 109 patients with hypertension in two health facilities with similar population dynamics in Ghana and Nigeria. Patients were systematically selected, categorized as having health insurance coverage or not, and followed up monthly for 6months. The outcome variables (medication adherence and blood pressure control) were then measured and compared at 6months. Analysis was done using Stata with level of significance set at p⩽0.05. Results: There was a 90% insurance coverage among participants from Ghana compared to 15% from Nigeria. National Health Insurance Authority enrolees in both countries had better blood pressure control and medication adherence compared to non-enrolees (adjusted odds ratio=2.6 and 4.5, respectively). Conclusion: National Health Insurance Authority enrolment was found to be poor among respondents in Nigeria compared to Ghana. Enrolment into the National health financing schemes in both countries led to better blood pressure control and medication adherence among patients with hypertension at primary health facilities. There is therefore the need for system strengthening to improve their sustainability.

Source: UG