ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The link between monetary policy and banks lending behaviour: The ghanaian case

Purpose - The study examines whether bank lending is constrained by monetary policy in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - The study uses panel cross sectional data covering the period from 1998 to 2004 from the database of Bank of Ghana, ISSER and International Financial Statistics of IMF. The bank loan is represented by freely allocated bank loan which is presumably more sensitive to changes in monetary policy. Changes in money supply and central bank' prime rate is a proxy of monetary policy. Findings - The study reveals that Ghanaian banks lending behaviours are affected significantly by the country's economic activities and changes in money supply. The results of this study also support previous studies that the central bank's prime rate and inflation rate negatively but statistically insignificantly affect banks lending. With the firm level characteristics, the study reveals that bank size and liquidity significantly influence banks' ability to extend credit when demanded. Originality/value - The main value of this study is the identification of the monetary policy factors that influence bank lending behaviour in Ghana. © Mohammed Amidu, 2006.

Source: UG
The Linkages Between Poverty Production,Corruption and Securitization in Nigeria

‘Poverty production’ is a rising notion in poverty research which addresses the roles of actors and the activities they engage in that end in poverty or make contributions to poverty formation. Corruption does not fail to be one of those obvious factors known to aggravate poverty among citizens. The scope of the study focused on Nigeria in West Africa, a country with immense wealth from its rare natural resource – oil – yet reportedly taken over India as the country with the largest number of people living in extreme poverty, according to the World Poverty Clock and the Brookings Institute. Nigeria has been known to score very low on the global corruption index. The study narrowly looked at the insurgence in the region of the Niger Delta and how the unrest has been driven by hidden faces of both local and international figures in government positions and corporations seriously facilitating the production of more poverty through corruption and securitization of affairs. The objectives of this study were to investigate the linkages between poverty production, corruption and securitization in Nigeria, examine how these linkages are (deliberately) fueled by government officials, corporate bodies (both local and international) and other actors within the society and finally to explore prospects in dealing with corruption to curb poverty production, corruption and subsequently the securitization of those issues through the adoption of a human security approach. In Nigeria, the problems of corruption and poverty exist. Many people may look at them as two separate national challenges, but this research has shown that there is a strong causal relationship between the two i.e. the extreme levels of corruption produces poverty and vice versa. A reduction in corruption at all levels in the private and public sectors could help reduce the levels of poverty in Nigeria and more importantly the spate at which local authorities and international corporations produce poverty directly and otherwise.

Source: UG
Linkages in Ghana’s gold mining industry: Challenging the enclave thesis

By 2009, Ghana was the second-ranked African producer after South Africa, and had become the world's ninth largest producer of gold, at some 3.8% of global production, up from 2.6% five years earlier. Gold production volumes and revenues rose significantly over the decade from 2000. Yet gold mining tends to be perceived negatively in Ghana, and is seen as providing far less than it should in terms of public revenue, employment, skills development and spillovers, and localised economic development. Gold mining is often depicted as having an enclave status, disconnected and isolated from the rest of the economy. In contrast, the research findings here demonstrate that after a period of strong investment and growth, gold mining can no longer be viewed as an enclave activity: it is in fact more deeply linked into the Ghanaian economy than hitherto understood, through a set of as yet under-researched but promising economic linkages, notably backward linkages, which can potentially be strengthened by policy and support measures.

Source: UG
Linking commuting stress to job satisfaction and turnover intention: The mediating role of burnout.

This study uses structural equation modelling to test a model that posits that commuting stress would have direct and indirect effects (through burnout) on employee job satisfaction and turnover intention. Based on a sample (N = 336) of employees from diverse occupations in Ghana, the results partly supported the authors’ hypothesized model. Commuting stress was positively related to burnout and turnover intention but had no direct relationship with job satisfaction. In addition, commuting stress was indirectly related to job satisfaction and turnover intention via burnout. These results were found to be invariant for men and women. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.

Source: UG
Linking commuting stress to job satisfaction and turnover intention: The mediating role of burnout.

This study uses structural equation modelling to test a model that posits that commuting stress would have direct and indirect effects (through burnout) on employee job satisfaction and turnover intention. Based on a sample (N ¼ 336) of employees from diverse occupations in Ghana, the results partly supported the authors’ hypothesized model. Commuting stress was positively related to burnout and turnover intention but had no direct relationship with job satisfaction. In addition, commuting stress was indirectly related to job satisfaction and turnover intention via burnout. These results were found to be invariant for men and women. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.

Source: UG
Linking improvisational behavior to customer satisfaction: The relational dynamics

Purpose Contemporary sales scholarship suggests that salespersons pursuing customer satisfaction should improvise (think and act on their feet) to find solutions to customers’ emergent problems. A missing link in this literature, however, is the relational context within which improvisation takes place and becomes effective. This study aims to examine how the tone of the salesperson–customer relationship (whether cordial or coercive) drives and conditions salesperson improvisation and its implications for customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The study tests the proposed model using dyadic salesperson–customer data from business-to-business (B2B) markets in Ghana. The relationships are tested using structural equation modeling technique. Findings The study finds that salesperson improvisation is associated with customer satisfaction. It also finds the extent of cordiality between salespersons and their customers predicts but does not enhance the value of improvisation for customer satisfaction. The reverse is true for customer exercised coercive power which is not a significant driver of improvisation but can substantially alter its benefits for the worse. Practical implications By implication, salespersons should improvise more to be able to satisfy customers. However, such improvisation must be tempered with a consciousness of the relationship shared with customers and the level of power they exercise in the relationship. Originality/value Because improvised behavior deviates from routines and may be unsettling for customers, improvising salespersons must first understand whether their customers would be willing to accommodate such deviations. Yet, the literature is silent on this relational context surrounding improvisation. This study, by exploring facilitating and inhibitory relational variables implicated in improvisation, addresses this gap.

Source: UG
Linking science and farmers' innovative capacity: Diagnostic studies from Ghana and Benin

The article is an introduction to a series of articles about diagnostic studies carried out by eight PhD students in Ghana and Benin. These studies form a prelude to their experimental action research with groups of farmers to develop technologies that work in local conditions and are acceptable to farmers. A last article reports on a comparison of these eight studies by the ninth PhD student in the Convergence of Sciences (CoS) project. In this introductory article, it is argued that the need to ground agricultural research in the needs and circumstances of farmers is as strong as the need to ground research in the international scientific discourse. It explores the reasons why the West African context requires careful diagnostic studies to be able to design agricultural research that is of any use. It introduces pre-analytical choice as an overriding concept to explain why choices that reduce the degrees of freedom have to be made explicitly on the basis of criteria. Such criteria are suggested for the quality of pre-analytical choices, and the paper ends by examining the way the CoS project made some of its choices.

Source: UG
Linking Social Rights to Active Citizenship for the Most Vulnerable: the Role of Rights and Accountability in the ‘Making’ and ‘Shaping’ of Social Protection

Social protection has the potential to provide a key interface between states and citizens. We consider how the institutional framing and design of social protection can be adapted from top-down forms of provision to forms that stimulate vulnerable citizens to make rights-based claims and demand accountability for their entitlements. A conceptual framework is developed that illustrates three channels through which citizenship can be engaged through social accountability mechanisms and in the context of social protection provision. Drawing on case studies, we highlight the different contexts in which the design and delivery of social protection can open up spaces for different forms of citizenship engagement and expression. Through opening up institutional spaces where citizens can engage with the state, and each other, we conclude that social protection is uniquely placed to build the economic, social and political capabilities of citizens.

Source: UG
Lipid associated antioxidants: arylesterase and paraoxonase-1 in benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment-naïve patients

Background: Oxidative stress and antioxidants have been implicated in many diseases including prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Lipid peroxidation contributes to oxidative stress. However, new and emerging antioxidants such as paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and arylesterase (ARE) associated with lipoprotein peroxidation have not been examined in BPH patients. PON1 and ARE, a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol-bound enzyme system of antioxidants, protect low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and HDL from oxidation by hydrolysis. The study primarily determined paraoxonase (PON1) and ARE activities in BPH treatment-naïve patients. Materials and methods: Sixty newly diagnosed patients (treatment-naïve) alongside 30 apparently healthy controls were recruited. Blood examinations included lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL), glutathione peroxidase, PON1, ARE, and prostate specific antigen (PSA). Prostate volume and International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) were determined. Results: PSA was significantly different between patient and control groups (P < 0.0001). Total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL were significantly higher in the patient group (P = 0.002, P < 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively). Glutathione peroxidase was very low in the patient group compared to the control group (5.65 ± 2.30 ng/mL and 17.43 ± 10.98 ng/mL, respectively). Although PON1 was higher in the patient group (50.22 ± 19.68/61.30 ± 29.55 ng/mL; P > 0.05), ARE was significantly lower in the patient group (61.31 ± 21.76/49.30 ± 19.82 ng/mL; P = 0.0098). No correlation was established between antioxidants and the lipid profile except for the LDL and PON1 patient group (r = 0.1486, P = 0.0374). Similarly, a weak correlation was also established between PSA and LDL in the patient group (r = –0.275, P = 0.033). PON1/HDL ratio was not significantly different. However, the ARE/HDL ratio was significantly lower in the patient group (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: These results signify the presence of a higher lipoprotein peroxidation activity and lower lipid-associated antioxidant activity in the patient group. The ARE/HDL ratio is a better indicator of the HDL associated antioxidant than the PON1/HDL ratio or the individual antioxidants (PON1 and ARE) as reported by others. © 2017

Source: UG
Lipid profile and dyslipidemia among school-age children in urban Ghana

Background Dyslipidemia during childhood has been associated with higher risk of atherosclerosis later in life. Information on the lipid profile of Ghanaian children is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the lipid profiles of school children between the ages of 9–15 years, living in urban Ghana. Methods A total of 802 randomly selected school-age children participated in the Ghana School Survey implemented in Kumasi and Accra, Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on child and maternal socio-demographic characteristics (including age, education, and occupation), 7-day food frequency, home and school activity, as well as measurement of weight and standing height. Weight, height, and age data were converted into BMI-for-age indices to determine weight status. Finger-prick fasting blood samples were taken from the school-age children. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol levels were determined using the CardioChek® PA Test System. Reference lipid levels based on the US National Cholesterol Education Program 2001 guidelines were used to determine the proportion of children with dyslipidemia. Results The mean TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG levels were 149.0 ± 57.0 mg/dl, 80.1 ± 38.6 mg/dl, 53.5 ± 19.4 mg/dl, and 71.4 ± 54.7 mg/dl, respectively. Mean TC/HDL-C ratio was 3.0 ± 1.0. The proportion of children with abnormal values were 12.1% for TC, 4.5% for TG, 28.4% for HDL-C, 9.2% for LDL-C, and 6.6% for TC/HDL-C ratio. The levels of dyslipidemia (HDL, LDL, and TC/HDL-C ratio) were higher among overweight/obese compared to normal-weight children. More frequent fruit consumption was also linked with lower LDL-C (p = 0.020) while watching television (TV) in the mornings was linked with both higher TC (p = 0.011) and TG (p = 0.006). Conclusions Majority of urban-dwelling Ghanaian school children had normal lipid profiles. However, the higher levels of dyslipidemia observed among overweight and obese children suggest the need for population level physical activity and dietary interventions among children to reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases in adult life.

Source: UG
Lipid-based nutrient supplement increases the birth size of infants of primiparous women in Ghana

Background: The International Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Project developed a small-quantity (20 g/d) lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) for pregnant and lactating women. Objective: We evaluated the effects of prenatal LNS supplementation on fetal growth. Design: In a community-based, partially double-blind, individually randomized controlled trial, 1320 women ≤20 wk pregnant received 60 mg Fe/400 mg folic acid (IFA), or 1-2 Recommended Dietary Allowances of 18 micronutrients, including 20 mg Fe (MMN), or LNS with the same micronutrients as the MMN group, plus 4 minerals and macronutrients contributing 118 kcal (LNS) daily until delivery. Fetal growth was compared across groups by using intention- to-treat analysis. The primary outcome was birth length. Results: This analysis included 1057 women (IFA = 349, MMN = 354, LNS = 354). Groups did not differ significantly in mean birth length, length-for-age z score (LAZ), head circumference, or percentage low birth length but differed in mean birth weight (P = 0.044), weight-for-age z score (WAZ; P = 0.046), and BMI-forage z score (BMIZ; P = 0.040), with a trend toward differences in low birth weight (P = 0.069). In pairwise comparisons, the LNS group had greater mean birth weight (+85 g; P = 0.040), WAZ (+0.19; P = 0.045), and BMIZ (+0.21; P = 0.035) and a lower risk of low birth weight (RR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.96; P = 0.032) than did the IFA group. The other group differences were not significant. The effect of intervention was modified by mother's parity, age, height, baseline hemoglobin, household food insecurity, and child sex, with parity being the most consistent modifier. Among primiparous women (IFA = 131; MMN = 110; LNS = 128), the LNS group had greater mean birth length (+0.91 cm; P = 0.001), LAZ (+0.47; P = 0.001), weight (+237 g; P < 0.001), WAZ (+0.56; P < 0.001), BMIZ (+0.52; P < 0.001), head circumference (0.50 cm; P = 0.017), and head circumference-for-age z score (+0.40; P = 0.022) than did the IFA group; similar differences were found when comparing the LNS and MMN groups among primiparous women, and no group differences were found among multiparous women. Conclusion: Prenatal LNS supplementation can improve fetal growth among vulnerable women in Ghana, particularly primiparous women. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Source: UG
Lipid-related genetic polymorphisms significantly modulate the association between lipids and disability progression in multiple sclerosis

Objective To investigate whether lipid-related or body mass index (BMI)–related common genetic polymorphisms modulate the associations between serum lipid levels, BMI and disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods The association between disability progression (annualised Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) change over 5 years, ΔEDSS) and lipid-related or BMI-related genetic polymorphisms was evaluated in a longitudinal cohort (n=184), diagnosed with MS. We constructed a cumulative genetic risk score (CGRS) of associated polymorphisms (p<0.05) and examined the interactions between the CGRS and lipid levels (measured at baseline) in predicting ΔEDSS. All analyses were conducted using linear regression. Results Five lipid polymorphisms (rs2013208, rs9488822, rs17173637, rs10401969 and rs2277862) and one BMI polymorphism (rs2033529) were nominally associated with ΔEDSS. The constructed lipid CGRS showed a significant, dose-dependent association with ΔEDSS (ptrend=1.4×10−6), such that participants having ≥6 risk alleles progressed 0.38 EDSS points per year faster compared with those having ≤3. This CGRS model explained 16% of the variance in ΔEDSS. We also found significant interactions between the CGRS and lipid levels in modulating ΔEDSS, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL; pinteraction=0.005) and total cholesterol:high-density lipoprotein ratio (TC:HDL; pinteraction=0.030). The combined model (combination of CGRS and the lipid parameter) explained 26% of the disability variance for HDL and 27% for TC:HDL. Interpretation In this prospective cohort study, both lipid levels and lipid-related polymorphisms individually and jointly were associated with significantly increased disability progression in MS. These results indicate that these polymorphisms and tagged genes might be potential points of intervention to moderate disability progression.

Source: UG
Lipoid proteinosis: Report of four siblings and brief review of the literature

Lipoid proteinosis (Urbach-Wiethe disease) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder associated with deposition of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive hyaline material in various tissues including skin, mucous membranes, and internal organs. A family is reported in which four siblings (two boys and two girls) born to nonconsanguineous parents had lipoid proteinosis. All had the characteristic hoarseness of voice and three had skin lesions. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of typical features on light and electron microscopy.

Source: UG
Listening to women's voices: The quality of care of women experiencing severe maternal morbidity, in Accra, Ghana.

Background: Women who survive severe obstetric complications can provide insight into risk factors and potential strategies for prevention of maternal morbidity as well as maternal mortality. We interviewed 32 women, in an urban facility in Ghana, who had experienced severe morbidity defined using a standardized WHO near-miss definition and identification criteria. Women provided personal accounts of their experiences of severe maternal morbidity and perceptions of the care they received. Methods and Findings: The study took place in a referral facility in urban Accra, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who had either a maternal near miss (n = 17) or a potentially life-threatening complication (n = 15). The most common themes surrounding the traumatic delivery were the fear of dying and concern over the potential (or actual) loss of the baby. For many women, the loss of a baby negatively influenced how they viewed and coped with this experience. Women's perceptions of the quality of the care highlighted several key factors such as the importance of information, good communication and attitudes, and availability of human (i.e., more doctors) and physical resources (i.e., more beds, water) at the facility. Conclusions: Our results suggest that experiences of women with severe maternal morbidity may inform different aspects of quality improvement in the facilities, which in turn have a positive impact on future health seeking behavior, service utilization and reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality. © 2012 Tunçalp et al.

Source: UG
Listeria monocytogenes at the food–human interface: A review of risk factors inﬂuencing transmission and consumer exposure in Africa

In African public health systems, Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen of relatively low priority. Yet, the biggest listeriosis outbreak recorded to date occurred in Africa in 2018. This review highlights the factors that potentially impact L. monocytogenes transmission risks through African food value chains (FVCs). With the high rate of urbanisation, African FVCs have become spatially longer yet still informal. At the same time, dietary diversiﬁcations have resulted in increased consumption of processed ready-to-eat (RTE) meat, poultry, ﬁshery and dairy products typically associated with a higher risk of L. monocytogenes con- sumer exposure. With frequent cold chain challenges, the potential of L. monocytogenes growth in contami- nated RTE foods can further amplify consumer exposure risks. Moreover, the high prevalence of untreated HIV infections, endemic anaemia, high fertility rate and a gradually increasing proportion of elderly per- sons expands the fraction of listeriosis-susceptible groups among African populations. With already warmer tropical conditions, the projected climate change-induced increases in ambient temperatures are likely to exacerbate listeriosis risks in Africa. As precautionary approaches, African countries should implement sys- tems for the detection and reporting of listeriosis cases and food safety regulations that provide L. monocytogenes standards and limits in high-risk RTE foods.

Source: UG