ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Seeking consent to genetic and genomic research in a rural Ghanaian setting: A qualitative study of the MalariaGEN experience

AbstractBackgroundSeeking consent for genetic and genomic research can be challenging, particularly in populations with low literacy levels, and in emergency situations. All of these factors were relevant to the MalariaGEN study of genetic factors influencing immune responses to malaria in northern rural Ghana. This study sought to identify issues arising in practice during the enrolment of paediatric cases with severe malaria and matched healthy controls into the MalariaGEN study.MethodsThe study used a rapid assessment incorporating multiple qualitative methods including in depth interviews, focus group discussions and observations of consent processes. Differences between verbal information provided during community engagement processes, and consent processes during the enrolment of cases and controls were identified, as well as the factors influencing the tailoring of such information.ResultsMalariaGEN participants and field staff seeking consent were generally satisfied with their understanding of the project and were familiar with aspects of the study relating to malaria. Some genetic aspects of the study were also well understood. Participants and staff seeking consent were less aware of the methodologies employed during genomic research and their implications, such as the breadth of data generated and the potential for future secondary research.Moreover, trust in and previous experience with the Navrongo Health Research Centre which was conducting the research influenced beliefs about the benefits of participating in the MalariaGEN study and subsequent decision-making about research participation.ConclusionsIt is important to recognise that some aspects of complex genomic research may be of less interest to and less well understood by research participants and that such gaps in understanding may not be entirely addressed by best practice in the design and conduct of consent processes. In such circumstances consideration needs to be given to additional protections for participants that may need to be implemented in such research, and how best to provide such protections.Capacity building for research ethics committees with limited familiarity with genetic and genomic research, and appropriate engagement with communities to elicit opinions of the ethical issues arising and acceptability of downstream uses of genome wide association data are likely to be important.

Source: UG
Seeking consent to genetic and genomic research in a rural Ghanaian setting: A qualitative study of the MalariaGEN experience.

The Epidemiology Department contributes to the mission of the institute through basic and applied epidemiological research on, but not limited to, malaria and other diseases of public health importance. It is also home to the Social Science Unit of the Institute, including the Health Support Centre for HIV/AIDS and other communicable and noncommunicable health problems.

Source: UG
Segregated by Neighbourhoods? A Portrait of Ethnic Diversity in the Neighbourhoods of the Accra Metropolitan Area

Studies of urban ethnicity have portrayed ethnic groups as initially concentrating in locations where they live in relatively exclusive residential areas containing few members of other groups. This concentration into ethnic enclaves is commonly regarded as a result of disadvantage and discrimination in the labour and housing markets, coupled with a desire for residential concentration to promote and guarantee group cultural, socioeconomic and physical security. To what extent do the neighbourhoods of Accra Metropolitan Area reflect these urban ethnicity patterns, and what are the factors shaping the concentration of ethnic groups in the city? Using the Location Quotient Index based on census data, the paper examines the degree of ethnic diversity and concentration in the neighbourhoods of Accra. The findings of the study reveal that Accra is not following a Western model of segregation, neither is there a single model of African segregation, but rather many African trajectories. Economic segregation is the organising force underlying residential segregation in Accra, and this operates through several social markers, one of which remains the ethnic history of migration to Accra.

Source: UG
Selected Ghanaian cassava and sweetpotato cultivars: Evaluation of flour and wort quality

Studies were conducted on the suitability of flour samples of three cultivars of cassava (Afisiafi, Gblemoduade, and Tekbankye) and sweetpotato (Sauti, Farah, and TIB2) as brewing adjuncts. Significant varietal differences (p<0.05) were observed in fat content and ash of the flours. In addition, the protein content of sweetpotato flours varied with cultivar. Wort colour and free amino nitrogen (FAN) levels were dependent on the cultivar. Worts from the sweetpotato flours exhibited intense colour (11.34-16.85 EBC) compared with for cassava (6.49-8.49 EBC), suggesting that they may be suitable for the production of distinctive beer types in Ghana. Since Sauti wort was the lightest among the sweetpotato worts, it should be the sweetpotato cultivar of choice for the production of lager beer. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in FAN level, extract content and fermentability of cassava worts. Wort from Afisiafi had the highest extract content suggesting that it might be a suitable brewing adjunct for lager beer. Gblemoduade produced a more alkaline (pH 6.27) wort than all other samples. The rate of filtration of cassava wort samples was unacceptably slow, indicating a high beta glucan content.

Source: UG
The selection and use of essential medicines

The Clinical Pathology Department conducts research that contributes to intervention strategies and safeguards of public health in Ghana. In view of this the Department carries out research into plant medicine development, drug interactions and regulation, bio-monitoring and prevention of poisoning from environmental toxicants (e.g. mycotoxins specifically aflatoxins and toxic heavy metals). The Department also provides specialized laboratory services in support of public health programmes.

Source: UG
The selection and use of essential medicines

Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.

Source: UG
The selection and use of essential medicines

This report presents the recommendations of the WHO Expert Committee responsible for updating the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. The first part contains a summary of the Committee's considerations and justifications for additions and changes to the Model List, including its recommendations. Annexes to the main report include the revised version of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (the 15th) and a list of all items on the Model List sorted according to their 5-level Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification codes. Other annexes cover the proposed procedure for updating and disseminating the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, and the revised procedure for updating the content of the Interagency Emergency Health Kit.

Source: UG
Selection into Employment Sectors in Urban Ghana and Tanzania: The Role of Education

Recent debate among policy makers and researcher has centered on whether informal sector employment is a result of competitive market factors or labour market segmentation. This study contributes to the empirical literature by analysing selection into employment sectors in urban labour markets of Ghana and Tanzania using worker surveys from 2004 to 2006 in pooled sample models. Results from occupational choice models suggest both labour markets are characteristic of preference for formal sector employment with education. Results based on age differences indicate heterogeneity in job attainment as young people are found to face more challenges in accessing jobs

Source: UG
Selective activation of TCR gamma delta +ve cells in endemic Burkitt's lymphoma

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
Selective activation of TCR-gammadelta+ cells in endemic Burkitt's lymphoma

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
Selective activation of TCR-γδ+ cells in endemic burkitt's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: The overlap in geographical distribution of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and endemic Burkitt's lymphoma (eBL)--an aggressive Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated B-cell tumour occurring almost exclusively in the tropics--strongly suggests a link between the two diseases. It is suspected that the polyclonal B-cell activation in P. falciparum malaria may precipitate a breakdown in homeostatic T-cell control of EBV-immortalized B-cell proliferation. Previous studies have suggested that a particular T-cell subset, characterized by expression of Vdelta1+ gammadelta T-cell receptors, is important for maintaining B-cell homeostasis, both in P. falciparum- exposed populations and in individuals subject to polyclonal B-cell activation of other aetiology. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to characterize lymphocyte phenotypes and to investigate possible differences in T-cell subset composition and activation status in P. falciparum-exposed Ghanaian children with and without eBL. METHODS: Venous blood samples in heparin from 21 eBL patients (mean age: 7.0 years; range: 3-11 years), referred to the Burkitt's Tumour Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra and 15 healthy, age and sex matched children, were stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-, phycoerythrin (PE)-, R-phycoerythrin (RPE)- and RPE-Cy5-conjugated antibodies (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD69, CD95, HLA-DR, TCR-gammadelta, Vdelta1, Vdelta3, Vgamma9 and B-cells) and acquired on a flow cytometer. RESULTS: A reduction in the proportion of CD3+ cells in eBL patients, due mainly to perturbations among TCR-gammadelta+ cells was observed. In contrast, the proportions of CD4+ or CD8+ cells were relatively unaffected, as were the mean numbers of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CONCLUSION: Selective changes in numbers and activation status of TCR-gammadelta+ cells occurs in Ghanaian children with eBL, a pattern which is similar to P. falciparum-induced changes. The data supports the hypothesis of a regulatory role for Vdelta1+ TcR-gammadelta T-cells in maintaining B-cell homeostasis and provides insights into the pathogenesis of eBL.

Source: UG
Selective sweeps and genetic lineages of plasmodium falciparum drug -resistant alleles in Ghana

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
Selenium characterization in the global rice supply chain

For up to 1 billion people worldwide, insufﬁcient dietary intake of selenium (Se) is a serious health constraint. Cereals are the dominant Se source for those on low protein diets, as typiﬁed by the global malnourished population. With crop Se content constrained largely by underlying geology, regional soil Se variations are often mirrored by their locally grown staples. Despite this, the Se concentrations of much of the world’s rice, the mainstay of so many, is poorly characterized, for both total Se content and Se speciation. In this study, 1092 samples of market sourced polished rice were obtained. The sampled rice encompassed dominant rice producing and exporting countries. Rice from the U.S. and India were found to be the most enriched, while mean average levels were lowest in Egyptian rice: ∼32-fold less than their North American equivalents. By weighting country averages by contribution to either global production or export, modelled baseline values for both were produced. Based on a daily rice consumption of 300 g day-1, around 75% of the grains from the production and export pools would fail to provide 70% of daily recommended Se intakes. Furthermore, Se localization and speciation characterization using X-ray ﬂuorescence (µ-XRF) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (µ-XANES) techniques were investigated in a Se-rich sample. The results revealed that the large majority of Se in the endosperm was present in organic forms.

Source: UG
Self-construals predict personal life satisfaction with different strengths across societal contexts differing in national wealth and religious heritage

We explore to what extent previously observed pan-cultural association between dimensions of self-construal and personal life satisfaction (PLS) may be moderated by three national-contextual variables: national wealth, economic inequality, and religious heritage. The results showed that Self-reliance (vs. dependence on others) predicted PLS positively in poorer countries but negatively in richer countries. Connectedness to others (vs. self-containment) predicted PLS more strongly in Protestant-heritage countries. Self-expression (vs. harmony) predicted PLS more weakly (and non-significantly) in Muslim-heritage countries. In contrast, previously reported associations of self-direction (vs. reception-to-influence), consistency (vs. variability), and decontextualized (vs. contextualized) self-understanding with personal life satisfaction were not significantly moderated by these aspects of societal context. These results show the importance of considering the impact of national religious and economic context.

Source: UG
Self-Determination Theory and Quality of Life of Adults with Diabetes: A Scoping Review

Background. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of sickness, death, and decreased quality of life globally. The prevalence of diabetes keeps rising globally due to lifestyle changes and urbanization. Therefore, improved quality of life (QoL) and appropriate diabetes self-management practices, including treatment adherence, are crucial to improving and sustaining the health of diabetic patients. Some studies have adopted the self-determination theory (SDT) to study diabetes interventions, but less is known about its effectiveness in improving QoL, treatment adherence, and diabetes self-management. Aim/Objective. This review assessed the effectiveness of SDT in improving self-management practices, treatment adherence, and QoL among adult diabetic patients. Method. We followed the six-stage framework by Arksey and O’Malley in conducting the review. PubMed, JSTOR, Central, and ScienceDirect databases were searched for published articles from January 2011 to October 2021 using keywords and Boolean logic. Furthermore, we screened a reference list of related articles. Also, Google Scholar, Z-library, and web-based searches were carried out to retrieve other relevant evidence that applied SDT in improving QoL, diabetes self management, and treatment adherence. Findings. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria, from which data were extracted as findings. SDT effectively improved QoL, diabetes treatment adherence, and diabetes self-management among diabetic patients. Of these studies, 11 provided data on SDT and diabetes self-management and affirmed the effectiveness of the theory in improving appropriate diabetes self-management practices. Two studies confirmed the effectiveness of SDT in improving treatment adherence. SDT and QoL were assessed in 4 of the studies, which demonstrated the effectiveness of SDT in enhancing the QoL of diabetic patients. Conclusion. SDT effectively improved QoL, diabetes treatment adherence, and diabetes self-management. The application of SDT in diabetes management will improve the health and QoL of diabetic patients. Hence, diabetes management interventions could adopt SDT to guide treatment.

Source: UG
Self-employment preferences among university graduates in Ghana: Does gender make a difference?

Motivation Youth employment has become an urgent policy issue in Africa. Half of the population is under 25 years old on a continent in which job creation lags behind economic growth. Consequently, policy-makers have increasingly proposed self-employment as a solution to the challenge of youth unemployment. Purpose This study examines self-employment preferences among university graduates in Ghana. We address two related questions: (1) Are there gender differences in young people’s willingness to pursue self-employment; and (2) what are the predictors of preference for self-employment in male and female graduates? Methods and approach Our analysis draws on a sample of 1,180 university graduates interviewed during their compulsory year of national service, which follows graduation. We analyse gender and other sub-group differences using t-tests for statistical significance of differences in means. We then estimate multinomial logit regressions to analyse what factors predict employment preferences. Findings We find substantial gender differences in preferences for self-employment. Despite women having higher rates of self-employment in the economy, the female graduates in our sample are significantly less likely to prefer self-employment than men—12% of women and 16% of men report that their desired type of work would be self-employment. Moreover, while marital status and childbearing are the strongest predictors of self-employment preferences for women, self-employment experience and financial background are the strongest predictors for men. Policy implications This study suggests that gender differences in labour market outcomes are partly a function of differential preferences rooted in unequal constraints. Bridging these gendered inequalities will require policy interventions that both impact the preferences women form prior to entering the labour market and address their gender-specific concerns about family responsibilities.

Source: UG
Self-Esteem And Self-Concept As Correlates Of Life Satisfaction And Attitudes Toward School Among Ghanaian Girls

During adolescence, youth experience several physical, psychosocial, and cognitive changes. Self-esteem and self-concept are identified as protective factors for adolescents in high-income countries, but studies are limited in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the associations of self-esteem and self-concept with life satisfaction and attitudes to ward school using baseline data from 97 Ghanaian adolescent girls at risk of school dropout. Ordinary Least Squares regression models were fitted to examine the association between self-esteem and self-concept on school attitudes and life satisfaction. Self-esteem was positively associated with life satisfaction. Self-concept was associated with with more positive attitudes toward school. Hence, self-esteem and self-concept may be critical protective factors in promoting adolescent girls' life satisfaction and positive attitudes toward school.

Source: UG
Self-Forgiveness Among Incarcerated Individuals in Ghana: Relations With Shame- and Guilt-Proneness

Research on the forgiveness of self has largely focused on less severe, more common types of offenses among samples within developed westernized nations. In this brief report of a study within a developing nation in Africa, applications of self-forgiveness are extended to incarcerated people. The sample comprised N = 310 males (83.87%) and females (16.13%) who were incarcerated in a medium-security Ghanaian prison (Mage = 39.35, SDage = 13.28). Participants completed measures of self-forgiveness, shame-proneness, and guilt-proneness. Prison records were examined for criminal history details. We hypothesized that self-forgiveness would correlate negatively with shame-proneness and positively with guilt-proneness. We tentatively hypothesized that this association would be moderated by offense type. Self-forgiveness correlated with both shame- and guilt-proneness in the hypothesized direction. However, neither association was moderated by type of offense. The findings offer further evidence on the salience of self-conscious emotions in forgiving oneself, particularly among incarcerated offender populations. We discuss the implications of the findings for enhancing offender rehabilitation initiatives.

Source: UG
Self-harm among in-school and street connected adolescents in Ghana: a cross-sectional survey in the Greater Accra region

Objectives To identify the prevalence, methods, associations and reported reasons for self-harm among in-school and street-connected adolescents in Ghana. Design A cross-sectional survey. We applied multi level regression models and model-based cluster analysis to the data. Setting Three contexts in the Greater Accra region were used: second cycle schools, facilities of charity organisations and street census enumeration areas (sleeping places of street-connected adolescents, street corners, quiet spots of restaurants, markets, train and bus stations, and lorry and car parks). Participants A regionally representative sample of 2107 (1723 in-school and 384 street-connected) adolescents aged 13–21 years. Outcome measures Participants responded to a structured self-report anonymous questionnaire describing their experience of self-harm and eliciting demographic information and social and personal adversities. Results The lifetime prevalence of self-harm was 20.2% (95% CI 19.0% to 22.0%), 12-month prevalence was 16.6% (95% CI 15.0% to 18.0%) and 1-month prevalence was 3.1% (95% CI 2.0% to 4.0%). Self-injury alone accounted for 54.5% episodes and self-poisoning alone for 16.2% episodes, with more than one method used in 26% of episodes. Self-cutting (38.7%) was the most common form of self-injury, whereas alcohol (39.2%) and medications (27.7%) were the most commonly reported means of self-poisoning. The factors associated with self-harm were interpersonal: conflict with parents (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.87, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.81), physical abuse victimisation (aOR=1.69, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.47), difficulty in making and keeping friends (aOR=1.24, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.80), sexual abuse victimisation (aOR=1.21, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.87) and conflict between parents (aOR=1.07, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.56). Conclusions Self-harm is a significant public health problem among in-school and street-connected adolescents in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Its origins are very largely in social and familial adversity, and therefore prevention and treatment measures need to be focused in these areas.

Source: UG