ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Personal particulate matter exposures and locations of students in four neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana.

Air pollution exposure and places where the exposures occur may differ in cities in the developing world compared with high-income countries. Our aim was to measure personal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure of students in neighborhoods of varying socioeconomic status in Accra, Ghana, and to quantify the main predictors of exposure. We measured 24-hour PM2.5 exposure of 56 students from eight schools in four neighborhoods. PM2.5 was measured both gravimetrically and continuously, with time-matched global positioning system coordinates. We collected data on determinants of exposure, such as distances of homes and schools from main roads and fuel used for cooking at their home or in the area of residence/school. The association of PM2.5 exposure with sources was estimated using linear mixed-effects models. Personal PM2.5 exposures ranged from less than 10 μg/m3 to more than 150 μg/m3 (mean 56 μg/m3). Girls had higher exposure than boys (67 vs 44 μg/m3; P-value=0.001). Exposure was inversely associated with distance of home or school to main roads, but the associations were not statistically significant in the multivariate model. Use of biomass fuels in the area where the school was located was also associated with higher exposure, as was household’s own biomass use. Paved schoolyard surface was associated with lower exposure. School locations in relation to major roads, materials of school ground surfaces, and biomass use in the area around schools may be important determinants of air pollution exposure.

Source: UG
Personal radiation monitoring of occupationally exposed radiographers in the biggest tertiary referral hospital in Ghana

Abstract Background The use of radiation in the health sector is of tremendous diagnostic and therapeutic benefit to patients. However, scatter radiation associated with its use poses detrimental risks to occupational staff and other health personnel whose activities are associated with the use of radiation. Therefore, there is a need to ensure effective monitoring of occupational exposed health personnel. Presently, the effectiveness of this programme at the biggest tertiary hospital in Ghana is however unclear. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate if occupationally exposed radiographers in the biggest tertiary referral hospital in Ghana were monitored in compliance with international regulations. Methods A quantitative descriptive survey design was used to obtain data on radiation monitoring in the biggest tertiary referral hospital in Ghana from February 2014 to April 2014. Two different tools, observation and questionnaire, were employed for data collection from 50 radiographers purposively sampled in the study. The data was analysed with Microsoft Excel 2010. Results A 100 % response rate was obtained. All respondents were monitored by means of a TLD badge except 4(8 %) who did not have any personal radiation monitoring device. Although 86 % of respondents confirmed that their personnel dosimeters were collected for reading after 3 months of use, all the respondents however, did not receive TLD readings feedback until after 3 or more months. In particular, 38 % of diagnostic radiographers claimed they never received any feedback, while 66 % respondents indicated radiation monitoring in their various departments were unsatisfactory. Delays from the service provider (regulatory body) were identified as the causes of irregularities in supply of dosimeters and monitoring feedback. Conclusion Radiation monitoring of occupational personnel at the biggest tertiary hospital was unsatisfactory and did not meet required standards. Hospital management and the regulatory body should ensure strict compliance with international regulations for purposes of achieving occupational radiation safety.

Source: UG
Personality and Demographic Variables: Antecedents of Job Satisfaction Among Selected Employees in the Ghanaian Banking Sector.

Different people have varying feelings when they engage in work related behaviours. The study examines how psychosocial variables (such as personality and demographic characteristics) predict job satisfaction among selected employees in the Ghanaian banking sector. The main objectives of the study were to understand the extent to which the five-factor personality traits influence job satisfaction, and to explore the link between some demographic variables and job satisfaction. The study adopted a quantitative research, cross-sectional and explorative research design. A sample of four hundred and eighty-three (483) employees in the banking industry was used in this study. Data analysis reveals a strong relationship between job satisfaction and three of the fivefactor personality traits: neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness. The study also reveals that, age as a demographic variable predicts job satisfaction of banking staff. There are different dimensions of influence that personality traits could have on organisational attitudes such as job satisfaction especially when measured among staff with varying backgrounds. This study reveals that it will be useful for organisations to devote time and resources in dealing with the unique sensitivities of employees, and ensuring that the right people with the requisite attributes are placed in appropriate positions to enhance increased satisfaction on the job which has the tendency of predicting overall productivity.

Source: UG
Personality and gender differences in revealed risk preference: evidence from Ghana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate gender differences in risk aversion and determine the effect of personality traits on risk aversion from an African country context. Design/methodology/approach – The study combined both descriptive and analytical designs, and employed t-test, Pearson’s χ2 and binary logistic regression as the main analytical techniques. Data for the analysis were obtained from the World Bank’s Skills toward Employment and Productivity survey on Ghana. Findings – Results of the study revealed systematic differences in personality and gender and their associations with risk aversion. Specifically, women were found to be more risk averse than men. Differences in personality also showed that females reported higher levels of personality in all but one of the Big Five personality traits – extraversion. In addition to gender, age and education, the personality traits of conscientiousness and stability were the main predictors of the likelihood of being risk averse. Although personality differences existed between male and female, the interaction terms between gender and personality factors were not statistically significant. Originality/value – The paper departs from the extant literature on developed countries and western cultures to add to the understanding on how individual differences account for variation in revealed risk preferences.

Source: UG
Personality Traits, Clinical Characteristics, and Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Hypertension in a Primary Hospital in Ghana

Background. Hypertension is a major health problem that remains a significant threat to the health and general wellbeing of many people all over the world. In some patients, the etiology and prognosis of hypertension have been linked to psychological factors including personality traits. One primary goal of management is to improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with hypertension. This study aimed to examine the association between personality traits, clinical characteristics, and HRQoL in hypertension. Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in a sample of 331 individuals with hypertension. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical information, personality traits, and HRQoL were obtained from participants using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Results. The number of participants with a 1–10 years’ duration of diagnosis for hypertension was highest (56.8%), with 52.9% having comorbidities such as diabetes (40.2%) and dyslipidaemia (20.9%). The average number of medications taken per patient was 2.14 (SD±0.79) and about 47.1% of the participants reported adequate medication adherence. Significant associations for age, education, monthly income, number of years with hypertension, and HRQoL were observed. While conscientiousness was significantly associated with all HRQoL domains, extraversion and agreeableness were significantly related to only the environmental domain. Conclusion. This study has demonstrated that clinical characteristics and patients’ perception of their personality are relevant to their health-related quality of life outcomes. The findings suggest that when intervention efforts to improve the quality of life of patients with hypertension are being considered, a biopsychosocial approach should be employed. The implication is that treatment of hypertension in Ghana should be broadened to include the expertise of mental health professionals.

Source: UG
The Perspective of Midwives about Kangaroo Mother Care on the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region of Ghana

Background: Ghana currently does not have neonatal nurses. The care of the newborn is therefore the responsibility of the midwife. Due to scarce resources, the health sector is using cost effective measures that will help meet the health needs of people including the newborn. One of these is Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). KMC is the skin-to-skin contact between the mother and her newborn especially the preterm/premature and those with low birth weight. It therefore demands that the midwife has the right orientation and perspective about KMC. Aim: The aim of this study was to bring to light the perspective midwives of the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region about Kangaroo Mother Care. Methodology: The study was a qualitative explorative descriptive study. The target population was all midwives in the District. The sampling method was purposive. The study was based on the Conceptual framework for KMC. The sample size was fourteen (14) midwives. Interviews were used to collect data and thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings: The findings of this study indicated that midwives need to provide a conducive environment for the practice of KMC. This involves the provision of information to mothers, making sure that there is support and the provision of resources like a cloth to tie the baby in KMC position. They also indicated that midwives should play the role of acquiring knowledge about KMC, teaching and providing support to the family. The study further brought to light that the mother needs to be free of all illnesses-both pathogenic and non pathogenic. As part of maternal requirements the midwives indicated that, the decision to practice KMC solely lies with the mother. A baby for KMC should be preterm or weigh below 2.5kg at birth and should not have any illness. The results also indicated that, there is the need to ensure teamwork among staff and education of those who do not have adequate information about KMC. Whiles some participants perceive KMC as effective, others doubted this. Finally, some of the midwives perceive KMC as substandard form of treatment and should be the preserve of poor communities. This was however disputed by other participants. Conclusion: The study provided insight into how policy makers, planners and managers can improve the practice of kangaroo.

Source: UG
Perspective: Food Environment Research Priorities for Africa—Lessons from the Africa Food Environment Research Network

Over the last 2 decades, many African countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fueled by globalization, rapid urbanization, and development. These changes have altered African food environments and, subsequently, dietary behaviors, including food acquisition and consumption. Dietary patterns associated with the nutrition transition have contributed to Africa’s complex burden of malnutrition—obesity and other diet-related noncommunicable diseases (DR-NCDs)—along with persistent food insecurity and undernutrition. Available evidence links unhealthy or obesogenic food environments (including those that market and offer energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages) with suboptimal diets and associated adverse health outcomes. Elsewhere, governments have responded with policies to improve food environments. However, in Africa, the necessary research and policy action have received insufficient attention. Contextual evidence to motivate, enable, and create supportive food environments in Africa for better population health is urgently needed. In November 2020, the Measurement, Evaluation, Accountability, and Leadership Support for Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention Project (MEALS4NCDs) convened the first Africa Food Environment Research Network Meeting (FERN2020). This 3-d virtual meeting brought researchers from around the world to deliberate on future directions and research priorities related to improving food environments and nutrition across the African continent. The stakeholders shared experiences, best practices, challenges, and opportunities for improving the healthfulness of food environments and related policies in low- and middle-income countries. In this article, we summarize the proceedings and research priorities identified in the meeting to advance the food environment research agenda in Africa, and thus contribute to the promotion of healthier food environments to prevent DR-NCDs, and other forms of malnutrition.

Source: UG
Perspective: Partnering for medical education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Seeking the evidence for effective collaborations

One of the major needs for medical schools and health systems in less affluent countries is system strengthening through the training and development of faculty, doctors, nurses, and other skilled health care workers. Partnering with medical schools in more affluent countries such as the United States is one potential approach for medical schools in underresourced areas, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. Most commonly, these partnerships have focused on research agendas or limited educational exchanges. In this perspective, the authors present an approach to strengthening collaborative relationships between three medical schools in the United States and four in Sub-Saharan Africa. The approach is explicitly focused on achieving partnerships that enable institutions to improve care. It developed from an initiative to fund partnerships or "collaboratives" that address 10 key learning questions determined to be central to focusing efforts on strengthening education systems and, in turn, improving health in Sub-Saharan Africa. The leaders of the schools involved in these partnerships met multiple times across three years to discuss how their collaboratives could address the ten learning questions including what is the best approach and what are the key ingredients for creating effective, multidimensional collaborations between academic institutions in the North and institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. Collaboratively, they defined a framework of evidence that can be used for evaluating their current initiatives and, potentially, for structuring future partnerships. © by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Source: UG
Perspectives of frontline health workers on Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme before and after implementation of community engagement interventions.

Background Barely a decade after introduction of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), significant successes have been recorded in universal access to basic healthcare services. However, sustainability of the scheme is increasingly threatened by concerns on quality of health service delivery in NHIS-accredited health facilities coupled with stakeholders’ discontentment with the operational and administrative challenges confronting the NHIS. The study sought to ascertain whether or not Systematic Community Engagement (SCE) interventions have a significant effect on frontline health workers’ perspectives on the NHIS and its impact on quality health service delivery. Methods The study is a randomized cluster trial involving clinical and non-clinical frontline health workers (n = 234) interviewed at baseline and follow-up in the Greater Accra and Western regions of Ghana. Individual respondents were chosen from within each intervention and control groupings. Difference-in-difference estimations and propensity score matching were performed to determine impact of SCE on staff perceptions of the NHIS. The main outcome measure of interest was staff perception of the NHIS based on eight (8) factor-analyzed quality service parameters. Results Staff interviewed in intervention facilities appeared to perceive the NHIS more positively in terms of its impact on “availability and quality of drugs (p < 0.05)” and “workload on health staff/infrastructure” than those interviewed in control facilities (p < 0.1). Delayed reimbursement of service providers remained a key concern to over 70 % of respondents in control and intervention health facilities. Conclusion Community engagement in quality service assessment is a potential useful strategy towards empowering communities while promoting frontline health workers’ interest, goodwill and active participation in Ghana’s NHIS.

Source: UG
Perspectives of frontline health workers on transition from development assistance for health in Ghana: A qualitative study

Many Low-income countries depend on development assistance for health (DAH) to finance the health sector. The transition of these countries to middle-income status has led to reduction in effective aid from development partners while these countries are expected to graduate from global funding agencies such as Gavi the vaccine alliance, with implications for service delivery. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of frontline health workers regarding the implications of Ghana’s transition to middle-income status on service delivery, the likely impact and opportunities it presents to the country. This exploratory qualitative study employed in-depth interviews to collect data from 16 health workers at three hospitals in the Greater Accra Region; one at the regional level and two at the district level. The study was conducted from December 2019 to July 2020. Data from interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis in NVivo Qualitative Analysis Software version 12. The level of awareness among frontline workers about the transition and decline in DAH was generally low. Nonetheless, frontline health workers perceived that the country seems inadequately prepared for transition as donors continue to be major financiers for the sector and even for emergencies such as the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Potential challenges facilities would face due to transition may include difficulty in funding health programs, human resource challenges and delays in logistics and medicines. The implications for these will be poor health outcomes, defective monitoring and evaluation, and lapses in training programs. In addition, the perceived barriers to transition identified were poor management of resources, political interference and lack of technical expertise. While opportunities such as improvement of the health sector prioritization and efficiency, private sector involvement and autonomy could be gained. Gaps in the health intervention monitoring resulting from DAH transition could pose affect health outcomes, particularly in respect of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. The country’s preparedness to transition from DAH could be better improved with development of a clear transition plan agreed by stakeholders, including government and in-country development partners. For the health sector, the eligibility for DAH transition should not simply be based on economic growth, but importantly on a country’s ability to sustain ongoing and upcoming health programs.

Source: UG
Perspectives of Key Informants on Child Abuse: Qualitative Evidence from Northern Ghana

Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this study aimed to explore key informants’ views about child abuse. Using a qualitative research design, thirty key informants participated in the study. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-depth Interviews (IDIs) were conducted to gather data, which were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study indicated that children were discouraged from being assertive. Also, it was found that key informants had knowledge of child abuse, the variant types, as well as perpetrators and victims of child abuse. Furthermore, different factors (poverty, cultural and religious beliefs, ignorance of child protection laws, among others) were described by key informants as underpinning the occurrence of child abuse. Moreover, evidence showed that generally, child abuse cases were not reported due to barriers, such as concerns about consequences of reporting, poverty, family ties, stigmatization and unavailability or lack of support systems. Based on the findings of the study, conclusions were drawn and implications discussed. © 2018 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Source: UG
Perspectives of Mothers on Quality of Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition Services in the Wa Municipality

Severe acute malnutrition is still the main risk factor for children five years and below if not appropriately managed. The Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) has improved over the years as an effective approach in solving the problems of severe acute malnutrition in children below five years. This means that quality health care delivery is required in order for the CMAM approach to achieve the desired outcome. The study explored the perspectives of mothers on the quality of community-based management of severe acute malnutrition services in children under five years in the Wa Municipality. The Donabedian model on quality of care was used to guide the study. A descriptive exploratory qualitative research design was used. One-on-one interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide for data collection. Twelve mothers with malnourished children aged 6-59 months were used for the study. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data. The key findings of the study revealed that, the mothers were satisfied with the quality of CMAM services rendered since the condition of their children improved. However, the mothers failed to perceive the condition of their children as nutritional but attributed their condition to spiritual forces. Policy makers should strengthen the health systems to make the quality of CMAM services more effective in order to motivate patronage. Health education in the Municipality should be intensified to help the populace to make informed choices

Source: UG