ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Severity of spoilage storage rots of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.)

Severity of storage rots in different sections of white yam tubers (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) was investigated. Yam samples with rots were collected from a yam barn and from selected markets in Accra, Ghana, to identify the most predominant pathogens associated with the rots. Nine fungal spoilage microorganisms, including Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium oxysporium, Fusarium sp., Penicillium brevi-compactum, Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus stolonifer and a bacterium species Erwinia carotovora were identified. The mean incidence of occurrence of the organisms on rotten tissues ranged from 1.2% to 28.5%. Of the 10 microorganisms isolated, B. theobromae, F. oxysporium and R. stolonifer were the most frequently encountered spoilage microorganisms in the markets. E. carotovora, Fusarium solani and Penicillium sp. were relatively sparse (incidence not exceeding 3%) compared to the other yam spoilage microorganisms. The surface area and weight of necrotic tissue induced by the spoilage fungi in the various zones of the tubers over a 28-day storage period were assessed. All the spoilage microorganisms produced rots in the yams, although to different degrees. The severity of the rots increased in weight and area over the period when the tubers were in store but were normally not significantly different in the zones of tubers. There was, however, a linear progression of rots in the various zones of the yam tubers. Although there was generally no significant (P ≥ 0.05) difference in the severity of rots induced by the different microorganisms in the tubers, R. stolonifer commonly induced more rot in the zones of the tubers compared to B. theobromae and F. oxysporium. © 2005 The Authors.

Source: UG
Sex differences in HIV testing in Ghana, and policy implications.

HIV testing and counseling (HTC) is the primary gateway to all systems of AIDS-related care. This study describes sex differences in the use of HTC from data of the National AIDS/STI Control Program (NACP) over four years (2007-2010), across the 10 regions of Ghana. HTC data from NACP were from diagnostic centers (DCs), know your status campaigns (KYS) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) sites across the country. Data highlight significantly greater use of HTC by females than males. From 2007 to 2010, females comprised 58.2% of all those using HIV testing at DCs and KYS, and this proportion rose to 75.9% when PMTCT data were included. The female: male testing ratio ranged from 6.2 in 2007 to 2.8 in 2010, suggesting a recent increase in male testing. The NACP data also indicate that females are more likely than males to test positive for HIV, suggesting either better catchment of HIV positive females, or potentially, a higher HIV epidemic among females than males. While the magnitude of the sex differences in testing varies by year and location, the data provide consistent evidence of lower male use of testing. Rigorous examination of HTC utilization rates, with closer attention to male use of testing, deserves closer policy attention.

Source: UG
Sex differences in physical activity among Ghanaian patients with sickle cell disease

Introduction: musculoskeletal pain and functional limitations experienced by patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) impact their physical activity and social behaviour. Yet, we know little about physical activity behaviour in patients with SCD. The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in physical activity, sedentary time and measures of fitness among Ghanaian adults with SCD. The study also determined the association between outcome variables in this population. Methods: patients with SCD attending a sickle cell clinic in a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana participated in this cross-sectional study. Physical activity, sedentary time, body composition, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance were assessed. Demographic data were also collected by self-report. Results: fifty three participants enrolled in the study. Of these, more than half were females (60.4%) and the average age of the participants was (M: 26.8, SD: 8.5 years). The total physical activity reported by the participants was different between males and females (t = 2.610, p = 0.012). However, there were no gender differences in sedentary time, body composition, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. A moderately significant association was found between sedentary time and cardiovascular endurance (r = 0.437, p = 0.001). Conclusion: the findings suggest that gender differences in physical activity are apparent in patients with SCD. Investigations into the mechanisms underpinning these differences are warranted. Additionally, longitudinal observations of objectively measured physical activity may be useful to validate these results in a larger sample.

Source: UG
Sex of household head and trends in uptake of sulfadoxine‑pyrimethamine intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy: insights from secondary data in sub‑Saharan Africa

Background Malaria in pregnancy remains a serious public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. The household head as a primary decision-maker plays a major role in women’s utilization of maternal health services. This study aimed to examine the trends, and the association between the sex of household head and the uptake of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) in six sub-Saharan African countries. The fndings provide insight into the progress, status and gender-specifc barriers to IPTp-SP uptake. Methods Secondary data from the most recent Malaria Indicator Surveys for the six countries were analysed. A total of 15,452 (weighted) women aged 15–49 years from the six countries were included in this study. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were computed, including a chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Results The pooled data showed that 77% of the participants took at least one dose of IPTp-SP and 37% took≥3 doses. The trend analysis showed that the uptake of IPTp-SP has increased over time. Women with a female household head (AOR=1.21, 95% CI 1.08–1.38) had higher odds of taking≥3 doses of IPTp-SP compared to those with a male household head. Conclusion The fndings suggest that promoting women’s participation in decision-making and leadership at the house hold level may help increase the uptake of IPTp-SP in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: UG
Sex preference and contraceptive behaviour among men in mbeya region, Tanzania

While recent studies confirm parental child sex preference in less developed countries, its pattern varies. Son preference is especially prevalent in Bangladesh, China, India, and Pakistan. Sex preference in sub-Saharan Africa is a neglected area of enquiry. Completed research focuses on women's views to the neglect of men, despite the latter's importance as primary decision-makers. This study identifies factors influencing contraceptive behaviour among men in Mbeya region, Tanzania, demonstrating how it is affected by their preferred family sex composition. Data used were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 600 men aged 16-50 and six focus groups conducted in the region's rural and urban areas. Using single statements and Coombs' Scales, sex preference was found to be prevalent in the study area, with sons strongly preferred to daughters. Sex preference is significantly associated with the number of existing daughters a man has, his marital status, residence and occupation. Findings suggest programmes should be initiated to challenge men's attitudes towards one-sex family composition. Men should be educated about the advantages of small family sizes and persuaded that both children's sexes are equally important. Such measures can assist men in reconsidering their desired family sizes, reduce biases towards one sex, minimise marital problems and improve women's status. Efforts to increase contraceptive use in Tanzania will be hampered, however, if men maintain their preference for sons over daughters.

Source: UG
Sex preferences for children in Ghana: the influence of educational attainment

Education influences aspects of demographic behaviour and outcomes including a child sex preference. Sex preferences of children have been studied in different societies because of its associated social and demographic implications. Using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we examined the association between educational attainment and sex preferences of children. Findings from the study indicated that there is preference for sons (26.1%) compared to daughters (17.4%). At higher levels of education, there is a higher likelihood for no preference for a sex of a child. Among the characteristics of respondents that influenced sex preferences are: gender, lineage, religion, occupation and desired family size. Acquisition of knowledge through education to some extent alter fertility preferences and hence the need to motivate individuals to attain some level of education.

Source: UG
Sex, love, money and AIDS: The dynamics of premarital sexual relationships in Ghana

This article discusses some personal and situational factors which hinder the use of condoms among young single adults ages 18 to 25 years engaged in sexual exchange relationships in a Ghanaian town. Based on focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, this article highlights some key impediments often not adequately discussed in the discourse on condom use but considered vital in any attempt to increase condom use and ultimately reduce HIV transmission. The includes the dilemma facing women who want to use condoms for HIV prevention in premarital sexual exchange relationships (quite different from prostitution) contracted with material gain in mind. Women may face the risk of losing material benefits from sexual exchange relationships if the man is unwilling to use condoms. It is recommended that HIV health educators must increase the involvement of young single adults in exploring these and situational impediments and together design interventions to improve condom use. PIP: Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted in Cape Coast, Ghana, revealed significant obstacles to condom use among single women 18-25 years of age. Most female respondents were self-employed small-scale traders with low incomes, while male participants tended to be clerks or fishermen. In this society, men are considered the source of economic and physical power and in a position to demand sexual favors. Material recompense (e.g., money, food, or clothing) for premarital sex is standard practice outside the commercial sex work establishment and women often switch rapidly from relationship to relationship in search of a more materially rewarding arrangement. Such behavior is condoned--often encouraged--by young women's mothers. Condom use is rare and associated with infidelity. Thus, Ghanaian women face the dilemma of choosing between economic survival and unsafe sex. Since men perceive condoms as reducing sexual sensitivity, they are unlikely to remain with a partner who insists on condom use. Moreover, sexual relationships are embedded in an atmosphere of fear of violence. If women are to insist on condom use, they must believe the risk of HIV infection is not adequately compensated by the material gains received from the sexual encounter. It is recommended that community-level HIV preventive interventions target men with messages about the importance of trying condom use. Ultimately, however, reconstruction of gender-based power relationships and improvements in women's economic status are essential to reduce women's dependence on sexual networking.

Source: UG
Sexing in Guinea fowls (Numida meleagris)

Despite the potentials and contributions of Guinea fowls to economic and social life in Ghana, accurate sex identification in these birds is still a major problem. Three hundred and sixty Guinea fowls (180 birds per sex) were used in determining a more accurate and farmer friendly sexing technique. The sexing methods explored were vent, biometric, and molecular techniques. Vent sexing was accomplished by measuring phalli in 28 and 32-week-old birds, while biometric sexing involved the measurement of morphometric traits and data analyzed using discriminant function analysis. Molecular sexing was carried out by DNA extraction and subsequent PCR using the 2550F/2718R primer set. Females had a wider (P < 0.05) pelvic inlet than male birds from first week of age until the end of the study, while the opposite was true for wattle length. However, wattle length differed (P<0.05) between both sexes after 4 weeks of age. Combining the biometric variables in a discriminant function, males could be distinguished from females with an accuracy of 94%. During molecular sexing, the P2/P8 primer set was not effective in sexing Guinea fowls because it amplified a single band in both sexes and in the same manner. The sex of Guinea fowls was properly determined using the primer set 2550F/2718R. Females produced 2 bands of 396 bp and 344 bp, while males only produced the larger band. Phallus size in the 2 sexes were distinguishable from 8 weeks of age, with males having longer and thicker (P<0.05) phalli than their female counterparts. Combining the 2 variables in a discriminate function, males and females could be distinguished with 98.3% accuracy. While the molecular method remains the most accurate sexing technique, the biometric method emerged as the most farmer friendly approach to sexing Guinea fowls. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Source: UG
Sexual and reproductive health communication between parents and adolescents: the case of Wa West District of the Upper West Region, Ghan

Background: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) communication is an important conversation challenge between parents and their adolescent children. Studies have established that parent-adolescent communication about sex can greatly reduce adolescents' risky sexual behaviour. Factors such as attitude, religious beliefs, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions have been reported to affect parent-adolescent communication. Objective: This study assessed the communication practices between adolescents and their parents in the Wa West District in the Upper West Region of Ghana and factors that may be associated with this communication process. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed using a four-stage sampling technique. A total of 420 parents with adolescents aged 10 to 19 years were recruited to answer structured questions using Somers and Canivez's sexual communication tool. The tool yielded sexual communication mean scores. The analysis of variance test was used to compare mean scores. Binary logistic regression was used to determine possible factors affecting SRH communications. All analyses were done using IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 25). Results: The study found that most of the respondents had good communication on sexual and reproductive health with their adolescents. There was a significant difference between Dagaabas and the other ethnic groups (p = 0.025, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.05 - 1.25), between public sector employees and farmers (p = 0.008, 95% CI = 0.07 - 0.90), and between Christians and Muslims (p = 0.032, 95% CI = 0.01 - 0.38) on SRH communication. Conclusion: Though parents' communication with adolescents was good, health stakeholders need to empower parents with information on sexual and reproductive health to ensure effective counselling of their adolescents.

Source: UG
Sexual and reproductive health in Accra, Ghana. Ghana Medical Journal, 46(2), 58-65.

OBJECTIVE: To describe sexual and reproductive health among women in Accra and explore the burden of sexual and reproductive ill health among this urban population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We analysed data from the WHSA-II (n=2814), a cross-sectional household survey on women's health, and supplemental data from an in-depth survey (n=400), focus groups discussions (n=22) and in-depth interviews (n=20) conducted among a sub-sample of women which focused specifically on reproductive health issues. RESULTS: Modern contraceptive use was uncommon. More than one third of women reported ever using abstinence; condoms, injectables and the pill were the most commonly reported modern methods ever used. The total fertility rate among this sample of women was just 2.5 births. We found a considerable burden of sexual and reproductive ill health; one in ten women reported menstrual irregularities and almost one quarter of women reported symptoms of a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) or Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) in the past 6 months. Focus group results and in-depth interviews reveal misperceptions about contraception side-effects and a lack of information. CONCLUSION: In urban Ghana, modern contraceptive use is low and a significant proportion of women experience reproductive ill health (defined here as menstrual irregularity or RTI, UTI, STI symptoms). Increased access to information, products and services about for preventive care and contraception could improve reproductive health. More research on healthy sexuality and the impact of reproductive ill health on sexual experience is needed. KEYWORDS: Accra, Sexual and reproductive health, abortion, contraception, fertility, sexually transmitted infections

Source: UG
Sexual and reproductive health knowledge among adolescents in eight sites across sub-Saharan Africa

objective To examine knowledge of menstruation, HIV and STIs other than HIV across eight sites in SSA to develop effective programmatic interventions enabling adolescents to achieve positive SRH as their transition to adulthood. methods We combine data from eight Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites across sub-Saharan Africa, from an adolescent-specific survey that included 7116 males and females age 10–19 years old. We provide pooled and site-specific estimates from multiple analytic models examining the how year-specific age, school attendance and work correlate with knowledge of menstruation, HIV knowledge and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) other than HIV. results Many adolescents lack knowledge of menstruation (37.3%, 95% CI 31.8, 43.1 do not know of menstruation) and STIs other than HIV (55.9%, 95% CI 50.4, 61.3 do not know of other STIs). In multivariate analysis, older age, being in school and wealth are significant positive correlates of STI knowledge. Older adolescent age, female sex and being in school are significant positive correlates of knowledge of menstruation. Knowledge of HIV is high (89.7%, 95% CI 8.3, 12.7 know of HIV) and relatively similar across adolescent age, sex, wealth and school and work attendance. conclusion Knowledge of HIV is widespread across adolescents in these communities in sub- Saharan Africa, but knowledge of other dimensions of sexual and reproductive health – menstruation and other STIs in this study – is lacking especially for early adolescents (10- to 14-year olds). The dissemination of more comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information is needed within these and similar communities in SSA to help adolescents gain insight on how to make their own decisions towards positive adolescent sexual and reproductive health and protect them from risks.

Source: UG
Sexual behavior and HPV infection in British women, by postal questionnaires and telephone interviews.

Sexually transmitted human papillomaviruses (HPVs), most frequently HPV 16, are the primary cause of cervical carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sexual behavior and prevalence and acquisition of HPV infection among British women attending regular cervical screening who responded to postal questionnaires and/or telephone interviews. A total of 1,880 women who had been tested for HPV in the ARTISTIC (A Randomized Trial In Screening To Improve Cytology) trial were randomized to three methods of data collection: group 1 (questionnaire including sexual history, no interview), group 2 (questionnaire excluding sexual history, short interview including sexual history), and group 3 (questionnaire and long interview including sexual history in both). Questions on sexual history included age at first sexual intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases, lifetime (total and regular) sexual partners, and number of partners in the last 5 years (total and new). Demographics, reproductive, cervical screening, and smoking history were also collected in questionnaires. The overall participation rate was 35%. There was good agreement (87.4-95.5%) on sexual behavior answers in questionnaires and interviews in women in group 3 and no significant differences between data obtained by questionnaire or interview. Odds ratios (OR) for both HPV prevalence and acquisition increased consistently with increasing numbers of lifetime sexual partners, regular partners, and new partners in the last 5 years (recent partners). No significant association was found for other characteristics investigated. The effect of recent sexual partners on HPV acquisition (OR for 2+ recent partners: 4.4, 95% CI: 1.7-11.2) was stronger than that of earlier (>5 years ago) partners (OR for 2+ earlier partners: 2.2, 95% CI: 0.7-6.7) suggesting that most incident HPV infections are newly acquired rather than recurrent.

Source: UG
Sexual behaviour and contraception among unmarried adolescents and young adults in Greater Accra and Eastern regions of Ghana

A fertility survey of unmarried adolescents and young adults (953 males and 829 females) in Greater Accra and Eastern regions of Ghana revealed that a substantial proportion of the respondents were sexually experienced. Overall, 66·8% of the males and 78·4% of the females were sexually experienced. The mean ages ( SD) of the males and females were 15·5 2·5 and 16·2 2·0 years, respectively. Most respondents claimed to have received adequate information on reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including AIDS. However, 20% and 30% of the respondents in peri-urban and rural areas, respectively, did not know that a girl could get pregnant the first time she has sexual intercourse. The incidence of pregnancy among the unmarried female respondents was relatively high (37%), and was higher in urban than in rural areas. Approximately 47% of those who had ever been pregnant reported that they had had an abortion. Levels of contraceptive awareness were high (98·2% among males and 95·5% among females) but many still engaged in unprotected sexual relations. The most commonly used methods were the condom and the pill. The main reasons given for non-use were that they did not think about contraception, were concerned about the safety of contraceptives, and partner objection. These findings point to the need for targeting of unmarried adolescents and young adults with information on reproductive health and family planning to increase their awareness of the risks of pregnancy, STDs and HIV infectio

Source: UG