ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Perceptions and attitudes of secretaryship &amp; management studies students towards teaching and learning of French in the Ho Technical University, Ghana

This study examines the perceptions and the attitudes of students towards the teaching and learning of French in the Ho Technical University. Online questionnaire was used to collect data from 94 students who were purposively selected from the Department of Secretaryship & Management Studies. The descriptive survey research design was employed to elicit information from respondents through an online platform. The data was analyzed quantitatively and was presented using frequency counts and percentages. The study revealed that most of the respondents (90%) perceived learning of French language to be difficult or very difficult and the majority 54(57.5% had difficulty in oral expressions. It was also revealed that more than half of the respondents, 24(25.5%) and 37(39.4%) either agreed or strongly agreed that they have strong desires to learn French and believed that the knowledge of the language is key to job avenues. The study recommends to French lecturers to use innovative methods to motivate their students and as well, institutions and curriculum planners are advised to create opportunities for constant practice of the language and provide learning materials to enhance students’ learning.

Source: UG
Perceptions and attitudes toward partners support for cervical cancer screening among married men in Ghana

Objectives: The majority of literature on cervical cancer (CC) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) focused on women all over the world. However, research has indicated that men's involvement in CCS can lead to improved health outcomes for women. Despite this, there is limited information available in the literature regarding men's attitudes toward CCS. This highlights the need for further study on the subject to increase understanding and improve outcomes. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the perceptions and attitudes toward partners’ support for CCS among married men from the Adentan Municipality. Study design: An exploratory descriptive qualitative approach was used in the study to explore the perceptions of married men about male involvement in CCS. Methods: Thirty-four married men were purposively selected to be part of the interviews. A semistructured interview guide was used to collect data, which were recorded. The tape-recorded data were reproduced verbatim, and content analysis was carried out to generate the themes and subthemes. Results: Three themes and nine subthemes were constructed from the data analysis. The study revealed that the perceptions of males about cervical cancer had a positive or a negative influence on women’s behaviors toward CCS. It was interesting that some men constantly reminded their wives to participate in CCS. However, some barriers to men’s support included fear of trauma to the wife’s vagina during screening and concerns about exposure to the wife’s nakedness. Conclusion: It was therefore recommended that healthcare facilities should roll out sustainable programs and policies to involve men in CC prevention. In addition, health workers should devise innovative ways to make male involvement in CCS more attractive to men.

Source: UG
Perceptions and Cues to Action as Predictors of Nurses’ Vaccination Intentions at Two Primary Health Care Facilities in Ghana

Uptake of hepatitis B vaccination by health care providers remains suboptimal in Ghana, although it is considered an effective strategy against the hepatitis B virus. This study aimed to identify the predictors of nurses’ hepatitis B vaccination intentions at two municipal health care facilities in Ghana. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was adopted. A section of the health belief model-based questionnaire was administered to 181 nurses conveniently sampled from the two facilities. Data analysis was done using Statistical Product and Service Solutions software version 23.0. Frequencies and percentages were used to assess the demographic characteristics of participants. Pearson r coefficients were used to assess the intercorrelations between individual perceptions, and the cues to action on vaccination intentions. Simple and multiple regression was used to estimate the prediction of individual perceptions, and the cues to action on hepatitis B vaccination intentions of nurses. The findings showed that nurse-perceived benefits and cues to action were positive and significantly related to hepatitis B vaccination intentions of nurses (r 5 0.14, P , 0.05; r 5 0.17, P , 0.05). Perceived susceptibility and perceived barrier were negative and significantly related to vaccine intentions (r 5 20.13, P , 0.05; r 5 20.24, P , 0.01). Notably, perceived barrier predicted hepatitis B vaccination intentions (b520.22, t 5 22.48, P 5 0.01). Nurses’ vaccination behavioral intentions were positive. It was recommended that perceived barriers to hepatitis B vaccination such as vaccination ineffectiveness, time constraints, high costs, and side effects should be addressed to increase nurses’ vaccination uptake.

Source: UG
Perceptions and experiences of Overweight among Women in the ga east District, ghana

Overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge among women of reproductive age. While cultural norms suggest a preference for an overweight body image, limited evidence exists regarding women’s beliefs and experiences of being overweight in Ghana. The current study explored beliefs, perceptions, experiences, and practices concerning overweight among women living in suburban Accra, Ghana. Methods Four focus group discussions, and 10 in-depth interviews (IDI) were implemented among 42 adult women (>18 years) seeking preventive child health services in Dome, Accra. All the women in the IDI were overweight. In addition to notes, interviews and discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed for systematic content and narrative analysis. Results Overweight was considered undesirable by most women. Overweight individuals were often stigmatized using uncomplimentary names, such as cargo, obolo, and so on. However, some weight gain was admired and expected by women and their family and friends. Weight gain that was considered beautiful was believed to “evolve naturally.” Weight gain that is either medically induced or perceived as excessive was not viewed positively. Weight gain by women was perceived as a sign of financial prosperity and good care by a spouse. Overweight was perceived to be linked with heredity, childbirth, gluttony, and contraception. Adverse experiences of overweight included poor self-image, declining social lifestyle, increased disease risk, and feeling tired always. Strategies that had been used to lose weight included skipping meals, avoiding carbohydrate-based foods, and drinking herbal teas. Conclusion There is admiration for some weight gain among women but when it is excessive, overweight is stigmatized. Misperceptions regarding partner expectations, determinants of overweight, and weight reduction strategies require effective behavior change interventions in Ghana.

Source: UG
Perceptions and experiences of an intervention to improve diets of women and young children in Ghana

Background Efficacious integrated intervention strategies to address the drivers of malnutrition at multiple levels are hardly implemented at scale, although opportunities for cross-sectoral action exist. In 2020, the Improved Feeding Practices (IFP) Project was implemented in Ghana to improve the dietary diversity and well-being of women of reproductive age (15- 49 years) and children >2 years. Objective This paper reports the perceptions and experiences of project beneficiaries and the lessons learned from the IFP project. Methods Using a socio-ecological framework, data from the IFP project documents (n=8) and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, including local government officers, and direct and indirect beneficiaries (n=61), were triangulated to construct an evidence-based overview of the implementation of the complementary strategies of the IFP project. The interviews explored respondents' knowledge, experiences of the project activities, and perceptions of how the project affected their lives. The data were analyzed and synthesized thematically using ATLAS.ti. Results The IFP project envisaged an impact pathway through promoting community- or home-based nutrient-rich crop production and poultry to enhance diet quality, child care, and feeding practices. Multi-sectoral partners facilitated training and service delivery at community, farm, facility, and household levels. Beneficiaries reported an overall positive experience of participating in the project, including enhanced dietary knowledge, capacity to produce and use eggs and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP), earned revenues, and access to nutritious foods. Caregivers reported that the IFP project contributed to enhancing children’s diet quality, reduced disease incidence, and improved child growth. Community-level program implementers experienced capacity strengthening. The dry season, increased poultry feed input prices, diseases (such as fowl pox, Newcastle, and smallpox), and poultry deaths, limited the scale of benefits. Key implementation lessons include leveraging local resources to produce poultry feed at home, crossbreeding local and commercial poultry, and enhancing disease management, leading to improved potential for project sustainability. Conclusions Overall, the communities reported a positive experience of integrated nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) intervention, leading to improved diets of households, women of reproductive age, and young children >2 years. These strategies can be adapted for use in other to improve women's and children's dietary diversity in similar settings, giving due consideration to lessons learned.

Source: UG
Perceptions and experiences of prenatal mental health: A qualitative study among pregnant women in Ghana

Prenatal mental health problems can have adverse effects on the health and wellbeing of the mother as well as her baby. However, the factors associated with its etiology, expression, and coping mechanisms in Ghana remain understudied. This qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of prenatal mental health problems among 21 pregnant women in Accra through semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis led to three dominant themes; “conceptions of prenatal mental disorders” (sub-themes: awareness and constructions of prenatal mental health problems), “experiences of mental health problems” (sub-themes: symptoms of prenatal mental health problems and causal attri butions of prenatal mental health problems) and “coping mechanisms of the pregnancy experience” (subthemes: faith, social support and work). The lack of knowledge of mental health disorders in this study and the expression of contextually relevant and culturally defined constructions and experiences of prenatal mental health problems, highlight the need for the development of culturally suitable interventions within the Ghanaian context.

Source: UG
Perceptions and knowledge about prostate cancer and attitudes towards prostate cancer screening among male teachers in the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana

Introduction Poor perceptions and attitudes about prostate cancer screening are some reasons for late reporting for PC screening and treatment. Understanding perceptions of PC and how it translates to screening and treatment is important for physicians and public health practitioners as this information clarifies existing knowledge and provides valuable information for the design of public health programmes to reduce the disease burden of PC. Objective This study examined perceptions and knowledge about PC and attitudes towards screening among male teachers in the Sunyani Municipality. Subjects and methods This is a cross-sectional study involving 160 teachers aged 45–60 years randomly sampled from primary, junior and senior high schools in the municipality. A structured questionnaire on background characteristics of respondents, perceptions about PC and attitudes towards early screening was used to elicit responses. Preliminary analysis summarised data on socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, perceptions and attitudes about PC screening. The Pearson's chi square (χ2) and Fisher's exact tests, and logistic regression analysis were later used to examine the association between socio-demographic variables, knowledge, perceptions and attitudes about PC screening. Results The mean age of respondents was 49.52 (SD = ±3.95). PC was not considered to be transmitted sexually (58.8%) and caused by radiations from mobile phones, (40.6%). Majority of respondents agreed that PC screening is beneficial (95.0%) and disagreed with the assertion that going through PC screening is embarrassing (72%) and painful (49.3%), although the majority had never been screened (90%). There was no association between demographic variables and perceptions about PC. However, knowledge about PC was found to be significantly associated with perceptions about PC (p < 0.001). There was a significant association between knowledge of PC (p < 0.0001) and attitudes towards PC screening. Conclusion Considering the public health significance of PC, public health programmes should go beyond awareness creation to organise educational campaigns for all socio-economic groups. These programmes should provide clarity on healthy lifestyles to prevent cancer, the health benefits of early screening, detection and treatment, screening and treatment options and the peculiarities of each to inform health-seeking choices. © 2017

Source: UG
Perceptions and trends in the use of community pharmacies in Ghana

Objective: To examine the patterns in utilization of community pharmacies and perceptions of the general public towards community pharmacists’ role in health services delivery. Method: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in Ga West district. A total of 497 adults (18 years and above) were chosen using a three-stage cluster random sampling technique. information on respondents’ contact with community pharmacies (i.e. 12 months prior to the study), reasons for visiting the pharmacies, factors influencing the choice of a particular pharmacy and perception towards community pharmacists’ roles were collected. Data collected were analyzed using stata version 14. Key findings: Out of the 497 respondents, 415 indicated that they had used pharmacies within the last 12 months prior to the study, while 82 indicated that they had not used the facilities within the same time frame. majority of the pharmacy users (33.7%) visited community pharmacies once a month. Approximately 84% of the pharmacy users frequently visited community pharmacies to get treatment for minor ailments. most users (about 75%) chose to visit a particular pharmacy as it was close to their home/workplace/hospital/clinic. More than half of the pharmacy users identified the pharmacist as the first point of contact in case of any drug-related problem. Less than half of the respondents (44.9%) perceived community pharmacists as health professionals with a good balance between health and business matters. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that beside the fact that majority of the respondents believe that community pharmacists are responsive, friendlier and have the capacity to handle minor ailments, they are indeed using community pharmacies for the treatment of minor ailments. It will therefore be important to develop appropriate policy and regulations that enables community pharmacies to adequately participate in the delivery of primary care and thereby improve population health

Source: UG
Perceptions of Civil Society on Structured Collaboration for Improving the Governance of Adult Education for Poverty Reduction

Adult educators work to alleviate poverty in develo ping communities. Proper management of available resources through an inter-sectorial coordinated ap proach contributes to widen access to interventions . A descriptive analytical survey among respondents from a developi ng country has revealed existence of some form of c ollaboration that could be enhanced by drawing a common budget for co llaborative activities, using radio as a communicat ion media, concentrating policy-making at the local level and building a coordinating team that is representative of all partners in development from the local beneficiary communities.

Source: UG
Perceptions of commercialisation and value‑addition of non‑timber forest products in forest adjacent communities in Ghana

Abstract Residents living adjacent to forests commonly gather non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for income, nourishment, ailment treatment, frewood, religious reasons, and artefacts. This study investigates local perceptions of the commercialisation and value addition of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in forest-adjacent communities in Ghana. NTFPs are integral to food security and cultural practices. However, more is needed to know about local perceptions of these products’ commercialisation and value addition. In this study, we collected data using a qualitative research approach through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with community members involved in NTFP collection and sales. To determine which NTFPs are collected, we interviewed 732 residents about their perception of value addition to the NTFPs collected and if value addition has impacted the commercialisation and quality of the products obtained from the forest. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data for the study. From the survey, frequencies and percentages of responses were analysed for each indicator related to value addition and commercialisation of NTFPs. The study found that 97.5% of those surveyed frequently visited the forest to gather diferent NTFPs. For example, mushrooms, snails, honey, and others were the most collected. Also, most interviewees do not process or add value to the NTFPs collected from the forest; thus, adding value to these NTFPs could increase incomes in the future. The fndings indicate that locals have a variety of perceptions and understandings about commercialisation and value-addition processes. The study emphasises the importance of understanding local perceptions to develop efective strategies for the commercialisation and value addition of NTFPs. By incorporating the perceptions and insights of locals, interventions can be tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of forest-adjacent communities and promote sustainable resource management and equitable distribution of benefts. Future research should focus on educating locals about the value addition to NTFPs, and processes for increasing the price of NTFPs by adding value and commercialising these products. Proper commercialising of NTFPs may well help improve the lives of the locals

Source: UG
Perceptions of Costs and Benefits of Informal-Formal Linkages: Market and Street Vendors in Accra, Ghana

This paper investigates the ways in which linkages between the informal and formal segments of an economy yield benefits to, or impose costs upon, informal workers. The investigation is based on the self report of market and street vendors in Accra regarding their relationships with the formal economy and its institutions. The data are drawn from the Informal Economy Monitoring Study (IEMS) conducted in Accra, Ghana, with a World Bank study of informal household enterprises providing context for the IEMS a study and a basis for interpretation of its findings. Data from 15 focus groups and a survey of 150 vendors from both the center city and non-central locations of Accra are analyzed in terms of vendors’ relationships to the value chain, non-governmental institutions, the government, and the macro-economy. The last two are found to exert a strong, mostly negative influence on informal operators, offset to some extent by support from membership-based organizations and NGOs. Access to loans from micro-finance institutions is viewed both as a positive and negative influence on vendors’ work. Although there are few visible direct linkages between informal operators and formal firms, they are to some extent mutually interdependent as retailers and suppliers in the value chain. Taking advantage of the potential synergy in informal-formal linkages will require government and other actors to become more proactive toward facilitating, rather than denying, infrastructure, support services and adequate space for informal traders.

Source: UG
Perceptions of Health and Environmental Impacts of E-waste Management in Ghana

This paper explores the perception of health and environmental concerns of workers and residents living close to e-waste recycling sites in Ghana using both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The social constructionist approach and a logit regression model were adopted to examine the rationale of their claims and concerns which have hitherto been unknown and unexplored. We find that workers' environmental and health perceptions were seriously downplayed and do not match those of epidemiological studies, revealing a lack of convergence between lay and expert knowledge. This study further shows a respondent-specificity rationale; the perception of those directly involved in the processes was mainly influenced by economic considerations, while some at best displayed "genuine" ignorance. We recommend that all policy interventions incorporate approaches that have a better chance of arriving at conclusions economically meaningful to participants and that facilitate greater understanding of health and environmental issues

Source: UG
Perceptions of health professionals on structure and process of stroke rehabilitation in Ghana

Background: Ensuring quality in the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation helps to attain a good outcome. However, knowledge on this is limited in resource-constrained settings such as Ghana. Objectives: This study aimed to explore healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) views and experiences of the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation in three selected hospitals in Ghana. Method: A qualitative study was carried out involving 26 HCPs directly involved in stroke rehabilitation from three selected hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana representing the different levels of healthcare. Interviews were conducted using an interview guide to understand participants’ views and experiences of the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: HCPs reported limitations with the structure of stroke rehabilitation with regards to the availability of rehabilitation units, bed capacity, approach to care, availability of protocol, staff capacity development and payment systems. With respect to the process of rehabilitation, the primary and secondary level hospitals were found not to have computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning equipment. Participants also reported limitations with discharge planning, basis for discharge and post-discharge care across all three hospitals. Conclusion: This study found limitations in the current structure and process of stroke rehabilitation, which when given some considerations for improvement, can help improve the quality of care and thereby improve the outcome of stroke patients in Ghana.

Source: UG
Perceptions of healthcare quality in Ghana: Does health insurance status matter?

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