ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Women, Internal Displacement and the Boko Haram Conflict: Broadening the Debate

Women and children make up 79 per cent of the population displaced by the conflict between the Nigerian government and the armed movement informally known as Boko Haram. Their lived experiences expose the considerable protection and humanitarian risks of being female in violent contexts and the complexities of addressing them. In addition to open conflict and inconsistent policy and humanitarian responses, women’s displacement is being protracted by disjunctures between women’s roles and their construction as victims in policy and humanitarian frameworks. Construed as lacking agency, displaced women are resisting the hardship of displacement by returning to Boko Haram. This article argues for a rethinking of the importance of context, autonomy and agency as a prerequisite to reconciling false narratives about women’s experiences of conflict and displacement and their lived realities. It speaks to broader debates about women and conflict and the utility of current approaches and frameworks for addressing the roles and needs of women in these contexts.

Source: UG
Women-owned businesses and household welfare

Purpose Contrary to the gender gap in favour of men in entrepreneurial activity elsewhere, in Ghana more women own businesses. This paper aims to examine the correlates between women’s business ownership and household welfare in Ghana and the socio-economic factors that affect business size. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a nationally representative survey data and ordinary least squares and IV regression methods. Findings The findings reveal that more businesses are owned by women and their business ownership is associated with improved welfare for the household, yet still there exists size gap in favour of men. The implication is that potentials exist for poverty reduction and economic growth if policy invests in the size of women businesses. Also, while unpaid work limits entrepreneurial activity for women, older children help to reduce the time constraint. Originality/value The study uses individual-level business ownership data on a developing country (Ghana) to examine the link between women entrepreneurship and household welfare. This is new in the literature, when individual level data is readily not available in developing countries.

Source: UG
Womens’ experiences of living with obstetric fistula in Ghana–time for the establishment of a fistula centre of excellence

Objective: To explore the experiences of women living with Obstetric Fistula in Ghana. Design: A descriptive qualitative design involving face-to-face semi-structured interviews following in- stitutional ethical approval. Setting: Urban and rural setting in the Mfantseman Municipal Area (MMA) in the Central Region (CR) of Ghana Participants: A purposive sample of thirty- two women who had experienced obstetric fistula (OBF) Findings: Three core themes emerged and these were i) Women’s perceptions of OBF, ii) Experiences of women living with OBF iii) Coping strategies of women living with OBF Conclusion and implications for practice: There is a need for a multi-agency coordinated approach to the treatment and management of OBF in Ghana. The findings support the need for a dedicated specialist fistula centre to treat women and to meet the educational needs of health care professionals with strate- gies to prevent as well as support women with OBF. The hub and spoke organisation design for health care systems has proved beneficial in other health settings providing a level of quality that would not be possible otherwise. It is time to end the suffering of women living with obstetric fistula

Source: UG
“Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight”: Comment on “constraints to applying systems thinking concepts in health systems: A regional perspective from surveying stakeholders in eastern mediterranean countries”

A major constraint to the application of any form of knowledge and principles is the awareness, understanding and acceptance of the knowledge and principles. Systems Thinking (ST) is a way of understanding and thinking about the nature of health systems and how to make and implement decisions within health systems to maximize desired and minimize undesired effects. A major constraint to applying ST within health systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) would appear to be an awareness and understanding of ST and how to apply it. This is a fundamental constraint and in the increasing desire to enable the application of ST concepts in health systems in LMIC and understand and evaluate the effects; an essential first step is going to be enabling of a wide spread as well as deeper understanding of ST and how to apply this understanding.

Source: UG
Woodlot agroforestry in the lower Volta basin, Ghana: Contribution of tree species admixture to aboveground carbon

With current interest in obtaining financial rewards from sequestered C in tree plantation-management, it has become critical to begin examining many tropical wood species and their characteristic qualities to site-specific rainfall and drought issues which together influence growth performance in relation to ‘leakage’ avoidance, a potential for carbon marketing under CDM or REDD/REDD+. This paper presents a plot-level assessment of four different woodlot agroforestry establishments in relation to above ground carbon stocking. Based on the two regression equations for dry to moist conditions for estimating biomass, tree allometric-measure analysis were carried out on 3–4 ha woodlot agroforestry establishments at Bakpa-Agboglakope, a rural community in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region. The study site constitutes part of the post dam floodplains of the lower Volta river now prone to severe drought. Results of the aboveground wood biomass (including necromass) measure for four-to-five sampled wood specie mixtures planted on a hectare plot ranged between 119.92–204.28 kg, which corresponds to approximately 59.96–102.14 tons C ha-1. In addition, due to the number of woodlots established, it is certain that among the sampled districts, the enthusiasm towards tree-planting is no doubt likely to increase. If these efforts are sustained and supported across all other agroecological zones in Ghana, the agroforestry policy, in particular, woodlot management once encouraged as part of CDM or REDD/REDD+ could be successful. © 2015, Ecological Laboratory. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Work as a street vendor, associated traffic-related air pollution exposures and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Accra, Ghana

Street vending, a dominant occupation in urban areas of developing countries exposes the vendors to several environmental pollutants. We investigated whether work as street vendor impairs foetal growth and shortens gestational duration, and evaluated to what extent exposure to traffic-related air pollution is responsible for these adverse effects. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers and their newborns accessing postnatal services at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana in 2010, focusing on 105 street vendors and a reference group of 281 mothers. We categorized exposure to traffic-related air pollution on the basis of street vending activity patterns and traffic density in the working area. Results: Multivariate linear regression analysis adjusting for age, social class, marital status and gravidity of mothers, sex of neonate, and indoor air pollution, indicated a 177. g (95% CI: 324, 31) reduction in birth weight among street vendors. Sensitivity analysis performed by restricting the analysis to term births showed further reductions in birth weight. Generalized linear models adjusting for confounders indicated a 35% (risk ratio (RR). = 1.35; 95% CI: 0.87, 2.12) increased risk of LBW, albeit statistically not significant. LBW risk increased in the sensitivity analysis but was also not statistically significant. The risk of PTB was not associated with street vending (RR. = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.67, 1.58). The exposure-response relations observed were not consistent. Moderate activity patterns and high traffic density jointly was associated with a statistically significant 84% (RR. = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.05, 3.24) increased risk of LBW. Conclusion: Street vending during pregnancy is a determinant of average foetal growth and risk of LBW. More research is required to further quantify their effects on pregnancy outcomes and safeguard maternal and perinatal health in developing countries. © 2013 Elsevier GmbH.

Source: UG
Work demand, stress and work-related musculoskeletal disorders among emergency workers

Purpose The demanding nature of firefighting exposes firefighters to unprecedented work stress and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Even though relationships among work demand, work stress and WMSDs have been examined, the mediating role of work stress in the relationship between work demand and WMSDs requires more attention, particularly among emergency workers. The purpose of this paper is to therefore assess the mediation role of firefighters’ work stress in the pathway of work demand and WMSDs. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was used. Convenient sampling was employed to select 320 firefighters from the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Data were analyzed using descriptive, correlation and regression. Findings The findings revealed that work demand and stress significantly affect WMSDs. Also, work demand has a significant positive effect on work stress. It was further found that work stress partially mediates the relationship between work demand and WMSDs. Research limitations/implications The usage of cross-sectional data limits the strength of causality and observation of changes within units of observation over time, hence the need to use longitudinal data in future studies. Originality/value The novelty of this study lies in the revelation of the influence of stress in the pathway of work demand and WMSDs among emergency professionals, using an African lens.

Source: UG
The Work Practices and Ergonomic Problems Experienced by Garment Workers in Ghana.

Although the role of ergonomics in everyday occupations has generated increased attention in the last few years, poor working environments present a serious threat to the livelihood and career of small-scale garment producers. This paper is one of the first to study dressmakers and tailors and their work environments in Ghana. The apparel industry holds a dominant share (40% out of a total of 24 133 establishments) in the country’s manufacturing industry. However, to date, very little consideration has been given to the nature of this working environment. For example: do dressmakers and tailors perform their work under stressful conditions and do they attribute injuries to the tasks they perform in the workplace? Involving a sample of 100 individual garment producers as participants, a semi-structured interview schedule was used to elicit information on dressmakers’ and tailors’ knowledge of workplace stressors. Their work environment was observed and assessed for stressors. A physical discomfort survey was employed to identify the injuries they attributed to the performance of tasks in their workplace. Findings revealed that stressors included noise, poor ventilation, unsuitable seat heights, widths and depths, and awkward postures. Encountered discomforts affected the performance of sewing tasks and resulted in occasional and frequent pains in the lower back, neck, upper back and shoulders. These working conditions are detrimental to the development of this sector and the study concludes that there is an important educational role for trade organizations to assist manufacturers to improve working conditions for their workers.

Source: UG
Work Pressure and Safety Behaviors among Health Workers in Ghana: The Moderating Role of Management Commitment to Safety.

Background safety and healthy working environment has received numerous research attention over the years. Majority of these researches seem to have been conducted in the construction industry, with little attention in the health sector. Nonetheless, there are couple of studies conducted in Africa that suggest pressure in hospitals. Therefore the aim of the study was to examine how pressure influence safety behavior in the hospitals. With reference to the relevance of safety behavior in primary health care delivery, there was the need for the study. Method Data was obtained from 422 public hospital employees. Respondents were assured that all information would be kept confidential to increase the response rate and acquire more accurate information. Collection of questionnaires from participants took four weeks (20 working days), after which the data was analyzed. Results The result of the study showed that work pressure correlated negatively with safety behavior. General safety climate significantly correlated positively with safety behavior and negatively with work pressure, although the effect size for the latter was smaller. Hierarchical regression analysis showed management commitment to safety to moderate the relationship between work pressure and safety behavior. Conclusion When employees perceive safety communication, safety systems and training to be positive, they seem to comply with safety rules and procedures than voluntarily participate in safety activities.

Source: UG
Work-family conflict, demographic characteristics and job satisfaction among ghanaian corporate leaders

This study examines the relationship between the construct of work-family conflicts (WFC) and job satisfaction as well as the differences between the demographic characteristics and WFC with reference to the leadership of Ghanaian businesses. 100 Ghanaian corporate leaders from business organizations in the Accra Metropolis participated in a comprehensive cross-sectional survey which considered multiple scales across WFC domains. Pearson correlation coefficient, Independent sample t-test and One-way ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that work-to-family and family-to-work conflict has a negative effect on managers' job satisfaction and age was seen to have positive relationship with conflicts emanating from work-to-family.

Source: UG
Work-family conflict: A synthesis of the research from cross-national perspective

Changing demographic trends occurring in the work and family spheres have made combining work and family responsibilities an increasingly challenging task for employees in virtually every nation. However, previous studies on work-family conflict have focused predominantly on Western and developed nations, with little attention to the experience of work-family conflict across different national contexts. Only recently have studies begun to examine work-family conflict from cross-national perspective. This paper presents a review of cross-national studies on work-family conflict focusing on the influences of cultural, institutional and economic factors. Overall, the review suggests that existing cross-national research on work-family conflict is narrow in scope, with most studies focused mainly on identifying differences in prevalence of the phenomenon across national contexts. The paper outlines agenda for future research to increase understanding of contextual influences on the experience of work-family conflict.

Source: UG
Work–Family Enrichment Among Ghanaian Employees: the Mediating Role Between Social Support and Subjective Well-Being

This study examined the mediating roles of work-to-family enrichment and family-to-work enrichment in the relationship between work–family support and subjective well-being. Structural equation modelling results, based on cross-sectional data from 217 university employees in Ghana, showed that work support and family support were positively related to work-to-family enrichment and family-to-work enrichment. The results also showed that work-to-family enrichment mediated the relationship between work support and subjective well-being, while family-to-work enrichment mediated the relationships of work support and family support with subjective well-being. This research demonstrates that work–family enrichment provides pathways through which support resources in the work and family roles influence subjective well-being. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed.

Source: UG
Work-related psychosocial challenges and coping strategies among nursing workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review

Background Nurses and midwives have been stretched by the COVID-19 pandemic amidst the heroic roles they have played during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses stood tall among their peers in the healthcare industry saving lives. The pandemic has had a toll on nurses physically, psychologically, and socio-economically. The numerous deaths have traumatized nurses coupled with the fear of possible infection. Nurses have seen their colleagues and loved ones lose their lives to the pandemic, nevertheless, they still render care to patients no matter the circumstances. Due to that, it is imperative to ascertain the extent to which nurses who are much needed in healthcare delivery have been affected by this pandemic. This scoping review used Arksey and O’Malley’s review methodology to investigate the nature of work-related psychosocial challenges nurses encountered during the peak of the pandemic, noting the major contributors to the challenges and the coping strategies used to address them. Methods We performed a scoping review and searched for articles from five databases including PUBMED, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and Grey literature from December 2019 to December 2021. A total of 7,334 articles were retrieved for the study but 45 met the inclusion criteria. Results Work-related psychosocial challenges identified included stress, burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, sleeplessness, and anxiety. Factors that accounted for the challenges were inadequate personal protective equipment (PPEs), discomfort using the PPEs, extreme workload, and fatigue. Nurses experienced job insecurity, business closure, and separation from family and loved ones, and these contributed to their challenges. Strategies used to deal with the challenges centred on emotion-focused and problem-focused coping. Conclusions The study recommends regular counselling and support for all nurses working at the frontline to help them better cope with the devastating effects of the pandemic so that they could build resilience towards future pandemics.

Source: UG
Work-related respiratory health conditions among construction workers: a systematic narrative review

Background Emerging evidence in both developed and developing countries indicate that occupational health hazards and diseases among construction workers constitute a significant public health challenge. While occupational health hazards and conditions in the construction sector are diverse, a burgeoning body of knowledge is emerging about respiratory health hazards and diseases. Yet, there is a notable gap in the existing literature in terms of comprehensive syntheses of the available evidence on this topic. In light of this research gap, this study systematically reviewed the global evidence on occupational health hazards and related respiratory health conditions among construction workers. Methods Using meta-aggregation, guided by the Condition (respiratory health conditions), Context (construction industry) and Population (construction workers) (CoCoPop) framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, literature searches were conducted on Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar for relevant studies on respiratory health conditions affecting construction workers. Four eligibility criteria were used in scrutinising studies for inclusion. The quality of the included studies was assessed based on Joanna Briggs Institute’s Critical Appraisal tool, while the reporting of the results was guided by the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis guidelines. Results From an initial pool of 256 studies from the various databases, 25 studies published between 2012 and October 2022 were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. In all, 16 respiratory health conditions were identified, with cough (ie, dry and with phlegm), dyspnoea/ breathlessness and asthma emerging as the top three respiratory conditions among construction workers. The study identified six overarching themes of hazards that are associated with respiratory health conditions among construction workers. These hazards include exposure to dust, respirable crystalline silica, fumes, vapours, asbestos fibres and gases. Smoking and extended period of exposure to the respiratory hazard were found to increase the risk of contracting respiratory diseases. Conclusions Our systematic review indicates that construction workers are exposed to hazards and conditions that have adverse effects on their health and well-being. Given the considerable impact that work-related health hazards can have on the health and socioeconomic well-being of construction workers, we suggest that the implementation of a comprehensive occupational health programme is essential. Such a programme would extend beyond the mere provision of personal protective equipment and would incorporate a range of proactive measures aimed at controlling the hazards and mitigating the risk of exposure to the occupational health hazards.

Source: UG
Work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict in a developing country

Over the years several researchers have attempted to establish the link between the dimensions of work family conflict and other variables across cultures and work categories. This study focuses on the formal workers in Ghana and the strength of association or significance between and among some demographic variables. Cluster, convenience and snowball techniques of sampling were adopted for the study which employed the questionnaire approach using 207 respondents from private and public organisations in the Ghanaian formal sector of the economy. For family-to-work conflict, no significant difference was found between male and female formal workers who are married; managers experience more of work-to-family conflict than non-managers; generally, formal workers who are single experience more work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict than those who are married.

Source: UG
Work/family demands and support: Examining direct and moderating influences on work-family conflict

This study examined the direct and moderating influences of work and family demands and support on work–family conflict among employees (N = 154) in a public university in Ghana. Results showed that work pressure positively predicted work-to-family conflict, whereas family pressure positively predicted work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict. Contrary to expectation, work support was not significantly related to work–family conflict, whereas family support positively predicted both directions of work–family conflict. The results also suggested limited moderating effects of work and family support on the relationship of work and family demands with work–family conflict, with social support strengthening the impact of work–family demands on work–family conflict. Implications for work–family research and policy in the Ghanaian and sub-Saharan African contexts are discussed.

Source: UG