ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Understanding the reasons behind pregnancy terminations and the link with method safety

Studies allude to induced abortion as a contributor to Ghana's fertility decline, especially since contraceptive use levels have not proportionally increased, other proximate determinants do not fully exp la in the discrepancy. If induced abortions are a means through which Ghanaian women control their births, it behoves us to understand the reasons behind their pregnancy terminations and the link to the abortion methods they ultimately use. This paper uses data from the 2007 Ghana Maternal Health Survey and qualitative interviews conducted in 2008 with patients at Korle Bu and Tema Hospitals. Women who had ever terminated a pregnancy were purposively selected and interviewed at the two major hospitals. Additionally women who had aborted a pregnancy five years preceding the nationally representative survey were also administered questionnaires about their abortion experiences. The results showed that women underwent abortions for five reasons namely, financial constraints, and to space/limit births, .... Most women who underwent abortions for the latter did so using safe methods. The findings also suggested that women terminated pregnancies mainly to space/limit births and for financial and health reasons. However those who had abortions for health and non- readiness reasons were significantly more likely to use safe methods compared to those who lacked the finances to keep their pregnancies. The paper proposes that strategies to reduce unplanned pregnancies that result in pregnancy terminations must be intensified

Source: UG
Understanding the relationship between access to care and facility-based delivery through analysis of the 2008 Ghana Demographic Health Survey

Objective To determine the types of access to care most strongly associated with facility-based delivery among women in Ghana. Methods Data relating to the "5 As of Access" framework were extracted from the 2008 Ghana Demographic Health Survey and analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results In all, 55.5% of a weighted sample of 1102 women delivered in a healthcare facility, whereas 45.5% delivered at home. Affordability was the strongest access factor associated with delivery location, with health insurance coverage tripling the odds of facility delivery. Availability, accessibility (except urban residence), acceptability, and social access variables were not significant factors in the final models. Social access variables, including needing permission to seek healthcare and not being involved in decisions regarding healthcare, were associated with a reduced likelihood of facility-based delivery when examined individually. Multivariate analysis suggested that these variables reflected maternal literacy, health insurance coverage, and household wealth, all of which attenuated the effects of social access. Conclusion Affordability was an important determinant of facility delivery in Ghana - even among women with health insurance - but social access variables had a mediating role. © 2013 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Source: UG
Understanding the requirements and factors necessary for the acceptance of genetically modified mosquitoes as a potential malaria control tool in Ghana: A questionnaire survey

The Department of Parasitology conducts research into parasitic diseases of public health importance with the overall goal of reducing their transmission and the heavy disease burden that they impose on affected populations. The Department maintains focus on parasitic diseases in general. These include major diseases such as malaria, and others listed under the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) control initiative such as, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Source: UG
Understanding the role of culture and gender stereotypes in women entrepreneurship through the lens of the stereotype threat theory

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the role of culture and gender stereotypes in the entrepreneurial journey of women entrepreneurs. It specifically focuses on women entrepreneurs in the Nabdam district of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted the qualitative approach and collected data from 20 women entrepreneurs in the Nabdam district in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Data were collected through face-to-face in-depth interviews which were analysed according to identified themes. Findings – The key finding of the study is that culture, through gender stereotypes, acts as a “push” motivational factor of women entrepreneurship and breeds more necessity-driven women entrepreneurs than opportunity-driven ones. However, gender stereotyping is found to be a bane to entrepreneurial success of several women-owned enterprises. Due to gender stereotypes, countless women entrepreneurs are skeptical about venturing into “unknown sector” sectors not familiar and operating larger businesses that are likely to yield more profits. Originality/value – Currently, there is less research on entrepreneurship and culture/gender stereotypes until now in Ghana, and this study seeks to bridge this gap. The results are discussed linking what is pertaining in other economic landscapes, thus avoiding just national perspectives. This is the first known study conducted in the study area that looks at entrepreneurship through the lens of culture-gender stereotypes. Keywords: Culture, Ghana, Sub-Saharan Africa, Women entrepreneurship, Female entrepreneurship, Gender stereotypes

Source: UG
Understanding the role of environmental quality attributes in food-related rural enterprise competitiveness

This paper examines the role of environmental quality attributes in food-related rural enterprise competitiveness in Denmark, using qualitative interviews. The results of the analysis demonstrate that in the quest to minimize small-market and location limitations, food-related rural enterprises are increasingly offering products with labels such as ‘quality’, ‘green’, or ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainability’ to justify high premiums for their products. Thus, environmental quality attributes are becoming prevalent and important business strategy for rural food-related enterprises in the selected communities. The results also establish that undertaking sustainable activities has been influenced by institutional policies that reward environmental conservation with subsidies and other resources. These findings contribute to our understanding of the growing relevance of environmental quality attributes in food-related rural enterprise performance. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Source: UG
Understanding The Role Of Hubbard Corrections In The Rhombohedral Phase Of Batio3

We present a first-principles study of the low-temperature rhombohedral phase of BaTiO3 using Hubbard-corrected density-functional theory. By employing density-functional perturbation theory, we compute the onsite HubbardU for Ti(3d) states and the intersite HubbardV between Ti(3d) and O(2p) states. We show that applying the onsite Hubbard U correction alone to Ti(3d) states proves detrimental, as it suppresses the Ti(3d)-O(2p) hybridization and drives the system towards a cubic phase. Conversely, when both onsite U and intersite V are considered, the localized character of the Ti(3d) states is maintained while also preserving the Ti(3d)-O(2p) hybridization, restoring the rhombohedral phase of BaTiO3. The generalized PBEsol+U+V functional yields good agreement with experimental results for the band gap and dielectric constant, while the optimized geometry is slightly less accurate compared to PBEsol. Zone-center phonon frequencies and Raman spectra are found to be significantly influenced by the underlying geometry. PBEsol and PBEsol+U+V provide satisfactory agreement with the experimental Raman spectrum when the PBEsol geometry is used, while PBEsol+U Raman spectrum diverges strongly from experimental data, highlighting the adverse impact of the U correction alone in BaTiO3. Our findings underscore the promise of the extended Hubbard PBEsol+U+V functional with first-principles U and V for the investigation of other ferroelectric perovskites with mixed ionic-covalent interactions.

Source: UG
Understanding the Role of Proactive Personality in Occupational Health and Safety at Oil and Gas Service Stations in Accra

This study explored occupational health and safety among fuel pump attendants at selected oil and gas service stations in Accra, Ghana. Respondents completed a questionnaire battery on proactive personality, safety climate perceptions, safety compliance, and safety participation. Regression models showed that safety climate perceptions and proactive personality each had significant positive main effects on safety compliance and safety participation. Moreover, we found that the positive relationship between safety climate perceptions and safety compliance, and between safety climate perceptions and safety participation was weaker when proactivity was high than when it was low. The theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed.

Source: UG
Understanding the smallholder farmers’ crop production choices in the forest-savanna transition zone of Ghana

Crop production choices made by smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa may enhance food security in the face of biophysical and socio-economic constraints. The forest savanna transition zone of Ghana is traditionally characterized by a multiplicity of uncertainties, to which farmers respond by cultivating a diversity of crops including cereals, root crops, tuber crops and leguminous crops. There is, however, little understanding of the driving forces that underpin individual farmers’ choices of the type of crops they cultivate. Using the environs of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve as a case study, this paper investigates the array of crops available to the farmer, and what guides the farmer household in the choice of crops to cultivate. The study employed field-based techniques, namely focus group discussions and administration of questionnaires, for the data collection. The findings reveal that a combination of factors including knowledge of local conditions, length of the rainy period, market forces, dietary habits and crop maturity time dictate the choice of crops. The findings further indicate that local adaptation to climate variability has resulted in a shift of the farming calendar in the area from March/April to May/June since 2008; and in the intensification of the production of some lesser-known crops such as cowpeas and rice. Another important observation is that beyond what pertains at the community level, individual choices are based on relative risks posed and opportunities offered by each of the constraining elements. The study concludes that to a large extent, smallholder farmers, regardless of their experience, have to operate within constraints imposed by the biophysical environment and market forces, which potentially render crop production vulnerable to unexpected risks. Crop production choices are therefore an effective risk spreading strategy as a response to environmental vagaries and socio-economic uncertainties.

Source: UG
Understanding the Social Meaning of Infertility and Childbearing: A Qualitative Study of the Perception of Childbearing and Childlessness in Northern Ghana

Background: Infertility is a major medical condition that affects many married couples in sub-Saharan African and as such associated with several social meanings. This study therefore explored community's perception of childbearing and childlessness in Northern Ghana using the Upper West Region as a case study. Methods: The study was exploratory and qualitative using in-depth and key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Fifteen marriage unions with infertility (childless), forty-five couples with children, and eight key informants were purposively sampled and interviewed using a semi-structured interview guides. Three focus group discussions were also carried out, one for childless women, one for women with children and one with men with children. The data collected were transcribed, coded, arranged, and analyzed for categories and themes and finally triangulated. Results: The study revealed that infertility was caused by both social and biological factors. Socially couples could become infertile through supernatural causes such as bewitchment, and disobediences of social norms. Abortion, masturbation and use of contraceptives were also identified as causes of infertility. Most childless couples seek treatment from spiritualist, traditional healers and hospital. These sources of treatment are used simultaneously. Conclusion: Childbearing is highly valued in the community and Childlessness is highly engendered, and stigmatized in this community with manifold social consequences. In such a community therefore, the concept of reproductive choice must encompass policies that make it possible for couples to aspire to have the number of children they wish.

Source: UG
Understanding the use of balanced scorecard in the context of State-owned Enterprises in developing Countries: A case from Ghana.

This paper examines the conception, adoption and implementation of BSC from the context of a developing country and relatively less researched tier of the public sector – State-owned enterprises. The study adopts a case study approach where data was collected via semi-structured interview. Results show a BSC that emphasizes performance measurement and management and to some degree strategic management. Evidence on the extent of normalisation is mixed. Less than 50% of the interviewees on the average assert that there is collective action when it comes to the BSC. Furthermore, on the average a higher percent of the interviews took a neutral position (N) under each of the four elements that provide evidence in establishing the normalisation of the BSC. The limitation of this study are primarily those associated with case studies. This limitation instigates future studies drawing on other research strategies. At public sector level and SOEs in particular, this the findings of this study provide a first view of BSC being used in a Ghanaian state-owned enterprise

Source: UG
Understanding traditional and modern eating: the TEP10 framework

Across the world, there has been a movement from traditional to modern eating, including a movement of traditional eating patterns from their origin culture to new cultures, and the emergence of new foods and eating behaviors. This trend toward modern eating is of particular significance because traditional eating has been related to positive health outcomes and sustainability. Yet, there is no consensus on what constitutes traditional and modern eating. The present study provides a comprehensive compilation of the various facets that seem to make up traditional and modern eating. Specifically, 106 facets were mentioned in the previous literature and expert discussions, combining international and interdisciplinary perspectives. The present study provides a framework (the TEP10 framework) systematizing these 106 facets into two major dimensions, what and how people eat, and 12 subdimensions. Hence, focusing only on single facets of traditional and modern eating is an oversimplification of this complex phenomenon. Instead, the multidimensionality and interplay between different facets should be considered to gain a comprehensive understanding of the trends, consequences, and underlying factors of traditional and modern eating.

Source: UG
Understanding trust on social networking sites among tertiary students: An empirical study in Ghana

User trust in social networking sites (SNS) has become an important issue in SNS discussions. This is because of its impact on knowledge sharing, social commerce, social interaction, among many others. However, information systems researchers have primarily explored the benefits of trust with little attention to its antecedents. In an attempt to address this knowledge gap, this study proposed a model that investigated the factors that promote trust among SNS users. Data was gathered from voluntary respondents using a questionnaire. A PLS-SEM analysis of 912 valid responses suggested that Norm of Reciprocity, Social Interaction Ties and Identification are significant factors that encourage Trust among SNS users. Shared Language was also identified to have impact on Norm of Reciprocity, Social Interaction Ties and Identification. The results of the study provide significant theoretical and practical contributions. They bridge the knowledge gap regarding the formation of Trust on SNS. The model evaluated explains 49.6% of the variance in Trust and thus suitable for analyzing the antecedents of Trust on SNS. Furthermore, with the significance of Identification, Social Interaction Ties and Norm of Reciprocity on Trust, SNS developers are tasked to offer SNS features that proliferate the formation of these factors as well as shared interpretations. 2019 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Source: UG
Understanding variation in sorghum through with farmers experimentation

The need for an appropriate research strategy to build upon the knowledge of sorghum farmers in north-east Ghana in terms of diversity management and variety maintenance was identified in a previous diagnostic study. A joint experimental framework was established to encourage interaction between the knowledge systems of farmers and scientists. The paper focuses on outlining the process and outcome of the joint learning approach adopted. Researchers and farmers used scientific experimentation both to investigate inter-varietal, intra-varietal and random variation in sorghum. For better understanding and exchange of ideas, researchers sought to understand farmers' concepts of a variety and how they perceive diversity (i.e. researchers sought to enter into and interrogate the farmer knowledge system). Results provide evidence that farmers' management practices are shaped by local perceptions of diversity, and that systematic exploration of both scientific and local ideas, aimed at points of convergence might help farmers better to link their management practices to variation revealed through experimentation. It has been widely reported that African farmers are willing experimenters, but the present study offers specific evidence on the advantages of using a joint experimental approach to enhance farmers' capacity to understand complex phenomena associated with plant variation.

Source: UG
Understanding variation in sorghum through with-farmer experimentation

The need for an appropriate research strategy to build upon the knowledge of sorghum farmers in north-east Ghana in terms of diversity management and variety maintenance was identified in a previous diagnostic study. A joint experimental framework was established to encourage interaction between the knowledge systems of farmers and scientists. The paper focuses on outlining the process and outcome of the joint learning approach adopted. Researchers and farmers used scientific experimentation both to investigate inter-varietal, intra-varietal and random variation in sorghum. For better understanding and exchange of ideas, researchers sought to understand farmers' concepts of a variety and how they perceive diversity (i.e. researchers sought to enter into and interrogate the farmer knowledge system). Results provide evidence that farmers' management practices are shaped by local perceptions of diversity, and that systematic exploration of both scientific and local ideas, aimed at points of convergence might help farmers better to link their management practices to variation revealed through experimentation. It has been widely reported that African farmers are willing experimenters, but the present study offers specific evidence on the advantages of using a joint experimental approach to enhance farmers' capacity to understand complex phenomena associated with plant variation. © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Source: UG
Understanding Why and How Civilians Resort to Self-Protection in Armed Conflict

The absence and limitations of civilian protection efforts have contributed to civilians in conflict zones adopting a variety of strategies to protect themselves from physical violence. These self-protection efforts have sometimes saved individuals and communities from violence and engendered a level of security. Nonetheless, the civilian protection literature and community have largely underestimated the importance of these self-protection strategies. This article traces the growth of the civilian protection regime and interrogates the absence of civilian self-protection therein. It reviews the emerging self-protection literature and offers a typology of civilian self-protection strategies. Additionally, this article sheds light on how self-protection strategies might undermine civilian protection, particularly when they contribute to civilian targeting during armed conflict. It also proposes ways in which this typology can be extended to foster theory building and can inform traditional civilian protection efforts.

Source: UG
Understanding why child welfare clinic attendance and growth of children in the nutrition surveillance programme is below target: Lessons learnt from a mixed methods study in Ghan

Background: Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) programmes promote not only child health but serve as a service delivery strategy to enhance coverage for other crucial nutrition-specific interventions. This study compared community-based and facility-based GMP programme with respect to attendance rates, children's nutritional status, caregivers' satisfaction with services received and perceptions of service providers and users on factors influencing utilization. Methods: Explanatory sequential mixed methods study conducted in Ga West municipality, Ghana. It comprised 12-month secondary data analysis using growth monitoring registers of 220 infants aged 0-3 months enrolled in two community-based (CB = 104) and two facility-based (FB = 116) child welfare clinics; cross-sectional survey (exit interview) of 232 caregiver-child pairs accessing CB (n = 104) and FB services (n = 116); and in-depth interviews with 10 health workers and 15 mothers. Quantitative data were analyzed through Fisher's exact, unpaired t-tests, and logistic regression at 95% confidence interval (CI) using SPSS version 20. Qualitative data were analyzed by thematic content analysis using ATLAS.ti 7.0. Results: Mean annual attendance to both programmes was similar with an average of six visits per year. Only 13.6% of caregiver-child pairs attained more than nine visits in the 12-months period. At least 60% of children in both programs had improved weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) scores during participation. Predictors for improved WAZ were being underweight at baseline (AOR:11.1, 95%CI:4.0-31.0), annual attendance of at least six visits (AOR:2.2, 95%CI:1.1-4.1) and meeting the Ghana Health Service target of nine visits (AOR:4.65, 95%CI:1.4-15.1). Compared to 31.5% CB users, significant proportion of FB caregivers (57.4%) were visited at home. Half were dissatisfied with services received (CB:55.6% vs. FB:62.0%, p = 0.437) citing long waiting times, negative staff attitude and extortions of money. Regarding perceptions on factors hindering service utilization, emerged themes included extremes of maternal age, high parity, postpartum socio-cultural beliefs and practices, financial commitments, undue delays, unprofessional staff behaviours, high premium on vaccination and general misconceptions about the programme. Conclusion: The association of increased attendance with improved growth reaffirms the need to strengthen primary healthcare systems to improve service delivery; sensitize caregivers on contribution of growth monitoring and promotion to early child development; and increase contacts through home visits. © 2018 The Author(s).

Source: UG