ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Household Social Expenditure in Ghana: Examining the Ex-Post Effects and Vulnerability to Poverty

We estimate the effect of household social expenditure on vulnerability to poverty using the four latest cross-sectional waves of Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) from 1999 to 2017. Using a 3-Stage Least Square and Quantile Regression, our results show a widening consumption ex-post welfare gap between the poorest households and the non-poor households in a per-dollar social expenditure. Further, we estimate the probability of an ex-ante poverty using vulnerability to expected poverty. The results, however, indicate that regardless of poverty status, household vulnerability to poverty increased consistently between 1999 and 2017, and the very poor households showing the severest vulnerability. Hence, it is concluded that social expenditure increases the chances of a poor household falling into chronic poverty a non-poor household into transient poverty in the future.

Source: UG
Household structure and child outocmes: School enrolment and labour force participation of fostered children in Ghana

Children are an integral part of cultural and economic setting of households in Ghana. As such, their welfare outcomes are of a primary concern to the household and the development aspirations of the nation. Child fostering, the practice by which children reside in households where neither parent is present is pervasive in most societies of West Africa. Data from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standard Survey suggest that approximately 14% of individuals less than sixteen years old reside in households where neither parent is present. The practice of fostering also has important implications for economic studies that have attempted to establish the determinants of child welfare outcomes in societies where the prevalence of fostering is high. This study examines the relationship between household structure and child outcomes by assessing the determinants of school enrolment and labour force participation of primary school age fostered children in Ghana. The study further examines the role of the biological relationship between a child and the caregiver and the school enrolment and market production decisions concerning fostered children. Applying the bivariate probit model to the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, the study finds that the personal characteristics of the fostered child (age, gender and relationship to the head of household) are significant determinants of welfare outcomes of fostered children. Characteristics of the head of household particularly the educational attainment of the household head is a strong predictor of the school and labour market outcomes of fostered children. Household demographic characteristics do not exhibit significant influences of the household decisions concerning fostered children; whilst an index of household income suggests that improvements in household income leads to better child outcomes. A key policy recommendation that arises from this study is the need for public programmes and policies that are targeted at improving the welfare outcomes of children taking into account the high mobility of children between households in Ghana

Source: UG
Household Water Quality Testing and Information: Identifying Impacts on Health Outcomes and Sanitationand Hygiene-Related Risk-Mitigating Behaviors

Background: In 2014, a group of 512 households in multipurpose water systems and also relying on unimproved water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in the Greater Accra region of Ghana were randomly selected to participate in water quality self-testing and also receipt of information in the form of handouts on how to improve water quality. Objectives and Research Design: Using a cluster-randomized controlled design, we study the health, sanitation, and hygiene behavior impacts of the household water quality testing and information experiment. Subjects: The study has three arms: (1) adult household members, (2) schoolgoing children, and (3) control group. Measures: The study measures the effects on handwashing with soap, cleanliness of households, and prevalence of diarrhea and self-reported fever. We also address impacts on child health and nutrition outcomes, particularly diarrhea and anthropometric outcomes. Results: We show that there is high household willingness to participate in this intervention on water quality self-testing. About 7 months after households took part in the intervention, the study finds little impacts on health outcomes and on sanitation- and hygiene-related risk-mitigating behaviors, regardless of the intervention group, either schoolchildren or adult household members. Impacts (direction and extent) are rather homogeneous for most of the outcomes across treatment groups. Conclusions: The study discusses the implications of the findings and also offers several explanations for the lack of transmission of impacts from the household water quality testing and information intervention on health outcomes and on sanitation and hygiene behaviors.

Source: UG
Household Welfare Effects of Agricultural Productivity: A Multidimensional Perspective from Ghana

Abstract: Although poverty reduction policies in developing countries hinge on the link between smallholder productivity and welfare, micro level empirical evidence on this is limited in sub-Saharan Africa and neglects the multidimensionality of welfare. This article contributes through investigating the productivity-poverty relationship using a number of welfare measures with a three-period panel dataset for Ghana. The findings are that welfare is increasing with labour productivity irrespective of the measure used, but that dramatic increases in productivity would be required to achieve meaningful poverty reduction. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.

Source: UG
Household-specific food price differentials and high-value crop production in rural Ghana

Using panel data from Ghana we have examined the relationship between household-specific producer–consumer price differentials and rural household cropland allocation between food and high-value crops. We test the hypothesis that cereal price bands induce a shift of resources away from high-value crop production, making smallholders appear unresponsive to price incentives. Our results lend support to this hypothesis, implying that a policy aiming at increasing farmers’ income through high-value crop production may fail if hard and soft infrastructure does not improve in rural areas, and if staple crop productivity does not increase significantly.

Source: UG
Households’ socio-demographic characteristics, perceived and underestimated vulnerability to floods and related risk reduction in Ghana

There is a current upsurge of climate-related disasters globally with urban centres emerging as hotspots for climate risks such as floods, underlain by population growth and urbanization challenges. Yet, the literature on urban floods suggests limited estimates of “perceived vulnera bility”, the latter increasingly gaining acceptance in climate change and disaster knowledge communities. Subsequently in this article, the effects of socio-demographic characteristics of households in underestimating their perceived vulnerability to flooding in Ghana is analysed, for informed flood disaster risk reduction. The findings show female headed households and those with college education as relatively more likely to underestimate their vulnerability to floods, compared to male headed households and those with no education, respectively. The age of male household heads determined their underestimation of floods yet the relatiowas non-linear. Additionally, the perceived vulnerability of a household to floods and ability to estimate its status depends on the sex of household head, to potentially influence decision-making and choice of adaptation. In conclusion, differences in the effects of households’ background characteristics on perceived vulnerability and capacity to estimate the outcome suggest context specific mea sures or social interventions in addressing attitudes towards floods disaster risk, and subsequently in formulating disaster risk reduction strategies and policy interventions.

Source: UG
Housing and construction finance, deposit mobilisation and bank performance in ghana.

We analyse bank performance in Ghana over the period 2001–2007. We posit a two‐equation simultaneous system for return on assets and volatility of earnings. In addition to other explanatory variables, this study is interested in the impact of deposits as a proportion of total assets and the proportion of housing and construction loans that banks extend. The triangular system is estimated by the least squares dummy variable approach. We find that the coefficients of the deposit ratio are very small in both equations and not at all significant. At the 10% significance level, the ratio of total loans to assets is positive and significant in both equations. Housing and construction loans tend to increase return on equity and decrease volatility. Increases in equity to assets ratio increase return on assets and decrease volatility of earnings significantly. The impact of non‐interest income is small and tends to increase return on assets and decrease volatility. Non‐performing loan ratio has the expected sign and is significant in the return on assets equation. Increases in inflation decrease profitability and increase volatility. We recommend that banks raise longer‐term financing on the capital market to undertake longer‐term profitable projects such as housing finance.

Source: UG
Housing and Construction Finance, Deposit Mobilization and Bank Performance In Ghana

We analyse bank performance in Ghana over the period 2001–2007. We posit a two‐equation simultaneous system for return on assets and volatility of earnings. In addition to other explanatory variables, this study is interested in the impact of deposits as a proportion of total assets and the proportion of housing and construction loans that banks extend. The triangular system is estimated by the least squares dummy variable approach. We find that the coefficients of the deposit ratio are very small in both equations and not at all significant. At the 10% significance level, the ratio of total loans to assets is positive and significant in both equations. Housing and construction loans tend to increase return on equity and decrease volatility. Increases in equity to assets ratio increase return on assets and decrease volatility of earnings significantly. The impact of non‐interest income is small and tends to increase return on assets and decrease volatility. Non‐performing loan ratio has the expected sign and is significant in the return on assets equation. Increases in inflation decrease profitability and increase volatility. We recommend that banks raise longer‐term financing on the capital market to undertake longer‐term profitable projects such as housing finance.

Source: UG
Housing and health in three contrasting neighbourhoods in Accra, Ghana

Although the literature on housing and health is extensive, most research comes from developed countries. Relatively little work on the topic has been done in developing countries such as Ghana where socio-economic and cultural characteristics are generally different. This paper reports on primary research that investigates the relationship between housing and self reported general and mental health in Accra, Ghana. The study focused on how the social and economic dimensions of housing, speciﬁcally, demand, control and material attributes (affordability, dwelling type) inﬂuence individuals’ attachment to their home as a refuge for daily living. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a randomly selected sample (n ¼ 562) in three contrasting neighbourhoods. Overall, housing conditions, demand and control residents have to where they live, emerged as signiﬁcant predictors of self reported general and mental health status. The inﬂuence of these variables superseded well known correlates of health status, income and educational attainment, attesting to their importance in a worsening housing environment. The ﬁndings point to the need for policy that recognizes that housing is not only a physical shelter but also an important health resource.

Source: UG
Housing and Health Outcomes of HIV Positive Persons in the Lower Manya Krobo District, Ghana

OBJECTIVE: Although emerging in Western industrialized societies, limited research exists on the links between housing and health outcomes for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). METHODS: Using survey data collected from 605 PLWHAs in the Lower Manya Krobo district of Ghana, this paper examined the effects of housing structure, arrangements, accessibility and conditions on the physical and psychological/emotional health of respondents. RESULTS: Results indicate that housing variables have independent effects on health outcomes, controlling for socio-economic and demographic variables. Respondents living in poor housing structures and deplorable housing conditions had poorer physical and psychological health scores. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that it is relevant to think about houses occupied by PLWHAs as important sources of health inequality.

Source: UG
Housing maintenance in multi-habited low-income houses in Accra.

Globally, the rising maintenance cost in buildings poses a great deal of challenge for homeowners. The UN Habitat Global Housing Strategy framework identifies housing maintenance as one of the thematic areas that require special attention and improvement if the building life will be sustained. In Ghana, maintenance of buildings is often neglected in housing development and research shows that a large proportion of residential buildings in public institutions have maintenance problems. Although these buildings are publicly owned and maintained, they still have challenges maintaining them. The challenge becomes heightened when the buildings are privately maintained by low income households. The paper sought to interrogate how maintenance occurs in multi-habited low income houses in some urban low income communities in Accra. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed in the primary data collection. The results show that multi-habited low income houses in Accra are poorly maintained and this problem is pronounced in the family houses in the indigenous communities like James Town and Tema Manhean. House owners often adopt the reactive maintenance approach, while waiting for the building component to completely spoil before replacing. Housing maintenance is strongly correlated with the incomes of the households. It is recommended that households should have access to maintenance loans and this will greatly improve the physical condition of multi-habited low income houses in Accra.

Source: UG
Housing, psychosocial and adherence counseling among HIV+ persons in Ghana

As part of providing comprehensive HIV/AIDS services, the Ghana National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) and Ministry of Health recommend that Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) receive psychosocial support and follow-up visits that ensure medical and drug adherence assistance. The successful implementation of these support services requires patients to have stable and quality housing, yet studies that examine associations between housing, psychosocial support, and adherence counseling among PLWHAs in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa are limited. Data were collected from 605 PLWHAs attending check-up and receiving Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) from both Atua Government Hospital and St. Martin's de Porres Hospital, located in the Manya Krobo district. Results show significant relationships between housing and access to psychosocial counseling and support. Specifically, respondents with stable homes and quality housing were significantly more likely to receive psychosocial counseling and support, compared to those without stable and quality housing. It is important for policy makers to consider housing as an important element of psychosocial counseling and care.

Source: UG
How agency and self-efficacy moderate the effects of strategic improvisational behaviors on sales performance: Evidence from an emerging market

This study develops and tests arguments that improvisation is not universal in its benefits for the firm, but rather its multidimensional characteristics (action orientation, creativity, and spontaneity) hold differential performance effects. The study further examines whether these relationships are contingent upon individual agency and self-efficacy. Drawing on primary data from industrial sales account managers in Ghana, the study finds that an increasing level of action-orientation is associated with decreases in perceived sales performance and the decrease in performance is more pronounced under conditions of stronger sense of agency and self-efficacy. Similarly, an increasing level of creativity is associated with decreases in perceived sales performance when agency is stronger. However, an increasing level of spontaneity is associated with increases in performance and this increase is strengthened under conditions of stronger sense of self-efficacy. The study concludes that the effect of strategic improvisation on sales performance outcome within the context of an emerging economy (such as Ghana) is more nuanced than established improvisation literature suggests.

Source: UG
How and why front-line health workers (did not) use a multifaceted mHealth intervention to support maternal and neonatal healthcare decision-making in Ghana

IntroductionDespite increasing use of mHealth interventions, there remains limited documentation of ‘how and why’ they are used and therefore the explanatory mechanisms behind observed effects on beneficiary health outcomes. We explored ‘how and why’ an mHealth intervention to support clinical decision-making by front-line providers of maternal and neonatal healthcare services in a low-resource setting was used. The intervention consisted of phone calls (voice calls), text messaging (short messaging service (SMS)), internet access (data) and access to emergency obstetric and neonatal protocols via an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD). It was delivered through individual-use and shared facility mobile phones with unique Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards networked in a Closed User Group.MethodsA single case study with multiple embedded subunits of analysis within the context of a cluster randomised controlled trial of the impact of the intervention on neonatal health outcomes in the Eastern Region of Ghana was performed. We quantitatively analysed SIM card activity data for patterns of voice calls, SMS, data and USSD. We conducted key informant interviews and focus group discussions with intervention users and manually analysed the data for themes.resultsOverall, the phones were predominantly used for voice calls (64%), followed by data (28%), SMS (5%) and USSD (2%), respectively. Over time, use of all intervention components declined. Qualitative analysis showed that individual health worker factors (demographics, personal and work-related needs, perceived timeliness of intervention, tacit knowledge), organisational factors (resource availability, information flow, availability, phone ownership), technological factors (attrition of phones, network quality) and client perception of health worker intervention usage explain the pattern of intervention use observed.ConclusionHow and why the mHealth intervention was used (or not) went beyond the technology itself and was influenced by individual and context-specific factors. These must be taken into account in designing similar interventions to optimise effectiveness

Source: UG
How biotic, abiotic, and functional variables drive belowground soil carbon stocks along stress gradient in the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest?

Mangrove forests, some of the most carbon-dense ecosystems on Earth, play an important role in climate change mitigation through storing carbon in the soil. However, increasing anthropogenic pressures and sea level rise are likely to alter mangrove forest structure and functions, including the major source of carbon in mangrove eco systems — below-ground soil carbon stocks (BSCS). Although estimating soil carbon stocks has been a popular practice in the mangroves, but poorly understood the (I) the linkage between BSCS and key ecosystem drivers (i. e., biotic, abiotic, and functional) and in (II) determining the pathways of how BSCS and multiple forest variables interact along stress gradients. This lack of understanding limits our ability to predict ecosystem carbon dy namics under future changes in climate. Here, we aimed to understand how abiotic factors (such as salinity, canopy gap fraction, nutrients, and soil pH), biotic factors (e.g., structural parameters, canopy packing, and leaf area index, LAI), and forest functional variables (e.g., growth and aboveground biomass stocks, AGB) affect BSCS (i.e., soil organic carbon, SOC, and root carbon, RC) using spatiotemporal data collected from the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest (SMF) in Bangladesh. We observed that BSCS decreased significantly with increasing salinity (e. g., from 70.6 Mg C ha− 1 in the low-saline zone to 44.6 Mg C ha− 1 in the high-saline zone). In contrast, the availability of several macronutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), LAI, species diversity, AGB, and growth showed a significant positive effect on SOC and RC. Stand properties, including tree height, basal area, density, canopy packing, and structural diversity, had a non-significant but positive impact on RC, while tree height and basal area significantly influenced SOC. Pathway analysis showed that salinity affects BSCS variability directly and indirectly by regulating stand structure and restricting nutrients and forest functions, although basal area, nutrients, and LAI directly enhance RC stocks. Our results indicate that an increase in nutrient content, canopy density, species diversity, and leaf area index can enhance BSCS, as they improve forest functions and contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Source: UG
How can I come to work on Saturday when I have a family?': Ghanaian women and bank work in a neo-liberal era.

Changes in the conditions of formal work in Ghana speaks to larger themes of globalization and economic liberalization. While the liberalization of the banking industry in Ghana (a site of formal work) has improved the material rewards of bank work, these benefits are gendered and unequal. Moreover, other conditions of work have become more challenging, including the volume and hours of work. The paper discusses the implications of these changes for female bank workers within a wider social context, and argues that the expansion of work spaces for women may prove to be restrictive as workplace and societal gender norms converge. The paper thus challenges the neoliberal perspective that formal salaried work is inherently empowering to women

Source: UG
How can onchocerciasis elimination in Africa be accelerated? Modeling the impact of increased ivermectin treatment frequency and complementary vector control

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