ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Impact Of Climate Change On Child Outcomes: An Evidence Gap Map Review.

Background Climate change and extreme weather events significantly threaten neonatal and child health. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on the impact of climate change on child health, using the evidence gap map (EGM) to address knowledge gaps and establish a foundation for evidence-based interventions and future research. Method From inception, academic databases (such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, CINAHL and Scopus) and grey literature were systematically searched. We included climate change-related studies involving children aged 0–5 worldwide. Covidence facilitated a rigorous screening process, and we conducted a critical appraisal. Two independent reviewers handled screening and data extraction. Eligible studies underwent coding and extraction using Evidence for Policy and Practice Information (EPPI) reviewer software. The EGM was constructed using EPPI Mapper, and comprehensive findings were presented through live links and figures. Result We identified 196 studies, comprising 59.2% children and 40.8% neonates, with diverse research approaches, including 94% quantitative studies. There has been a notable increase in research publications over the past 5 years. Evidence is heavily concentrated in Asia (93 studies) and Africa (47 studies). The most frequently studied exposures are those related to extreme climate events, followed by drought and floods. However, there are gaps in the study of extreme cold and storms. The significant outcomes comprised preterm birth (55 studies), low birth weight (27 studies), malnutrition (59 studies) and diarrhoeal diseases (28 studies). Evidence on mental health problems and congenital disabilities receives relatively less attention. Conclusion This EGM is crucial for researchers, policymakers and practitioners. It highlights knowledge gaps and guides future research to address the evolving threats of climate change to global child health.

Source: UG
Impact of climate change on long-term zooplankton biomass in the upwelling region of the Gulf of Guinea

We investigated long-term changes in coastal zooplankton in the upwelling region in the Gulf of Guinea, 1969-1992, in relation to climatic and biotic factors. We considered the role of hydrographic and climatic factors, i.e. sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, sea level pressure, windfield, and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), in the long-term variation of zooplankton in a multiple regression analysis, along with the abundance of Sardinella. Annual variation in zooplankton biomass was cyclical, with the annual peak occurring during the major upwelling season, July-September. Over the 24-year period, there was a downward trend in zooplankton biomass (equivalent to 6.33 ml per 1000 m3 per year). The decomposed trend in SST during the major upwelling revealed gradual warming of surface waters. This trend was believed to be the main influence on the abundance of the large copepod Calanoides carinatus (sensitive to temperatures above 23°C), which appears in the coastal waters only during the major upwelling season. The warming trend associated with global climate change could affect zooplankton community structure, especially during the major upwelling season. Global warming coupled with "top-down" (predation) control by Sardinella might be responsible for the long-term decline in zooplankton biomass in the upwelling region of the Gulf of Guinea. © 2008 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved.

Source: UG
Impact of climate change on maternal health outcomes: An evidence gap map review

Climate change poses unique challenges to maternal well-being and increases complications during pregnancy and childbirth globally. This evidence gap map (EGM) aims to identify gaps in existing knowledge and areas where further research related to climate change and its impact on maternal health is required. The following databases were searched individually from inception to present: Medline, EMBASE, and Global Health via OVID; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) via EBSCOhost; Scopus; and organizational websites. In this EGM, we integrated 133 studies published in English, including qualitative, quantitative, reviews and grey literature that examined the impact of climate change on maternal health (women aged 15–45). We used Covidence to screen studies and Evidence for Policy and Practice Information (Eppi reviewer)/Eppi Mapper software to generate the EGM. Data extraction and qualitative appraisal of the studies was done using critical appraisal tools. The study protocol was registered in International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY) # INPLASY202370085. Out of 133 included studies, forty seven studies were of high quality, seventy nine moderate equality and seven low quality. This EGM found notable gaps in the literature regarding the distribution of research across regions. We found significant research in North America (51) and Asia (40 studies). However, Africa and the Caribbean had fewer studies, highlighting potential disparities in research attention and resources. Moreover, while the impact of extreme heat emerged as a prominent factor impacting maternal well-being, there is a need for further investigation into other climate-related factors such as drought. Additionally, while preterm stillbirth and maternal mortality have gained attention, there is an overlook of malnutrition and food insecurity indicators that require attention in future research. The EGM identifies existing research gaps in climate change and maternal health. It emphasizes the need or global collaboration and targeted interventions to address disparities and inform climate responsive policies

Source: UG
Impact Of Climate Change On Maternal Health Outcomes: An Evidence Gap Map Review.

Climate change poses unique challenges to maternal well-being and increases complica tions during pregnancy and childbirth globally. This evidence gap map (EGM) aims to iden tify gaps in existing knowledge and areas where further research related to climate change and its impact on maternal health is required. The following databases were searched indi vidually from inception to present: Medline, EMBASE, and Global Health via OVID; Cumula tive Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) via EBSCOhost; Scopus; and organizational websites. In this EGM, we integrated 133 studies published in English, includ ing qualitative, quantitative, reviews and grey literature that examined the impact of climate change on maternal health (women aged 15–45). We used Covidence to screen studies and Evidence for Policy and Practice Information (Eppi reviewer)/Eppi Mapper software to generate the EGM. Data extraction and qualitative appraisal of the studies was done using critical appraisal tools. The study protocol was registered in International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY) # INPLASY202370085. Out of 133 included studies, forty seven studies were of high quality, seventy nine moderate equality and seven low quality. This EGM found notable gaps in the literature regarding the distribution of research across regions. We found significant research in North America (51) and Asia (40 studies). However, Africa and the Caribbean had fewer studies, highlighting potential disparities in research attention and resources. Moreover, while the impact of extreme heat emerged as a prominent factor impacting maternal well-being, there is a need for further investigation into other climate-related factors such as drought. Additionally, while preterm stillbirth and maternal mortality have gained attention, there is an overlook of malnu trition and food insecurity indicators that require attention in future research. The EGM iden tifies existing research gaps in climate change and maternal health. It emphasizes the need for global collaboration and targeted interventions to address disparities and inform climate-responsive policies.

Source: UG
Impact of climate change on sorghum production under different nutrient and crop residue management in semi-arid region of Ghana: a modeling perspective

This study evaluates the potential impact of climate change on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) grain yield under different crop residue and nutrient management systems in a smallholder farming system. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) was used in this scenario analysis. Two crop residue management types (crop residue retention in soil and crop residue removal) and fertiliser management (no fertilisation and application of 40, 30 kg P ha-1) were the scenarios analysed using climate change (CCD) and historical (HD) weather data to simulate sorghum yield. Comparing grain yield under the two weather conditions, there was a 20% reduction in grain yield as a result of climate change when no fertiliser was applied compared with a yield increase of 4% with the application of 40 kg N, 30 kg P ha-1. The impact of crop residue management on grain yield was lower under climate change weather conditions than under historical weather conditions. This can be attributed to higher soil moisture stress which also contributed to lower rate of soil carbon decomposition in the top soil. Instability (inter-annual standard deviation) in grain yield was higher under climate change (0.13 to 0.21) weather onditions than under historical (0.04 to 0.11) weather conditions. This was reflected in higher change in yield, thus, making sorghum production under rain-fed agriculture more risky, particularly to the smallholder (low input) farmers.

Source: UG
The impact of climate change on the agricultural sector within the Volta Basin in Ghana

The negative effects of climate change on crop production in Sub-Saharan Africa are pronounced, given the high dependence on rain fed agriculture in the region. This study analysed decision making by farmers under risk and uncertainty due to climatic change, using the Multi-Level Analysis Tool for the Agricultural sector (MATA) model. The main objective of the study was to find out the impact of climate change on cropping activities and agricultural income. The results indicated a decrease in water supply leading to changes in the composition and pattern of crop activities, reduced crop yields and smaller incomes for farmers. Reforms in water management policies and investments are suggested to improve water usage efficiency and to expand irrigation to deal with climate change.

Source: UG
Impact of cocoa farming on vegetation in an agricultural landscape in Ghana

Cocoa production occurs almost wholly within areas identified as biodiversity hotspots in West Africa and it has been noted as a major contributor to deforestation at the forest-agriculture interface. This study investigated the impact of cocoa farming on vegetation in relation to three land-use types of increasing cocoa production intensity from remnant native forest through shaded to unshaded cocoa farmlands in Ghana. The study used transects and forty-two 25 m × 25 m vegetation plots. The overall noncocoa plant species richness decreased significantly (95% CI) from the remnant native forest through shaded to the unshaded cocoa farmlands. Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were also found in the mean density and basal area of noncocoa plants per hectare with the remnant native forest recording the highest values and the unshaded cocoa farmlands the lowest. The relative density of about 44.7% out of the 41 most abundant plant species declined in cocoa farmlands. The results of this study showed that cocoa farming could result in a drastic forest plant species loss with subsequent recruitment of nonforest species, forest plant species population decline as well as changes in the structural characteristics of the vegetation. This impact increases with increasing cocoa production intensity. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Source: UG
The Impact of Cohousing on Older Adults’ Quality of Life

The global population including Canada’s is aging, which demands planning for housing that will support older adults’ quality of life. This mixed-method study is the first Canadian study to examine the impact of cohousing on older adults’ quality of life and involved 23 participants. The older adults rated their quality of life very high, especially in the environmental, physical, and psychological domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL_ BREF) survey; quality of life in the social domain was rated low, which was surprising in light of the focus group data findings. Four themes of “belonging in a community”, “life in the community”, “changes associated with aging,” and “aging in place” emerged from the qualitative data to explain factors that influence older adults’ quality of life. This research provides foundational, strong evidence that seniors’ cohousing is an innovative housing solution that can support older adults’ quality of life.

Source: UG
Impact of Collaboration on Male and Female Students’ Comprehension of Electrochemistry

This study reports on research findings on the effect of collaboration on male and female learners’ comprehension of electrochemistry concepts in the Ximhungwe circuit of the Bohlabela district in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The theoretical frame work of this study is rooted in Posner et al’s Accommodation of a Scientific Conception: Toward a Theory of Conceptual Change. This theory strongly proves that learning is a social process and communication facilitates learning. Conceptual change is interpreted as what actual knowledge the group collectively produces and agrees upon. An intact sample of 47 12th grade physical sciences learners from two public schools in the circuit participated in the study. One of the schools was a high achieving school (HAS) and the other a low achieving school (LAS) as was classified by the Department of Education, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Learners were given electrochemistry concept test (ECT) and Chemistry Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CCEQ) as pre-test and post-test. After the treatment using a self-designed conceptual change teaching strategy of collaboration, ANCOVA conducted on post-test scores of the learners showed that there was no significant mean difference between male and female learners in their comprehension of electrochemistry concepts. Similarly, there was no significant interaction effect between gender and treatment. However, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation revealed that there was moderately positive relationship between achievement and learners’ perception of their chemistry classroom environment. The findings suggest that collaboration was equally effective for both males and females.

Source: UG
The Impact of Colonialism on Cultural Identity: A Comparative Study of Ghana &amp; South Africa

This study primarily sought to investigate the effects of colonialism on the cultural identities of Africans, using Ghana and South Africa as case studies. Cultural identity was categorised into 3 major components; customs and traditions, language and land and it is within this ambit that both theoretical and empirical literature were sought and discussed to achieve the study objectives. Hence, this research confined itself to events during and after the colonial period (and apartheid period in the case of South Africa). Ghana and South Africa were chosen as case studies because amongst other reasons, both were colonised by the British and the Dutch at different periods and so served as a good basis for comparison. This study was based on the hypothesis that colonialism was unable to wither away completely the cultural identities of both Ghana and South Africa. It at worst affected certain aspects of culture, land and language, but not significant enough to leave both countries without their indigenous cultural identities. Hence, qualitative research techniques and data from sources such as peer-reviewed journals, books, articles and other publications were used to test this hypothesis. In the first place, extant literature clearly demonstrates that colonialism significantly affected the cultural identities (land, language and culture) of Ghana and South Africa. Secondly, in comparison, this study concludes that the impacts of colonialism on land in South Africa are different and arguably more severe than in Ghana. Thirdly, the impacts of colonialism on language are different between Ghana and South Africa (even though the severity in the differences may be difficult to judge). Finally, the impacts of colonialism on culture (with regards to chieftaincy and tribe) in both Ghana and South Africa are somewhat different. Thus, with regards to chieftaincy, the major difference lies in the fact that whereas in Ghana, the colonialist to some extent collaborated and in some cases protected chieftaincy, in the case of South Africa, colonialist and the apartheid regime downplayed chieftaincy for imperialistic reasons. Similarly, fostering the distinction between tribes in the same state in Ghana was purposeful for imperialistic reasons. In the case of South Africa, apartheid mainly resulted in segregations along racial categories. It is, therefore, recommended that in the case of South Africa for instance, the government can find gradual solutions to the current impasse on land redistribution through more strategic collaboration, international relations and negotiations with the various organizations, associations and international corporations directly involved (stakeholders). Also, further studies may be conducted to identify if possible, the severity of the effects of colonialism on the various aspects of cultural identity, so as to be able to give direction to intervention programmes meant to mitigate these effects.

Source: UG
Impact of commercial salt production on wetland quality and waterbirds on coastal lagoons in Ghana

A comparative study conducted on two saline coastal wetlands that have been developed into saltpans and two others (referred to as 'non-saltpans'), that are also saline but have no saltpans, describes the quality of lagoon water, benthic macroinvertebrates and waterbird communities characterising these wetlands. The wetlands were sampled monthly from September 2005-April 2006. Except for turbidity, which was significantly higher in the non-saltpans, (p < 0.05), all other physico-chemical parameters studied were not significantly different between the two wetland types (p > 0.05). The waterbird communities of the saltpans and non-saltpans, characterised by 48 and 50 species respectively, scored a Sorenson Index value of 0.88, indicating a high similarity. The population density of benthic macroinvertebrates in the saltpans and the non-saltpans was statistically similar (p > 0.05) but the population densities of waterbirds feeding exclusively on benthic macroinvertebrates were significantly higher in the non-saltpans (p < 0.05). Although the shallow ponds created for salt production might be providing more suitable feeding habitats for fish-eating birds, the development of these ponds has also reduced the exploitable area available to the birds feeding exclusively on invertebrates, requiring them to depend largely on the non-saltpans. Birds feeding exclusively on fish had significantly higher population densities in the saltpans (p < 0.05) than in non-saltpans. This was attributed to reduced efficiency of piscivory, due to the high turbidity associated with the non-saltpans. Waterbirds feeding on a wide range of food types showed no significant differences in their population densities (p > 0.05) in the two wetland types. Copyright © NISC Pty Ltd.

Source: UG
Impact of community health interventions on maternal and child health indicators in the upper east region of Ghana

Background This paper reports on results of a health system strengthening implementation research initiative conducted the Upper East Region of northern Ghana. Transformative interventions to accelerate and strengthen the health delivery were implemented that included empowering community leaders and members to actively participate in health delivery, strengthening the referral systems through the provision of community transport systems, providing basic medical equipment to community clinics, and improving the skills of critical health staff through training. Methods A mixed method design was used to evaluate the impact of the interventions. A quantitative evaluation employed a flexible research design to test the effects of various component activities of the project. To assess impact, a preversus–post randomized cluster survey design was used. Qualitative research was conducted with focus group data and individual in depth interviews to gauge the views of various stakeholders associated with the implementation process. Results After intervention, significant improvements in key maternal and child health indicators such as antenatal and postnatal care coverage were observed and increases in the proportion of deliveries occurring in health facilities and assisted by skilled health personnel relative to pre-intervention conditions. There was also increased uptake of oral rehydration salts (ORS) for treatment of childhood diarrhoea, as well as marked reductions in the incidence of upper respiratory infections (URI). Conclusions A pre-and post-evaluation of impact suggests that the programme had a strong positive impact on the functioning of primary health care. Findings are consistent with the proposition that the coverage and content of the Ghana Community-based Health Planning and Services programme was improved by program interventions and induced discernable changes in key indicators of health system performance.

Source: UG
The Impact of Corporate Governance Structures on Foreign Direct Investment: A Case Study ofWest African Countries

A number of studies have been done to examine the factors that impact the level of foreign direct investment in African countries. However, most of them have not considered the e ect corporate governance structures have on foreign direct investment (FDI) in their estimations. This research therefore pursued the investigation of the relationship between corporate governance structures at the national level and foreign direct investment concentrating mainly on West African economies for the period 2009–2018. The study constructed a panel, sampling annual data from 17 West African countries. The System generalized method of moments (GMM) was used in analyzing the panel data to attain the objective of the research. The results of the study reveal that countries characterized by greater protection of the interest of non-controlling parties are able to accumulate progressive FDIs. Economies with firms portraying high ethical values also generally generate increasing foreign direct investment, and the existence of e ective boards also significantly improves the country’s FDI inflows. Finally, the findings report that the impact of regulations in securities and the stock exchange on FDI is insignificant. The study recommends thatWest African countries institute corporate governance structures purely independent of political influences in order to ensure e ective utilization of foreign direct investment to mitigate poverty.

Source: UG