ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Trace Elements Levels and Blood Pressure in Ghanaian Women Using Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Contraceptive

The benefit of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) (an injectable contraceptive) relate to the fact that it has a very high efficacy in pregnancy prevention. Aim: We investigated the effect of the hormonal contraceptive, DMPA on the levels of trace elements: (Selenium (Se), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn)) and blood pressure. Materials and Methods: Fifty (50) women on DMPA and thirty (30) controls (who were not on DPMA) were recruited from the Kasoa Polyclinic in the Central Region of Ghana. Blood was collected for the estimation of trace elements using mass spectrometry. Blood pressure was measured and body mass index (BMI) calculated. Results: Serum levels of Cu was found to be significantly elevated among participants on DMPA compared to healthy controls (P=0.002). Se levels were however slightly but insignificantly reduced (P=0.316) among participants on DMPA. There was also a significantly elevated diastolic blood pressure (76.00 ± 11.95 mmHg, P=0.03) among DMPA users compared to the controls. Serum Cu correlated positively with Zn(r=0.463) (P=0.001) among the DMPA users. Conclusion: DMPA users had an increase in Cu with reduced Se levels as well as an increased blood pressure. However, no change in serum Zn concentration was seen among DMPA users compared to the controls.

Source: UCC
Trace Elements Levels and Blood Pressure in Ghanaian Women Using Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Contraceptive

Background: The benefit of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) (an injectable contraceptive) relate to the fact that it has a very high efficacy in pregnancy prevention. Aim: We investigated the effect of the hormonal contraceptive, DMPA on the levels of trace elements: (Selenium (Se), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn)) and blood pressure. Materials and Methods: Fifty (50) women on DMPA and thirty (30) controls (who were not on DPMA) were recruited from the Kasoa Polyclinic in the Central Region of Ghana. Blood was collected for the estimation of trace elements using mass spectrometry. Blood pressure was measured and body mass index (BMI) calculated. Results: Serum levels of Cu was found to be significantly elevated among participants on DMPA compared to healthy controls (P=0.002). Se levels were however slightly but insignificantly reduced (P=0.316) among participants on DMPA. There was also a significantly elevated diastolic blood pressure (76.00 ± 11.95 mmHg, P=0.03) among DMPA users compared to the controls. Serum Cu correlated positively with Zn(r=0.463) (P=0.001) among the DMPA users. Conclusion: DMPA users had an increase in Cu with reduced Se levels as well as an increased blood pressure. However, no change in serum Zn concentration was seen among DMPA users compared to the controls.

Source: UCC
Trace metals in fish and polluted areas in the Ghanaian continental shelf crustaceans - identifying heavier

The concentrations of four trace metals, namely copper, lead, cadmium and manganese, were determined in six fish species and three crustaceans collected from five sites spanning over 70% of the Ghanaian coastline. Copper and lead were determined in Barracuda (Spraena spraena), the Ribbon fish (Trichiurus lepturus), the Sardine (Surdinella spp), the Sole (Cynofossus senegalensis), the Sea Bream (Pagrus coupei ) and the Soldier fish (Cynapastas marmuratus). Cadmium and manganese were analyzed in the Blue Crab (Callinecfes sepidus), the Spiny lobster (Panilirus regius) and the edible shrimp (Crag0 septempinasus). Sampling sites included Takoradi, Elmina, Cape Coast, Accra and Tema. Lead and copper in the fishes ranged 0.25-0.94pgg-' fresh weight and 0.40-2.54 pg g-' dry weight (FW) respectively whilst cadmium and manganese in the crustaceans ranged 0.05-0.083 pgg-' FW and 0.554- 1.404pgg-' FW respectively. The Barracuda accumulated the greatest amount of metals whilst the sardine accumulated the least. With the crustaceans, there was a significant difference between the amounts of the metals accumulated. The blue crab accumulated the greatest and the edible shrimp the least. The analysis showed that: (i) there was a positive correlation between the metals bioconcentrated and the extent of pollution of the marine waters and (ii) along the Ghanaian Continental Shelf, the extent of pollution was of the increasing order as: Elmina = Cape Coast < Takoradi < Accra < Tema. Pollution of the marine waters could be minimized by control of flow of pollutants from land based activities

Source: UCC
Trade openness and economic growth: evidence from Ghana

In contrast to previous studies on the relationship between trade openness and economic growth, this study develops a new measure of trade openness. Composite Trade Intensity (CTI) was employed to generate an index to capture trade openness. The study used Trade Intensity (TI) and Relative World Trade Intensity (RWTI) dataset to create an index for trade policy openness. This new measure of trade openness improves on the results of trade openness compared with the traditional measure of trade openness which takes into account the size of Ghana’s trade to the rest of the world in comparison to its national economy and this is shown in the long and short run estimates in Table 6 and Table 7 using CTI and Appendix C and Appendix D using TI (X+M/GDP) as a measure of trade openness respectively. The study used data which span from 1986 to 2015. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration was used to examine this relationship. The regression results show that trade openness, FDI, real effective exchange rate, capital stock and labour force are important determinants of economic growth particularly in the long run. However, inflation was found to be growth hampering. The Granger causality test revealed a unidirectional causality between trade openness and economic growth running from trade openness to growth. The study recommends that policy should focus on export promotion strategy and encourage efficient utilization of capital goods; ensuring enabling environment to attract the needed FDI to the industrial and the agricultural sectors; and maintaining price stability in order to stimulate economic growth in Ghana.

Source: UCC
TRADE OPENNESS AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA: THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY

The financial development of many Sub-Saharan African countries over the years has not been able to match up with other regions like the Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and Pacific, and Europe and central Asia (IMF, 2016). Trade openness has been argued in several empirical literature as a factor that could spur up the level of financial development, although the high levels of trade openness in Sub-Saharan Africa is not contributing much to the desired levels of financial development in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is an indication in literature that trade openness will be more relevant to financial development of economies that have a strong institutional quality. Thus, by using system General Method of Moment estimation technique, this study examined how institutional quality moderates the relationship between trade openness and financial development of Sub-Saharan African economies. The study found that institutional quality enhances the effect of trade openness on financial development of Sub-Saharan African economies. It is therefore recommended that, Sub-Saharan African economies should put in measures to strength their institutional quality so that the high levels of trade openness will better enhance financial development. Specifically, trade openness can better enhance financial development by improving government effectiveness, reducing corruption, enhancing regulatory quality, abiding by the rule of law, and allowing voice and accountability. As an extra benefit, the improvements in institutional quality on their own too will yield positive impact on financial development.

Source: UCC
Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Africa

It is a public knowledge that developing economies especially those in Africa are striving to attract FDI into their countries since it contributes immensely to economic growth. Nonetheless, the region has not seen the desired level of foreign investment anticipated to spur their growth even though governments have taken several measures and implemented policies aimed at attracting investors. Several factors have been found to be the determining factors of FDI around the world. To this effect, the study relied on the imperfect markets theory, eclectic paradigm and to determine the relationship between trade openness and FDI in 43 African countries over 18 years by employing Arellano and Bond’s Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). Specifically, the study examined the relationship between tariffs and FDI as the first objective, regulatory trade barriers as the second objective and finally the relationship between black market exchange rates and FDI as the third objective. The study found that reducing tariffs, relaxing some of the regulatory trade barriers, ensuring official exchange rates in the region is tantamount to attracting foreign direct investment. The study recommends that African governments would take steps to reduce both tariffs and other non-tariff barriers to trade since this is a major impediment to FDI.

Source: UCC
Trade Openness and Private Investment in Ghana

The study seeks to examine the trade openness-private investment nexus in Ghana. It adopted Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bound testing cointegration technique to examine the correlation between trade openness and private investment in Ghana. The findings of the study are as follows: there is a long- run correlation between trade openness and private investment in Ghana, there is short- run correlation between trade openness and private investment in Ghana. And there is unicausality running from private investment to trade openness in Ghana. The study therefore recommends that the policies in Ghana should be directed towards strengthen trade openness in Ghana such as easiness in commencement and running of business, taxes should be minimal, labour law should favour investors as well as lower duties on import and export in order to increase private investment in Ghana

Source: UCC
Trade Openness, Exchange Rate Fluctuations and Manufacturing Output in Sub-Saharan Africa

Many industrialized economies in the world achieved higher economic growth through the industrialization of their manufacturing sector. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the development of the manufacturing sector appears to be in decline. In the quest to increase the economic growth of these developing countries, varieties of trade policies and exchange rate policies have been introduced. These policies were subsequently introduced in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a means of boosting economic growth and development. The importance of Trade Openness and exchange rate policies in developing countries necessitated the need to study the effect of Trade Openness and exchange rate fluctuations on the manufacturing output of SSA. The study also focuses on the role of electricity as an intermediating factor to Trade Openness, threshold effect, and heterogeneity across groupings. Using the principal component analysis to generate Trade Openness Index and other determinants from 2004 to 2017, (sourced from WDI and World bank doing business indicators), the study employed fixed and random effect estimation techniques in the analysis. The study revealed that less Trade Openness has a negative effect on manufacturing output in SSA. Exchange rate fluctuations have a positive effect on manufacturing. Therefore, it is recommended that the reduction of the trade openness index should be encouraged. Also, exchange rate stabilization policies should be encouraged to promote a good business environment.

Source: UCC
Trade openness, institutions and inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Inclusiveness of growth of many developing countries has been slow with sub-Saharan Africa at the bottom irrespective of increasing economic growth over the years resulting in high poverty rate and inequality issues. Trade Openness has emerged in several empirical literature as a key factor that could contribute to inclusive growth in emerging economies. However, evidence in literature indicates that trade openness will be more relevant to spur inclusive growth of economies that have strong institutions. Thus, by using system General Method of Moment estimation technique, this study examines how institutional quality and trade openness affect inclusive growth and growth volatility in Sub-Saharan African economies. The study finds that the quality of a country’s institutions enhances the effect of trade openness on inclusive growth of Sub-Saharan African economies. It is therefore recommended that economies in the sub-region should put in measures to strengthen their institutions so that level of trade openness could spur inclusive growth. Specifically, trade can better enhance inclusive growth by creating an environment of responsible institutions, transparent business, protected civil liberty, respected political rights, control of corruption and political stability which promote the expansion of international trade by reducing transactional cost and risk related to trade. This would increase participation of the minor and also create opportunity of growth for all.

Source: UCC
Trade patterns in Ghana at the beginning of the eighteenth century

The end of the seventeenth century is especially important in the historical geography of Ghana; for many of the features of the country's present human geography appeared or began to evolve at that time. The fundamental tribal structure had been formed, and the population was engaged in a number of economic activities whose basic organizational characteristics have persisted into the twentieth century. Politically, Ghana was a medley of independent states, and whatever coherence it possessed it owed to the intricate network of major and minor routes along which men from all parts of the country traveled to trade. In the same way Ghana was drawn closer to other West African countries and to Europe through trade. Trading, a major source of income, was a carefully organized economic activity and was conducted at three levels: local, regional, and international

Source: UCC
Tradition in transition: the habits of language in Ghanaian hiplife lyrics

The future of every nation is embedded in its youth. The older generation eats sour grape and sets the teeth of the youth on edge. A vibrant youth seeks a better future for itself since if one fails to comment on how one’s head is shaven, one ends up having a bad shave (The Author). This qualitative (textual) research is premised on the fact that research into Hiplife genre in recent years has not devoted attention to the source of its rhetorical vehemence, leading Adegbite (2006) to admonish scholars to broaden their scope of research to embrace all varieties of musical styles. The research explores the stylistic use of language in Hiplife lyrics and its effect in achieving rhetorical vehemence. The study sets out to examine the linguistic codes, perspectives of presentation, dominant tropes and schemes inherent in Hiplife lyrics that imbue it with the artistic vehemence. This stylistic study of the song texts is guided by Bloomfield’s (1976) categorization which defines areas of study in stylistics. The present study adopts four of the Bloomfield’s stylistic taxonomy - the descriptive, rhetorical, language and cultural/group dynamics of stylistics - and in the light of these, examines the stylistic elements in Hiplife lyrics. This framework combined with the Formalist analytical methodology provides detailed description and functional analysis of the stylistic facilities to evince the unique linguistic and literary characteristics of the genre. The study purposively sampled sixty Hiplife song texts composed by thirty-six Ghanaian Hiplife artistes between 1990 and 2018 as the primary data for analysis. The study also employs interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation to collect secondary data. The study among other things shed deeper light on defining Hiplife as a cultural tool that is used in the discourse of nation building. Again, it presents Hiplife lyrics as a literary material that facilitates the conceptualisation of stylistics in Ghanaian context. Finally, the study provides a corpus on the genre to facilitate other researches into Hiplife.

Source: UCC
Traditional Akan ethics and humanist ethics: A comparative study

Since traditional Akans are Africans, one can logically deduce that the former share in the notorious religiosity that characterize the later. This notwithstanding, it seems that religion is not the sole determinant of the ethics of the Akan people even though it is a sine qua non factor/source of Akan ethics. In addition to religion, the Akan Tradition is an important determinant of Akan ethics. Similar to Akan ethics, Humanist ethics is based on human reason, intellect and the experience of human society but unlike Akan ethics, Humanist ethics debunks religion and any supernaturalism. This study examines Akan ethics and Humanist ethics endeavouring to unravel how two different ethics can have many similar moral values despite differences in their respective sources

Source: UCC
The Traditional Approach to the Management of Diseases in Ghana

This paper deals with the traditional approach to the management of diseases in Ghana. It initially explains the concept of disease, which is understood as a disintegration of the spiritual and physical component o.lthe human being. It then traces the history of traditional medical practice in Ghana. The various types of diseases and how they are managed are then analysed. The various types of traditional medical practitioners ident(fied include traditional birth attendants, traditional herbalists, diviners, traditional surgeons and traditional psychiatrics. Finally, the paper examines traditional health care in Ghana and attempts made by the health authorities to integrate traditional health care into the orthodox medical practice in the country. The problems associated with traditional medicine and the new developments that seem to pose a threat to the use of traditional medicine in the country are also analysed.

Source: UCC
Traditional authorities and governance: A case study of Komenda traditional area

Despite the obvious differences between the formal government system and the traditional system of governance, there is the growing awareness that good governance at the local level can only be achieved when traditional rulers are incorporated into the formal system of governance. This study examines the predominant traditional authority systems in the Komenda Traditional Area in Ghana. The study sets out to assess the roles and relevance of these traditional authorities in relation to the formal government system. Data used for analysis was obtained through qualitative methods like interviews and focus group discussions. The sampling procedure was generally purposive for traditional authorities and assembly persons, while simple random sampling was employed for heads of households. The research design was partly descriptive, explorative and cross-sectional. The study found that traditional authorities play several roles at the local level. These roles were identified as settling disputes and managing conflict, soliciting and initiating development projects as well as mobilising people for development. The study also found out that traditional authorities are still relevant in local governance. The study recommends the involvement of chiefs in the planning, implementation and execution of projects in their various communities as a way of integrating the chieftaincy institution into the formal governance system to enhance development.

Source: UCC
Traditional Authorities and Peace Building: A Study of Eguafo Traditional Area

Since the early 1990s a growing emphasis on peace building has marked the international community’s response to conflict. Even though it has scarcely been highlighted traditional peace building has been part of the traditional governance system before the introduction of the contemporary court system. The study sought to analyse the traditional peace building process at Eguafo Traditional Area in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality. Purposive sampling method was adopted to select the paramount chief, four sub-chiefs and six elders for in-depth interviews, and the divisional chiefs and queens for focus group discussions. Underpinned by the conflict transformation perspective and the peace building integrated framework, the study identified that traditional authorities used reconciliatory approaches to build peace in the traditional area. Additionally, diplomacy, negotiation, peaceful settlement and community participation were the main peace building tools that are often adopted. To an extent, the Municipal Assembly and the Police participated in the peace building process. Further research is relevant to thoroughly discuss the effects of activities of the ‘conflict entrepreneurs’, and to buttress the need for a modification of the peace building integrated framework.

Source: UCC
Traditional authorities in local governance: A case study of the Jirapa traditional area

The term "development" which used to be equated with economic wellbeing is now given a human face. It is now measured in terms of how the governed or a people within a particular location and or a common identity are satisfied economically, socially and politically. Nevertheless, an often overlooked dimension has been the role traditional authorities play in the governance process. The role of traditional authorities in local governance in the Jirapa traditional area was the subject of the study. The research design consisted of various methods of data collection, including in-depth face-to-face interviews, document reviews and observation. A purposive sample of local development actors were selected for the study. The population was made up of opinion leaders, settlers, chiefs, fetish priests, identified group leaders, landlords, family heads and local government staff. The instruments were pre-tested for reliability. The study found that traditional authorities were very important in the promotion of democratic practices. However, traditional authorities were limited in performing these roles because the District Assembly saw them to be important in the traditional setting and not in the work of the District Assembly. Traditional authorities were found to empower people, resolve conflicts and promote sustainable development. They also promote accountability, participation, equity and transparency. It emerged from the study that the District Assembly had not critically assessed these potentials in traditional authorities and only dwelt on their different ideological perspectives rather than the common goals the two parties were working to achieve.

Source: UCC