ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing the choice of engineering careers among Ghanaian women

The low participation of women in non-traditional occupations such as engineering continues to be a grave problem in spite of the wide extension of education and vocational opportunities opened to them world-wide. The main purpose of this research was therefore to investigate what militates against the entry of women into the engineering profession and find ways of promoting the interest of women in the engineering profession. The research was exploratory in nature, employing the qualitative case study method. However, a quantitative technique was employed to assist in the data analysis. The data was collected through semi-structured, open-ended interview schedules on an individual, face-to-face basis. Information was also collected from the School of Engineering of the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi by observing students past results and entry requirement tor the engineering programmes. The data collected in transcribed form, were sorted out and put into categories for analysis. The data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and one-tailed Fisher Exact Probability Test. Results of the study revealed that the participation rate of women in engineering in Ghana was very low for their effective participation in national development. The concentration of both engineering students and practicing women engineers was more in civil engineering than in the other engineering disciplines. Some of the women engineers had parents who were themselves engineers Natural curiosity which comprised interest in science and mathematics and desire to do engineering jobs such as building among others, had the most influence on the career choices of the women engineers. Almost all the women engineers expressed satisfaction With their chosen careers. Respondents had no access to guidance and counselling in both the secondary schools and the universities. The major constraint confronting women engineers in training was difficulty in understanding mathematical concepts. Both women and men engineering respondents perceived the engineering careers as suitable for both men and women provided positive attitude is developed towards it.

Source: UCC
Factors Influencing the Decision of Ghanaian Optometry Students to Practice in Rural Areas after Graduation

Human resources for eye health are inequitably distributed in most developing countries including Ghana. In spite of this, most eye care workers are concentrated in urban areas to the disadvantage of rural dwellers who need the services of these workers the most. The aim of the study was to investigate factors that will influence Ghanaian Optometry students’ decision to work in rural areas after completion of their training. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Ghanaian optometry undergraduate students. All undergraduate optometry students (first to sixth year) who agreed to take part in the research completed a 37 item questionnaire that explored; demographic characteristics, views about practice choice and possible attractions and incentives to practice in the rural area. Results: A total of 333 (87.4%) participants out of 381 Ghanaian optometry students who were registered for the 2015/2016 academic year completed the questionnaire. Rural origin students had the greatest desire to practice in the rural setting when employed by the Government (78.9%) or by NGO (80.3%). Financial incentives (76.6%), scholarship for further studies (76.0%), better living conditions (71.2%) and career ladder jump for rural health workers (71.2%) were the main incentives that influenced the intention of graduate optometrists to practice in the rural areas. Conclusion: Rural origin students are more inclined to work in rural areas than urban origin students, a finding which is informative for optometry training schools when managing their admission policies. Financial incentives among other factors will encourage more students to engage in rural optometric practice irrespective of their place of origin.

Source: UCC
Factors Influencing the Discard of Custom-made Garments among Female Students of University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

This paper examined the factors that are likely to cause the discard of custom-made garments among female students of the University of Cape Coast. The descriptive survey design was used for the study and the total number of participants was 246. The Predictive Analytical Software was employed for data analyses. The data gathered were analysed using inferential statistics and descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. The study revealed that constructional factors form a higher percentage of the factors that lead respondents to discard their custom-made garments. The major factors that resulted in the discard of custom-made garments among the respondents were poorly stitched garments, poor fit, uncomfortable lining issues, and poor conditions of notions. Slit and Kaba (traditional dress for women in Ghana, the slit is an ankle length skirt and the kaba is a blouse) was the most frequently discarded custom-made garments among the respondents. It was recommended that in decreasing the rate of discard of custom-made garments, dressmakers should select appropriate stitches and notions for garment construction. They should ensure quality in the products they produce and check the fit of the garments properly before handing them over to clients to meet their expectations.

Source: UCC
Factors influencing the intention of women in rural Ghana to adopt postpartum family planning

Background: Uptake of postpartum family planning (PPFP) remains low in sub-Saharan Africa and very little is known about how pregnant women arrive at their decisions to adopt PPFP. This information is needed to guide the development of interventions to promote PPFP. Methods: We conducted a survey among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in a rural district in Ghana. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to explore how knowledge of various family planning (FP) methods, past experience with their use and the acceptability of PPFP to male partners and close relations influenced the intention of pregnant women to adopt PPFP. Results: We interviewed 1914 pregnant women in four health facilities. About 84% considered PPFP acceptable, and 70% intended to adopt a method. The most preferred methods were injectables (31.5%), exclusive breastfeeding (16.7%), and oral contraceptive pills (14.8%). Women whose first choice of PPFP method were injectables were more likely to be women who had had past experience with its use (O.R = 2.07, 95% C.I. 1.50-2.87). Acceptability of PPFP by the pregnant woman (O.R. = 3.21, 1.64-6.26), perception of partner acceptability (O.R. = 3.20, 1.94-5.48), having had prior experience with the use of injectables (O.R. = 3.72, 2.61-5.30) were the strongest predictors of the intention to adopt PPFP. Conversely women who knew about the diaphragm (O.R. = 0.59, 0.38-0.93) and those who had past experience with IUD use (O.R. = 0.13, 0.05-0.38) were less likely to want to adopt PPFP. Conclusions: Acceptability of PPFP to the pregnant woman, male partner approval, and past experience with the use of injectables are important factors in the PPFP decisions of women in this population. Antenatal and early postnatal care need to be adapted to take these factors into consideration.

Source: UCC
Factors influencing the motivation of bank staff in the Cape Coast metropolis

The performance and survival of any organisation (such as banks) in a rapidly changing work environment, among other factors, depend largely upon the employees’ motivation. Given that needs of employees and the level of motivation may differ from organisation to organisation, an understanding of what fosters and enhances employee motivation and organisational performance is critical. The study therefore sought to determine the factors that influence bank staff motivation in the Cape Coast Metropolis. A descriptive-correlational survey research design was used to establish the levels and factors of motivation. The census sampling method was employed. Data was obtained through self-administered questionnaires to 96 staff members of seven banks in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Differences and relationships were tested at p<0.05. The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between staff motivation and factors including recognition, job satisfaction, role clarity, supervision and perceived competence. Staff demographic characteristics, however, have no significant relationship with staff motivation. Besides, the study revealed significant differences in the levels of the factors of motivation except supervision and perceived competence as well as recognition and job satisfaction. The best factors that can enhance the motivation of staff in the banks were recognition and job satisfaction. Thus, the study recommends that, banks in the Cape Coast Metropolis should focus more on appreciating and recognising their staff. To improve staff satisfaction, their work should be made interesting and challenging through job enlargement and enrichment.

Source: UCC
Factors influencing the patronage of coconut fruit case study: Cape Coast Metropolis—Ghana

Majority (80%) of people worldwide may not be aware of the numerous invaluable benefits of “the tree of life”: the coconut palm especially the fruit. Some benefits include: its juice for weight loss, cure of hung-over, diarrhea, balance of body’s pH level, among others. None-the-less, its availability and continuity to support life is hindered by the Cape St. Paul disease. To buttress government’s efforts, this paper seeks to find out whether people are aware of some of the benefits of the coconut palm and the disease that attacks it. The survey revealed that, although awareness level of respondents’ on some facts about the coconut fruit was moderate (40%-69%), majority (97%) of respondents consumed both the meat and juice. Respondents (70%) patronized coconut fruit weekly. Consumers’ patronage of coconut fruit was influenced by three factors: health benefits, availability and packaging. The development of the CPS (coconut patronage scale) was a major contribution

Source: UCC
Factors influencing the range shift of plant species in Wetlands in Northern Region (Ghana), with a note on the fish and bird Communities

The study examined the role of anthropogenic disturbances, temperature, precipitation and evapotranspiration in the range shift of aquatic plants, fish and bird communities in six wetlands. It was conducted over a 2-year period. The dominance ratio approach was used to determine the range shift of plants. Ordination techniques were used to determine the influence of environmental factors on biological data-set. Of the 40 species of plants sampled, obligate species constituted 35%, while facultative wetland species and obligate upland species were 40% and 27.5% respectively. Animal dung assessment showed that 14 seedlings identified were the same species as those sampled among the 40 species. Plant diversity and evenness distribution did not differ significantly (F = 2.27, p>0.05) in the wet and dry seasons. Plant range shift was largely influenced by farming practices, bushfire and grazing. These variables correlated significantly (p<0.05) with axis I and axis II, and accounted for 61.29% of the total variance in species range shift. Field survey indicated the declining abundance of Pistia stratiotes and was attributed among others to sensitivity to environmental disturbances. Fish diversity and abundance was slightly higher in the dry season than in the wet season. Bird densities and diversity (F = 4.101, p<0.05) were significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season. Influence of temperature on precipitation, over the last 50-years, was not significant (R2 = 0.354; p>0.05). Plant range shift and variations in fish and bird diversity may be attributed more to human-led activities than the impacts of climate change and variability.

Source: UCC
Factors Influencing the Retention of Customers of Ghana Commercial Bank within the Agona Swedru Municipality

Customer retention is an important element of any banking strategy in today’s increasingly competitive environment. This study examined the impact of retention factors that influence consumers’ decisions to stay with Ghana Commercial Bank within the Agona Swedru Municipal area. The descriptive survey design was used for the research. Simple random sampling and self administered questionnaires were utilised to obtained data from 480 customers of the bank. Correlation and regression techniques were used to examine the relationships between customer satisfaction, service quality, customer trust, customer commitment, switching barrier factors and customer retention. The results revealed that on the whole, switching barrier emerged as the most significant factor influencing customer retention. This was followed by customer commitment and customer trust. The study recommends that management of the bank should pay attention to customer commitment by investing more into customer relationship marketing strategies that can increase customers’ dependency and inhibit switching.

Source: UCC
Factors Influencing the Use of Inorganic Fertilizer by Farmers in Ghana

The agricultural sector in Ghana is characterised by low productivity partly due to declining soil fertility. Governments of Ghana have assisted farmers to use fertilizer to improve the fertility of soils through the fertilizer subsidy programme. However, the factors influencing the use of inorganic fertilizer which is the study have not been fully explored. The study used a descriptive-correlation survey design to collect data from the six agroecological zones of Ghana. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data. Cross tabulations were used to determine differences between some independent variables. The Pearson's product-moment correlation was used to determine the relationship between fertilizer use and the independent variables of the study. The multiple linear regression was used determine the best predictors of fertilizer use. The results of the study showed that most farmers (69.7%) were found to be in the age group of 35-60 years. Most maize farmers (84.4%) use fertilizer at rates lower than the recommended rate of 375kg/ha. The mean quantity of fertilizer used per year by maize farmers in Ghana is 76.3kg/ha. Most farmers (71.8%) were found to have positive attitude towards the use of fertilizer. The study revealed that cost of fertilizer, farmers' attitude towards fertilizer use, and extension information support were the best predictors of fertilizer use, and all together accounted for 41% of the independent variables contribution to the variance in fertilizer use. The study recommends among others that to improve fertilizer use in Ghana, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the private sector should collaborate to invest and improve the port, road and rail infrastructure to reduce distribution and fertilizer costs so as to make fertilizer affordable to farmers. AIso researchers should work towards coming out with application recommendations for specific soil types.

Source: UCC
Factors influencing the utilisation of University of Cape Coast hospital by the undergraduate students

The purpose of the study was to find out which factors influence the utilisation of health care services provided at the University of Cape Coast hospital. Three research questions were posed to guide the study. The descriptive quantitative survey was used to conduct the study at University of Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana among levels 200-400 both resident and non-resident students. Out of the 11,698 students, 300 (107 males and 186 females with an average age of 23 years) were conveniently sampled for the study. Self-developed questionnaire items were used to elicit data from the respondents. Data collected from the respondents were subjected to both descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential (Pearson’s product moment correlation) statistical analysis. The study revealed that knowledge about availability of health care services (68%) was related to utilisation (79%) of U.C.C. hospital. Majority of the undergraduate students had access to healthcare services (97%) at the U.C.C. hospital in terms of location, demand and cost. Also, perceived quality of services at the hospital (83.2%) influenced utilisation of the services at the hospital. It was recommended that the university administration should intensify the dissemination of information to make the students aware and more knowledgeable of healthcare services of the hospital. The university administration must deepen the priorities given to students on accessibility of the university hospital’s services to maximise utilisation of the services.

Source: UCC
Factors influencing urban malaria: a comparative study of two communities in the Accra Metropolis

Background: As urban centres in Ghana continue to grow, the scale and impact of urban malaria is increasing. Objective: To compare the prevalence of malaria in two communities and how this may be affected by knowledge, attitudes, socioeconomic status and preventive practices of residents in two communities within the Accra metropolis. Methods: Giemsa-stained thick blood films were examined for malaria parasites in 400 people (200 each from townships with high and low urban status) from May to November 2009. Questionnaires were administered to determine and evaluate demographics of the participants. All participants lived within the two catchment areas, about 20 km apart. Results: Average malaria prevalence among participants was 8.75%. Prevalence in Kaneshie (12%: p=0.032) was significantly higher compared to Airport West (5.5%). Illiteracy rate (17.5%), self-medication (81.5%) and the use of coils (21.0%) as a control mechanism was higher among residents of Kaneshie than Airport West. Most of the people (40%) in Kaneshie did not use any form of malaria control method. Insecticide spray was the most preferred malaria control mechanism by the Airport West residents (60.5%). Overall knowledge about malaria, employment status, housing conditions, level of overcrowding and the cost of treatment of malaria was better in Airport West than at Kaneshie. Conclusion: Malaria prevalence and factors influencing its transmission differs within communities in the same urban area. It is therefore essential to develop control and prevention strategies based on the needs of specific communities.

Source: UCC
Factors Influencing Young Women’s Experiences in the Choices and Use of Panties at the University of Cape Coast.

The aim of this research was to investigate the factors influencing young women’s experiences in the choice and use of panties at the University of Cape Coast. A total of 217 respondents were conveniently sampled for the study. A questionnaire was used to collect the data from the respondents and data was descriptively analyzed. The result of the study revealed that Ghana young women have knowledge on the uses and functions of the different types of panties. Also, it was revealed that the comfort style of panties was noted to perform all the uses and functions of panties, except for sexual pleasure, for which thongs, string and tanga were preferred. The leading physical factor that influences their choice of panties was comfort with less attention towards fashion and brand. Also, with regards to the psychological factors, respondents’ interest, confidence, comfort and feelings were highly rated. Moreover, the leading socio-economic factor that influenced respondents’ choice of panties was occasion for which the pantie was worn. Lastly, it was revealed that panties in the Ghanaian market are not comfortable, wear out easily, spreads infections, cause itches, stains easily, show through outerwear and is not absorbent. It was recommended that erotic beading and embroidery works should be done on the comfort pantie to meet all demands.

Source: UCC
Factors leading to unsafe behavior in the twenty first century workplace: a review

Work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities have received considerable attention by researchers and have led to a greater awareness about incident causation in the workplace. Most accidents and injuries emanating from workplaces are attributed to workers’ unsafe behaviors, which are also a reflection of system deficiency and hazardous work-environment. The purpose of this review was to investigate the factors contributing to workers’ unsafe behaviors. A review of 70 major empirical studies on unsafe behaviors was conducted within occupational safety and health research, and thereafter clustered into eight job domains namely: construction, healthcare, informal sector enterprises, manufacturing, mining, energy, agriculture, and multidimensional context. The results across these domains were reported and compared, along with their consequences and solutions. The study found that lack of adequate knowledge on safety and health, violation of safety rules, work pressure, stress and non-use of protective equipment were the main factors of unsafe behaviors. Several major solutions to these behaviors were highlighted for consideration by practitioners and policy developers. The outcomes from this review will assist safety managers in understanding how to motivate employees/workers to engage in proper safety practices.

Source: UCC
Factors militating against community participation in public basic schools in Sefwi-Wiawso district of the Western Region

This study assessed the factors militating against community participation in public basic schools in Sefwi-Wiawso District of the Western Region. It specifically investigated the roles of community members, the relationship between schools and the communities, challenges to community’s participation, and ways of improving community participation in education. A descriptive survey was adopted and involved a sample size of 175 respondents made up 65 headteachers, teachers and circuit supervisors, and 110 community members. Two different sets of questionnaires were designed for the two categories of respondents, and were pilot-tested with reliability coefficients of .899 and .718 for the questionnaires for the headteachers, teachers and circuit supervisors, and community members, respectively. It emerged that there was a healthy and cordial relationship between schools and communities in the district with some engaged in the provision of communal labour and school infrastructure, attending school functions and visiting of schools. However, lack of resources, transparency, failures to implement plans/projects and poor communication were identified as the factors militating against community participation in basic school education in the Sefwi-Wiawso District. It is recommended that there is the need for mutual respect and appreciation among the stakeholders in school management. Again, school heads must be accountable and transparent to the communities in their activities especially finances.

Source: UCC