Browsing by Author "Anderson, F."
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Item Creating a charter of collaboration for international university partnerships: The elmina declaration for human resources for health(Academic Medicine, 2014-06) Anderson, F.; Donkor, P.; De Vries, R.; Appiah-Denkyira, E.; Dakpallah, G.F.; Rominski, S.; Hassinger, J.; Lou, A.; Kwansah, J.; Moyer, C.; Rana, G.K.; Lawson, A.; Ayettey, S.The potential of international academic partnerships to build global capacity is critical in efforts to improve health in poorer countries. Academic collaborations, however, are challenged by distance, communication issues, cultural differences, and historical context. The Collaborative Health Alliance for Reshaping Training, Education, and Research project (funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented through academic medicine and public health and governmental institutions in Michigan and Ghana) took a prospective approach to address these issues. The project had four objectives: to create a "charter for collaboration" (CFC), to improve data-driven policy making, to enhance health care provider education, and to increase research capacity. The goal of the CFC was to establish principles to guide the course of the technical work. All participants participated at an initial conference in Elmina, Ghana. Nine months later, the CFC had been revised and adopted. A qualitative investigation of the CFC's effects identified three themes: the CFC's unique value, the influence of the process of creating the CFC on patterns of communication, and the creation of a context for research and collaboration. Creating the CFC established a context in which implementing technical interventions became an opportunity for dialogue and developing a mutually beneficial partnership. To increase the likelihood that research results would be translated into policy reforms, the CFC made explicit the opportunities, potential problems, and institutional barriers to be overcome. The process of creating a CFC and the resulting document define a new standard in academic and governmental partnerships.Item Experiences of Caregivers of Children With Cleft Lip And/or Palate Receiving Treatment at the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Center of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Anderson, F.Globally, the issue of cleft lip and/or palate is a growing concern in many developed and developing countries. This study explored the experiences of caregivers of children with cleft lip and/or palate receiving treatment at the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Center of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The objectives of the study were to (a) explore caregivers’ beliefs about the causes of cleft lip and/or palate (b) identify the challenges faced by caregivers caring for a child with cleft lip and/or palate (c) ascertain the coping strategies adopted by caregivers caring for a child with cleft lip and/or palate and (d) find out support services available to caregivers of children with cleft lip and/or palate. Using a qualitative research design, twenty-five participants were purposively recruited for this study. Key informant and in depth interviews were conducted to gather data for the study and the findings were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study revealed that cleft lip and/or palate was caused by factors such as abnormalities or heredity in pregnancy, supernatural causes, abuse of drugs and food. Moreover, some of the challenges faced by caregivers of children with cleft lip and/or palate included work/financial challenges, child care and negative reactions from family and health professionals. Furthermore, the findings indicated that support services were provided by government, NGOs, families and friends but some of the caregivers were not aware of the formal support services available to them. In addition, the study further indicated that caregivers in dealing with their challenges adopted strategies such as isolation, self-encouragement and motivation. From the findings of the study, it is recommended that sensitization of pregnant women and the general public on cleft and palate by social workers and health professional should be encouraged to reduce the negative reactions and stigmatization that caregivers face.Item Optimism / pessimism and health-related quality of life during pregnancy across three continents: a matched cohort study in China, Ghana, and the United States(2009-09-01) Moyer, C.A.; Yang, H.; Kwawukume, Y.; Gupta, A.; Zhu, Y.C; Koranteng, I.; Elsayed, Y.; Wei, Y.; Greene, J.; Calhoun, C.; Ekpo, G.; Beems, M.; Ryan, M.; Adanu, R.; Anderson, F.Abstract Background Little is known about how optimism/pessimism and health-related quality of life compare across cultures. Methods Three samples of pregnant women in their final trimester were recruited from China, Ghana, and the United States (U.S.). Participants completed a survey that included the Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R, an optimism/pessimism measure), the Short Form 12 (SF-12, a quality of life measure), and questions addressing health and demographic factors. A three-country set was created for analysis by matching women on age, gestational age at enrollment, and number of previous pregnancies. Anovas with post-hoc pairwise comparisons were used to compare results across the cohorts. Multivariate regression analysis was used to create a model to identify those variables most strongly associated with optimism/pessimism. Results LOT-R scores varied significantly across cultures in these samples, with Ghanaian pregnant women being the most optimistic and least pessimistic and Chinese pregnant women being the least optimistic overall and the least pessimistic in subscale analysis. Four key variables predicted approximately 20% of the variance in overall optimism scores: country of origin (p = .006), working for money (p = .05); level of education (p = .002), and ever being treated for emotional issues with medication (p < .001). Quality of life scores also varied by country in these samples, with the most pronounced difference occurring in the vitality measure. U.S. pregnant women reported far lower vitality scores than both Chinese and Ghanaian pregnant women in our sample. Conclusion This research raises important questions regarding what it is about country of origin that so strongly influences optimism/pessimism among pregnant women. Further research is warranted exploring underlying conceptualization of optimism/pessimism and health related quality of life across countries.Item Optimism/pessimism and health-related quality of life during pregnancy across three continents: A matched cohort study in china, Ghana, and the united states.(BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2009) Moyer, C.A.; Yang, H.; Kwawukume, Y.; Gupta, A.; Zhu, Y.; Koranteng, I.; Yasmin, E.; YuMei, W.; Jonathan, G.; Calhoun, C.; Ekpo, G.; Megan, B.; Megan, R.; Adanu, R.; Anderson, F.Background Little is known about how optimism/pessimism and health-related quality of life compare across cultures. Methods Three samples of pregnant women in their final trimester were recruited from China, Ghana, and the United States (U.S.). Participants completed a survey that included the Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R, an optimism/pessimism measure), the Short Form 12 (SF-12, a quality of life measure), and questions addressing health and demographic factors. A three-country set was created for analysis by matching women on age, gestational age at enrollment, and number of previous pregnancies. Anovas with post-hoc pairwise comparisons were used to compare results across the cohorts. Multivariate regression analysis was used to create a model to identify those variables most strongly associated with optimism/pessimism. Results LOT-R scores varied significantly across cultures in these samples, with Ghanaian pregnant women being the most optimistic and least pessimistic and Chinese pregnant women being the least optimistic overall and the least pessimistic in subscale analysis. Four key variables predicted approximately 20% of the variance in overall optimism scores: country of origin (p = .006), working for money (p = .05); level of education (p = .002), and ever being treated for emotional issues with medication (p < .001). Quality of life scores also varied by country in these samples, with the most pronounced difference occurring in the vitality measure. U.S. pregnant women reported far lower vitality scores than both Chinese and Ghanaian pregnant women in our sample. Conclusion This research raises important questions regarding what it is about country of origin that so strongly influences optimism/pessimism among pregnant women. Further research is warranted exploring underlying conceptualization of optimism/pessimism and health related quality of life across countries.