Browsing by Author "Darko, D.K."

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Assessment of Factors Associated With Obesity in Children Under Five Years in Ghana
(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Darko, D.K.
Background: Childhood obesity or overweight has become a global public health problem with its associated morbidity manifesting in early childhood and progressing to adulthood if the alarming trend is not curbed. The fact is that obesity in childhood is associated with a wide range of serious health complications and an increased risk for premature onset of illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension, and other heart diseases. Objective: This study examined the factors associated with obesity in children under five (5) in Ghana. This was achieved by determining the prevalence of childhood obesity and assessed socio-demographic, behavioural, environmental and parental predispositions associated with obesity among children under age five in Ghana. Method: The study used the nationally representative Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2014 data. An analytical cross-sectional study design was used employing quantitative methods to analyze a secondary dataset comprising 3118 children less than five years captured in the GDHS and corresponding information about their parents in sub-sample household of the male survey. Logistic regression models were applied using STATA version 15.0 to test the strength of association between sociodemographic characteristics, environmental, behavioural and maternal predispositions and the development of childhood obesity. The level of significance was accepted at p<0.05. Results: Prevalence of obesity was 3% among children under five years and the highest regional prevalence (5.3%) was recorded from the Central and Greater Accra Regions. Females were 57% less likely to be obese compared with males [AOR=0.43 (95% CI: 0.26-0.71); p<0.001]. Children who belong to obese mothers were 2.33 times more likely to be obese [AOR=2.33 (95% CI: 1.23-4.41); p=0.009]. Furthermore, children who were born to mothers aged 20-24 years were 68% less likely to be obese, compared with children born to mothers aged 15-19 years. Conclusion: The study highlights the impact of mother’s weight status and sociodemographic characteristic on the development of childhood obesity. Interventions and policies to reduce childhood obesity should therefore, be targeted at early identification of familial risk factors
Reducing Rural-Urban Migration through Local Economic Development. A Case Study of Sankpala Community in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region
(University of Ghana, 2013-07) Darko, D.K.; Boakye-Yiadom, L.
The pre- colonial development gap between the North and the South still persists even though there havebeen several attempts by governmental and non-governmental interventions to bridge the gap. This has created a net migration of Northern youth to the South for menial jobs. The movement of people to urban centres poses some challenges to the development of rural areas in that in most rural areas, the impact of rural-urban migration is the rapid deterioration of the rural economy which then leads to poverty and food insecurity. The 1992 constitution empowers the District Assemblies to provide governance at the local level, especially in communities, and to help in the economic development of the people by formulating and implementing strategic plans to bring about total economic development in their various Districts. Promoting the welfare of rural people is at the heart of the local government. One of the key components of the National Decentralization Policy and Action Plan is that it providesfor district assemblies to facilitate economic development at the local level.is Local Economic Development (LED). This study attempts to identify various ways LED can contribute to reducing the North-South migration in Ghana using the Sankpala community in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region of Ghana as a case study. One hundred questionnaires were administered in the community while for the community youth leader, the Regional planning office, and the district planning office in- depth interview were conducted. Results show generally that the concept of LED has not caught on well with the district assembly. However, respondent were of the view that if LED was fully implemented rural-urban migration is likely to reduce considerably. It was recommended that the Government speeds up implementation of the SADA programme and also build the capacities of district assembly staff on LED.