Browsing by Author "Hammond, A."
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Item Caregivers of Mentally Ill Patients: A Crosssectional Need-Based Assessment of Social Workers in Post-conflict Somalia(Practice Social Work in Action, 2019-06-03) Hammond, A.; Arkorful, V.E.; Mohamed, A.A.; Jama, O.; Pokuaah, S.; Basiru, I.; Agyei, E.K.; Latif, A.This study seeks to investigate the needs of family caregivers of people living with Mental illness in Somalia. Using an exploratory research design technique, a qualitative approach was employed for a one-on-one interview module to collect data from a total of 51 respondents identified as family caregivers of mentally ill persons undergoing rehabilitation in five (5) selected mental health facilities sampled for the study. In analyzing and interpreting qualitative data, a thematic content analysis was done which revealed that, in addition to medical care, family caregivers need not only social support in a form of affection to assist them in their various engagements, but also, adequate relaxation and leisure to regain lost energies and save them from stress and its harmful ramifications on their health. They also need decent accommodation to maintain their mentally ill relatives. The results further revealed that, caregivers needed financial support as well as emotional support from friends and society in order to psyche them up for their task. To understand the needs of patients’ treatment history and condition, caregivers need information. It is, therefore of necessity to social workers and other stakeholders that the needs of caregivers are adequately and sufficiently addressed.Item A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study of Barriers to Effective Therapeutic Communication among Nurses and Patients(International Journal of Public Administration, 2020-02-28) Hammond, A.; Arkorful, V.E.; Basiru, I.; Boateng, J.; Doku, F.; Pokuaah, S.; Agyei, E.K.; Baoteng, J.A.; Lugu, B.K.Effective communication between patients and nurses is cardinal to health care The study seeks to explore barriers to effective therapeutic communication between patients and nurses in randomly selected health facilities in the Kumasi metropolis, Ashanti region, Ghana. The study employed an exploratory study to interview 60 respondents comprising 30 nurses and patients each, using an unstructured interview guide. In addition to nurses' and patients'perceived barriers, the study revealed the health environment–related barriers. Patients-related barriers include individual sociodemographic attributes, patient–nurse relationship, erroneous impression, and language barrier. Other identified nurses-related barriers include human resource challenges, patients' distrust in nurses’ competency, interference from patients’ relations, inadequate knowledge, patient’s dissatisfaction with output, patients’ emotional fluctuations. Health environment– related barriers also include excessive workload, unconducive environment, and environmental changes. Given the relevance of therapeutic communication to health service, the study, among other things recommends that efforts be exerted by sector actors to address the challenges and help promote quality in health-care service and delivery.Item Decentralization and Citizens’ Participation in Local Governance: Does Trust and Transparency Matter? – An Empirical Study(Taylor & Francis Group, 2021) Arkorful, V.E.; Lugu, B.K.; Hammond, A.; Basiru, I.The wind of change that swept across the African continent and other developing countries ensuingly engendered the need to institute measures that would bring government to the people’s doorstep. This led to the prioritization and touting of decentralization. Against the backdrop of the proximate reason to accelerate public access to government, the express expectation was that a germane space would be created to enhance participation. However, the validity of this postulation is yet to be realized. The study, therefore, set out to examine the relationship between decentralization and people’s participation, with the mediating role of trust and transparency. Results of data analysis (561 respondents), using the structural equation modelling technique, established not only the appropriateness of the proposed study model, but also, the imperativeness of the trust and transparency to decentralization and participation. The implications of the study are delineated for effective policy and practice.Item An Empirical Investigation of Health Practitioners Technology Adoption: The Mediating Role of Electronic Health(International Journal of Public Administration, 2019-09-19) Hammond, A.; Arkorful, V.E.; Shuliang, Z.; Muhideen, S.; Basiru, I.Health technology innovation integration is rapidly growing in global health-care settings. However, research on factors driving technology adoption intention is limited. On this note, it has become important to investigate and understand the complex factors underpinning practitioners’ technology adoption intentions. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model and The Institutional Theory, we propose a model to empirically investigate technology adoption and its potency in driving universal health coverage, mediated by electronic health technology. We used data collected from 416 health sector practitioners to empirically test the model. Using the Structural Equation Modeling technique, the study found that perceived ease of use and relevant technology infrastructure all have significant positive relationship with universal health coverage. However, perceived usefulness, management support and adequate practitioner training were found to have negative relationship with universal health coverage. The results further revealed that perceived-ease-of-use, perceived usefulness, management support, adequate practitioner training and relevant technology infrastructure also have positive relationship with electronic health technology. Moreover, electronic health technology as a mediator was also found to have significant relationship with universal health coverage. The implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are subsequently highlighted.Item Equitable Access and Inclusiveness in Basic Education: Roadblocks to Sustainable Development Goals(International Journal of Public Administration, 2019-06-13) Agyei, E.K.; Arkorful, V.E.; Basiru, I.; Anokye, R.; Latif, A.; Hammond, A.; Pokuaah, S.; Arkorful, E.V.; Abdul-Rahaman, S.For more than half a century, the recognition of education by the international community as a social transformative tool and a fundamental human right has found strong affirmations in conventions, statutes and resolutions. The inception of the Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030), as a sequel to the Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015) for instance acknowledges education as an indispensable conduit for people to realize their capabilities whiles completing primary school cycle. However, while the international community is yet to realise the potential of education as a catalyst for development, greater inequalities in access to education in the face of heightening social, economic, political and cultural challenges exist for different social classes in different parts of developing countries, precisely Ghana. The paper sought to investigate the challenges to basic education access and inclusiveness in Ghana. The study was conducted in two (2) selected districts each in some six(6)purposefully sampled regions against the backdrop of the 2015 Ghana PovertyMapping Report. Relying on field gathered data, the study data analysis revealed that access to education in the study areas are chiefly poverty induced. It also found out that, the lack of a sustainable education policy and political will, coupled with incessant political interferences in education by governments over the years has been deleterious to education access in Ghana. The study concluded that merit-based poverty considerations, and the introduction of social policy interventions is crucial to increasing access to education. It is therefore pertinent for Government, Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations, Corporate bodies and other stakeholders alike to reignite their commitment to ensuring the extensive extension of assistance to the needy, whiles pushing for the implementation of pro-poor policies aimed at increasing access and equity/inclusiveness relative to basic education in Ghana.Item Examining Quality, Value, Satisfaction and Trust Dimensions: An Empirical Lens to Understand Health Insurance Systems Actual Usage(Public Organization Review, 2021) Arkorful, V.E.; Lugu, B.K.; Hammond, A.Health insurance policies have become key social policy interventions incepted to extend healthcare to vulnerable populations. In this vein, Ghana devised a health insurance scheme in the year 2003. However, there have been concerns about quality, value, satisfaction and trust regarding healthcare and insurance usage. Using data drawn from 345 participants, our study investigates these dimensions to empirically test their predictive effects on the actual usage of health insurance. Data analysis results using the Structural Equation Modelling technique confirmed these dimensions as predictors of intention and actual usage. Our study delineates the practical, theoretical and policy implications of the study findings.Item Investigating the intention to use technology among medical students: An application of an extended model of the theory of planned behavior(Journal of Public Affairs, 2020) Arkorful, V.E.; Hammond, A.; Lugu, B.K.; et al.Though the integration of technology into the health sector has been touted as one of the conduits for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in health and service delivery, research reports of not only a slow pace of adoption but also medical practitioners's negative tendency regarding technology adoption. Considering that medical students are likely to constitute the future work force to use technology to enhance accuracy in medical decisions; their intention to use technology constitutes a crucial factor for guiding the implementation of technology-based initiatives in healthcare settings. By integrating descriptive norm, the study seeks to extend the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate correlates of prospective users' behavioral characteristics relative to technology adoption. A field survey is conducted with 322 medical students from different medical schools undertaking mandatory clinicals in health facilities in Ghana. The structural equation modeling analysis of collected data revealed that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and descriptive norm, all have significant positive relationship with student's technology adoption intention. The results of data analysis further revealed that the core TPB constructs contributed 26% of the variance in technology adoption intention, while the extended variable contributed to increasing the explanation of variance in students's adoption intention to 33%. Hence, the inclusion of descriptive norm increased the explained variance by 7% (ΔR2 = 7%, p < .001). The results confirm the predictive potential and appropriateness of the TPB model. Arising from the empirical results, study implications are discussed.Item “Reforming the law of intestate succession in a legally plural Ghana”(Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law, 2019-04) Hammond, A.There has been minimal compliance with Ghana’s Intestate Succession Act, 1985, (PNDC Law 111) especially by communities in rural areas whose lives are governed almost exclusively by customary law. This is because the state and customary legal systems have failed to reconcile their perceptions of law and legal responsibilities. Drawing on legal pluralism as a practical guiding framework for analyzing the relationship between states and customary legal systems, and focusing on the law of intestate succession, I argue that in order for legal reforms to be embraced, especially by rural dwellers, the state must adopt what may be termed, the mutual concession approach to legal reforms, a structured and principled discretionary approach that seeks to balance the valued interests of both legal systems, and which promises to be more agreeable to rural dwellers in ways that ensure compliance with state law.Item Social Protection Policy or a Political Largesse: Disability Fund Efficacy Assessment and Roadblocks to Sustainable Development Goals(International Journal of Public Administration, 2019-09-29) Hammond, A.; Arkorful, V.E.; Anokye, R.; Basiru, I.; Mohammed, S.; Micah, V.B.Social protection policies have been tools for fighting social exclusion, inequality and reducing poverty incidence among vulnerable populations in developing countries. In this regard, the government of Ghana through the institution of the disability fund has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the cause of people with disabilities. In assessing policy efficacy, the realities on the ground, as well as policy challenges, 130 persons with disability (PWDs) and 10 Key Informants (KIs) were recruited from across five regions. In addition to conducting face-to-face interviews with PWDs, the study conducted a number of interviews with key informants (KIs). The study findings concluded amongst other things that, the policy is plagued with challenges such as limited information about the fund, fund access difficulty and disbursement delays. It was also revealed that; the policy is saddled with opacity and partisan politics. To ensure efficiency and expedite the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1, the research proposed for policy restructuring. In addition to introducing financial literacy and management training for beneficiaries, the study proffers decoupling the fund management from political structures to help meet the objectives for which it was incepted.Item Use of Biochar to Enhance Bioremediation of an Oxisol Contaminated with Diesel Oil.(University of Ghana, 2014-07) Hammond, A.; Lawson Y.D.I; Danso S.K.A.; University of Ghana College of Basic and Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Department of Soil ScienceOil pollution is a worldwide threat to the environment, especially in oil producing countries, and the remediation of oil-contaminated soils is a major challenge for environmental research. Bioremediation is a useful method for restoring oil contaminated soils because of its cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness. However, the process is very slow in soils with low pH. Soils of the Western Region of Ghana where most of the country‘s oil activities take place are classified as Oxisols. These soils are acidic in nature and have soil conditions unfavourable for effective biodegradation of petroleum and its products. Application of biochar to soils is currently gaining considerable interest globally due to its potential to serve as a liming agent and in raising soil pH in different soil types. It is against this background that the present study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of biochar as a soil conditioner in enhancing microbial degradation of diesel oil in theAnkasa series (Plinthic acrudox) sampled from the Western Region of Ghana and the subsequent growth of cowpea in the bioremediated soils. The acidic soil was contaminated with diesel oil at 100 mL/kg soil. Two biochar types, from rice straw (RB) and from saw dust (SB), were applied to the contaminated soils at 0, 65, 130, 195 and 260 Mg/ha. The treated soils were incubated and sampled for determination of the hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) population, total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (HET) population, change in soil pH and the amount of oil degraded at 10 days interval for 40 days. In another experiment the soil was contaminated with diesel oil at 100 mL/kg soil, amended with RB at 195 Mg/ha and fertilized with N and/or P in the form of ammonium nitrate and single super phosphate, respectively at 60 kg/ha. These treated soils were also incubated and sampled for analysis of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) population and the amount of oil degraded at 10 days interval. Cowpea was sown into the residual soils and harvested 6 weeks after planting for the determination of the number of nodule formed, shoot and root dry weights. In the firs experiment, results showed that all the biochar treatments significantly (p < 0.05) increased the amount of diesel oil degraded, HUB and HET populations when compared to the control.The RB treatments significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced diesel oil degradation more than the SB treatments. Results also showed that RB at 260 Mg/ha resulted in the highest amount of diesel oil degraded but was not significantly (p > 0.05) different from RB at 195 Mg/ha. Soil pH, soil organic carbon, total exchangeable bases, effective cation exchange capacity, and base saturation were also significantly (p < 0.05) increased by the biochar treatments. Soil available P increased significantly (p < 0.05) for the RB treatments. However, total N and exchangeable acidity significantly (p < 0.05) decreased when amended with biochar. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that these biochars contained large quantities of carbonates and oxides.Fertilizing RB (195 Mg/ha) with N and/or P significantly (p < 0.05) increased amount of diesel oil degraded and HUB population 40 days after incubation when compared to RB only treatment. Fertilization with N and/or P enhanced shoots and roots dry weights of cowpea. Addition of N was inhibitory to nodulation, however, P fertilization enhanced nodulation. In conclusion, the enhanced degradation was attributed to the presence of large quantities of carbonates and oxides in the biochars which might have served as liming agents, improved the soilmicrobiology and other chemical properties. Further studies should be conducted on the application of combination of rice straw biochar, nitrogen and phosphorus, in the bioremediation of oil under acidic condition should be conducted in the field to confirm its effectiveness for future recommendation.Item Voter's choice of a presidential candidate: An empirical study(Journal of Public Affairs, 2020) Arkorful, V.E.; Hammond, A.; Lugu, B.K.; et al.Since the consolidation of democracy and the inception of reforms thereof in Ghana, one raging subject matter that has over time come under intense scrutiny and, consequently, altogether eminently preoccupied the attention of political scientists, pollsters, marketers and strategists in particular, has been one bordering on voter's behavior. Understanding voter's behavior is crucially indispensable to reshaping the democratic process and devising political strategies. In spite of this, there is, however, a paucity of research focus targeted at unraveling the distinct behavior patterns and underpinnings relative to voters' choices. Against this backdrop, the main idea of this research is to explore the antecedents of voters' choice. The theory of consumer behavior has been used as the theoretical framework. Using the survey approach, data was elicited from card-bearing registered voters and analyzed with the aid of the structural equation modeling technique. results of data (n = 363) analysis revealed a confluence of voters' choice antecedents anchored on quality, trust, attractiveness, expertise and image. Based on the results, study implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are subsequently delineated.