Browsing by Author "Obeng, P."
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Item Bacteriological Analysis of Raw Beef Retailed in Selected Open Markets in Accra, Ghana(Hindawi, 2021) Olu-Taiwo, M.; Obeng, P.; Forson, A.O.Beef is an important and popular source of protein and nutrients. Constant monitoring and evaluation of the microbiological contamination is pertinent for its safety and quality. This study aimed to assess the bacteriological profiles and the bacterial loads in beef, as well as investigate food safety practices among beef retailers in selected open markets in Accra, Ghana. This was a cross-sectional study with beef samples randomly purchased from six selected open markets in Accra metropolis. Beef samples were examined for total aerobic count (TAC) and total coliform count (TCC). Bacterial identification was performed by standard bacteriological methods and a well-structured questionnaire was administered to assess food safety and hygienic practices of beef retailers. Overall, mean TACs ranged between 2.2 ×103 and 1.3 ×104CFU/g, while mean TCCs ranged between 1.9 ×102 and 7.4 ×102CFU/g. Beef samples were mostly contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. (34%), Klebsiella oxytoca (17%), Enterobacter spp. (15%), and Proteus vulgaris (3%). +is study showed varying levels of bacterial contamination of retailed beef sold in different Accra markets. According to the Health Protection Agency guidelines for assessing microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods, our mean TACs were satisfactory, while mean TCCs were within borderline quality. +e results of this study revealed that the majority of beef vended in open markets in Accra is contaminated with coliform and pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, more training in safe food handling and good hygiene practices is required for beef retailers. Conclusively, effective monitoring of the bacteriological profiles and bacterial loads of meat and meat products in abattoirs and points of sale should be established, since such a continuous monitoring system could help prevent potential health problems for consumers and provide information on possible sources of meat borne intoxication and infection.Item Culture and Stylistics in Translation: The Case of the Book of Proverbs in the Mfantse Bible(2020-02-12) Obeng, P.This study investigates how the Mfantse Bible translation communicates the intended message to its users. It examines how the strategies and techniques adopted in an English-Mfantse rendition communicate to achieve naturalness and faithfulness. The book, Early Scriptures of the Gold Coast discusses the inconsistencies in the Mfantse Bible and reports that even though effort was invested into the translation by missionaries and native speakers of Mfantse, the Bible lacked some finesse. This study explores the holistic translation of the Mfantse Bible. It is a qualitative study which contributes to research on Bible Translation and translation pedagogy. Generally, poetry translation is challenging, therefore the Book of Proverbs was selected as a case study. After a careful reading of the Book of Proverbs in both the source and target languages, inventory of all grammatical expressions, figurative expressions and cultural notions were taken. These were coded and analysed and later crosschecked with users in focus group discussions to ascertain their naturalness. At the grammatical level, the study establishes that both English and Akan have particular grammatical structures that express the intended meaning of the scripture without distorting meaning. In the grammatical analysis, some errors exist but their effect on meaning is minimal because morphemes are functional and have no content or conceptual meaning. The strategy most commonly employed is equivalence, in addition to a few instances of deletion. Cultural substitution worked best for the translation of culture specific items. In the Mfantse Bible, most repetition types are lost due to vocabulary and structural changes. Also, wrong cultural substitution led to mistranslations, possibly due to difference in ecology. Some errors emerged due to the fact that the verbs used did not collocate with the appropriate nouns they agree with. In the translation of figurative expressions, cultural substitution was used but the preferred strategy was literal translation. The figurative expressions used most are synonymy and antithetic parallelism. Once more, literalism helped to maintain the expressions so that they are presented to the reader as in the source text. Finally, codemixing has been discovered as one of the strategies employed in the translation. According to most of the language consultants, the translation sounds natural to a high extent and any average speaker should be able to read correctly and understand the Bible at least on a second attempt. Theoretically, the study has advanced Baker’s Levels of Equivalence in terms of contribution and proves that the levels are independent of one another and that at every level a unique outcome can be achieved.Item In‐school adolescents' sociodemographic correlates of serious unintentional injuries in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: A cross‐sectional study(Health Science Reports, 2023) Sarfo, J.O.; Obeng, P.; Gbordzoe, N.I.; Debrah, T.P.; Ofori, C.O.B.; Hagan, J.E.Background: As a public health concern, serious adolescent injuries constitute considerable global morbidity and mortality. Despite the proliferation of literature on this problem, the evidence on the determinants of injuries among in‐school adolescents in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is insufficient. Method: The study analyzed data from the 2018 Global School‐based Student Health Survey to examine the prevalence and determinants of serious injuries in a nationwide adolescent sample in SVG. χ2 And binomial logistic regression analyses were carried out, along with an adjusted odds ratio and a 95% confidence interval. Results: Serious injuries among this population were estimated at 50.5%. Student grades, gender, truancy, amphetamine or methamphetamine use, marijuana or alcohol use, cigarette smoking, physical assault, physical fight, cyberbullying, suicidal behavior (ideation, plan, and attempt), parental or guardian tobacco use, and multiple sexual partners were significantly associated with serious injuries. After adjusting for other variables, being a male, having experienced a physical attack, fighting physically, attempting suicide, and having multiple sexual partners predicted serious injuries among in‐school adolescents in SVG. Conclusion: The use of integrative health promotion and injury prevention programmes (e.g., antiviolence campaigns) and educational measures could help minimize or eradicate this menace in SVG.Item Multiple sexual partnership among school‑going adolescents in Benin: a population‑based study of prevalence and predictors(Springer, 2023) Gbordzoe, N.I.; Obeng, P.; Ogum, M.A.; et al.Aim The study investigated the prevalence and determinants of multiple sexual partnerships among school-going adolescents. Methods A secondary analysis of data from the 2016 Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was conducted to determine the prevalence and determinants of multiple sexual partners among 2496 school-going adolescents aged 13–17 years in Benin. Results The overall prevalence of multiple sexual partnerships was 26.1% among adolescents. After adjusting for other factors, male sex (AOR=4.80, 95% CI 3.78–6.09), truancy (AOR=1.69, 95% CI 1.35–2.12), sedentary lifestyle (AOR=1.28) 95% CI 1.00–1.62), cigarette smoking (AOR = 3.14, 95% CI 1.95–5.07) and alcohol use (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.44–2.20) were significantly associated with the increased odds of engaging in multiple sexual partnerships. However, younger age (AOR=.37, 95% CI 0.25–0.56), lower grade (AOR=.52, 95% CI 0.42–65), and parental monitoring (AOR=0.71, 95% CI 0.55–0.91) were significantly associated with lower odds of engaging in multiple sexual partnerships. Conclusions Risky sexual behaviour interventions should focus on adolescents’ personal, school, and psychosocial characteristics using multidisciplinary approaches. These approaches will contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 3, target 3.4 of promoting adolescent mental health and well-being, and Goal 4, target 1 of ensuring equitable education toward effective learning outcomes among Beninese school-going adolescents.Item Prevalence and Predictors of Alcohol Use among School-Going Adolescents in Panama: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study(MDPI, 2023-05) Gbordzoe, N. I.; Obeng, P.; Sambah, F.; et alThis study investigated the prevalence and predictors of alcohol use among school-goingage adolescents in Panama. Using a national school-based cross-sectional survey, data from a proportionate sample of school-going adolescents aged 13–17 years were obtained from the 2018 Panama Global School-based Student Health Survey [GSHS]. Data were analysed with a Pearson’s Chi-square test and weighted binary logistic regression. The results were reported with their corresponding adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI) and level of significance set at p < 0.05. The prevalence of alcohol use among adolescents in Panama was 30.6%. The odds of alcohol use were lower among adolescents in a lower grade than those in upper grades, and lower in those who did not eat from a restaurant than those who ate from a restaurant. Further, the likelihood of alcohol use was significantly high among those who engaged in physical fights, were seriously injured, were mostly worried, and whose parents used any form of tobacco. Other results showed that the odds of alcohol use were high among sedentary respondents, those who had multiple sexual partners and those who used amphetamines. Based on the present findings, a collaborative approach (i.e., stakeholders- the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Education- community–individual levels) towards the development and adherence of appropriate interventions aimed at reducing alcohol use is required in Panama. Specific preventive interventions would be fundamental in promoting a positive school climate to help reduce adolescents’ alcohol use and, perhaps, other anti-social behaviours (e.g., physical fights and bullying).Item Self-Determination Theory and Quality of Life of Adults with Diabetes: A Scoping Review(Journal of Diabetes Research, 2023) Sarfo, J.O.; Obeng, P.; Kyereh, H.K.; Ansah, E.W.; Attafuah, P.Y.A.Background. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of sickness, death, and decreased quality of life globally. The prevalence of diabetes keeps rising globally due to lifestyle changes and urbanization. Therefore, improved quality of life (QoL) and appropriate diabetes self-management practices, including treatment adherence, are crucial to improving and sustaining the health of diabetic patients. Some studies have adopted the self-determination theory (SDT) to study diabetes interventions, but less is known about its effectiveness in improving QoL, treatment adherence, and diabetes self-management. Aim/Objective. This review assessed the effectiveness of SDT in improving self-management practices, treatment adherence, and QoL among adult diabetic patients. Method. We followed the six-stage framework by Arksey and O’Malley in conducting the review. PubMed, JSTOR, Central, and ScienceDirect databases were searched for published articles from January 2011 to October 2021 using keywords and Boolean logic. Furthermore, we screened a reference list of related articles. Also, Google Scholar, Z-library, and web-based searches were carried out to retrieve other relevant evidence that applied SDT in improving QoL, diabetes self management, and treatment adherence. Findings. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria, from which data were extracted as findings. SDT effectively improved QoL, diabetes treatment adherence, and diabetes self-management among diabetic patients. Of these studies, 11 provided data on SDT and diabetes self-management and affirmed the effectiveness of the theory in improving appropriate diabetes self-management practices. Two studies confirmed the effectiveness of SDT in improving treatment adherence. SDT and QoL were assessed in 4 of the studies, which demonstrated the effectiveness of SDT in enhancing the QoL of diabetic patients. Conclusion. SDT effectively improved QoL, diabetes treatment adherence, and diabetes self-management. The application of SDT in diabetes management will improve the health and QoL of diabetic patients. Hence, diabetes management interventions could adopt SDT to guide treatment.Item Suicidal behaviours among school‑going adolescents in samoa: a secondary analysis of prevalence, protective, and risk factors(Middle East Current Psychiatry, 2023) Sarfo, J.O.; Gbordzoe, N.I.; Obeng, P.; et alBackground Suicide has become a major threat to achieving Sustainable Development Goals three and four, especially for school-going adolescents worldwide. As part of efforts to prevent suicide, population-based studies regarding the prevalence and variables that predict suicidal behaviours are required to inform decisions. Despite this realisation, Samoa lacks empirical data on suicidal behaviours among adolescents. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2017 Global School-based Student Health Survey to examine the prevalence of suicidal behaviours (idea, plan, and attempt) of school-going adolescents in Samoa. Results The prevalence of suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt was 24.1%, 23.8%, and 21.8%, respectively. Also, we found that having understanding parents was an important protective factor against all three suicidal behaviours among Samoan in-school adolescents. Suicidal ideation was predicted by cigarette smoking, having someone who smokes in adolescents’ presence, bullying, loneliness, and worrying about things they could not study. Also, cigarette smoking, bullying, having multiple sexual partners, and worrying increased the risk of having suicidal plans. Again, adolescents’ suicidal attempt was predicted by adolescent truancy, alcohol use, cigarette smoking, being bullied, having close friends, loneliness, and worry. Conclusions Rather than focusing on the school setting alone, suicide prevention interventions in Samoa should foster interdisciplinary collaborations to help reduce suicide.