Browsing by Author "Osae-Larbi, J.A."
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Item Bridging the language barrier gap in the health of multicultural societies: report of a proposed mobile phone-based intervention using Ghana as an example(SpringerPlus, 2016-06) Osae-Larbi, J.A.Across the globe, societies are recording an increasing number of domestic and international migrants for numerous reasons. While this may promote multiculturalism, new migrants and linguistically minority ethnocultural groups may face challenges in fully and equitably participating in various aspects of broader societies, due to language barriers. The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes as an innovative intervention to address this long standing issue of language barriers, specifically as it pertains to accessing pertinent health information in multicultural societies. The USSD is a protocol that allows two-way communication between mobile phones and service providers, and which can be used independent of internet access. By dialing specific USSD codes (e.g. *555#) on their mobile phones, the proposed intervention would enable culturally and linguistically diverse populations in Ghana to access pertinent health information, particularly preventive information in understood language options on their phones. Using the current state of multiculturalism in Ghana as an example, this paper also describes how the proposed intervention can be developed, implemented and evaluated. The paper concludes by highlighting the significance of the proposed intervention to multiculturalism in Ghana and the implications for research. Bridging language barriers in access to health information is central to promoting the health of multicultural societies and fostering multicultural relationships. Therefore, overall, it is expected that this paper would stimulate thinking and research into innovative approaches that may help to successfully bridge language barriers in the area of health of multicultural societies. © 2016, The Author(s).Item Expereinces of Forgiveness, Psychological Health-Related Quality of Life and Immunological Markers: A Study among People Living With HIV/AIDS in Ghana.(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Osae-Larbi, J.A.The role of forgiveness of perceived offenses in health has gained empirical attention for about three decades now in various areas including the area of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). This study aimed at investigating the relationship between forgiveness of offenses directly related to one’s HIV/AIDS-positive status and two health outcomes – psychological health-related quality of life (PHRQOL) and immune functioning, measured by change in cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cells. Employing an explanatory mixed method design, cross-sectional survey data was first collected on a total of 325 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) across HIV outpatient clinics at the Korle-Bu, Komfo Anokye, and Tamale Teaching Hospitals in Ghana. Participants completed validated forgiveness measures across three contexts – intrapersonal, interpersonal, and spiritual. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that forgiveness, particularly positive attitudes toward God and decisional forgiveness of self, uniquely predicted PHRQOL and change in CD4 cell count respectively in adjusted analyses. However, health behaviours did not moderate the forgiveness-health relationship in all contexts. To expound on the survey findings, a follow-up phenomenological study on the lived experiences of forgiveness of HIV-related offenses among 15 of the survey participants using a semi-structured interview schedule was conducted. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, six themes emerged indicating that forgiveness was experienced as internal and external actions confirmed by the experience of positive psychological changes within the offended. These changes held meaning for participants’ psychological health, their physical and socioeconomic wellbeing, as well as for adhering to ART, engaging in protective sexual behaviours, and living a new, focused, and purposeful life. Overall, the findings complementarily lend support to the Stress and Coping Model of Forgiveness, the Biopsychosocial Contexts of Framework of Forgiveness in HIV/AIDS, and the Afrocultural Social Ethos Framework. Namely, among PLWHA in Ghana, forgiveness as an adaptive coping strategy for perceived HIV-related offenses may hold benefits for psychological and immune health possibly through the stress response system and also positive health behaviours, and that among other factors, values for communalism and spirituality may facilitate forgiveness experiences via social support and religious beliefs and practices. These findings hold important implications for theory building, clinical practice, policy development, and for public health and health psychology practice. There is the need for health psychologists through collaborations with clinicians, public health professionals, and policy makers to develop and implement culturally-relevant forgiveness assessments and interventions suitable for use in clinical settings. These, together with existing ART-adherence counselling protocols, may support PLWHA to appropriately cope with any perceived offenses and emotional pain, and to feel motivated to engage in adherent and protective behaviours, both of which behaviours are necessary for curbing secondary transmission of HIV/AIDS.Item Organization Development Models: A Critical Review and Implications for Creating Learning Organizations(European Centre for Research Training and Development UK, 2015-09) Asumeng, M.A.; Osae-Larbi, J.A.Over approximately the last 20 years, models have been used to guide the organization development (OD) consulting process for enhanced organizational effectiveness, with implications for creating learning organisations. This review analyses and synthesizes the characteristics, similarities and differences, and strengths and weaknesses of four main models of OD, and the extent to which they can be used to create learning organisations. The models reviewed are the three-step, action research, appreciative inquiry, and the general planned change model. Whereas all four models overlap in characteristics such as involving participants in the change process, important differences including the focus and stages of change exist amongst them. On the basis of the review, the general model of OD which integrates the other three models is revised and extended to address two main gaps. The first is the absence of a stage in the change process that focuses on assessing pertinent organizational and client factors capable of influencing the success/failure of planned change efforts. The second concerns the lack of clarification on how organizations can become learning organizations as part of the change process. The proposed extended general OD model comprises six overlapping stages, including a final “empoweringwithdrawal” stage. It proposes that OD efforts should empower clients to become learning organizations as an ultimate focus of the field of OD. The review holds important implications for OD practitioners and researchers to jointly adopt, review, and build on the proposed revised general model of OD.